Detective John Wright was home in Hempstead, L.I., renovating his bathroom Saturday night, oblivious to what was going on in the outside world, when he got a call to respond to Times Square.
The son of a mechanic and a proud "car guy," Wright located the first and most important link in the complex chain that led to the bombing suspect: the vehicle identification number on the Nissan Pathfinder parked on W. 45th St.