CHAPTER 23––––––––
Ping sat surrounded by nine empty chairs, staring to his right at a painting of three horizontal bars in differing hues of green hanging on the beige wall at the end of the conference table where he waited to be interviewed by the accident investigators. The picture provided the only color in the room located at an office park near the Portland airport. Opposite the picture, to his left, at the other end of the conference table was a blank wall with a black tube mounted horizontally near the ceiling, a retractable projection screen. Behind him stood a bank of windows that ran the length of the room, covered by beige plastic venetian blinds. Directly in front of him, across the conference table was the only door to the room.
Detective Bohannon opened it and stepped insi
