The Factory by the River
川辺の工場
The next morning, Sarah drove to the beside the Elder River.
The Coleman plant had produced plastic parts in the town for decades.
It was one of the largest employers in the whole region.
A friendly named Mr. Hale welcomed her at the gate.
He showed her the clean offices and the busy production line.
"We follow every rule very carefully," Mr. Hale said with a smile.
Sarah was asking about the water tests when his smile suddenly faded.
"Those records are kept in another office," he answered quickly.
She was politely refused when she asked to see the reports.
The water tests were said to be company information.
Sarah noticed a strange smell near the pipes behind the building.
A thin grey flowed quietly from a into the river.
"That is only rainwater," the explained a little too fast.
Sarah was taking a photo when a asked her to stop.
She was told that photographs were not allowed on the property.
The clearly wanted to control what visitors could see.
Yet the company had never been accused of any crime before.
Many local families depended on the plant for their monthly wages.
Sarah understood that the story was more complicated than she thought.
She wanted facts, not rumours, before she wrote a single line.
On the drive home, she kept thinking about the grey water.
Was it truly rainwater, or was something being hidden from her?
A good reporter, she reminded herself, always checks both sides.
Tonight she would search for someone who really knew the truth.