Teenage Detective

Chapter 4: The Man with the Scar

An hour later the rain poured down on the town, melting the snow away and adding to the grimness of the crime scene. Police spread out around the school field in search of evidence. The body of Farah Tornberg was covered up with a plastic sheet, protecting it from the rain.

Harry and the others were brought to the classrooms for questioning. They were questioned as a group by a white frilly haired inspector dressed in an expensive suit who never introduced himself. They sat while the inspector remained standing and began the questioning

"Before you arrived only the victim's foot prints were in the snow, correct?" the inspector began rather lazily.

"Yes… in the snow covered field," Alin replied, "on top of the white ground, some foot like marks were seen," she answered nervously, while looking down on the floor and gripping her jeans.

"I saw it too, there were no one else's footprints," Darren supported. "And anyone would leave footprints on the snow."

The inspector put a hand on his chin and furrowed his brows. "Hmm… this looks like a suicide case," he concluded boldly.

Scandalized by this straight-forward conclusion, Harry stood up and spoke, "Wait sir, you got it all wrong!"

The inspector turned his head to Harry and shot an irate glare at the young man. "Eh, who're you?" he asked annoyed.

Harry did not bother to introduced himself and cut to the chase. "There was a single dart stuck to the back of Farah's neck. I've never heard of someone commit suicide in such a manner," he said indignantly.

Kevin quickly stood up from his seat. "What do you mean?" he asked, making Harry look at him. To Harry it looked as if Kevin might be scared. "Are you saying that she was murdered?" he asked demandingly for the answer.

Harry was quiet for the moment and hesitantly answered.

"Yes… I'm sure of it."

Kevin grabbed Harry by the collar of his sweater. He was incredibly furious. "That's nonsense, there's no way a killer exist in this town," he yelled at Harry, who remained unbothered. Corbin and Darren pleaded Kevin to calm down.

"Cut it out, Kevin!" cried Corbin, trying to pull Kevin's arm that was holding Harry.

Harry looked up intently at the tall boy's scared eyes. "Yesterday, Farah was happy fashioning her dress, she didn't look like a suicidal person," he said blankly, making Kevin free him.

The tall boy was too shocked to answer. "This…," he said but Corbin cut him off.

"If she didn't kill herself, then how do you explain the footprints?" the blonde demanded. "You saw it too, Harry, only Farah's footprints were there and no one else!"

Then the crime scene police came in and reported to the inspector. "Did you find anything else?" the inspector asked.

"Nothing. Not even bird tracks," one of them reported.

The inspector turned back to the teenagers, smiling smugly. "See it's a suicide," he leered directly at Harry. "You can go back and we will call you if there's more questioning," the inspector told them, though Harry knew they would never be called..

The seven teenagers left the school on a sad note. The rain had stopped while they were inside. They walked out of the school building and they could see the tape around the wet field. Nobody was more saddened by this then Amy. Harry witnessed her shaking and clutching a bracelet since leaving the school area.

"Amy…!"


"Like a mystery novel!" cried Alin indignantly as she slammed her glass down, some of the hot coffee splashed on to Harry's cheeks. He cringed and held his burned cheeks. Hermione took her handkerchief form her pocket and gave it to Harry.

"Alin, what's got into you?" Harry complained as he grabbed the handkerchief from Hermione and wiped his face.

Alin was angry, her cheeks flushing. "This is definitely a murder case, don't you think so, Harry?" she looked intently and furiously at him and it made him forget about scolding her. "Farah always said that she wanted to go to London to enrol in performing arts and into the acting business. She's aggressive and too stubborn to lose, she won't kill herself."

Alin stopped her rant and looked down sadden at her coffee. "Also, I've been feeling that Farah's death has got something to do with Elisa's," she said doubtingly.

"I have the same feeling too, Alin," said Hermione, making Alin brighten up. "Two deaths in a week, that's something odd."

Harry looked at the both of them. He too felt the same and nodded to the girls. "Let's all go to the Tornberg's place," he suggested out of the blue.

"What?" both Alin and Hermione said in unison.

Harry stood up and put up his winter jacket. "We're going to prove that she didn't kill herself and find out the possibility that she was killed," he explained and already made his way to the door, with Alin and Hermione rushing to him with their jackets.


