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

Alpine police officer stood just outside the room and nodded to him as he entered.
    â€œIs the person you met and who identified herself as Betsy Grant in the courtroom today?”
    â€œYes, she is.”
    â€œWould you please point her out.”
    â€œShe is seated at the table to my right.”
    â€œWould you describe the demeanor of Betsy Grant at that time?”
    â€œShe was courteous, very low-key.”
    â€œDescribe what you observed in the bedroom.”
    â€œI observed the deceased lying in the bed. He was wearing pajamas.”
    â€œDid you initially note any indication or sign of injury?”
    â€œNo, I did not.”
    â€œWhat did you do next?”
    â€œI explained to Mrs. Grant that it would be better if she and the caregiver, whose name was Angela Watts, left the bedroom so that my assistant and I could remove the body to the hearse that was parked outside.”
    â€œDid they do so?”
    â€œYes.”
    â€œCan you describe the demeanor of both women as they left the bedroom?”
    â€œMrs. Grant quietly walked out. The caregiver was sobbing quite loudly.”
    â€œDid you transport the body to the funeral home?”
    â€œYes, we did.”
    â€œAs of that time did you have any suspicion that there had been any trauma inflicted on Dr. Grant?” the prosecutor asked.
    â€œNo, I did not. It appeared that Dr. Grant had died in his sleep.”
    â€œWhen you had been in his room, had you noticed anything at all that was unusual?”
    â€œI wouldn’t use the word ‘unusual.’ But I had noticed something out of place, for lack of a better term.”
    â€œAnd what do you mean by that?”
    â€œWell, I knew of course that Edward Grant was a doctor. On the night table next to his bed, mounted on a granite base, there was an old-fashioned mortar bowl that appeared to be from a mortar-and-pestle set. There was a plate with an inscription on the base. It was inscribed, “Hackensack Hospital, Dr. Edward Grant, Honoree.”
    â€œWhat did you notice about it?”
    â€œThe pestle was missing.”
    â€œSir, I’m not sure that everyone here knows what a pestle is or what it looks like. Can you please tell us?”
    â€œApothecaries, who were the early pharmacists, would use a mortar and pestle to grind the drugs they were using. In layman’s terms the pestle would be similar in shape to a baseball bat, but only a few inches long. It is a somewhat heavy object, rounded at the top and bottom, but heavier and thicker at the lower end.”
    â€œWhat kind of material were the mortar and the base that you saw made of?”
    â€œBlack marble.”
    With both hands the prosecutor then picked up an object that had been on a table behind where he had been sitting. He brought it up to the witness and said, “Sir, I’m showing you what’s been marked ‘State’s Exhibit 25’ for identification. Have you seen this object before?”
    â€œYes, sir. I have.”
    And what is it, sir?
    â€œThis appears to be the mortar-and-pestle set, minus the pestle. I note that the inscribed plate refers to Dr. Grant.”
    â€œIs this in the same condition as when you saw it that morning?”
    â€œExactly the same, sir. The pestle that I noted was missing is still not there.”
    â€œIs it reasonable to assume that the missing pestle was made of the same material?”
    â€œYes, it normally would be.”
    â€œAnd heavy enough to be used as a weapon?”
    Robert Maynard was on his feet once again. “Objection. Objection.”
    â€œSustained,” the judge said quickly.
    â€œHow much would a pestle from this type of mortar-and-pestle set generally weigh?”
    â€œIt is a hard marble object, likely weighing about a pound.”
    â€œSo the pestle would ordinarily be lying with the thick end down in the bowl-shaped mortar?”
    â€œThat’s right. Again, the fact that it