When Jessica arrived on campus for her early morning lectures, the first thing she noticed were police officers teeming the entrance to the main lecture hall. Her brows creased, she clutched her leather bag tighter, on impulse. Amidst the chaos of police men halting students to ask them questions, she spotted Mr Eze speaking to a girl with bone straight hair and pleasingly plump legs.

The slight chilly air ruffled the tail end of her hair ever so subtly. Jessie felt an eerie feeling of deja vu. The girl's back was to her, she found herself jostling through the throng using the slight distraction to clamor for attention–– finally stopping short of the duo talking in low tones. Before she could go any further, someone tugged her arm, pulling her away to a hidden corner.

Her forehead crinkled, face lighting up with recognition as she stared at the guy with the numerous piercings and starlight tattoos from a few week nights ago. He was the bartender. He looked around uneasily, his pink tongue flicking over and over his lip ring. "What's up with you, man?" Jessica asked, frowning.

"It's nothing... it's just, I feel you aren't going to be safe going anywhere near that man." Jessica leaned forward, giving nervous shifting glances at the crowded scene.

"Did you do something?" She queried, eyeing him warily.

Danny scratched the back of his neck, looking everywhere but directly at her. "Look man, the police people are scary. They gonna ask you some questions and if you can't reply one, they will mark you as a suspect. Already been there before."

Jessie gasped, taken aback. "What kind of questions did they ask you?"

"Well, they asked me if I knew Valentina, what connection I had with her. And if we ever shared anything sexual."

She gritted her teeth, wanting to scream at the lunacy of the brutal looking police force. "How's that gotta do with anything?"

"I don't know," Danny shrugged. "I just wanted you to be careful out there. That girl's dad looks like a crook."

"Think he's capable of trying to creep someone out?" Jessie inquired thoughtfully.

"Ummm is it about?" He paused, peering at his lighted phone screen. "Look, I gotta go. I have some errands to run." With that, he dashed off, leaving Jessie in a daze. Her mind was twisting and turning, trying to put two and together. She hadn't realized she'd moved from her position when a deep bass voice called out to her. She gulped, turning around to see Mr Eze gesturing her over.

She tried cracking a resemblance of a smile as she walked up to him. Meanwhile, her heart was pounding wildly, the girl he'd been talking to was already dismissed.

"Hello, sir. Good afternoon," she greeted in a low tone.

He nodded in acknowledgment. "I thought you were even coming to greet me but before I knew it, you disappeared. Is there a problem?" He placed both hands on his waist like a parent scolding a child would do. Jessica shook her head, suddenly finding interest in her leather sandals. "Everything is good, thanks. So, how's the investigation going?"

The corners of Mr. Eze's mouth turned downwards as he heaved a sigh. "It's going slower than I imagined. But we'll get there. Where are you headed?"

"Umm, to my first lecture for the day." She took a quick look at her wristwatch. "But it looks like I'm running late."

"Alright." Mr Eze clapped his palms together. "I'll let you be for now. But could you please give a brief statement to one of the officers at least?"

Jessica blew out a breath, nodding in approval. "Sure thing."

Throughout the time–dragging lecture, she barely paid attention to any of the words spewing out from the physics lecturer's mouth. She kept rapping the tip of her pen on her notebook as she stared out of the high windows, nothing in particular catching her interest. The whole class was rowdy; students chattered, cackling in laughter as the lecturer went on with his teaching, undisturbed.

He paced back and forth the podium with microphone in hand, pushing his lecture forward–– everyone was busy talking or doing whatever they deemed fit. Jessica glanced at the man as he paused for once, looking around the crowded lecture hall.

"Can someone tell me what the hell is going on?" He thundered, wiping his forehead with a handkerchief. The noise gradually died down, making the impact of his question felt. "I'm stressing myself teaching and y'all are causing a rukus over nothing. Is it about what's going on outside?"

The course rep put up a hand from the front row he was seated, standing upright when the lecturer signaled for him to speak up. "Sir, I think everyone is distraught about a student's death and it doesn't help seeing police officers patrolling the campus." His brief speech earned nods of commendation and soon enough, the students began to cheer including Jessie.

Truth be told, she wanted the bald headed man to conclude his lecture. His time was already up and he was encroaching on their lab period. She relaxed into the wooden seat, shuffling her feet as the lecturer shook his head.

"You guys are mere kids. What do you know? How do you allow what goes on in your environment affect your learning. There's no sense in that. Instead of you to focus on your studies, some of you are busy talking, laughing and looking out the window. The poor girl is dead and gone, can't her soul rest?"

The class erupted in hushed whispers; some people dared to stand up, making their way out of the lecture hall. Jessica wanted to follow but she held back on the premise of a test. Mr Akin gaped, watching students file out in single form or in groups, he ordered for the class rep to lock the entrance and exit doors. Then, he announced that he was going to give a five minutes test.

Jessie tore out a sheet of paper from her notebook, tipping forward as the man briskly gave the first question: on which day was Valentina murdered? Jessica's round eyes widened at the dubiousness of the question. She swallowed the lump lodged in her throat, tapping her neighbor who was writing away.

"Please, what was the first question again?" She asked.

"He said to state the physics of of radiation," the dark skinned girl replied.

Jessie muttered her thanks, blinking repeatedly. She was not only beginning to see things, she was hearing them as well. She wrote down a brief summary as the lecturer shot another question. Students who'd left the class earlier began banging on the wooden door—they obviously got the information that a test was going on.

The lecturer went on giving his test and thereafter, collected the scripts. Jessica heaved a deep sigh as she turned in her paper. Just then, her phone gave a shrill cry, she fished for her bag, bringing the device out.

"Hey, Becks," she said the minute the call connected. "What's up?" She headed for the exit door so she could hear her friend clearly.

"I have some good news. I'm heading over to the airport right now. Our flight's slated for nine thirty."

"Oh, please do. I can't wait for you to get back. It's a mess over here," Jessica stated, bumping into a sweaty body.

"Why, what's going on?" Becks inquired, growing worried. Before Jessie could get word out of her mouth, she heard a loud gunshot.