Alpine police officer stood just outside the room and nodded to him as he entered.
âIs the person you met and who identified herself as Betsy Grant in the courtroom today?â
âYes, she is.â
âWould you please point her out.â
âShe is seated at the table to my right.â
âWould you describe the demeanor of Betsy Grant at that time?â
âShe was courteous, very low-key.â
âDescribe what you observed in the bedroom.â
âI observed the deceased lying in the bed. He was wearing pajamas.â
âDid you initially note any indication or sign of injury?â
âNo, I did not.â
âWhat did you do next?â
âI 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
âDid they do so?â
âYes.â
âCan you describe the demeanor of both women as they left the bedroom?â
âMrs. Grant quietly walked out. The caregiver was sobbing quite loudly.â
âDid you transport the body to the funeral home?â
âYes, we did.â
âAs of that time did you have any suspicion that there had been any trauma inflicted on Dr. Grant?â the prosecutor asked.
âNo, I did not. It appeared that Dr. Grant had died in his sleep.â
âWhen you had been in his room, had you noticed anything at all that was unusual?â
âI wouldnât use the word âunusual.â But I had noticed something out of place, for lack of a better term.â
âAnd what do you mean by that?â
âWell, 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, âHackensack Hospital, Dr. Edward Grant, Honoree.â
âWhat did you notice about it?â
âThe pestle was missing.â
âSir, Iâm not sure that everyone here knows what a pestle is or what it looks like. Can you please tell us?â
âApothecaries, who were the early pharmacists, would use a mortar and pestle to grind the drugs they were using. In laymanâs 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
âWhat kind of material were the mortar and the base that you saw made of?â
âBlack marble.â
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, âSir, Iâm showing you whatâs been marked âStateâs Exhibit 25â for identification. Have you seen this object before?â
âYes, sir. I have.â
And what is it, sir?
âThis appears to be the mortar-and-pestle set, minus the pestle. I note that the inscribed plate refers to Dr. Grant.â
âIs this in the same condition as when you saw it that morning?â
âExactly the same, sir. The pestle that I noted was missing is still not there.â
âIs it reasonable to assume that the missing pestle was made of the same material?â
âYes, it normally would be.â
âAnd heavy enough to be used as a weapon?â
Robert Maynard was on his feet once again. âObjection. Objection.â
âSustained,â the judge said quickly.
âHow much would a pestle from this type of mortar-and-pestle set generally weigh?â
âIt is a hard marble object, likely weighing about a pound.â
âSo the pestle would ordinarily be lying with the thick end down in the bowl-shaped mortar?â
âThatâs right. Again, the fact that it