Wraith

Chapter 15 - On the Nature of Memories

Chapter 15 - On the Nature of Memories

The gated community was quite large, a few hundred residents from all over Ohio ended up here, little as there was to do in a small town like Duxton, and even less in Daleford. Redcliffe followed the Orderly leading him through the gardens, catching odd stares from the various retirees around. They didn't have much to do anymore except watch television and gossip, and most immediately recognised him from his earlier interviews on the case.

"Miss Hargreaves isn't very social these days," the Orderly said as he smiled pleasantly to the residents that walked by, "Talking to her is... difficult."

"Why?"

"Her memory isn't what it used to be," he replied, "And she's not exactly big on visitors."

He was led to one of the side buildings, a small and sheltered area mostly shaded from the midday sun. Curtains were drawn over almost all the windows, and the people within looked grim and bored in equal parts. The Orderly led him towards the back of the room, to a pair of armchairs tucked at the very back corner, in which sat a woman that barely reached Redcliffe's elbow.

He was about to clarify if this was the person he was looking for, but then she looked up. The eyes were the same as the ones he had seen in the mugshot back in the station, a deep dark brown that locked immediately to his. There was a focus there, and the shape of her face was reminiscent of Jackson Hargreaves. After the initial moment of intensity, her eyes softened and her face broke into a small smile.

"What is it, Anthony?" she said, eyeing the Orderly with a mix of contempt and suspicion.

"I've brought someone to see you, Annabelle. This is Jason Redcliffe, he's with the police."

Her brow furrowed slightly, "The police? Is something wrong?"

"Everything's fine, he just wants to ask you a few questions if that's okay?"

She gave a small nod, and Redcliffe sat in the armchair opposite her.

"Could we have a moment of privacy please?" Redcliffe asked, turning to Anthony.

He hesitated for a moment, before nodding and walking to the far side of the room.

"Miss Hargreaves, when was the last time you saw your son?" Redcliffe asked.

"What do the police want with Jack?"

"I'm trying to get some insight into the death of Charlotte Castle. Starting with her spouse is the first step of that."

Her face softened slightly. "Charlotte... She was such a sweet girl."

"How well did you know her?"

"My son and I didn't talk for many years. She reached out to me; wanted to get to know her fiancé's mom. She didn't have a bad bone in her body."

"Fiancé?" Redcliffe asked.

"Oh yes," she nodded, "She was very excited about it."

"Miss Hargreaves, are you aware of Charlotte Castle's medical records?"

"Very," she replied, looking as if she'd just bitten into a lemon, "I would never have picked it when she visited, but I suppose I should have known better. If my son did a tenth of the things that he was accused of, there's a special place in hell just for him."

"Tell me about Jackson Hargreaves."

"I tried so hard with that boy. I did everything I could to raise him right. When he was younger I thought he was a miracle, an honest to God miracle. I wish I'd known how wrong I was."