I can’t put it off. I pick it up.
‘Kate, it’s Mel.’
I breathe out with relief and bend in half, my hand on my forehead. ‘Hi, Mel.’
‘I know you’re sick today. I don’t want to hassle you?—’
‘I’m all right.’ I sit up. ‘It was just a bug. What is it?’
‘Okay, well, you know that Facebook group for the parents at our school?’
‘What about it?’
‘There’s an offshoot.’
‘An offshoot?’
‘A private one. Closed to the teachers. Except I got Georgie to join ages ago so I could keep an eye on things.’
Georgie?I rack my brain. Mel’s wife. Right.
‘There’s some chatter in there about you today,’ she says. ‘We think you should know.’
‘What chatter?’
‘It’s coming from Mrs Ashford-Wells. She shared a post about something you wrote to her?’
‘I wrote to her? You mean about Gregory?’
‘No.’
I try to make sense of this. ‘I have no idea what you’re talking about. What did she say?’
‘Okay, so, this is what she wrote. I’m reading verbatim, okay?’
‘Okay.’
She takes an audible breath. ‘You will not believe this, but Brookford Park Primary School teacher Kate Price emailed meto tell me to “butt out” because she’s going through a lot. That’s right, butt out. Apparently—’ She stops.
‘What, Mel? Apparently what?’
‘I can’t read it over the phone. We need to talk face-to-face.’
‘Jesus, now I’m really worried. And this is on Facebook?’
‘It’s in the private parents’ group, yes. I’ve already asked Mrs Johnson to have it taken down. That’s Carla’s mum.’
‘I remember Mrs Johnson,’ I say.
‘She’s an admin of the group,’ Mel says. ‘I haven’t heard back yet. But honestly, Kate, we need to talk. As soon as possible.’
I’m starting to wish this had been Max’s workplace after all. ‘Now?’
‘Yes. I can come over to you.’
‘No, don’t do that,’ I blurt. ‘Are you at school?’
‘I’m at home. I don’t work Mondays, remember?’
