But not Auntie Lil. Her curiosity had consumed her and she was determined to make up for lost time. Blinded by Annie O'Day's charm and Bob Fleming's surface dedication, she had let her heart overrule her head. But now the old Auntie Lil was back in action—and she suspected everyone. She would rummage, uncover, examine and analyze all data. Her mission: to pick apart the life of Bob Fleming and scrutinize the operations of Homefront.
It was slow going because she had to be careful to return everything to its proper place. She would have preferred to flag interesting items, pile them on Bob Fleming's desk and go through them at her leisure. Instead, she examined each item at once and returned it to its proper file, drawer or pile, then carefully jotted down its description and potential importance in her ever-present notebook.
After almost two hours, she had uncovered a number of items that might be of interest, either in investigating Emily's murder or in helping to determine Bob Fleming's character. She carefully listed each item, followed it by a description, and made a note of the questions it triggered, then underlined key points and added her final observations. When finished, Auntie Lil sat down at a desk and reviewed what she had noted:
“One photo of Bob Fleming: Standing with group of men, all clad in military uniforms. Jungle backdrop. War photo. Vietnam? Puts age at 40 to 45. Could work in his favor at trial. Or harm him?
Second photo of Bob Fleming: Has arm around Annie O'Day on a Hudson River pier? Night time. Amusement park and Ferris wheel seen in the background. They are kissing against a backdrop of colorful lights. Is this how a man who likes little boys acts? Could be—ask Annie questions to probe if feeling is genuine.
Flyers of missing children: Nearly one hundred Xerox bulletins about missing children, with photos and descriptions. From all over U.S.A. Handwritten notes on a few, hard to make out. Looks like dates or NYC] locations, followed by question marks. No one resembling Timmy or Little Pete.
Separate files on specific children: Maybe 25 in all. Small brown folder assigned to each. Most have only first names listed. Some have photos obviously taken without their knowledge. Attached sheets of paper provide various bits of incomplete information. Notes in different handwriting provide medical diagnosis, i.e. "HIV-neg. Syph. O-N." Why is he building a profile on each of these children? Med notes from Annie? Info for city program? Police? To discover identity? To contact parents? Other reason?
File on Timmy: No last name listed. Nicknames: Lightning, Little Big Man, and Zebra. Reference to changing hair color? Other info provided: "Possibly from Texas. Accent. Runs with Little Pete. Age approx 15. Protected. Men only. 8th Ave. between 43rd and 47th." Photo provided: Timmy crossing street with older man, face unseen. Background shows doorway. Old woman inside watching? Emily? Face out of focus. Group of black and white prostitutes nearby watching Timmy and man. One may be resident of Emily s building. Cheaply dressed. Did Bob tell me everything he knew about Timmy?
Grant and donation information: Homefront modestly funded, but commitments in place through next year. Money pressure at a minimum. No expansion plans found.
City forms: along with more forms. Plus private program forms. Too many forms in this world.
Booklets: Misc. on various city and private drug programs, alternative schools, residential options, shelters. Proof Homefront is legitimate? Or only a cover?
Bible: St. James version. Small. Cover ripped. Inside worn. No passages underlined. In his favor? Is it his? For children?
Other publications: Misc. Heavy on fishing magazines, camping and other outdoor topics. New Yorker magazines that actually look read!(?) No pornographic material.”
That was all. The sole sum of incriminating or illuminating evidence didn't add up to much in the final analysis.
The phone rang as Auntie Lil was reviewing her list for a second time to make sure that no implications had been missed. "Homefront," she answered automatically, her mind preoccupied with the list.
The frightened voice on the other end brought her immediately back to attention. "Miss Hubbert?" Annie O'Day's tearful voice broke. "Is that you?"
"Yes, it's me. Of course, it's me. I'm the only one you left behind without keys."
"Thank God." The sniffles stopped and Annie gave a frightened laugh. "I must be going crazy," she said weakly.
"I'll say. You left me here without any keys to lock up."
"I'm sorry," Annie explained. "I spent hours looking for Timmy and then met Bob at the station. I got