Why does Scout quiz Attics about his visit to the Radley house in Chapter 8 of Harper Lee's To Kill a Mockingbird? How much does Attics tell her?

In Chapter 8 of Harper Lee's To Kill a Mockingbird, we learn that autumn has turned into a bitter cold winter, the coldest winter since 1885. At the start of winter, Old Mrs. Radley passes away. At the beginning of Chapter 8, Scout narrates that Atticus paid a visit to the Radley house on the day of Mrs. Radley's death but doesn't state any clear reasons for his visit. Atticus most likely visited the Radleys to pay his respects but possibly also to deal with legal business, just as he did when Mrs. Dubose passes away in a later chapter. Scout is so obsessed with the rumors and myths surrounding Arthur (Boo) Radley that she attempts to quiz her father about his visit upon his return. She quizzes her father because she is trying to assuage her curiosity about what Arthur is like as a person and what he looks like, which are only things she can guess about based on rumors and myths.

Due to rumors that Arthur once stabbed his father with a pair of scissors, both Scout and Jem see their neighbor Arthur, whom they call Boo, as a dangerous and insane person with a criminal mind. Hence, when they learn that Mrs. Radley has passed away, they first draw the conclusion that "Boo had got to her at last," meaning finally killed his mother as well as his father. Therefore, one of the questions the children ask Atticus upon his return is about the nature of Mrs. Radleys' death, and Atticus disappoints them by saying that "she died of natural causes."

Scout, more than Jem, is curious to know what Arthur looks like as she fantasizes about seeing Arthur out on his porch daily and being able to converse with him in a neighborly way. Hence, the next question Scout asks Atticus upon his return is, "Atticus ... did you see Mr. Arthur?" (C. 8). But, Atticus again disappoints Scout by looking at her "sternly" and replying, "I did not."

Beyond having a natural curiosity to know about her mysterious neighbor, Scout mostly quizzes Atticus upon his return because she has a natural desire to know the truth. Scout hears conflicting views about Arthur from her neighborhood. She hears he is a dangerous person from people who influence Jem, like Miss Stephanie Crawford, and she hears he is a good and respectable person from people she trusts, like Miss Maudie. Therefore, Scout is eager to rid herself of these conflicting views and finally learn the truth once and for all. Yet, her father disappoints her in his responses because he respects Arthur's desires to want to remain private.