‘But you haven’t made contact with him yet?’
‘We’ve left a message with his secretary.’
‘And why is that? Because Shaun Crowley is a very busy man. And in the absence of his mother that boy has no one else to stand up for him.’
‘We are all very sorry for what Barry has gone through.’
‘You have no idea what he’s gone through, and you know that if his mother was alive, she would be sitting here arguing with you and not me. And I think you’re playing a very dangerous game, Master O’Connor, because you do not want people in this town thinking you took advantage of Colette’s death to expel a boy who you clearly have an agenda against.’
‘Now, Mrs Keaveney, I would be very careful about making an accusation like that.’
‘And Shaun Crowley might be a busy man but I have a lot of time on my hands, and every day Barry is not sitting at his desk I will be sitting outside your office, Master O’Connor, and I’m a patient woman. And I will have James’s full support in this.’
‘Mrs Keaveney, this is none of your or your husband’s business and I’m affronted by the gall—’
‘Oh, affronted, are you? Well, not half as affronted as you’re going to be if you don’t sort this out. What do you do for a living?’
‘What?’ he asked.
‘I’m asking you – what is your job?’
‘I am an educator—’
Izzy laughed. ‘You’re a headmaster in a secondary school in a small town. And what is that?’
‘Izzy, what are you talking about?’
‘I’m asking you, what kind of position is that?’
‘I’d thank you to leave now, Mrs Keaveney.’
‘Well, I’d say being a teacher in a small town is kind of like being a priest or a Guard or one of those jobs – it’s kind of a political appointment. Wouldn’t you say? Or at least there’s a kind of politics attached to it.’
The expression emptied from his face, like the wind leaving a sail.
Izzy continued, ‘And when that’s the case, someone with a bit of influence could make life very difficult for you. Phone calls can be made and letters can be sent – a little campaign could be mounted. And I’d say I’m not the only person in this town you’ve pissed off.’
Master O’Connor rose from his desk and placed his hands on his hips. He turned away from her and took a few steps towards the wall, and stared at it for some time like he was looking through a window. Then suddenly and decisively, he turned around and walked back, lifted his pen, and tapped it a few times against the surface of his desk.
‘I will,’ he said, ‘arrange a meeting with Barry and Mr Crowley for first thing tomorrow morning.’
‘And after that Barry will be back at his desk?’ Izzy said.
‘Based on how the meeting goes and the commitment Barry makes during that meeting to improve his behaviour—’
‘And Barry will be back at his desk,’ she said and rose from her seat. ‘You make that phone call to Shaun now and I’ll explain everything to Barry. Good day to you, Master O’Connor,’ she said.
Barry was in the company of some other boys when she stepped out into the corridor, but when he spotted her, he peeled himself away from the group.
‘Come on,’ she said, ‘I need to talk to you.’ She slung her handbag over her shoulder and descended the stairs.
‘What did he say?’ Barry asked.
‘Walk with me for a bit, Barry,’ she said.
Outside the day had grown brighter and there was a haze of light spreading over the bay. Barry walked alongside her now and she stole glances at him. She saw that he was pale like Colette, but much more fair-skinned, with light freckles dusted all over his face.
‘Haven’t you the lovely freckles,’ she said, because really they were of such neat and particular shapes and spaced so evenly on his skin.
‘Aye, they’re all right,’ he said.
‘I’d say you have all the young ones giddy out in that school. Do the girls be counting your freckles for you?’
He laughed.
‘Do you have a girlfriend?’ she asked.
‘Not really . . . a kind of a one.’
‘Well, a kind of a one is good enough for now, isn’t it, because you wouldn’t want to be too tied down at this stage. Cross here,’ she said, and they made their way over the main road to the little park that fronted the shore. There was an ancient oak with a bench built around the perimeter of the base and more benches lined up in front of the playground. Mothers with prams had already taken up some of these benches but they found an empty seat. In the playground a few very young children were being pushed on swings or caught at the bottoms of slides.
‘So what did he say?’ Barry asked again.
‘What time does lunch break end at the school?’
‘One forty,’ Barry said.
She checked her watch. ‘Well, then you’re back in class in twenty minutes.’
