The shirts gave one more glance around, then entered the bank. I waited a minute before following them in and took a seat on the side aisle of a big meeting room. The dudes had taken up positions standing in the back corners of the room.
Most of the rest of the audience wore suits and professional clothes, looking exactly like Chamber of Commerce members. I felt distinctly underdressed in my jeans and sweater. At least I hadn’t ridden my bike, so I wasn’t also sweaty and toting a helmet. Walter stood at the front of the room to the side while a woman in a pale green linen pantsuit and heels fiddled with the microphone. Tommy helped her. He’d added a tie to his button-down for this evening’s event.
Someone approached in the aisle at my left.
“Is the seat next to you taken?”
I glanced up to see Ceci Shaterian pointing to the empty chair. “No. Help yourself.” I angled my knees so she could slide in. She hadn’t seemed to recognize me, but then she talked to dozens of shoppers at the market, while she was the only alpaca farmer I’d met.
When she was settled, I extended my hand. “Hi, Ceci. We met at the market this morning. I’m Robbie Jordan.”
“Ah, yes. Hi, Robbie.” She shook my hand enthusiastically and smiled. “From Indiana.” She pulled a knitting project using variegated yarn in the colors of the rainbow from her bag and started to click softly.
“You have a good memory. But I thought you hated this guy.” I gestured toward the front. “Why are you here?”
She gave a sardonic half-smile. “It’s always good to keep up with the enemy.” She knitted a few more stitches. “Robbie, I was serious. You should come visit the farm. I think you’d like it.”
“Thank you for the invitation. I’ll see if I can stop by tomorrow.”
“Perfect.”
Linen Suit tapped the mic. “Good evening, everyone. Let’s get started.”
The woman introduced herself as the chairperson of the Chamber. “I’m glad to see so many here tonight. Everyone is welcome to join us for refreshments after the presentation. I think most of you know our speaker. For those who don’t, I’m delighted to present Agrosafe president Walter Russom in our ongoing lecture series about local initiatives. Let’s give him a big Santa Barbara welcome.” She stepped back and clapped politely.
The audience joined in, but the sound was not rousing. As I glanced around, I noticed more than one businessperson not applauding at all. Less than well loved, perhaps, was Walter?
He approached the mic and raised it to his level. He cleared his throat. “Thank you, Madam Chair. I’m pleased to be back with our hardworking Chamber.” His voice rasped on my nerves as much as when I’d heard him at the market. He pulled out a pair of reading glasses and settled them on his nose, then opened a folder on the lectern. “Tonight I would like to share what Agrosafe is doing to keep our local farms happy, healthy, and most of all, profitable.”
“Healthy. As if,” Ceci muttered. “His own profits are all he cares about.”
A woman to Ceci’s right turned her head and nodded in agreement.
Walter began to speak about working with strawberry and greens farmers to ensure the highest possible yields. His speaking style was rote, as if he’d said these words too many times in the past. I covered a yawn with my hand. The occupants of the row in front of us all gazed at their phones instead of Walter. Why had they even come? For the food, drink, and networking after the talk, probably. Certainly not for the content.
“Sounds like he’s on something,” Ceci murmured.
“I know. Maybe he’s bored with the subject matter.” He hadn’t seemed like this at the market this morning. He’d been a lively Mr. Charm with the Bakersfield farmer.
When he finished, the chair stepped forward and leaned toward the mic. “Thank you, Walter. We have time for a few questions. Please identify yourselves when you speak.”
Ceci shoved her knitting into her bag and stood. “Ceci Shaterian, alpaca farmer. What are you doing to ensure toxic spray drift doesn’t sicken farmworkers and neighbors?” She stayed on her feet.
He peered at her, his mouth turning down in disapproval. “Ms. Shaterian, we have had these discussions before. Our products are EPA approved for use with food products.” He clipped off his words like an impatient instructor.
“You nearly killed half my herd of alpacas, and you know it. Your product is lethal to any living creature within breathing distance.”
A gasp went up. Several in attendance nodded as if they knew the story. One of the shirts materialized in the aisle next to me. Walter shook his head.
Ceci went on. “We had to sell out and move to get away from the Agro-so-called-safe sprays on the neighboring property. Your company offered no recompense. You’re a criminal, Mr. Russom, and I want to be sure everyone here knows it. There’s not one thing safe about your products.” She picked up her bag. “See you, Robbie,” she mouthed as she squeezed by me.
The bodyguard, if that’s what he was, made as if to take her elbow.
Ceci glared at him. “Don’t even think about touching me.”
The guy dropped his hand. I twisted in my seat
