It was drizzling light when Lekan stepped outside. She shivered when a raindrop dropped on her bald head, she had asked Feyi to shave it again a few days, down to the scalp but the girl had stared unblinkingly at Lekan until she compromised and agreed for it to be low not down to the scalp.

Now she regretted it as she put on a knitted beanie and slapped her palms together as if it would chase away the chill. She was wearing casual clothes, the only jeans she owned and a hoodie she had stolen from Noah.

It was strange that it was barely up to a month in Mary Slessor that she had arrived, thinking that it would be another bleak phase of her life but it was more different than she could have even imagined, it was dark, foreboding but never bleak and she now had three friends — and one was dead.

The change wasn't bad or unwelcome, just strange, that sometimes she wanted to withdraw away before she got too attached, no matter how much she had grown to like Feyi and even pessimistic Noah, she didn't plan on staying in Mary Slessor, she still wanted out. She just didn't want to imagine an out without them, she didn't want to imagine what out would include, because she was still as lost as she was on that first day she arrived.

Lekan nodded at a girl who brushed past her, a hand lifted in a wave. It was another strange thing, people had avoided her before, now they stared openly, and they started talking to her as if they were friends. It amused Lekan to no ends as she wondered how far they'd go to get chummy with Feyi through her.

"Going to the Warden's office?" The girl called out over her shoulder.

Lekan shook her head but offered no explanation, she just kept walking. Sure enough, Nehemiah was frowning sourly when she got into his car near the gates. He had sounded off putting when they had spoken on the phone even though it had been his idea that they hung out today.

"Wipe that frown off your face, God, you're even more depressing than this weather." She told him as she settled into his plush seats and turned down his air conditioning. "It's cold outside and it's cold in here."

Lekan shot him an accusing look as he concentrated on reversing the car out of the gates, he even ignored the grins the security guards sent him. Something was definitely wrong with him.

"Well, it is cold in here." Nehemiah said, removing his right hand off the steering wheel to place briefly on his chest. Lekan rolled her eyes.

"How's Alisha?" Lekan asked. "Is she mad at me? she hasn't even come to visit once, I fear my mother has taken my place in her heart."

"She's fine, I suppose." Nehemiah's answer came a second too late, his attempt to feign nonchalance fell flat.

"You suppose," Lekan reached out to slap his shoulder. He didn't even flinch. "Alisha is your girlfriend of how many years, five?"

"Aren't you a ray of sunshine? At least one of us is happy." Nehemiah said tartly.

Lekan wasn't fooled, although she had never seen Nehemiah truly crossed, she knew sarcasm was his own way of dealing with things, like how he had turned to sarcasm whenever he spoke of his dead father.

"Is something wrong?" Lekan asked. She made a principle out of avoiding talks about feelings but Nehemiah had listened to her rant many times and even provided funny commentary until she laughed and forgot why she was angry, she supposed she could make an exception for him.

"We had a fight, haven't spoken for three days now." Nehemiah admitted. "We're going to my mom's, I hope that's okay?"

"As long as we're having her signature jollof rice, I'm good with it." Lekan smiled, remembering Nehemiah's mother, she was a rosy cheeked woman suffering from empty nest syndrome, her children were all grown up and most of them already married, Nehemiah was her closest child and she often had him over in the evenings when he came back from work.

Nehemiah had said it himself that he spent more time in his mother's house than in his own house.

"Why did you and Alisha fight?" Lekan finally asked.

Nehemiah took out his fury on the honk and the driver behind them rewarded them with his own. Nehemiah seemed to be in the motion of turning it into a full honk fight when Lekan shot him a glare.

"I asked her to marry me." He said.

"She said no, didn't she?" Lekan asked.

"She said yes," Nehemiah cast her an amused look. "No girl could ever say no to me."

"You're an idiot, no offense." She cast him a look. "Why the hell are you having issues then?"

"Mary Slessor has given you a potty mouth, Lekan." Nehemiah tutted. "She said yes, then she told me she didn't want kids."

"And you want a whole football team — including the coach." Lekan said sarcastically.

"Maybe a volleyball team instead." Nehemiah shot back. "Alisha and I have discussed the idea of children before,"

He broke off so he could concentrate on taking a sharp turn on the right, it was a bend commonly known for causing accidents on that road, still the government refused to do a thing about it.

"Right before we started dating and now we've been together for three years — not five, you idiot." He said with a slight grin. "I thought it was a juvenile thought and thought she'd abandon it, but she hasn't. When I told her I wanted children, she told me she was dead serious about wanting none. Long story short, she returned the ring and we haven't spoken about it."

"You're an idiot." Lekan repeated absentmindedly, she fiddled with the her fingers and if she looked close enough, she'd see another shadow of them. It was a startling reminder.

