Dad checked the baby monitor at noon — the crib was empty. But Tommy was supposed to be napping until 2 PM.
The baby monitor app pinged David’s phone during his lunch meeting. Motion detected in Tommy’s room at 12:15 PM.
David glanced at the notification and dismissed it. Tommy was eighteen months old and sometimes moved around in his crib during naps.
The babysitter had texted an hour earlier saying Tommy went down for his nap right on schedule at 11:30 AM.
David’s phone buzzed again. No motion detected for thirty minutes. The smart crib sensor was designed to alert parents if their child stopped moving for extended periods.
Something felt wrong. Tommy was an active sleeper who rarely stayed still for more than twenty minutes at a time.
David excused himself from the meeting and opened the live camera feed. The crib was empty.
His hands shook as he switched between camera angles. Tommy’s room was completely vacant. The blankets were arranged as if a child had been sleeping there, but no child was present.
David called the babysitter immediately.
Sarah: Hello?
David: Where’s Tommy?
Sarah: He’s sleeping in his crib. Has been since 11:30. Such a good napper today.
David: I’m looking at the monitor right now. The crib is empty.
Sarah: That’s impossible. I just checked on him twenty minutes ago.
The call ended abruptly.
David grabbed his keys and rushed to his car. The drive home normally took fifteen minutes. He made it in eight.
The front door was locked. David’s hands fumbled with his keys as he tried to get inside.
The house was silent. No sounds of a toddler playing or crying. No television or music.
David called out as he entered.
David: Sarah? Tommy?
No response came from anywhere in the house.
David ran upstairs to Tommy’s room. The crib was indeed empty, but the blankets were still warm.
He checked every room upstairs. Tommy wasn’t in the master bedroom, the guest room, or the bathroom.
David ran downstairs and searched the living room, kitchen, and basement. Still no sign of his son or the babysitter.
The back door was standing slightly open. David never left that door unlocked.
He stepped outside and called Tommy’s name. The backyard was empty except for the swing set and sandbox.
David’s phone rang.
Sarah: I have Tommy. He’s safe.
David: Where are you? Why did you take him out of the house?
Sarah: We’re at the park. He woke up and wanted to play outside.
David: Which park?
Sarah: The one on Maple Street.
David knew there was no park on Maple Street. The nearest playground was six blocks away on Oak Avenue.
David: I’m coming to get him right now.
Sarah: We’ll meet you back at the house in ten minutes.
The line went dead again.
David called 911 immediately.
Dispatcher: 911, what’s your emergency?
David: My babysitter took my eighteen-month-old son somewhere without permission. She’s lying about where they are.
Dispatcher: Are you concerned for your child’s safety?
David: Yes. She said they’re at a park that doesn’t exist.
The dispatcher took David’s information and said officers would be dispatched to his address.
David waited in his driveway, checking his phone every few seconds. The baby monitor app showed no activity in Tommy’s room.
Fifteen minutes passed. No sign of Sarah or Tommy.
David called Sarah again. The phone went straight to voicemail.
Two police officers arrived at David’s house.
Officer Martinez: Mr. Chen, we understand you’re concerned about your child’s whereabouts.
David: The babysitter took my son somewhere without telling me. She’s been lying about where they are.
Officer Rodriguez: How long has she been watching your child?
David: Six months. She’s always been reliable before today.
Officer Martinez: Do you have her full name and address?
David provided Sarah’s information from his contacts. He also showed the officers the baby monitor footage and the timestamps of their text conversations.
Officer Rodriguez: The timeline doesn’t match her story. She said the child was sleeping, but your monitor shows he left the room over an hour ago.
David’s phone buzzed with a text message.
The text was from Sarah: “Tommy’s fine. We’re having ice cream. Back soon.”
Officer Martinez: Ask her for a photo of your son right now.
David typed the request and sent it immediately.
Five minutes passed with no response.
Officer Rodriguez: We’re going to put out a BOLO alert for your child and the babysitter.
