Part 26 (2/2)
”Anything that didn't seem to belong there. Or signs of footprints, just anything out of place.”
”And did you find anything that didn't belong there?”
”Yes, sir.”
”What did you find?”
”A drawing pencil. Back by the blackberries in the rear of the property.”
Novak held up an evidence bag. ”Is this the pencil you found?”
”Yes, sir.”
”Will you describe this pencil for the court, Detective?”
”It's a Faber Extra Soft drawing pencil.”
”Thank you.” Novak picked up a second evidence bag. ”Did you come across any similar pencils while investigating this crime?”
”Yes, sir.”
”Where was that?”
”In the defendant's studio.”
Novak took a pencil from the second bag and had him identify it and then describe it.
”It's a Faber Extra Soft drawing pencil like the other one.”
When Barbara stood up to cross-examine, she smiled at the detective. ”Good morning. Has the smoke gotten to you?”
He nodded.
”I'll try not to keep you too long,” she said. ”When you discovered the pencil by the blackberries, was it just lying on the ground?”
”It was half under some leaves, half showing.”
”You have sharp eyes, Detective. Was it dirty, crusted with dirt?”
”A little bit dirty, yes.”
”Did you recover any fingerprints from it?”
”No, ma'am. It had been out in the weather, maybe rolled a little.”
”So it was partly exposed, and a little dirty. Did you know it was a drawing pencil immediately?”
”No, ma'am. It just looked like a pencil at first.”
”Does it say anywhere on it that it's a drawing pencil?”
”No.”
”Detective Stedman, what made you think that a pencil partly covered with leaves, partly covered with dirt, on the property where two children lived, was a clue to murder?” She kept the question easy, conversational, but he stiffened.
”It was out of place,” he said. ”I was looking for anything out of place.”
”I see. Is that the only object you found that appeared to be out of place?”
”I recovered a soda pop can, and two little toy soldiers.”
”Did they strike you as being out of place?”
He hesitated, then said, ”Yes.”
She shook her head and walked to her table where Sh.e.l.ley handed her the detective's statement. ”I have a copy of your statement here, Detective. Can you tell me where you mentioned a soda pop can or toy soldiers?”
”I didn't include them in the report,” he said. He brought a tissue from his pocket and blew his nose.
She smiled sympathetically and waited. Then she asked, ”So you considered the pencil important, but not the can or the toys. Do you have children, Detective?”
”Objection,” Novak said. ”Irrelevant.”
”Sustained. Move on, Ms. Holloway,” Judge Mac said, but he was making notes, she saw with satisfaction.
”Detective, do you know where pencils like that can be purchased?”
”I don't know,” he said.
”All right. Did you notice how the pencil had been sharpened?”
He shook his head. ”I didn't notice that.”
”Let's examine it now to find out,” she said. She removed the pencil from the evidence bag and handed it to him. ”Does it appear to have been sharpened with a pencil sharpener?”
He studied it closely, then said yes.
”Can you see where the blades left marks?”
”Yes.”
”Now, when you partic.i.p.ated in the search of Mr. Feldman's home, did you find many drawing pencils?”
”Seven or eight, maybe more.”
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