As Time Goes By by Mary Higgins Clark Read Free Book Online

you observe as you walked in?”
    â€œDr. Grant was in the bed, lying flat on his back. His head rested on a pillow. The blanket was pulled up to his chest area and his arms were on top of it. He was wearing a long-sleeve pajama top. Mrs. Grant was sitting on the edge of the bed and caressing his hair and face with her hand. She looked up as I entered and just shook her head. I asked her if she could move aside so that I could check his vital signs. She did so.”
    â€œWhat was your observation?”
    â€œHe was not breathing and he was cold to my touch. Based upon my training as a police officer, which includes EMT certification, I concluded that he was deceased.”
    â€œDid you observe any injuries on his face or hands?”
    â€œNo, I did not.”
    â€œDid you observe any blood or any other signs of injury?”
    â€œNo, I did not.”
    â€œDid you observe any signs of a struggle or other indication of force?”
    â€œNo, I did not.”
    â€œDid you examine the back of his head?”
    â€œNo, I did not.”
    â€œDid you have any reason to believe that he had any injury to the back of his head?”
    â€œNo, I did not. As I said, there was no blood or any other indication that he had suffered trauma.”
    â€œAnd you had been there a couple of months before. Is that correct?”
    â€œYes.”
    â€œAnd you were aware that he was very ill. Is that correct?”
    â€œYes.”
    â€œAnd under all of these circumstances, did you believe that he had died of natural causes in his sleep?”
    â€œYes, I did. I had absolutely no reason to suspect otherwise.”
    â€œWhat did you do next?”
    â€œAs per my police training and procedure, I asked his wife for the name of his treating physician so that I could contact that person. Mrs. Grant gave me that name and I called Dr. Mark Bevilacqua.”
    â€œDid you speak to Dr. Bevilacqua?”
    â€œYes, I did. I explained all of the circumstances and then the doctor asked to speak to Mrs. Grant. She got on the phone and said that he had been very agitated before he had gone to sleep the previous evening at approximately nine o’clock.”
    â€œWhat happened next?”
    â€œI got back on the phone with the doctor and he said that he believed Dr. Grant had died of natural causes and that he would sign the death certificate. I then spoke to Mrs. Grant regarding which funeral director she wanted to contact so that his body could be moved to the funeral home. She told me that she would contact Hecker Funeral Home in Closter.”
    â€œWhat happened after that?”
    â€œI stayed at the Grant residence for the next hour waiting for the funeral director to arrive.”
    â€œWhere was Mrs. Grant during this hour?”
    â€œShe stayed in the bedroom with Dr. Grant. For the most part she was on the phone. I remember that she called his son and a couple of other people.”
    â€œWhere in the house were you during this hour?”
    â€œI stayed just outside the door of the bedroom so that I could give her some privacy.”
    â€œDuring the hour that you were waiting for the funeral director, did anyone else arrive at the home?”
    â€œYes, a lady came in and said that she was the housekeeper. She said her name was Carmen Sanchez.”
    â€œWhat was her reaction when she was told that Dr. Grant was dead?”
    â€œShe appeared to be very sad. She said, ‘God rest him. His suffering is over.’ ”
    â€œDuring this hour, what was the demeanor of Betsy Grant?”
    â€œVery calm. She was not crying, but she was very somber.”
    â€œWhat did you do when the funeral director arrived?”
    â€œI spoke to him briefly and he said he would take care of the body. I heard him explain to Mrs. Grant and the caregiver and housekeeper that it would be better for them if they waited in another part of the house as he and his assistant prepared the body for