Chapter 4

Chapter 4

The modest white house on Briarwood Drive was surrounded by immaculate green lawns and carefully pruned shrubs and bushes. The boarders were filled with an array of brightly coloured flowers, to the right was a small ornamental pond, to the left two old oak trees. Mark followed behind Steve as he pushed back the small gate in the low wooden fence and entered the garden up a neat gravel path. By the pond an old man knelt on a cushioned pad, whistling softly as he pulled weeds from the concrete surround.

"Mr Farrah?" Steve asked as Mr Farrah turned to face him.

"I may be, young man, depends what you're selling", his voice was deep but with a melodic tone.

Steve flipped his badge "Detective Sloan, LAPD, Dr Sloan, police consultant, I was wondering if you'd mind answering a few questions sir?"

The old man pushed himself slowly to his feet, Steve reached out an arm to steady him as he began to cough relentlessly. Farrah was tall, he'd probably been 6' 5" in his day Steve thought, but the years had given him a stoop that was exaggerated by his wiry frame. He motioned towards a table and chairs on the front porch and the three men climbed the two wooden steps before taking a seat.

"So what can I do for you?" Farrah asked politely after regaining his breath.

"Well" Steve began "we're tying to trace two sisters and in the course of our inquiries your name came up as a possible acquaintance." Farrah nodded, and Steve continued "The ladies in question are Annie Oxley and her younger sister Harriet Reid". Steve said no more, as he and Mark waited for the old man's reaction.

He coughed into a handkerchief then mumbled a little. Realising he hadn't been heard he started again in a more definite tone "That was a long time ago sonny, I mean a real long time ago, why you out looking for the Reid girls now?"

"I got their names from a property register, something irregular was found at a house they used to live in on Garrett Drive and I was wanted to see if they could shed any light on the subject"

"Bit late to be collecting missed mortgage repayments" Farrah cackled, and began smiling broadly. Mark and Steve both smiled a little.

"You knew Annie and Harriet" Steve continued without correcting the old man "I believe you dated Harriet for a while, is that correct?"

Farrah was silent for a moment and Mark noted the distinct wheezing as he breathed heavily. Eventually he started in hushed tones "Yeah I knew Harriet, but we were kids, that was all. I'm married now, children, grandchildren, and the thing is" he peered towards the house "I never really told my wife about Harriet, she still thinks she was my first girl you know what I mean?"

Steve nodded "Don't worry Mr Farrah."

"Charlie, please" he insisted.

"Charlie, I'll be very discreet" Steve assured him, "but I have to ask you a few more questions first."

Farrah nodded "OK son, ask away."

"How did you and Harriet meet?" Steve asked and Farrah chuckled loudly between sporadic coughs.

Pointing across the street he wheezed " it didn't take much arranging, she lived right across the road there, I knew her my whole life!"

Mark asked "You've always lived here, in this house."

Farrah nodded proudly, "My father bought it just before I was born, but he worked way a lot, never had much time for the garden. I made it my own little project when I was old enough to. Planted my first border roses for my mother when I was eight years old." He signalled behind himself "The climbing Ivy and trailing clematis, I was about 15 when I got those to take. It's why I kept the place when my folks passed on, the house isn't much special but the garden, well it's my love." He addressed Mark directly "do you know I planted every single thing in this garden myself, all myself and all from bulb or seed" he sat back triumphantly.

Mark looked genuinely impressed, but Steve continued with his questioning "so if you grew up with Harriet, when did you start dating?"

Farrah shrugged and a small laugh escaped him "I don't know, I carried her books from school when she was in third grade, took her swimming down in the river every summer, I guess she was always my girl. We were kids, but I still remember the first time I kissed her or put my arm around her in the movies. I can tell you of a thousand moments like that, but I can't say when we started courting. We were just always together Harriet and me." He smiled warmly as he looked at the house across the road.

"Are you and Harriet still in touch?" Steve asked, and Mr Farrah looked at him with a shocked expression. "I'm sorry, did I say something wrong?" Steve asked

"No it's just" he thought for a moment "it's a nice idea I guess, but you watched too many movies my boy. The guy doesn't always get the girl, it's not always happily ever after", he added bitterly.

"What happened?" Mark asked but Farrah ignored him. Steve noted how his face had hardened now.

"Mr Farrah, when were you last in touch with Miss Reid" Steve asked.

"1945, the end of September, that was the last time I saw my Harriet." His answer was lacking in emotion.

"Nothing else since?" Farrah shook his head firmly "And Annie, her sister?"

Farrah glared at Steve but didn't speak. The wheezing intensified until he was forced to cough into his handkerchief again. Steve and Mark exchanged looks. Realising the men were still waiting for a reply he began weakly "Annie, I dunno, the same time I guess, there or there about, I mean what is all this about anyway?" he barked.

Steve didn't answer the question "Just a few more questions Mr Farrah, you last saw the Reid sisters in September 1945. Is it correct that directly after that time you served three months for assault?"

"You've obviously done your homework sonny so why bother asking?" Farrah spat.