At Farah's house, a beautiful brick house, Mrs. Tornberg greeted the three. They were led to the living room, where the furniture was neatly put. The trio settled themselves on the couch, facing the solemn Mrs. Tornberg.

"Thank you for coming to see me in this grim hour," said Mrs. Tornberg, her eyes red from crying. She looked ill and it made the three teenagers hesitant to ask.

"Mrs. Tornberg… about Farah… I couldn't believe," Alin stuttered.

"Nor could I. The police said it was suicide, but before this she was eager to wear the Snow Festival dress," she said and paused abruptly. "Save…" she muttered.

Hermione heard it. "Save?" she repeated the old woman's word.

Mrs. Tornberg let out a sigh. "When Elisabeth passed away, the news was that the girl killed herself, when my daughter heard of it she turned uncharacteristically sad, even though she maintained her composure in front of everyone," the three listened to her very closely especially Harry. "But that night, she was a wreck, I was so worried that I watched her from outside her room, she was crying on the bed and kept saying."

"Everything is my fault… they should blame me."


"Farah's death has really got to do with Elisa," Hermione said. They were now heading to Elisa's place using the lane by the harbour.

"If it's revenge, there's a motive there. Even though Elisa's a shy person, she attracted many boys," said Alin suggestively.

Harry on the other hand, walked silently behind the girls, thinking deeply about something. Alin then spoke of something she embedded in her memory, an unforgettable one.

"There's something that I kept for a long time, I never told anyone about this," the wavy haired girl spoke in a secretive manner.

"What is it? Tell us?" Hermione prodded, thinking that it might be one of those teenager's problem, even Harry thought so.

"It's about Elisa's father," Alin told them.

"Oh," the two Hogwarts student said disappointedly. Then they realised the real point. "OH!" they repeated with more enthusiasm.

Alin rolled her eyes at them. "What were you guys thinking?" then she turned serious, her eyebrows raised. "Before she was born, her parents were divorced, although she said she never seen her father's face but, I once saw her talking to someone who looked like her father!"

"You kept that for a long time?" Harry asked incredulously.

"Shush, hear me out first," Alin shushed him.


Half a year ago…

Alin was walking back from school and was passing by the school trees. She noticed a girl with long black hair standing by the tree, actually watching the tree with a delightful face. "Isn't that Elisa, what's she doing?" Alin thought to herself.

"Hey, Elisa!" Alin called out to her friend cheerily. She was about to make her way to her friend when Elisa spoke.

"Father…"

"What?" Alin thought, scared all of a sudden. Sweat starting to develop on her forehead, even though it was cold.

Then a large man, in a bowl hat, a frock coat and a surgical mask, appeared out of the tree. Alin couldn't make out the face or even the man's eyes but she could see a scar, vertically stretch across the man's right cheek.

"It's been a long time, father," Elisa spoke excitedly.

"That… that… man with the scar… is her father?" Alin thought, scared.

She moved forward to take a closer look, but she accidentally stepped onto a twig, thus snapping it and making a noise. The man, who was Elisa's father turned around quickly and at that moment Alin saw his eyes. She was shaking and sweating profusely.

"Oh no!" she gulped.


Alin was clutching Hermione's arms in fear. She was scared remembering that memory. "At that time I was so scared that I zoomed back to my house," she said whiningly.

Hermione patted the wavy haired girl's head, smiling softly. "There, there, anyone could be afraid of a man with a scar on his face," she told Alin.

Harry has his thoughts somewhere else.

Before they knew it, they already reached Elisa's house. Surprisingly and coincidentally, Darren was there, right in front of the house.

"Eh, Alin, Harry, Hermione!" the boy called out and it brought Harry out of his thinking. "Are the three of you visiting Ms. Catherine too?" he asked.

"Hey, Darren," Alin greeted and waving at him cheerily. "Yeah we came here to investigate!" she claimed.

Darren snorted. "Again, you read too many mystery books," he said sarcastically. He let out a sigh, which condensed in front of his face. "Suit yourself, but don't make Elisa's mother anymore sad than she is now," he said warningly.

Alin and Hermione nodded but Harry acted emotionless.


Ms. Catherine brought them to the living room, pictures of Elisa were hanging and displayed on top of the fireplace. The teenagers were making themselves comfortable as Ms. Catherine, a mature woman with long black hair, served drinks.

She sat opposite the four. Unlike Mrs. Tornberg, Ms. Catherine did not look ill at all.

