[The Welsh Crime Mysteries 09] Green Shoots by Nicola Clifford

Author:Nicola Clifford [Nicola Clifford]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: THE BOOK FOLKS crime, thriller and mystery publisher
Published: 2023-09-16T16:00:00+00:00

Chapter twenty

Having parked her car on the edge of Abergavenny, Stacey strolled through the pedestrian area window shopping. The cold, sunny morning had encouraged others out and the streets were busy. A little before half past twelve, she arrived outside the offices of CZC and took a moment to replay the protest in her mind, remembered how the climbers shimmied up the building. She saw Heidi had been right, the wet weather had washed nearly all traces of green paint from the windows. She pushed through the main doors, announced her arrival to the smiling receptionist, and perched on a modern, uncomfortable chair to wait for Laurence Fitzherbert.

Ten minutes passed before a tall man in his late thirties, dressed in an expensive handmade suit, with shoes to match, opened a door next to the desk and strode towards his visitor, hand outstretched.

‘Good afternoon,’ he said in a plummy English accent, and grabbed Stacey’s hand. He blinked and his grip faltered. ‘We’ve met before, haven’t we?’

‘Yes, briefly,’ Stacey said. ‘I was covering the protest yesterday.’ She offered a business card. ‘I work for The Mid Wales Times.’

Fitzherbert shook his head. ‘No, that can’t be right. I saw you arrested and wearing handcuffs. You’re one of them.’

‘What you saw,’ Stacey said, reclaiming her hand, ‘was an unlawful arrest. Have you not seen the paper this morning?’

‘Who has the time for papers?’ He hesitated. ‘I don’t think it is appropriate for me to provide an interview – given the circumstances.’

‘There are no “circumstances”. I am a journalist and report the news in an unbiased way. It’s my job. I’m here to learn about what your company plans to do for Wales, listen to your side of things.’

Fitzherbert shrugged. ‘Go on then. I doubt I’ll get rid of you any other way.’

Stacey smiled, anxious to put the CEO at ease. ‘I have been called tenacious in the past.’

‘Follow me then,’ he said and glanced at the receptionist. ‘Bring in some tea, Sarah.’

Stacey followed him towards the rear of the building and inside a large office. Through an enormous expanse of plate glass, she gazed at the Bannau Brycheiniog, green and rusty-brown, autumn flanks burnished by the sun, scattered sheep, like small, white, full stops.

‘Wow,’ she said. ‘What an incredible view. If this was my office I probably wouldn’t get any work done at all. Just beautiful.’

‘One of the reasons I decided CZC should be based here, in this building,’ Fitzherbert said. ‘We can never forget just what it is we are trying to save.’

He waved a hand at a modern easy chair and Stacey sat. A tap on the door announced the arrival of refreshments. Fitzherbert poured two cups of tea from a glass teapot then sat on a matching chair facing his guest.

‘Well then, Ms Logan, what would you like to know?’

Stacey sipped her tea and smiled. ‘I have a few questions, but I admit I don’t know a lot about the business you are in, how it all works.’

‘Not many do,’ the CEO said, ‘it’s fairly complicated.

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