‘Andrea, no. You have to stop thinking about her. She’s a neighbour. She has a mother. She’s not your responsibility.’

‘I know but —’

‘But what? You can’t do any more than you’ve already done. If social services don’t see fit to interfere then I don’t see how you can.’

‘But you agree, don’t you? The way that mother treats her is wrong.’

Tony rubbed his chin. ‘I guess, but I don’t know. I’m not a parent.’

‘Tony! Come on, you know enough to know that you don’t leave a six-year-old alone in an apartment. You know enough to know that you don’t pass out in front of your kid or leave drugs out for them to find. That’s not rocket science.’

‘Yeah, okay. But still, maybe that was a one-off. Maybe she’s getting help. Maybe the last time you went over there she really did only duck out for groceries. I’m just saying, we don’t know the full story and she’s asked you to back off.’ He paused. ‘Tell me you weren’t round there this afternoon?’

She couldn’t keep the guilty look off her face.

‘Wait, is this why you’re behind on your work? Because you were playing mum to the next-door neighbour?’

Andrea bristled at the words, ‘playing mum’. That wasn’t what she was doing. She was being a caring neighbour, that was it.

‘I only went to check on her. And I’m glad I did. She was alone. Again. And she told me Heather gave her a fifty-dollar note for the canteen for lunch today instead of packing her any food.’

‘So what? At least she made sure she didn’t go hungry.’

‘Well, what about the fact that she was alone again?’

‘How long was it for?’

Andrea felt her cheeks flush. ‘Okay, it was only a short time — while she grabbed a parcel from the post office.’

‘There you go! The post office is only two blocks away.’

‘But there have been other times where she’s gone out. Like properly out for the night and there’s a gap before the babysitter shows up. What kind of a mother doesn’t wait!’

‘Are you sure that wasn’t some kind of miscommunication with the sitter?’

‘Why are you defending her? Trust me, the kid is lonely. And too skinny.’

‘She hardly looks malnourished.’

‘How would you know? When did you see her last?’

‘I don’t know; I’m sure I’ve seen her in the lift from time to time. Either way, I can’t say I’ve ever noticed her looking unhealthy. I just think you might be looking for more problems where there aren’t any.’

‘Maybe. I don’t know.’