However being told by RW that others were also going to the mall that day, I can well imagine lifts being offered. Again it may have been RW who suggested asking Janet and friend to ride with them as a way of keeping TM's sister onside.
So I'm not so sure they were keen to have an 11 year old tagging along, and feel it was maybe more of a rideshare offer than an offer to hang out. Taking a 9 year old would be a different thing.
Sounds likely - since nobody claimed that Rachel was the one who invited TM, sounded like Renee did, and despite of having this trip planned earlier, the offer for TM seemed to appear kinda last minute (so he wasn't prepared and had different plans already) and straight from Renee... who was close with Janet and Julie so it makes perfect sense that in absence of Terry she could offer a ride/invitation to Janet and her friend... and also for Julie to want to go so much (she may be not so eager to go if it was just Rachel).
Something I've been pondering is when was the trip organised, how was it organised, and who knew of it in advance.
It seems like a pre arranged trip, so did that give someone/ some people the chance to organise themselves in advance? Intercept the girls?
Also I would love to know at what point it became known that JM was with them, and how the other families reacted to that information.
In somewhat similar cases, so for example Girl Scouts Murders, with three girls murdered/abducted from four-bed tent (it got some decent exposure as well, and was unsolved for decades) over the years there was at least douzen of claims and stories that came from girls who were "
meant to be the fourth girl" in that tent or "
could be the fourth" but ended up not going at all, in different tent/unit/camp.
Hard to imagine or consider all of those being correct as likely last-minute exclusion from this horrific fate so it's good to take it with a pinch of salt.
Also we all know how details about this case look like.
At this point I just have not a damned clue where this came from, who claimed that, where it was told... so it may be completely inacurrate, faked or just a theory...
Well, anyway.
BUT there was also a claim that the next door neighbour's daughter (actually next door neighbour, the one who said that Arnold's car never left their driveway, who was preparing that party and very same one who sometime around noon spoke to Fran who offered her help)
was meant to go on that trip to the mall and, changed her plans last minute and stayed home to help with the party.
In this version Rachel didn't showed up at her parent's to invite Fran, but either showed up there to pick up that girl (her and Renee's friend) or called in advance and learned that she isn't going that way.
And there it was (that sudden absence of the third girl) was the reason why Terry was asked to go.
Realistically thou, there is no way to know WHO knew about this trip in advance. Could be many people overhearing things or being informed by those who knew without them even realising that they're sharing this info (I'm picturing some casual call or chat with friend/neighbour/acquaintance and brief mention of "
oh, my daughter is going to SS Monday afternoon with her friends").
It definitely sounded like TT knew but if he knew, then likely his bowling crew knew, Arnold's knew and God knows who else.