Low-Carbon living

Extract 1

Richard watched the footage but couldn’t concentrate. His mind kept returning to the weeds growing between the paving slabs on his drive. Marnie wouldn’t let him touch them. It seemed like a metaphor for their marriage. They were in separate bedrooms now.

Extract 2

Richard got straight down to work the minute he hit his office. The mystery of the unmown grass and weeds had been resolved at least. His wife had got into wildlife gardening. It was a worry. To be precise, the wildlife gardener was a worry. The sooner he got this wrapped up, the better.

Extract 3

…He left his office abruptly and headed towards the park where he often ate his lunch. He strolled among the roses, processing everything he’d seen and heard. Barry’s comment about the hug was the one thing that Richard couldn’t explain. Barry said, ‘It’s always the nice guys that get assassinated.’ Was that when the idea took hold? Because Steve wasn’t a nice guy. Barry’s wife works nights, he works days. They have three young children. I bet it’s been a while. Could he be the worm that turned?

Marnie’s into worms now. And she’s letting the aphids eat the roses – they’re part of the food chain apparently. The wildlife gardener told her to avoid pesticides as they kill the natural predators of aphids too. Hoverflies, ladybirds, parasitic wasps will eat the aphids, so you let them be. They’re doing you a service. The enemy of your enemy is your friend kind of thing.

Richard paused, gazing at the roses as a thought bubbled up…