"Thank you for coming," she began politely. "To give respect and condolence to my late daughter," she said as though it was routine. "Your visit means a lot for Elisabeth," she added.

Alin shook her head vehemently. "No we didn't help anything at all," she said back politely but Harry cut her off.

"Sorry madam,… can I see the note that Elisa left before she died," he said boldly.

"Harry!" Hermione gasped, gripping his arm in response with both her hands.

"Potter!" Darren let out his shocked.

"You sure are straight forward," Alin said anxiously.

The three were worried that Harry's request would hurt Ms. Catherine's feelings, but the older woman did not show it. Instead, she closed her eyes and smiled softly. "You're the second person who requested to see it," she said, like it was a relief. "Kevin came and requested to see it two hours ago," she told them. This news surprised the four of them, especially Darren, who was taken aback by it.

She went to the small cupboard under the sixteen inch television. She pulled the middle compartment out and took out a piece of letter. After closing the compartment she brought the letter to the table.

"This is the letter containing the note. You can open and read it," she said kindly. But suddenly Harry's interest was not on the note but the name written in bold letters on the envelope.

"Who's Gavin L.P?" he asked curiously.

Mrs. Catherine did not mind to answer. "My former husband and Elisa's father," she said calmly.

"Elisa's father," Harry gulped while Alin looked worried. Hermione was more worried that Harry was pushing his luck.

Since none of the teenagers opened the envelope, the older woman did it herself. "Elisa hid from me the fact that she wrote letters to her father," she said as she put the note on the table. There written, the same words that Corbin recited yesterday.

'A colour that was happiness at first…

I can't believe it turned out an unforgiving colour!

I can't be… except death!'

"It looks like she wanted to send this to her father. Maybe I'm an irresponsible mother that made her write something like this to her father," she said in her opinion. "Why not tell me her problems… oh, I forgot to make you something to eat," she ran to the kitchen as soon she finished talking.

The four teenagers watched the kitchen door dumbly, a long silence followed till Harry broke it. "Hey guys, what's your opinion on the note?" he asked nonchalantly.

"Opinion?" Darren asked back dumbly, while the girls were puzzled.

"Is it not clear what Elisa was trying to say in the note?" Hermione said, Alin and Darren nodded in agreement.

Harry frowned at them. "No, not that, don't you think the content is odd?" he asked, making the other three more puzzled. "If it was written to a loving father, don't you feel it's a bit harsh? It's angry…" then Harry's eyes caught something, a book on op of a small table at the corner of the room. Darren caught his look.

"That's the invitation book for Elisa's funeral, I was given the job to collect donation, that's why I remembered," said Darren, but when he saw Harry went to the book and picked it up to read, he freaked out. "Don't Harry!" he cried.

Harry found the name he wanted in the book. "This is…" his discovery was cut short when he heard Ms. Catherine on her way back to the living room. He quickly put back the book to the way it was before and frantically sat back in his seat beside Hermione.

Ms. Catherine came back with a box of salt water taffy. "Sorry to make you wait, all I have is just taffy from the neighbouring town," she said apologetically.

"It's alright, Ms. Catherine," Alin replied, sending a that-was-close look to Harry, along with Hermione and Darren. Harry was not bothered by the looks he was receiving and ate the delicious taffy.


It was getting late as they left. "Sorry to bother you, Ms. Catherine, in this late hour," said Alin politely, bowing slightly at the older woman at the front of the house.

"It's quite alright, come anytime you want," she said smiling kindly.

"Can I ask one thing, Ms. Catherine?" Harry asked as the others were about to leave.

"What is it, Harry?" she asked back.

"Elisa's father… did he came to the funeral?" he asked hopefully.

There was a moment of pause and a bit of fear and hesitation in the older woman's eyes before she answered. "No… he's seldom at home, I can't get a call through to him," she said honestly.

"Oh… really."

As the teenagers left a breeze blew over them. Harry noticed for a moment the older woman's hair as it flailed about her head and shoulders, and the cherry blossoms tree illuminated in the back. Ms. Catherine silently watched them go.


A/N: Hey readers, not so much as the last Teenage Detective, maybe of the less magical element, but i hope i get more reviews here at FF because at i got more than here...

Hope those who are putting this story under favourites reviewed or else i will pull this story off at FF, because i want to start a new story.