Tad wandered out of the airport terminal searching out a cab. He had taken an overnight flight from New York, grabbing some sleep on the plane, and now he was in Philadelphia. He had sent everything the paramedic had given him by courier directly to Jackson and Jesse. His aim now was to try and find Rachel Trove, the woman who had been injured in the bus crash. He had a copy of the paramedic's letter; he just had to hope that Rachel was still at the same address.

…

The morning sun was high in the sky by the time the cab pulled up in front of a sweet red weather boarded house in the suburbs of Philadelphia.

Tad asked the driver to wait while he checked the house and then walked through the neat garden to the front door. He double checked the address before ringing the doorbell.

There was the sound of barking from inside and then a woman's voice telling the dog to be quiet and the sound of a closing door. Then slowly the front door opened to a petit woman with greying hair.

"Rachel Trove?" Tad enquired.

"Are you selling something?" the woman asked a distrusting expression on her face.

Tad quickly pulled out his credentials to show her.

"I'm a private investigator. I'm looking for a Rachel Trove. I understand fifteen years ago she lived at this address."

"She still does." said the woman with a sniff. She took his wallet to have a closer look at his investigator card. "What are you investigating?"

"Are you Rachel Trove?" Tad asked wanting to make sure he was talking to the right person.

"I am." said the woman, "What are you investigating?"

"You were the victim of a car collision in New York Twenty years ago." said Tad. "I need to ask you what you remember from that day."

"It's a bit late for an insurance claim." the woman chided.

"I'm not an insurance investigator. I'm a criminal investigator and I am interested in the relationship between Rupert Henderson, the media mogul and Carol Robinson the lawyer. As I understand it, you and Carol were friends."

The woman's face fell and she sighed.

"You'd better come in." she said opening the door wider. Tad signalled for the cab to go and then followed Rachel into her house.

...

Tad followed Rachel down the hall. He was suddenly distracted by the fact that he could see now she was missing her right arm from just below the elbow. He tried not to stare.

"I've got to let Floyd out." she said pausing by the door. "Do you like dogs?"

"Love them" said Tad with a grin.

She opened the door to a large, elderly, black poodle, who bounded out of the room, sniffing everywhere and everything including Tad.

"He'll settle down in a bit." said Rachel; heading into the room Floyd had just exited. "Come through."

…

Rachel had gone to make them both a coffee, leaving Tad in the lounge being watched by the beady eye of Floyd who was now curled up in his dog bed by the radiator.

They were taking a break. Tad had begun the conversation about Rachel's relationship with Carol. He'd sat through old yearbooks but Rachel was forced to admit their friendship ended on the day that car hit the bus stop. Rachel had given up in trying to keep up with Carol. Their friendship had been quite tenuous at any case. Carol was always very driven, always looking for the next opportunity. Rachel had been the practical one. Carol had the ideas and Rachel tried to made sure they worked. Carol however wasn't always the best when it came to criticism.

Tad had then tried to turn the conversation towards the car involved in the incident and the identity of the driver. That is when Rachel clammed up and suggested instead she make them a coffee.

Floyd looked up and wagged his tail when he saw Rachel re-enter with a tray but his head dropped back to his bed when he realised there wasn't a treat in it for him.

"I'll let you add cream aand sugar." she said lowering the tray onto the coffee table.

"Thanks." said Tad, scooping two spoonful's of sugar into his drink, rather than his usual one and giving his mug a stir; what Dixie didn't know wouldn't hurt her.

Rachel took a sip of her own coffee before sitting back in her chair and giving Tad a long probing look.

"I know it was Rupert in the car." she said. "I worked it out."

"And do you think Carol knew?"

Rachel laughed.

"It took me ages to work out how she got that scholarship. We'd applied to everything together. We never applied to that institute. But she got into one of the best law colleges in the country and had it all paid for, while I had to make do with a hospital bed. So I asked her. She wrote back once and then I never heard from her again. Oh, I see her on the TV plenty these days… but we just stopped talking and I just stopped trying. She wasn't my friend anymore she was someone else."

"What did the letter say?" Tad asked.

"That she was sorry about what happened to me but had found herself a cash-cow that she was going to milk dry. She was going to make him pay for both our sakes."

"Did Rupert Henderson ever offer you anything?"

"One hundred thousand dollars," said Rachel, "As compensation. That is what sparked my suspicion that Rupert was more involved than being just the owner of the car."

"Did you take it?"

"How do you think I could afford my medical bills? My insurance wasn't great and I had to spend a long time going back and forth between hospitals." said Rachel. "I wasn't proud of it but I'd lost my right arm and I was right-handed. It took a lot of therapy and re-educating my brain to do everyday things, let alone learn to write legibly."

Tad nodded his head in understanding.

"Do you still have the letter Carol sent you?" Tad asked.

Rachel took another sip of coffee.

"It'll be in that last yearbook if it's anywhere." she said pointing to a blue bound book on the top of the pile.

Tad picked up the book, spread the spine upside-down and gave it a shake. A single letter fell out.

"I thought so." said Rachel. "I never throw anything away. I'm such a hoarder."

"Do you mind if I read it?" Tad asked.

"Go ahead."

…

Dear Rah-rah

Please don't be mad at me taking this opportunity. I'm doing this for both of us. Once I'm a top lawyer I'll be able to sue the pants off him, just you wait! The best part being that he'd paid for it.

I have everything I need to keep him on a leash for all eternity.

Did you take the money? Please say you took the money, and there is plenty more where that came from. You'll be fine. Maybe you could have an arm transplant, they do that don't they? We could make him pay for an arm transplant!

I'll try and pop in and see you when I'm back visiting mom, but that won't be for a few months.

Keep strong and rock on!

Love

Carol

xxx

…

"Sounds like she knew Rupert was responsible."

"Doesn't it." said Rachel. "When she came back I refused to see her. She'd put an innocent man in prison in order to make money. I knew she could be ruthless but that was just too much."

"If it's any consolation the 'innocent' man was also generously paid for his trouble, from what we can see. Did you tell the police?"

"I didn't have proof; just a horrible hunch."

"Can I take a copy of this letter?" Tad asked.

"Sure take the whole thing if you want to. But why are you doing this? This all happened such a long time ago."

"Because Carol and Rupert Henderson are hurting a family I care about and I'm running out of time to make a case… the trial starts in just a few hours. I'm already cutting it fine."

Rachel frowned and then her eyes widened in realisation.

"Do you know Erica Kane's daughter? The jerk who shot her girlfriend is Carol's new celebrity client, is that who you're helping?" she exclaimed. Then she leant forward a question on her lips. "What's she like, Erica. Is she as glamorous as they say?"

Tad smiled at the woman's sudden enthusiasm.

"I think if this letter turns out to be as helpful as I think it will be, then I'm sure Erica will want to thank you personally for your help."

Rachel sat straighter.

"Wait." she said suddenly, "I do have something else that might be useful."

She got up and began rummaging in the cupboard behind her couch. Pulling the contents out into the floor when she couldn't find what she was searching for.

"Aha!" she exclaimed finally, holding a wallet folder aloft. "This all the paperwork from Rupert Henderson's payments. Would that be useful?"

"I'll take anything you have." said Tad gratefully.

…