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en’s pyjama bottoms。 She was the same height as Kay； but shrunken； the bones of her face and sternum showed sharply through the thin white skin。 Her hair； which was home…dyed； coarse and very red； looked like a wig on top of a skull； her pupils were minuscule and her chest virtually breastless。
‘Hello； are you Terri？ I’m Kay Bawden； from Social Services。 I’m covering for Mattie Knox。’
There were silvery pockmarks all over the woman’s fragile grey…white arms； and an angry red； open sore on the inside of one forearm。 A wide area of scar tissue on her right arm and lower neck gave the skin a shiny plastic appearance。 Kay had known an addict in London who had accidentally set fire to her house； and realized too late what was happening。
‘Yeah； righ’；’ said Terri； after an overlong pause。 When she spoke； she seemed much older； several of her teeth were missing。 She turned her back on Kay and took a few unsteady steps down the dark hallway。 Kay followed。 The house smelt of stale food； of sweat； of unshifted filth。 Terri led Kay through the first door on the left； into a tiny sitting room。
There were no books； no pictures； no photographs； no television； nothing except a pair of filthy old armchairs and a broken set of shelves。 Debris littered the floor。 A pile of brand…new cardboard boxes piled against the wall struck an incongruous note。
A bare…legged little boy was standing in the middle of the floor； dressed in a T…shirt and a bulging pull…up nappy。 Kay knew from the file that he was three and a half。 His whining seemed unconscious and unmotivated； a sort of engine noise to signal that he was there。 He was clutching a miniature cereal packet。
‘So this must be Robbie？’ said Kay。
The boy looked at her when she said his name； but kept grizzling。
Terri shoved aside a scratched old biscuit tin； which had been sitting on one of the dirty frayed armchairs； and curled herself into the seat； watching Kay from beneath drooping eyelids。 Kay took the other chair； on the arm of which was perched an overflowing ashtray。 Cigarette ends had fallen into the seat of Kay’s chair； she could feel them beneath her thighs。
‘Hello； Robbie；’ said Kay； opening Terri’s file。
The little boy continued to whine； shaking the cereal packet； something inside it rattled。
‘What have you got in there？’ Kay asked。
He did not answer； but shook the packet more vigorously。 A small plastic figure flew out of it； soared in an arc and fell down behind the cardboard boxes。 Robbie began to wail。 Kay watched Terri； who was staring at her son； blank…faced。 Eventually； Terri murmured； ‘S’up； Robbie？’
‘Shall we see if we can get it out？’ said Kay； quite glad of a reason to stand up and brush down the back of her legs。 ‘Let’s have a look。’
Robbie’s wailing ceased； he took the figure and put it back inside the cereal packet； which he started to shake again。
Kay glanced around。 Two small toy cars lay upside down under the broken shelves。
‘Do you like cars？’ Kay asked Robbie； pointing at them。
He did not follow the direction of her finger； but squinted at her with a mixture of calculation and curiosity。 Then he trotted off and picked up a car and held it up for her to see。
‘Broom；’ he said。 ‘Ca。’
‘That’s right；’ said Kay。 ‘Very good。 Car。 Broom broom。’
There was a pause before Terri said； ‘All righ’。’
‘Just to explain： Mattie has been signed off sick； so I’m covering for her。 I’ll need to go over some of the information she’s left me； to check that nothing’s changed since she saw you last week； all right？
‘So； let’s see： Robbie is in nursery now； isn’t he？ Four mornings a week and two afternoons？’
Kay’s voice seemed to reach Terri only distantly。 It was like talking to somebody sitting at the bottom of a well。
‘Yeah；’ she said； after a pause。
‘How’s that going？ Is he enjoying it？’
Robbie crammed the matchbox car into the cereal box。 He picked up one of the cigarette butts that had fallen off Kay’s trousers； and squashed it on top of the car and the purple Buddha。
