trying to make contact with Timmy and wanted to ask him some questions about Emily. That led him to believe that Fleming knew more than he did. He had to take him out of the picture so, instead of murdering him, he ruined his reputation."
"Pretty effectively, I'd say," T.S. added.
Santos nodded. "Worthington was smart about it, too. He had the kid go to a local priest about Fleming, and told Timmy to pretend to be confused and unsure of what to do. It would help establish his credibility, Worthington explained to the kid, if anyone questioned his story. Timmy did as he was told. And the priest, of course, did as he was taught to do and urged the boy to go to the police, never knowing the story was false."
"So Father Stebbins is only guilty of being gullible?" Auntie Lil said incredulously.
"So far as I can tell," Santos conceded.
"Father Stebbins told you about Timmy?" T.S. asked. "Whatever happened to the sanctity of the confessional?"
"He didn't tell me. He spoke in all sorts of cryptic mumbo jumbo clichés. But his, um, companion, filled us in on the details."
"Fran?" Herbert asked.
"I knew there was something going on between those two," Auntie Lil declared.
"Now, I didn't say that," Detective Santos protested. "In fact, I consider that definitely out of my jurisdiction. But I did get the feeling that she sticks pretty close to the padre. When she saw the boy, Timmy, approach him a couple of times, she made it a point to be around in case he came back. Without admitting it in so many words, I got this picture of her lurking behind the pews and by the confessional pretending to dust, if you know what I mean. But she was doing it for a good reason. She didn't trust the kid and thought he was a liar. She thought maybe he was setting Father Stebbins up for something. She came right out and told the priest so, but he didn't believe her. They had a falling out. And she still looks like she wants to wring his neck."
"But after Timmy went to Father Stebbins and lied about Bob Fleming, Annie O'Day found him and convinced him to change his mind?" Auntie Lil asked.
Santos nodded. "Timmy is a street kid. He'll blow with the wind. I think that when Annie reached him and made him feel bad about lying, he truly got confused and went back to see the same priest to sort it out. He doesn't sound like a bad kid at heart, just mixed up and frightened at Emily's death. He told the priest the truth and admitted that Worthington had put him up to lying about Fleming. Father Stebbins was pretty broken up about it—after all, he had counseled the kid to destroy a man's life—so he did his best to convince the kid that he had to retract his statements as soon as possible. He even had the kid halfway talked into ditching New York and going back to Texas. Timmy wouldn't agree to go home but he did agree to retract his accusations. That's when he went to Homefront."
"And said he would only talk to me," Auntie Lil added.
Santos shrugged. "Well, there's no accounting for taste, Miss Hubbert." His eyes twinkled and he located another piece of paper, checked his notes and finished his summary. "The kid was being followed, of course, by Rodney—who had been parading around exclusively as Leteisha ever since he'd poisoned Emily. Rodney puts two and two together when he sees Timmy heading for Homefront, calls Worthington, and gets his orders. As Leteisha, he tells Little Pete that the man has a way for them to make some really big money that night, but that he and Timmy will have to do a job together. Little Pete is sent to get Timmy at Homefront before he can retract the allegations against Fleming. They were told to meet Leteisha at the piano warehouse for instructions and part payment. But, of course, by the time the kids got there, Leteisha was back to being Rodney again and beat the crap out of Timmy to teach him a lesson. And, if you ask me, to kill him as well. But he lived and Rodney will probably eventually be sorry for that. Rodney didn't hurt Little Pete because they needed him that night for one of Worthington's investing scams." He eyed T.S. "The rest of the story, I think you know." He looked up at