distracted by the dishwasher.
“I’m sorry, that was mean,” Gordy says. “I was trying to make you laugh.”
“Look,” Dani says, shutting the dishwasher and the cupboards.
Gordy looks out the kitchen window at the swimming pool and fountain.
“I meant ‘Look, I’m about to say something.’”
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“All right.” Her face is sideways to him. She can feel him staring at her ear as though it’s the most important ear in the world.
“This isn’t a good time for me to be seeing somebody. For the next couple of months, at least.”
Gordy waits for her to say more. She’s wearing a tank top, pj bottoms, and flip-flops, and although she hadn’t gone to any trouble to look nice, she realizes from the way he’s watching her that she might be sensational-looking and never need to change anything visual about herself. It’s a great realization, but it comes at a bad time. If it had come at a better time she would have rolled it into a corner of her mind like a sacred ball.
“Is it because I made fun of Nathan? I know you guys are friendly.”
“No, I imitated him too.”
“Then I don’t understand. Look, I told you I don’t believe any of those rumors.”
“I need to be by myself for a while.”
“Because of what happened with your mom? Because you’re grounded?”
“Even aside from being grounded.”
Dani turns around. Gordy’s lower lip is trembling. She’s studied that lip carefully over the school year. It’s pretty muscular from playing the French horn, so in her texts to Shelley she calls it his MLL: muscular lower lip. Gordy looks so vulnerable right now.
Dani thinks about his insides being on the outside. She squeezes her hands together.
“All right,” he says. “I’m not going to push you. Just tell me, 152
T H E B A B Y S I T T E R M U R D E R S
will you call me if you ever change your mind? If the time is right?”
To lose him so soon after losing Alex—Dani feels bereft. She opens the back door. “Sneak out this way,” she says. “Thanks for coming by and cheering me up.”
“Or don’t call me,” he says on the back patio. He smiles bravely. “Send me a secret signal. I’ll know it when I hear it.”
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At four thirty Beth calls the house phone. Dani assumes she’s allowed to pick up.
“What’s going on?” Dani asks. “I thought you’d be home by now. It’s too quiet.” She’s sincere about the quiet, though she’ll never tell Beth that Gordy was here.
“Work is going well, but—” Beth lowers her voice to a whisper. The other thing is going very badly.”
Dani’s heart pounds. “Where are you? No one knows, do they? From what I can tell, they don’t seem to know.”
“I’m in my car. I don’t know why I’m whispering. It’s just that this thing is the only thing people to talk about. And I’m acting like I know nothing about it, but that looks suspicious too. So I don’t know how much to say. God, I wish it were Monday!”
“I’m sorry, Mom.”
Beth is silent. She’s probably changing lanes on the highway.
“It may be my fault as much as yours. I don’t know.”
“Have you told Sean?” Dani asks her.
“I’m not telling Sean anything. I’ve told him I can’t see him for a few days because you’re having teenage problems. Okay, I’ll be home in half an hour.”
Dani lies on the couch. She and Shelley always hated being indoors. If there was a thunderstorm, they’d go to the T H E B A B Y S I T T E R M U R D E R S
beach and watch the waves. If there was a blizzard, they’d build an igloo.
She checks the Internet again. There’s a new editorial in the Beacon-Times.
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Saturday, May 15
Editorial
PUBLIC: GIVE US THE NAME
In the short time since the Beacon-Times ran a story about a teenage Hawthorne babysitter who revealed to police that she had murderous thoughts about a boy in her care, our office has been inundated with phone calls, e-mails, and visits from readers insisting that we name the sitter. Readers have used the phrase
“the public’s right to know,” citing safety concerns and risks to the community. However, the Hawthorne Police Department has made a compelling case that the incident is under control. Since no crime was committed and the girl in question has obeyed the police’s insistence that she seek treatment from a mental health professional, the Beacon-Times has respected the department’s request that the teen’s identity not