"Did your time in jail have something to do with you and Harriet losing touch?"

"I never touched Harriet if that's what you're thinking! But you're right, it was just what she wanted, the ammunition she needed" he spluttered.

"Why did Harriet need ammunition against you?" Mark asked

"Not Harriet, Annie!" he cried as if Mark were a fool, then looking back to the ivy clad house he lowered his voice. Though Mark and Steve had to lean close to hear him the tone of his voice was distinctly acidic "Annie, old maid that she was, got it in her head I wasn't good enough for her little sister. Annie had got married but her fella split on her, went up to Canada, and I don't blame the guy. She was jealous of Harriet and me, we were getting along great and then I said we should get married. Well Annie just flipped, she always had it in for me, even as kids, she always thought she was better then the rest of us around here. I won't lie to you guys, I was a scoundrel in my youth but nothing near as bad as Annie liked to make out." Steve noted how Farrah spat her name "Then it's perfect for her, I get three months inside on a jumped up assault charge and when I get out they've moved" he waved at the house across the street "clean disappeared I mean, and that was it. No second chance with Annie, when she made up her mind that was it, always taking the goddamn moral high ground. I looked far Harriet for a while afterwards but she'd gone, just disappeared. Guess Annie poisoned her mind against me, or" he swallowed hard "or maybe she just saw sense, Harriet could've done a lot better than me." He took a deep breath "Come to think of it I hope she did, I really hope my little girl's happy out there". His voice was soft now, almost breaking with each mention of Harriet's name.

Steve ended the silence "When you didn't find Harriet did you look for Annie?"

Farrah's eyes widened and he laughed nervously "Annie, why would I want to do that?"

"She could have led you to Harriet" Mark pointed out.

Farrah shrugged again and coughed "No, nah I mean she wouldn't have helped me even if she could've. No I never had anything to do with Annie after that night, like I say about September time I guess, yeah, end of September"

Steve's suspicion was aroused by Farrah's manner but he realised he'd pushed the old man as far as he could without further reason to do so. Standing above him he extended a hand "thanks for your time sir, I appreciate it. And if you think of anything else just give me a call".

Steve tugged Mark's arm as he stopped to smell the roses on the way down the gravel path.

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"That was a quick ride" Mark laughed as Steve started the car then promptly stopped it 50 yards down the road in front of the old Reid house "You forget something?"

Steve shook his head, checking his rear view mirror "not really, just taking a look, thinking"

"Looking for inspiration?" Mark grinned, realising Steve trusted his instincts more now than when he first joined the force.

"Something like that. What did you make of him, the whole boy next door story?"

Mark thought for a moment "He seemed genuine enough to me, loved one of the Reid sisters and loathed the other. Probably a good thing they never married, could you imaging Christmas dinner if that's really what he thought of Annie!"

"Yeah, must have been a hell of a grudge back then if this is how he reacts to her name after fifty odd years"

The frantic rapping on the driver's side window made both Steve and Mark jump. Steve turned to see the tiny blue rinsed woman with a walking stick held up the window and a dog leash in her other hand. He opened the window "No point casing the joint Mr, I'm head of neighbourhood watch and I got your number now" she squawked. Steve tried hard not to laugh as he showed the old woman his badge. "A detective huh? I'm Rose Taylor, pleased to meet you" her voice had a falsely polite ring to it now. Steve was about to speak when Rose began again "What'ya doing around here? Somebody call you cos technically, as head of neighbourhood watch I should be informed too" she pointed out.

"No ma'am, not complaints, nothing for you to worry about", he glanced back at Charlie Farrah who was now watching them from the garden gate.

"He's a funny one" she waved her stick towards him as the tiny fluffy dog yanked on the leash.

"What makes you say that?" Steve tried to sound casual.

"He was a rotter when we were young, a real bad apple you know. He once stole a five-dollar bill from my mother's purse. Walked straight in the kitchen, bold as brass, took the money and left. Course when mother found it missing she was beside herself, father hit the roof and then there was Charlie, down the candy store acting all flash spending my mother's money. 5 dollars was a lot back then you know" she nodded to Mark who agreed.

"But he's not exactly a master criminal now" Steve prodded "lots of children go through phases where they push the boundaries"

"Huh!" Rose sounded indignant "That's the trouble with the police now, too damn easy on the little blighters. And it's true, nothing better than tough love. Half of Charlie's problem was he never got any, his father was always working away and his mother" she looked around then mimicked drinking from a bottle "y'know what I mean. Charlie was left to run free, only time he wasn't into mischief was when he was mucking around in that damn garden there. Got to admit he's got it real nice again this year though, looks after his property, better than some of the young ones we got in here now, couldn't care less."

Steve jumped in as the old lady paused for breath "He sounds like a good neighbour now that he's matured slightly, been nice talking to you Mrs Taylor and keep up the good work". He quickly wound up the window and smiled sweetly as Rose puffed her tiny chest and marched across the street, almost hanging the tiny dog as she raised her hand to wave them goodbye.