David: What does that mean?
Officer Martinez: Be on the lookout. We’ll have all units in the area watching for them.
Another text arrived from Sarah: “Almost home. Don’t worry.”
Officer Rodriguez: That’s the same thing she said thirty minutes ago.
David felt sick to his stomach. Tommy had been missing for nearly two hours, and Sarah kept making promises she wasn’t keeping.
Officer Martinez radioed the dispatcher with Sarah’s vehicle description and license plate number.
Twenty minutes later, Officer Rodriguez’s radio crackled.
Dispatcher: Unit 23 has located the vehicle at Riverside Shopping Center. One adult female and one male toddler in custody.
David felt relief wash over him, followed immediately by anger and confusion.
Officer Martinez: We’ll escort you to the scene to identify your son and determine what happened.
The drive to the shopping center took twelve minutes. David saw Sarah’s car parked outside a toy store, surrounded by three police vehicles.
Tommy was sitting in a shopping cart, holding a new stuffed animal. He looked happy and unharmed.
Sarah was speaking with officers near her car. She appeared calm and cooperative.
David rushed to Tommy and lifted him out of the cart.
David: Are you okay, buddy?
Tommy smiled and showed David his new toy.
Officer Martinez approached David.
Officer Martinez: Your son appears to be fine. No signs of distress or harm.
David: Why did she take him shopping without asking me?
Officer Rodriguez: We’re questioning her now. She claims there was a misunderstanding.
Sarah walked over with the other officer.
Sarah: David, I’m so sorry. Tommy woke up cranky and I thought a little outing would help him feel better.
David: You told me he was sleeping. Then you said you were at a park that doesn’t exist.
Sarah: I panicked when you called. I knew you’d be upset that I took him out without asking first.
Officer Martinez: Ma’am, you understand that taking someone else’s child without permission is a serious matter.
Sarah: I’ve been watching Tommy for six months. I thought it would be okay.
David: It’s not okay. You lied to me multiple times about where you were.
Officer Rodriguez: Mr. Chen, do you want to press charges?
David looked at Tommy, who was playing happily with his new stuffed animal, then at Sarah, who looked genuinely remorseful.
David: I want her to leave and never contact us again.
Sarah: I understand. I’m really sorry this happened.
Officer Martinez: Ma’am, you’re not under arrest, but we strongly advise you to be more careful about communication with parents in the future.
Sarah gathered her purse and walked to her car without saying anything else.
David strapped Tommy into his car seat and drove home with the police escort following behind.
Once they were back at the house, Officer Rodriguez gave David a report number and his business card.
Officer Rodriguez: If you have any other concerns or if she tries to contact you, call us immediately.
David thanked both officers and watched them drive away.
Inside the house, David sat on the couch with Tommy and called his wife at work.
David: Lisa, you need to come home. We had a situation with the babysitter.
Lisa: Is Tommy okay?
David: He’s fine now, but Sarah took him shopping without telling me and lied about where they were.
Lisa: I’m leaving work right now.
David hung up and looked at his son, who was contentedly playing with his new toy on the living room floor.
The baby monitor app on David’s phone showed Tommy’s room was still empty, but Tommy was safe at home where he belonged.
David deleted Sarah’s contact information and made a mental note to be more careful about background checks for future childcare providers.
When Lisa arrived home twenty minutes later, she hugged both David and Tommy tightly.
Lisa: I can’t believe this happened.
David: The police said Tommy was never in real danger, but she shouldn’t have taken him anywhere without asking.
Lisa: We’ll find a new babysitter. Someone more trustworthy.
David: Definitely. And next time I’ll trust my instincts when something feels wrong.
Tommy looked up from his toy and smiled at his parents.
Tommy: Mama! Dada!
David picked up his son and held him close, grateful that the afternoon had ended with everyone safe and sound at home.
The house felt peaceful again, filled with the normal sounds of family life that David had missed during those terrifying hours of uncertainty.
