9 Hell on Wheels Read Online Free PDF Page A

were already in the circle of police activity, we were approached next for questioning. We were handled separately. A bald, middle-aged detective with horn-rimmed glasses and a pronounced slouch showed me to a folding chair not far from the main entrance. He introduced himself as Detective Bill Martinez.
    “You and your husband are good friends with Henderson and his wife?” he asked after taking down all my particulars.
    “We get together once in a while, both down here and up in Orange County. My husband also plays wheelchair sports.”
    “But not quad rugby?”
    “No, he has full use of his hands and arms, so he can’t play. He mostly plays basketball.”
    “Doesn’t Henderson also play wheelchair basketball?”
    “Yes, sometimes. But he’s not in a regular league like Greg,” I answered. “Some of the quads with more upper limb mobility play both.”
    “So that means Richard Henderson has good use and control of his hands and arms?”
    Crap. I walked right into that. “He is still a quadriplegic, Detective, with a lot of physical limitations. So is Peter Tanaka.”
    “You mean was , don’t you? So was Peter Tanaka.”
    “Look,” I said, leaning forward. “I’m not saying Peter deserved to die, but he was a real jerk, and right before Rocky went after him he said something to Rocky about his wife.”
    “About Miranda Henderson?”
    “Yes. And it must have been quite inflammatory because Rocky confronted her and she left. That’s when he went after Peter. And right before all that happened, Miranda had been crying.”
    “Someone told me they saw your husband having harsh words with the deceased earlier today.”
    I took a deep breath, very thankful I’d stopped Greg from carrying the interaction further. “Peter made a pass at me, and my husband intervened and told him to back off. That’s all it was.”
    “So you knew the deceased?”
    “No. It was the first time I’d met him. Greg told me Peter had been playing quad rugby in Canada for a few years.”
    “So he knew him?”
    “I think so, but it was from several years ago.”
    Detective Martinez asked me several more basic questions before asking me to describe what I’d seen during the fight. I told him everything I could remember. At the end, he handed me his card and said, “Call me if you remember anything else or if you find Miranda Henderson.”

Four
    We’d taken my car to San Diego because it was easier to park than Greg’s van, even though in the past year he’d downsized from a full-size behemoth of a van to a sporty modified Honda Odyssey in a cool metallic silver. As soon as we were both tucked away and heading back to our hotel, we exchanged notes on our interviews. They had gone pretty much the same, even down to being questioned about Greg’s run-in with Peter.
    “Who do you think saw that?” I asked Greg.
    “There were several people milling around just outside the entrance at the time. Could have been anyone.”
    “Why do you think anyone mentioned it?” Annoyed that Greg’s name had been brought into the investigation, I gripped the steering wheel tighter.
    My husband glanced over at me. “Now don’t go getting all huffy about it. Whoever told the police was probably trying to point out how antagonistic Tanaka was. After all, he provoked Rocky, and if that’s proved, it could go easier on him.”
    “At the most it should be manslaughter. There is no way that was premeditated.”
    “I totally agree. But I’d love to know exactly what Peter said to Rocky about Miranda.” Greg stared out the windshield while he gave it more thought. I’m sure if I peeked into his left ear I would have seen gears moving.
    “Do you think Peter was sleeping with Miranda like Cory suggested?”
    Greg waited a long time before answering. “Knowing Tanaka, I think it’s a very good possibility.”
    Over the years, Greg and I had shared information about our various relationships and heartbreaks. I couldn’t remember any that