The Anniversary

On May 1, 1998, the fifth anniversary of Minnie Agbayani’s disappearance, Quinn attends an informal vigil at her parents’ flower shop. He notes the toll the years have taken on Mr. Agbayani and learns that Mrs. Agbayani now has cancer. During the visit, a woman named Mrs. Agness—whom Quinn had previously only interviewed by phone—and a tattooed church helper named Randall deliver fertilizer. Quinn learns Reverend Agness was absent because he was helping a church member in crisis and that the church sometimes hires temporary help.

Back at his office, Quinn reflects on his mother’s murder and the Red Flag file she left behind. He has investigated John Smith, a suspect in the long-ago murder of Megan Tucker mentioned in the file but found no evidence linking him to the May Day killings and abductions. Driven by a new thought, Quinn researches the Fairlane Community Church online and discovers it runs a Community Reentry Program for ex-convicts. In a photo from the program, he spots a man with an eye patch and glasses. Quinn connects this to the only piece of evidence in Minnie’s case—a non-prescription lens found at the scene—realizing a one-eyed man might wear such glasses.