The Babysitter Murders - By Janet Ruth Young Page 0,38

all about the kids’ safety,” said Hurley. “The well-being of our children is the ultimate issue that any of us cares about. I don’t understand why we can’t be told who this person is, just for our own protection.”

Neighbor Liz Peña told a reporter invited to the T H E B A B Y S I T T E R M U R D E R S

meeting that if she were in the parent’s place she would “stop at nothing” to protect her seven-year-old twins, Emma and Edith, who once attended a birthday party of the threatened child.

Hawthorne Police community safety officer Andrea Foale gave a presentation on babysitter safety at the parent meeting. She said the best precautions against abuse by a babysitter are obtaining references, watching the sitter interact with your child during an initial interview, and requesting a criminal record, or CORI, check.

Comments:

Coastal160 wrote:

So we know Nutjob Nanny wasn’t working for the Hurleys or Peñas—who else lives in Dell Place?

Waster wrote:

That neighborhood is crawling with kids. Drive over 25mph any time of day or night and you’ll hit a few of them.

St_jude wrote:

My heart goes out to this family, whoever they may be. That poor little boy and his parents, what a trauma . . . You are in our prayers.

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Rowdie wrote:

That’s Northeast liberalism for you. Where else in the world do they let crazed teen killers go free?

Coastal160 wrote:

HPD decided NN was “troubled.”

Waster wrote:

There are some very nice juvenile detention facilities where she can get all the trouble she can handle.

peewe wrote:

Whos ready to form a lynchmob . . . Ive got a strong rope here you pick the tree.

Rowdie wrote:

Do it now, before a real tragedy occurs. So who is the babysitter?

Sheepdogg wrote:

I told you. I know, but I can’t say.

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“Hey.” Meghan glides toward Shelley on the way to Hawtones. She wears a turquoise halter top fastened with a gold ring.

“Hey,” Shelley says. “I really like that top on you. Where did you get it?”

The top isn’t Shelley’s style, but she feels that she has to explain her staring at Meghan by pretending she wants the same clothes.

“The beach store.” Meghan shakes her armload of gold ban-gles. They jingled all during the movie last week, but Shelley didn’t mind. Despite Dani’s advice, she’s going to invite Meghan for an ice cream after school.

“You always look great,” Shelley says.

“So where’s your friend today?” Meghan asks. “Dani skipping rehearsal?”

“She didn’t come to school. I haven’t heard from her.”

“I hope she’s not sick,” Meghan says, smiling.

Shelley slows her athletic pace to match Meghan’s swaying walk.

“I hope nothing’s wrong,” Meghan continues.

“I don’t know if anything’s wrong,” Shelley says. “I haven’t heard from her in the last twenty-four hours.”

“It’s getting dangerous in this town, with crazed babysitters JANET RUTH YOUNG

around and whatnot. You know, a lot of people seem to think it’s Dani.”

“Dani would never do something like that,” Shelley says.

“What evidence do they have?”

“Word seems to have leaked out. People who know people who know people.”

Shelley continues defending Dani, but even to her the defense feels weak. She sent Dani a bunch of text messages that went from voyeuristic glee:

“Can you believe what’s going on? I can’t believe you’re not in school!”

To stomach-sick suspicion:

“Hey, doesn’t Alex live on Dell Place?”

She’s been thinking how nervous Dani acted when they talked about Mr. Gabler. She wants to believe it isn’t Dani. Why doesn’t Dani call her, or come to school?

“It is her,” Meghan says, adjusting her halter outside the music room. “I thought she was weird because she fidgeted so much and always wore the same hoodie, but I didn’t say so because I didn’t want to hurt your feelings.”

Shelley stops Meghan at the door.

“All right,” she says. “I’m going to ask her point-blank if it’s her or not. Dani would never lie to me. If she says no, then I’ll know it’s not her.”

Down the hall someone screams like a kid being stabbed, and others clap and laugh. Someone else imitates a kid being strangled.

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“Where’s Dani this morning?” Nathan Brandifield asks when Shelley steps into the music room.

After school Shelley sends Dani one more message: People think it might be you. Tell me it isn’t.

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Dani begs Beth to let her check messages.

“I won’t send any back, I promise.”

“No phone.”

“Mom, I’m going nuts. Just let me look. How would you feel with no connection to the outside world?”

“All right. But