657 Boulevardkeptapairoflawn
chairsstrangelyclosetotheBroaddus-
es’property.Onedayhesawanolder
mansittinginoneofthechairs.“He
wasn’tfacinghishouse,”thepainter
said.“HewasfacingtheBroadduses’.”
Mariasaidshefeltasifalmost
anyonecouldhavebeentheWatch-
er,whichmadedailylifefeellike
navigatinga labyrinthofthreats.She
probedthefacesofshoppersatthe
localsupermarkettoseewhetherthey
lookedstrangelyatherkidsandspent
hoursgooglinganyonewhoseemed
suspicious.
ButtheWatcherleftnodigitaltrail,
nofingerprints,andnowaytoplace
someoneatthesceneofa crimethat
couldhavebeenhatchedfrompret-
tymuchanyletterboxinnorthern
NewJersey.Theletterscouldbe
readcloselyforpossiblecluesordis-
missedasthenonsensicalramblings
ofasociopath.InDecember2014,
sixmonthsafterthefirstletterhad
arrived,policetoldtheBroadduses
theyhadrunoutofoptions.Derek
showedtheletterstohispriest, who
agreedtoblessthehouse.T
herenovations,includinga new
alarmsystem,werefinished,but
theideaofmovinginfilledthe
Broadduseswithoverwhelminganxi-
ety.Theyhadsoldtheiroldhome,so
theymovedinwithMaria’sparents
whilecontinuingtopaythemortgage
andtaxeson 657 Boulevard.They
told only a handful of friends abouttheletters,whichleftotherstoask
whytheyweren’tmovingin– “Legal
issues,”theysaid– andwonderwheth-
ertheyweregettingdivorced.They
foughtconstantlyandstartedtaking
medicationtofallasleep.
“Iwasadepressedwreck,”Derek
said.Mariadecidedtoseea therapist
aftera routinedoctor’svisitthatbegan
withthequestion“Howareyou?”
causedhertoburstintotears.
TheBroaddusesdecidedtosell
657 Boulevard.Butrumourshadal-
readybeguntoswirlaboutwhythe
housesatempty.Theytoldtheires-
tateagentthattheyintendedtoshow
theletterstoanyonewhoseofferwas
accepted.Severalbidscamein,but
theywerewellbelowtheaskingprice.
Themediacaughtwindofthetale.
“Wedosomecreepystories,”host
TamronHallsaidonToday. “T h is
mightbe top-ten creepy.”News
truckscampedoutat 657 Boulevard,
andonelocalreportersetupa lawn
chairtoconducthisownwatch.The
Broaddusesgotmorethan 300 me-
diarequestsbutdecidednottospeak
publicly.TheattentionforcedDerek
andMariatositdownwiththeirchil-
drentoexplaintherealreasonthey
hadn’tmovedintotheirnewhome.
Thekidshadplentyofquestions:
whoistheWatcher?Wheredoesthis
personlive?Whyisthispersonangry
withus?DerekandMariahadfew
answers.
“Canyouimaginehavingthatcon-
versation with a five year old?”Derek97
The Haunted House Next Door