When she looked up, Nehemiah was staring worriedly at her.

"You love Alisha, don't you?" Lekan asked.

Nehemiah shot her a look that told her her question was foolish.

"You must have missed all the declarations of love while you lived with us." He answered. "Of course I do, more than anything."

"Then is she enough for you?" Lekan asked.

Nehemiah paused, not because his answer was no but because it was yes. He just realized what should matter.

"Life's too short to be stupid." Lekan finished, partly thinking of her parents and then of Feyi and Osas — the case of latter might not have been love, but it was something, something that would never be anymore.

"Okay, wise one, miss babalawo." He said but she knew he'd taken the words to heart. "I hope this advice doesn't come suddenly because you're in love too."

She should have laughed, batted his words away but she thought of Zeke and Noah, even though she wasn't sure why. Then she remembered now was a good chance to quiz Nehemiah about the former.

"Hey, Nehemiah, I was wondering, I saw a picture of the Warden's son."

Something flitted briefly through Nehemiah's face but it was gone before she could grasp it.

"I don't see how this relates to whatever we've been talking about." He asked with suspicion.

"I just saw it and was wondering, I didn't even know the Warden was married." Lekan said.

"Well he isn't anymore, he got divorced six months ago, after the death of son and only child." Nehemiah said.

Lekan found herself feeling sad for him even though his divorce had happened many months ago, he had lost a son and then his wife, it was no wonder that he dedicated all his time to Mary Slessor, it had become a refuge. She almost felt bad about probing about Zeke's death but remembered that she had authority of the victim himself, even though she still hadn't seen him since when he disappeared.

"How did his son die?" Lekan asked. Nehemiah made a noise in the back of his throat signalling his irritation with her questions.

"There are some things that are too sensitive to ask about, Lekan, you don't just go around asking things like that."

Lekan wondered if the Warden had told Nehemiah of her little interrogation.

"At least I didn't ask him." Lekan pointed out, Nehemiah clenched his jaw right.

"He killed himself!" He exploded, clenching the wheel tighter. "He committed suicide, Ezekiel battled depression for the last two years of his life."

"But, the Warden said he died in an accident."

Nehemiah shot her a baleful glance and Lekan realized that she had just confirmed his suspicion, she didn't even care anymore, she just couldn't imagine cheerful, sarcastic Zeke as depressed. It was impossible, it had to have been related to the current murders, Lekan refused to believe it.

"He didn't, the Warden and his ex wife always had their differences," Nehemiah began in a much calmer song. "She was Christian and he is a devout Muslim, he had to cave when she wanted Ezekiel as a name for their first child. Their issues grew and they began to fight often that they didn't even notice when Ezekiel turned to substance abuse."

The story turned darker than Lekan liked. The shame settled deep in her stomach, while she had dealt drugs, she had dealt to all kinds of people, the so called worthless boys who lived on the streets, the ones who had bought to forget whatever haunted them — like Ezekiel, like Zeke.

"He took a bullet to his head, right in the Warden's office. He died in his father's arms."

***

"Did you have a nice trip?" Feyi asked when she returned. Lekan hummed a reply behind her cup of soda.

Their trip had been ruined even before they got to Nehemiah's mother's house, even though she had eaten to her heart's content, Nehemiah had withdrawn into himself and excused himself into his late father's study as he usually did when he was upset. Nothing she had said or done could make him return to his cheerful said, at first, she thought it had been because of her, then his mother had told her it was the death anniversary of a friend who had committed suicide seven years ago.

Lekan had been all to glad to return to Mary Slessor, until she did and found out about the arrival of the so called sponsor of Mary Slessor, a man whose stomach preceded him and bobbled when he let out one of his deep laughs.

Apparently, he ran a chain of successful filling stations called Royal Oil and was steadily rising on the list of Nigeria's richest men. Dr. Caleb had arrived in tow with several event planners who proceeded to throw an impromptu fair. There were several booths on the football field and there was even a makeshift stage for dancing competitions.

It was a nice distraction, but still a distraction nonetheless and by seven pm, the whole thing was packing up and that was when Lekan got to talk to Feyi without her adoring fans around her, she had filled the queen bee on everything the cops had told her.

Feyi shrugged if off and decided to ask about Lekan's day instead.

"Your lawyer is fine oh." Feyi said with a nudge to Lekan's side.

"He is also engaged."

Feyi pouted playfully. "So somebody cannot admire fine boy again?"

"Admire all you want, at the end of the day, he's got a total babe at home for him." Lekan said. "Feyi, remember what I told you about seeing ghosts."

Feyi's eyes grew somber and she nodded.

"I told you about Zeke, a ghost I became friends with here." Lekan said, placing emphasis on the here.