‘Yeah；’ said Terri drowsily。
But Kay was poring over the last of the untidy notes Mattie had left before she had been signed off。
‘Shouldn’t he be there today； Terri？ Isn’t Tuesday one of the days he goes？’
Terri seemed to be fighting a desire to sleep。 Once or twice her head rocked a little on her shoulders。 Finally she said； ‘Krystal was s’posed to drop him and she never。’
‘Krystal is your daughter； isn’t she？ How old is she？’
‘Fourteen；’ said Terri dreamily； ‘’n’a half。’
Kay could see from her notes that Krystal was sixteen。 There was a long pause。
Two chipped mugs stood at the foot of Terri’s armchair。 The dirty liquid in one of them had a bloody look。 Terri’s arms were folded across her flat breast。
‘I had him dressed；’ said Terri； dragging the words from deep in her consciousness。
‘Sorry； Terri； but I’ve got to ask；’ said Kay。 ‘Have you used this morning？’
Terri passed a bird’s claw hand over her mouth。
‘Nah。’
‘Wantashit；’ said Robbie； and he scurried towards the door。
‘Does he need help？’ Kay asked； as Robbie vanished from sight； and they heard him scampering upstairs。
‘Nah； ’e can doot alone；’ slurred Terri。 She propped her drooping head on her fist； her elbow on the armchair。 Robbie let out a shout from the landing。
‘Door！ Door！’
They heard him thumping wood。 Terri did not move。
‘Shall I help him？’ Kay suggested。
‘Yeah；’ said Terri。
Kay climbed the stairs and operated the stiff handle on the door for Robbie。 The room smelled rank。 The bath was grey； with successive brown tidemarks around it； and the toilet had not been flushed。 Kay did this before allowing Robbie to scramble onto the seat。 He screwed up his face and strained loudly； indifferent to her presence。 There was a loud splash； and a noisome new note was added to the already putrid air。 He got down and pulled up his bulging nappy without wiping； Kay made him e back； and tried to persuade him to do it for himself； but the action seemed quite foreign to him。 In the end she did it for him。 His bottom was sore： crusty； red and irritated。 The nappy stank of ammonia。 She tried to remove it； but he yelped； lashed out at her； then pulled away； scampering back down to the sitting room with his nappy sagging。 Kay wanted to wash her hands； but there was no soap。 Trying not to inhale； she closed the bathroom door behind her。
She glanced into the bedrooms before returning downstairs。 The contents of all three spilt out onto the cluttered landing。 They were all sleeping on mattresses。 Robbie seemed to be sharing a room with his mother。 A couple of toys lay among the dirty clothes strewn all over the floor： cheap； plastic and too young for him。 To Kay’s surprise； the duvet and pillows both had covers on them。
Back in the sitting room； Robbie was whining again； banging his fist against the stack of cardboard boxes。 Terri was watching from beneath half…closed eyelids。 Kay brushed off the seat of her chair before sitting back down。
‘Terri； you’re on the methadone programme at the Bellchapel Clinic； isn’t that right？’
‘Mm；’ said Terri drowsily。
‘And how’s that going； Terri？’
Pen poised； Kay waited； pretending that the answer was not sitting in front of her。
‘Are you still going to the clinic； Terri？’
‘Las’ week。 Friday； I goes。’
Robbie pounded the boxes with his fists。
‘Can you tell me how much methadone you’re on？’
‘Hundred and fifteen mils；’ said Terri。
It did not surprise Kay that Terri could remember this； but not the age of her daughter。
‘Mattie says here that your mother has been helping with Robbie and Krystal； is that still the case？’
Robbie flung his hard； pact little body against the pile of boxes； which swayed。
‘Be careful； Robbie；’ said Kay； and Terri said； ‘Leave ’em；’ with the closest thing to alertness Kay had heard in her dead voice。
Robbie returned to beating the boxes with his fists； for the pleasure； apparently； of listening to the hollow drumbeat。
‘Terri； is your mother still helping to look after Robbie？’
‘Not m’mother； gran。’
‘Robbie’s gran？