The Night of the Twelfth by Gilbert, Michael - 1978

"On the night of June 12 a dead boy is discovered in a field east of Brading Village. He is partially undressed, his hands are tied behind his back, and there is evidence that he has been tortured, then strangled. This is the third case in 12 months of a child being kidnapped and assaulted in this way. The police have formed a special task force to capture the brutal murdered, but unfortunately the only witness they have is an unreliable old man who had seen a car coming out of the field as he was on his way home from a pub. The nearby Trenchard House Preparatory School for boys is naturally concerned with the latest murder. But they are having other problems, including the need to protect the son of the ambassador from Israel and trouble with some of the staff. Also, they have taken on a new teacher, Mr. Manifold, who seems to be an unusual sort to be working at a school."; 6¾" - 7¾" Tall .