CHAPTER THIRTY-SIX

“Benny!” Nora shouted down the basement stairs.

The big man leaned out from the guest bedroom in a T-shirt and shorts. “What? What’s wrong?” he called.

“Rob Arslan’s in Norwalk Hospital. Car crash in Westport. Laslo says it was pretty bad. Feel like I need to be there.”

“Let me grab some pants and I’ll take you. Gimme two seconds.”

They drove in silence for ten minutes, until the hospital came into view.

“Can I ask what may be a politically incorrect question?” Benny asked.

“This late in life you’re going to start worrying about that? What?”

“What’s a handicapped dude doing behind the wheel of a car? How’s that work?”

Nora smiled. “You really have to get out more. There are all kinds of ways. Because Rob can afford it, he has a special car that lets him wheel his chair in from the back, then lock the chair between the front seats and slide himself over into the driver’s seat. He uses hand controls for the brake and gas. Once he’s in there, you would never know.”

“Cool,” Benny said.

“And as long as you’re on this new sensitivity journey, it’s better to call him a ‘person with a disability.’ Rather than ‘handicapped dude.’ ”

They drove for a few seconds before Benny answered. “But it’s still handicapped parking though?”

“Not anymore. It’s called ‘accessible parking.’ ”

“Jesus, I really do need to get out more.”

Benny waited in the lobby as Nora hurried to Rob’s bed in the ER. She found him propped up, with a bandage covering his nose, which was bracketed by what appeared to be large burns under both eyes.

“Oh my God, Rob, I’m so sorry,” Nora said.

“I’m okay. I’m going to be fine,” Rob said. Gesturing to his face with his hand, he added, “This is all from the airbag. Docs think the nose may be busted and these burns will heal. What hurts the most is my ribs. Hit the seat belt pretty hard. But I’ve broken ribs in my past life; these feel bruised. Still hurts like hell.”

“I’m so sorry.” Nora said again.

“Hey, easier than landing without an open parachute,” Rob said. “I’ll live, but I actually don’t think that was the other guy’s intention.”

“What do you mean?” Nora asked, noticing Laslo for the first time.

“I was just telling Laslo what I told the cops. I was headed home on North Avenue, which, as you know, is straight as an arrow for miles. Nobody on the road, then I see a set of headlights coming and the bastard crosses to my side and drives directly at me. I dive right to avoid the collision and smack a big-ass tree. And here I am.”

“Wow. Did the other guy stop?”

“Nope, no sign of him,” Rob said. “Cops are calling it a single-vehicle accident, which is true in the sense that only one vehicle was totaled. The other took off.”

“And there’s nothing along that stretch of North that will have a camera,” Laslo added. “All woods or houses set way back from the road. Unless they get lucky, this will stay a single-vehicle accident.”

“Well,” Nora said, “I’m just glad you’re going to be okay. Please take it easy, okay?”

Rob smiled. “Oh, definitely. I’m about to spend about a hundred hours on a plane to see our friends Down Under”—he said it with an Australian accent: un-dah—“so it’ll be nothing but rest.”

Nora frowned. “You’re still going?”

“’Course I am,” Rob said. “Every quarter. They count on it. Little scrape isn’t going to get in the way.”

“Zoom is a thing. Ever heard of it?”

Rob smiled. “Can’t say I have. And good thing, because can’t beat wheeling around Canberra and Wellington. Beautiful places. And they are blissfully unaware of your favorite old-time wheelchair detective show.”

“Stubborn bastard, Ironside. When do you go and when’ll you be back?”

“Head out tomorrow, back week after next. Just long enough to be hammered by jet lag in both directions.”

“Good. That’ll keep you out of trouble. And David will hold off on any MC meeting about this until you’re back?”

“For sure. I told him the fact-gathering will take at least that long. So the timing works. Wouldn’t miss it for the world.”

“I’m counting on you coming back,” Nora said. “It’s hard enough without Helen but without you at work, I’m all alone in the Twilight Zone.”

Nora extended her arm to bump fists with Rob. “You take good care of yourself down there, okay?”

“Of course,” he said, returning the bump. “And you be good, too. Reach out if you need anything. Coverage can be spotty, but we’ll connect eventually.”

Nora flashed a thumbs-up as she pushed through the curtain.

Nora filled Benny in as they drove back to Westport.

“I’m not a big believer in coincidences,” Benny said when she finished. “You?”

“Me neither,” Nora answered.

“Feels like somebody was comin’ after your friend Rob. Now why would they be doin’ that?”

“Not sure,” Nora said, “but it makes me think this really does have something to do with the front-running investigation.”

“You were two of the three people besides Helen who knew about the details on the front-running thing,” Benny said. “Helen’s dead. You’re being framed. And it sure looks like somebody’s trying to kill Rob. Only one not accounted for is your predecessor, Holtzer, who’s in the wind. Makes me really want to have a chat with him.”

They drove in silence before Benny spoke. “Your boy Rob better have his head on a swivel. And an alarm and cameras. How’s he getting home, anyhow?”

“Laslo will take care of him. The good news is he’s headed out of town for ten days.”

“Very good,” Benny said. “I’ll check in with Laslo, see if he needs anything. We’re gonna be together all day tomorrow.”