Not long had the words escaped Phildelia's lips that they noticed the security personnel staggered out of the control room in quite a haste given– the fact that he was the only one available at the said time since his coworker was yet to arrive. Though he shouldn't have left his post, he had no other choice as it was very urgent.
The two, on the other hand, saw this as a great opportunity– to put it right; an answered prayer. Watching as he turned the corner of the other hallway, they bulged out from their hideout as they scampered to their targeted spot as quietly as possible.
Getting to the door, Phidel slowly pushed it open– popping her head in the first while Phidelia stayed glued behind her on the lookout for anybody at all. When the former was sure there was nobody inside, she hobbled in with the latter directly behind her.
With a swift scan of the room– checking out for any hidden cams, Phidelia sauntered over to the fixed computers displayed at the right corner of the room.
“We should find something here.” She said as she settled in one of the seats situated in front of the complex machines showcasing every corner and block of the school except for sure, the driveway outside and the woods behind the school building.
A calculative look instinctively crept into Phildel’s face as she narrowed her gaze to the keyboard and other control keys which came with the setup. One could easily read from her expression the analysis and efforts she was putting in while her fingers moved across the keys as she balanced her gaze between them and the screen. Phidelia on the other hand kept her eyes on the door as she stood over her sister's shoulders– balancing her gaze between her and the entrance.
“Are you sure you know what you're doing?” Phidelia's voice invaded the former's concentration but instead of answering, she remained focused as everything she had watched from all those detective movies came flooding her mind's eye.
It was not like she was ignoring her sister but then, she was so into what she was doing that she barely heard her. It was like she had been thrown into her own detective world.
“If I'm right,” Phidel muttered on an impulse while she clicked on a file as if she just heard her sister's query. “then, this should give us something.” She continued with her eyes fixed on one of the screens as she waited for the loading video to play.
In the next minute, its content started unfolding while their focus remained unshaken– catching on to every little detail they could spot but then; something seemed off about the whole video. Phidel replayed it severally just so she could figure out what it was but rather left her puzzled the more.
Just then, Phildelia's face heightened in realization as a thought clicked.
“I think some portion of this video has been deleted or edited.” She highlighted, pointing the video time read beneath the screen. “ The last thing I remember is Tina and her friends stepping into the washroom.”
Critically looking into it, Phidel noticed the change her sister hinted at. She was about to say something when the creak of the door made her jolt up from her seat; deftly returning the screen of the computer she was using to its initial screen while she dashed to the nearest hideout among some desks– followed by Phidelia.
Not long had they crouch into hiding that they heard footsteps fill the quiet room. Listening carefully, they noticed it was that of only one person. For a moment, Phidel thanked her stars but then– she needed to think of an escape fast before she gets caught.
Before she could say jack, Phidelia dashed off– disappearing through the door of a smaller inner room which seem to be the store; suited somewhere in the far corner of the main room.
“Hey,” The former loud whispered, clicking her tongue in the process but her sister was gone before she knew it. She instinctively bit on her lips as frustration swarmed over her– not sure what the latter was up to.
The next minute that proceeded came with a loud bang which got her almost jerking out of her skin as she intuitively deftly traveled her gaze to the direction of the sound.
“What the….” She heard the security personnel say while he jerked up from his seat– the chair making a scrubbing sound on the hard tiles as he scampered off to the room where the sound came from.
At that moment, she sensed her sister beside her. She swiftly turned to find her smiling at her.
“Let’s go,” Phidelia whispered. Without warning, she dragged her sister along and they scampered out of the room as fast as their legs could carry them. They both didn’t realize how long they had been gone until the bell ranged through the hallways; announcing their morning break.
“Phew,” Phidel sighed as they sauntered into the hallways which were beginning to file with students. “That was so close” She continued, sharing out her analysis and possible situations that could be linked to what they saw. In it all, she knew Tina had a hand in it.
And that explains why the school had been so concealed about the whole issue. Not to even talk about the police barely doing anything to find out more. But then, she needed to gather enough evidence. Whatever the case be, she was going to make the murderers of her sister pay for their wrong– even if she had to take matters into her own hands and this innermost resolution was what Phidelia had no idea about.
********
After a few strolls through the hallways, they finally made it to the cafeteria. She was by no means surprised when she got to the hall to find almost everyone seated. Among the noisy crowd, she spotted Claire and Rowan together with two of the latter’s friends seated in the far left of the hall. Phidelia who had spotted them earlier, shuffled off to them as if she could be seen.
Phidel on the other hand, allowed her gaze to travel to the counter where the kitchen staffers stood and to her greatest pleasure– got a glance of Tina. This time, without her friends. A mischievous smile instinctively swept her face as her brows lifted in a dare.
Without hesitation, Phidel trod over to the counter– picking a tray in the process as she took her stand beside Tina who was barely aware of her presence.
“I see you did a great work hiding what you did.” The former uttered, handing her tray over to the staffer in the process while Tina’s gaze traveled to her.
With the staffer gone, Phidel turned her full gaze to Tina. “Or am I wrong?” She added, giving her the knowing look while her lips curved into a tight lip smile.
Meanwhile, the latter’s gaze remained cold and threatened but masked up as best as she could.