In the summer of 1944, Leslie Atwater -- feeling abandoned by his lover Edward -- rushes to London to enlist in the armed services. After failing the physical, he retreats to the sanctuary of St. Michael’s rectory and to the love and support of his brother Robert.<br><br>When a bomb explodes near St. Andrew’s Home for Boys, it unearths a skeleton of an adolescent. As Leslie, Edward, and Robert set about identifying the remains, the shocking discovery stirs up an old antagonism between the two brothers and brings to light a string of repressed memories for Leslie.<br><br>With the truth obscured by the passage of years, can Leslie and Edward sift through the lies and subterfuge to track down the coldhearted killer of a kindred spirit?

Kindred Spirit

Leslie walked to the remains of a stone wall and touched it. “I remember this. Least I think I do. The wall.” He peered over the top and into an alleyway. “But what’s behind here, or I should say what’s left of what’s behind here, is new to me. The buildings must have had quite a bit of damage in the recent V-1 explosion. But this wall…yes, it was here.”


A sunny afternoon. Boys dressed in ragged shirts and short pants. Some bent over, their hands in the dirt, making small mounds around the seedlings. Others standing by, holding watering cans while a woman known as Dot supervises their activity. On the wall, written in large white letters the words: Orphans Garden.


Leslie took a step back and lost his footing. He faltered, almost fell, but Edward caught him in time.


Chapter 16