CHAPTER FOUR

CHAPTER FOUR: CONFIDENTIAL CLUES

"Can you believe it? Detective Lorraine Leanne Garcia, that's so cool!" Lani beamed as they walk towards their school.

"Lani, shh!" Raine shuddered. "What if someone hears you?"

"But how can you be a real detective if no one here knows you?" Lani asked.

Raine's eyes widened. All she wanted to do is to bring justice to her parents death but as time passes she feels the longing to follow the footsteps of her father.

However, Lani does have a point!

"Hey, aren't you the famous highschool detective in America? At the time I first saw you on the television, I became your fan!" said a junior highschool student. Approaching Raine excitedly.

"Of course she is! She's my best friend which is very talented, brave, and also a genius!" Lani boasted.

For Raine, there is only one thing to do. If the people knew that she's a mystery solver, she have no choice but to accept it.

As long as the syndicates don't know that one of the Garcias is alive, she knows that she's safe.

"I'm Daniel Sanchez, first year highschool! You and your Auntie are so good. By the way, I also watch your movies," the boy spoke. "Can I have an autograph on this book?"

"Autograph? From who?" Shaira asked anticipatedly. Approaching her friends after coming out of the car. "From me?"

"No," the boy spoke. Shaking his head while smiling, "I want an autograph from Raine!"

Raine sheepishly took the book and pen from Daniel.

"Sherlock Holmes?" she asked. Seeing the title of the book. "It's one of my favorite books!"

"That explains why you are so cool!" the boy beamed.

While Raine and Daniel were talking, Lani noticed her brother. His eyes fixed to somebody.

"Zane, what's the matter? You've been silent this whole time!" Lani asked her older brother.

"Shut up, Lani! I just want to, okay?!" replied Zane.

"Zane, don't you know that you're blushing? Did you're crush just passed by?" Shaira teased.

"No," he replied, averting his eyes to his secret crush.

"Who's your crush then?" Lani sneered.

"Never mind them. They just making fun again with each other," Raine whispered to Daniel. Chuckling.

Hours had passed. After the school hours, Raine went busy, browsing books in the library for her project.

Little did she know that it was already twilight when she and her groupmates went home.

Luckily, both her friends Lani and Zane waited for her.

They all walked towards the road. Trying to catch the last light of the sun.

"I hope we can pass our project soon," one of her groupmates, Simon, spoke.

"I hope so. Fifty percent of our grade depends on it," Raine replied.

During their school hours, they noticed many similarities with each other. Throughout their school hours that day, they immediately became friends.

"Oh, by the way," Raine spoke. Breaking the silence,"do you guys know each other?"

"Yes, we know Simon," Lani replied. "He's Zane's best bro!"

"Indeed!" Zane and Simon both beamed.

From a distant, they saw the billboard of a hotel that is known to be haunted be so elegant and huge as a castle. It was old but it still have many customers.

"Do you know that many people had died on that hotel? Some say that they had seen killer ghosts there," Zane stated, "Some says it's cursed!"

"Stop it, Zane. We're walking back home in this hour. Aren't you scared?" Lani spoke. Hoping that her brother was just joking.

"If I'm the owner, I'll just close the hotel for good," Zane said.

"Or they can just make it a city attraction. Like a haunted house!" Lani interrupted.

"Lani, it's impossible. First, it's a hotel not a house," Zane argued. "Second, it's super dangerous!"

"I almost forgot! Did Shaira gave you the parchment?!" Lani asked Zane. Trying to change the conversation.

Hearing those words, Raine suddenly paused. Remembering something.

"Not yet. Maybe tomorro," replied Zane.

"So, Raine. See you tomorrow at —?" Simon asked. Interrupted by the scene of Raine running towards her house. "Raine?"

"Oh well! You're so lucky you're just her neighbor," Zane spoke to him. "Be sure to look if she's doing alright, okay?"

"Of course," Simon replied. Still curious about Raine's sudden behavior.

After finishing her homeworks and eating dinner, Raine dashed towards where she put the parchment that her granda gave yesterday.

"Thank goodness it's still safe!" she sighed.

She leisurely opened it. Inside she saw set of pictures.

She eagerly looked at it but she can't clearly see the faces of the people at the images, only their tattoos.

Seeing those tattoo, her memories from the past triggered. She immediately remembered the tattoo she saw on the mysterious man who killed her parents and elder sister.

The feelings that those men maybe related to that syndicate pinched her.

In order to keep her discoveries a secret, she put it in their family's secret room behind the library.

For now it'll be safe beside her parent's achievements. Huge, shiny trophies and gold medals that they received at the time they were still alive.

"One day I'll be a successful mystery solver, Mom and Dad," she whispered. Closing secret door.