Cowards, Blames and Lies

"Do you know Ariana Harlow?" Mateo asked the elderly woman.

Mateo looked at the street, which was more or less empty, he could see Mrs Harlow walking in the backyard of her house talking to her neighbours. She seemed quite invested in the conversation that she was having. 

His eyes fell on the familiar face. So similar and yet so different. 

The woman took another take at his face, she asked, "I do. Who doesn't know about that pitiful girl? But why are you asking about her?"

Mateo couldn't help but take a few more looks at Mrs Harlow who guffawed and then went back inside her house, still chuckling at something that her neighbour had said to her. 

"Why do you call her pitiful when everyone else speaks nothing but foul words about her?" Mateo asked, unable to stop himself from asking the one question that had tormented him for an entire night.

"Who are you?" The woman asked, sounding suspicious. "Are you a hoodlum hired by someone?"