"Yes, and I told you I believe you, Lekan, stop looking at me like I think you're crazy."

Lekan gave a shrug in embarrassment. "I've been trying to help him find peace by finding his murderer, but I've just found out something about it, something that will upset him, and I don't know if I should tell him the truth."

"Truth hurts, lies and omissions are comfortable. I think you should do what it best." Feyi said, giving Lekan a comforting tap on the shoulder.

"I just need to find him."

Feyi wrinkled her nose. "Funny thing, there is a cemetery at the back of the cafeteria, we've always joked among ourselves that it was haunted, I think if there's anywhere your friend is, it should be there."

Lekan nodded.

"I'm going to go look for him." Lekan made to leave but Feyi blocked her path.

"I'm coming with you, wherever Osas is, I want to think that he's at peace, if I can help your friend find peace, then I will."

They went to the cemetery but Zeke wasn't there, not even when Lekan called out his name loudly, they didn't find him until almost an hour later when the boys were packing up the booths into the large trucks — and even them, it was Zeke who found them.

"You know, the way you go around shouting his name makes you sound crazy." Feyi said amusingly.

"You are pretty crazy, Lekan." His familiar voice chirped from behind her and when she turned, he was standing there, watching her with a sardonic smile.

"I've found him." Lekan told Feyi.

"You told her?" Zeke asked.

"Zeke, why did you disappear?" Lekan asked.

"I didn't disappear, I was still there." Zeke answered, he had a glint in his eyes that spelt nothing but trouble. "Lekan, tell me, have you ever seen ghosts in cemeteries or at accident scenes?"

"No," Lekan answered at the same time Feyi said; "I know you can see ghosts and all, but talking like this is strange, I'm going to go chat with someone." She pointed at several girls hurdled together and chatting.

Lekan gave her a distracted nod.

"She isn't the spawn of Satan after all." Zeke said with amusement as Feyi moved away.

"Mary Slessor is Satan itself, we're all spawns." Lekan said. She saw something like approval in his nod.

"Like I was saying, you can't see ghosts when they are too near places that reek of death, reminders of death or beckons of death."

"Like a cemetery." Lekan realized.

"Or that back door and wherever it led to." Zeke reminded her knowingly. A shiver snaked down her spine, the revenants.

"Mary Slessor is slowly becoming a beckon of death, get used to my disappearances." He told her. "So what did you find out?"

"Hey, you there!" A voice boomed, startling Lekan, it was one of the stern looking event planners. "Help them stack the chairs and stop talking to yourself."

Seeing her look, Zeke mistook it for frustration and gave a grin.

"No rush, we'll talk later." If only he knew that Mary Slessor was a ticking time bomb.

The whole cleaning wasn't over until almost 10pm, and by then, everyone was too tired of dinner and were milling into their dorms, only Lekan and Feyi stayed behind but Zeke was gone again.

It wasn't until up to midnight when they snuck out again did Lekan find him juggling a soccer ball on the football field.

"You used to play?" She asked him. Even Feyi was staring wide eyed at the moving ball but wasn't seeing the player behind it.

"Ghosts can touch things?" Feyi asked.

"Tell your friend that only the littlest things, I can't move a cupboard or open doors that aren't already open." He answered and to Lekan's question, he made a face. "I don't remember."

With guilt, she relayed to Feyi the answer. She had to tell Zeke the truth about his death.

"Can we walk? I need to fill you up on everything." Lekan told him. He nodded and stopped the ball with the sole of his foot.

"Tell Zeke he's got mad skills." Feyi said with excitement. "Also is he hot?"

Zeke gave a throaty laugh. "Tell your friend, I'm dead, not deaf, I can hear everything she's saying."

Lekan relayed the message to Feyi with growing irritation, the latter beamed and said aloud; "I'm Feyi, by the way."

"Can we talk about what matters here?" Lekan snapped but neither of them were paying any attention to her.

"Did you see that?" Zeke asked, incredulity seeping into his tone.

Lekan looked just in time to see a shadow flash past the boys dormitory.

"Probably just someone sneaking out, like us." Lekan said. "Maybe we should follow them, it could be the killer again."

"Over there!" Feyi shrieked and when Lekan looked, there was a tall shadowy figure standing under the verandah lights of the girls dormitory.

And like a trick of the light, it flickered, then disappeared.

A shiver ran down Lekan's spine, when she looked to her right, Zeke was gone. She remembered his warning, that he would only disappear when death beckoned.

He was right, because death was here.

***

The girl found herself in handcuffs for the second time that year, but this time, a savior was waiting for her, right at the police counter, threatening to sue.

The girl had never believed in guardian angels, but if they existed like the dead did, then he was one.