Chapter 1
My husband and I came home early and found our babysitter pouring a bowl of food over our nine-year-old son’s head.
Before I could even scream, Daniel rushed across the kitchen and slapped her.
“Get away from my son!”
Our son Noah sat frozen at the table, food dripping from his hair while tears ran down his cheeks.
The babysitter, Linda, stumbled backward and stared at us.
“You don’t understand.”
I ran to Noah and wrapped my arms around him.
“What happened?”
He was trembling so badly he could barely speak.
“She got mad because I wouldn’t eat it.”
Linda pointed at him.
“He’s lying!”
Daniel stepped between her and Noah.
“You have ten seconds to tell me why my child looks terrified of you.”
Linda grabbed her purse.
“I was disciplining him because neither of you will.”
“You were hired to watch him,” I snapped. “Not punish him.”
Noah suddenly grabbed my sleeve.
“Mom, don’t let her leave.”
Linda stopped.
I looked down at him.
“Why?”
His eyes moved toward the basement door.
“She put something down there.”
Linda’s face changed instantly.
“Noah, be quiet.”
Daniel noticed it too.
“What’s in our basement?”
“Nothing.”
Then Noah whispered, “She makes me go down there whenever you’re both at work.”
My stomach dropped.
I stared at Linda.
“You told us Noah spent every afternoon doing homework.”
She backed toward the front door.
“He’s making this up because he hates rules.”
Noah jumped from his chair.
“No! I can prove it!”
He ran toward the basement before Linda suddenly grabbed his arm.
Daniel pulled her away.
“Don’t touch him again.”
I opened the basement door, and Noah pointed toward an old storage cabinet in the corner.
“There.”
Inside, I found a backpack, several photographs, and a second phone I had never seen before.
Linda began crying.
“Please, Sarah. Don’t look at those pictures.”
I picked up the first photograph.
It showed Noah asleep in his bedroom.
The next one showed him at school.
Then I reached the final picture—and my hands went numb.
It showed Linda standing beside my husband three years before we ever hired her.
I slowly turned toward Daniel.
May you like
His face had gone completely blank.
Then Noah whispered, “Dad… she told me you already knew who she was.”
