DEAR HARRIETTE: My neighbor mentioned that she was going out of town on a work trip and asked me to watch out for her dog once in a while because he can get out of their back door, and her husband, who works from home, doesn’t always notice. All week long, I’ve been occasionally looking over next door in the morning and evening.
Instead of a loose dog, what I have noticed is another woman parking her car in their parking space in the early afternoon and typically leaving in the late evening. I’m not sure who this woman is, but I know that I have never seen her, and my neighbor never mentioned anyone constantly coming over while she would be gone. I’m not sure what’s going on. Should I email my neighbor while she’s gone or wait until she has returned to bring it up? -- Neighborhood Friend
DEAR NEIGHBORHOOD FRIEND: This is tricky. You have no idea who the person is or why she is there. Given that your neighbor asked you to look out for her dog, you were officially asked to watch her home. That means you can and should tell her what you saw. Get the license plate number of the car and a clear description of the woman. When your neighbor returns, tell her about the status of the dog --whatever that is -- and also that you noticed someone coming to the house each day. Do not speculate about who it is or why she was there. Just report what you saw.