The Babysitter Murders - By Janet Ruth Young Page 0,48

responsible for Mason making sergeant rather than Pinto.

“While the Hawthorne Police Department appreciates the interest so many media outlets have shown in our town and in the Dani Solomon case, the proliferation of media representatives in what is normally a very quiet town is making it difficult for us to 200

T H E B A B Y S I T T E R M U R D E R S

fulfill our responsibilities, one of which is finding Dani Solomon.

There is no story here. We would like you all to pack up and go back to wherever it is you came from. Once again, there is no story. We are prepared to prosecute to the full extent of the law any media representatives that trespass on private property or harass local people for information.”

A reporter from Channel 5 raises his hand. “Chief Scola, what is the legal status of remarks like Dani’s? Are they a threat? A warning? A confession?”

“I can’t comment,” the chief says.

Beth Solomon pops back up and looks straight into the camera. “I have one more thing to say,” she says. “If anyone out there thinks that for any reason it’s okay to hurt my daughter, know that I will go to the ends of the earth to find you and . . .” Her lawyer pulls her jacket to make her sit down.

“Scary!” Pinto says.

“That’s where Dani gets it from,” Malcolm adds.

The mayor approaches the microphone, but Michael Pinto kills the TV before she can speak. “They want our guys to stick their necks out?” he says. He calls some of his fellow police officers.

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The Dogg House

Sniffing Out That Babysitter

Your blog host: Sheepdogg

You heard it here first. The police are off the case.

Hunting season has officially opened in Havenswood.

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Wednesday, May 19

Hawthorne Beacon-Times

PRESS MEET LEADS TO

STRIFE OVER SITTER SEARCH

Following yesterday’s press conference at which Hawthorne Police Department Sergeant Philip Mason stated that allegedly troubled babysitter Dani Solomon was “a missing person,” rumors circulated that police plan a sick-out in protest of orders to search for Dani Solomon in Havenswood. A source close to department employees said that five of the seven officers assigned to tomorrow’s search have already called in sick after stating privately that ensur-ing the teen’s well-being is tantamount to “escorting the fox back to the henhouse.” The source stated that the consensus among the officers is that if Solomon is sought it should be as a criminal rather than as a missing person.

Meanwhile, a spokesperson for the mother whom Dani Solomon allegedly warned about killing her child said that the mother and other area parents were

“very concerned” about the fact that Dani Solomon JANET RUTH YOUNG

was at large and that they would feel “more secure”

if her whereabouts were known. They asked that the Hawthorne Police Department participate in a wide-spread search in order to protect local children.

“Considering that this is the first time in twenty years that Hawthorne has had a potential killer on its hands,” said one parent who declined to be identified,

“it seems ridiculous to drop the whole matter as if nothing happened.”

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Hawthorne Beacon-Times

OPINION

By Devorah Hopkins

Changing the Conversation

Be careful what you wish for, because you might get it. After years of effort by the Hawthorne Chamber of Commerce to attract visitors, Hawthorne is finally on the map. But for what are we known? Few resi-dents have been spared this week the unflattering experience of being approached by journalists seeking information or opinions on the Dani Solomon case.

The town has appeared on the Boston news upward of three times this week and once on the national news.

And outside vendors have descended on our community hawking tasteless items such as T-shirts bearing the nickname “Sawthorne.”

The only positive outcome of these events has been an uptick in business for Hawthorne’s hotels and restaurants. But where are the photos of our scenic coastline and beaches? The stories about our maritime heritage? The glowing reports of our sports teams?

Where are the accounts of concerts and dance perfor-JANET RUTH YOUNG

mances and the valiant efforts of our struggling fish-ing fleet to stay afloat in uncertain economic times?

Remember, you and I set the tone for visitors to this town. If the Dani Solomon case is all we talk about, it’s all visitors will hear. Let’s all work on changing the conversation and showing the world that Hawthorne is a wonderful, safe place to vacation, raise children, work, and retire.

Devorah Hopkins is mayor of Hawthorne.

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National Envestigator News

To: Photo Research Department

From: Editorial Department

Offer $1,000 to anyone in Hawthorne for a high-quality, high-res photo