Seconds turned to minutes and minutes turned to hours but they still couldn't get to Phidelia. All efforts seemed fruitless. Emma was by now shaken up with panic. There was no way she could keep her head straight. She felt the pit of stomach fell as anxiety swirled around her. "Still can't get her?" She stuttered with an almost broken voice.
"No mum." Isla replied, still scanning through her phone with all hopes disintegrated. "I'm not getting any of her lines." Disappointment sagged through her as she tried effortlessly to get through to Phidelia. Several more minutes past but to no avail. They were still looming in agitation when they heard the knob of the door turned. Both the swaying of the door and the turning of their heads synchronized in motion, making Martin halt at the door for a moment with everybody's gaze fixed on him.
Instantly, he noticed disappointment swept up their faces as they turned away. The atmosphere felt quite dense too. "Hey," He said, shutting the door behind him. "What's going on here?" He continued, walking over to them. He sniffed a kiss on a distressful Emma's cheeks and the corners of her mouth curved into a weary smile.
"Phidelia is not yet back dear." Emma uttered. "And we're not getting through to any of her lines." She continued with a sigh and slammed herself into the chair. "I think something has happened to her Martin." She looked up at her husband's face.
Terror instinctively overtook him for a brief seconds. "Come on Emma," He felt his body leaden at the instant but fought back to deter his wife from deteriorating any further. "What makes you think so?"
"Think about it dear." She shoot up in frustration. "What could be keeping her this late in town. Today isn't one of those days for her classes." She continued, near tears as sorrow shredded her inside. "I don't know any of her friends to inquire from, even if she have one. I think I have been a bad mum Martin." She broke down.
Jade and Isla watched their mother as grief hollowed her out. Their father tried to convince her but it wasn't turning out well. For once, Isla felt guilty for not being closer to Phidelia, even if it was just for some minutes.
"Don't you know any of Phidelia's friends?" Jade suddenly muttered, interfering his sister's thoughts. Isla was a little thrown off by her brother's sudden outburst. "Well..um.." She stuttered, about to make an excuse when it rang in her mind. "I think I know someone we can ask." She almost shouted.
Emma and Martin swiftly glanced at their daughter with a shimmer of hope in their eyes. "Tell us dear." Emma said. "No, no." She hastily snapped in. "Let's just go." She snatched her phone from the table about to move from her position when it rang. She glanced at the screen and instinctively shot a gaze at her husband's face.
"What?" Martin grumbled.
The colour instantly drained out of Emma's face as panic overtook her once again. "It's Jerome." Her breath shook. Both Jade and Isla also exchanged horrified looks at their mother's words. "What do I do Martin?" She glanced down at her phone then to her husband.
Martin stood thoughtfully for some seconds and the next thing Emma knew, he took her phone. "Let's do this." He said, placing the phone back on the dinning table. "Just leave it. You'll have a better excuse for her when we return."
"But what if Phidelia calls?" She hastily snapped in.
Martin sighed as he threw a quick look at his daughter. "Isla still have her phone, remember? And I also have mine." He tried to convince her. Emma shot a brooding gaze at their faces and finally agreed.
"Alright, let's go." She strolled passed Martin. Within the next minute, they were all out of the house.
*****
The Lawson house was in total silence with everyone retired to bed when they heard the consistent ringing of the bell at the door. Mr and Mrs. Lawson shrugged up from bed, turning on the light while they checked the clock hanging at the corner of their room. It was past 10:30pm.
"Who could it be at this late hour?" Mrs Lawson questioned with a soft voice.
"Don't know dear." Mr. Lawson replied. "I will go check that out." He uttered while gliding off the bed.
"I'm coming with you." Mrs. Lawson swept the blanket aside and scaled off the bed, following after her husband. They got to the hall to meet Rowan gliding down the stairs from his room, wearing a quizzical look as he also had no idea who it could be at that time.
"Don't worry son." Mr Lawson interrupted him. "I will get that." He continued as he strolled towards the door leaving his wife at the living room. At that moment, Rowan stepped down the last stairs.
"Okay Dad." He said while walking over to her mother. They both stood watching as Mr. Lawson unlocked the door.
On the other hand, Emma and her family stood behind the quiet expensive but simple door, staring expectantly at it like they could see through as they heard the keys turn when suddenly it flew opened. Revealing a man in his early 40s. He threw a sceptical gaze at them as he had no idea who they were.
"Excuse me, who are you?" He question with curiosity written all over his face.
"Sorry to bother you this late Mr. Lawson." Martin said. " But can we please talk to your son? He continued while Mr. Lawson took a quick glance at his son then back to them. "The thing is, My daughter has not been back from school since they close. I heard he is her friend so I was hoping he could help find her." added.
Mr. Lawson was hesitant for a second but then allowed them in. Rowan was quite surprised to see the whole Rockson family in his house with the exception of Phidelia.
"What's going on here?" He grumbled mentally to himself.
Getting to the main hall and the sitting room, Mr. Lawson offered them a seat with which, they all settled in the sofa. To cut the chase, Martin stated their purpose of being there to Rowan. He was both shocked and puzzled to hear this but went on to explain to them that Phidelia had left school earlier than the usual closing time.
This piece of news grew Emma's anxiety. "Why will she leave school that early?" She cried but no one seems to have answers to her. Tension began to well up in the room while Emma turned restless. Martin noticing where things were heading to, thanked the Lawson family and pleaded their leave.
"We hope you find your child sooner than later." said Mrs. Lawson. Martin nodded his appreciation with a lopsided smile while Emma forced a smile and they strolled to the door, followed by Mr. Lawson.
*****
Back in the Anderson Mansion, Tina couldn't keep still waiting for the set time. The whole mansion was in silent which felt like she was the only one up. She glanced at the clock once again and it was almost time. She quickly picked up the white cloth and tiptoed to the door, slowly opening it.
If she could wish for anything in the world at that time, it will be for her not to be caught. It was the slightest thing she would want happening. Though she had everything at her disposal based on her family's societal background, her parents were strict with lots of restrictions and had a standard to which they expected her brother and herself to live upto. And the mess she had gotten herself into was no way near that.
She glanced through the empty corridor and noticing it's safety, stepped out.
Lucas on the other hand was still up behind his study table when he felt some movements in the corridor. With ears edged, he listened out for the steps once again before raising from his chair to the door. He pulled it half opened, lurking through the corridor but saw no one around. He shrugged and went back in.
Tina who was hiding behind one of the pillars closer to the stairs hived a deep sigh of relief and hastily speed off, rushing out of the main house.