'So,' Geddes asked with heavy emphasis after turning toward the jury, 'the defendant was also aware that a Portland police explosives expert who found a strip of metal like this one with such a notch at the site of a bombing would immediately think that Mr. Deems was responsible for making the bomb?'
'Yes, sir.'
'Thank you. I now hand you State's Exhibit 36. What is it?'
Torino held up another strip of charred and twisted metal that was eight inches long, two inches wide and a quarter inch thick and very similar in appearance to State's Exhibit 35.
'This is the strip of metal to which the magnets were attached in the bomb that killed Justice Griffen. When the bomb exploded, it was blown through the bottom of the car into the judge. The medical examiner found it during the autopsy.'
'Is it similar to the strip used by the killer in the case which the defendant prosecuted against Mr. Deems?'
'Yes. One end is flat and the other has an almost identical notch.'
'How was that notch formed?'
'By putting the strip in a vise and using a hacksaw to cut it from the larger strip. The person who used the hacksaw cut from two directions and that's why the notch overlaps here,' