Money drives Ross Michaelson's artless existence until his sterile world is infected by a strange dream of a stately, gothic building. When Ross sees a photograph of the structure on the front page of the Wall Street Journal, he finds out that the building is part of a financially strapped college up for sale. Not only is the institution in fiscal trouble, its previous president is dead - and not from natural causes. Realizing he must choose between making a foolish investment or enduring the dream's incessant recurrence, Michaelson takes the unsound risk and buys the college. Once acquired, he attempts to quickly sell some civil war era paintings, shut the place down, and then escape back to New York. But a few faculty, led by an eccentric statistics professor, challenge Michaelson's plans. Dragged into court, Ross hires a private investigator to find out what has been going on. What he discovers will change Southern Institute of Arts and Sciences and Ross Michaelson forever.