I have never read anything by Laura Lippman before this. In fact, I wrote her off as one of “those authors”. You know, the formulaic, blockbuster, fluff, author. She may be that as I can’t judge from one short story but I did enjoy ‘The Babysitter’s Code.’
Terri Snyder is a very “in demand” babysitter and she knows all of the written and unwritten rules of babysitting. Never open any unopened food, never eat the last of something, and never show your gluttony.
“Once when she was at the Morrows’ house, she discovered a four-pound can of pistachio nuts and got a little carried away. And while the canister was so large that it provided cover for her gluttony, the shells in the trash can left no doubt as to how much she had eaten. To conceal the grossness of her appetite, she packed those shells in her knapsack and the pockets of her ski jacket. Riding home in the front seat of Ed Morrow’s Jeep Cherokee, she realized she was rattling softly, but Mr. Morrow seemed to think it was the car’s heater. The next time she babysat for the Morrows, she found another canister of pistachios, a sure sign of trust.”
Terry felt it was also okay to snoop as long as she put everything back exactly as it was. She never found anything shocking, until one day while in Mrs. Morrow’s lingerie drawer.
The tension in this story works really well as does the plot. It may be a bit of a fluff piece or as I like to say, palate cleanser, but I really enjoyed it. You can read it at Fifty-Two Stories,
here.
If you would like to participate in Short Story Mondays, go to John of The Book Mine Set. He has a short story review every Monday and a place for you to link your short story review. Come join in the fun!
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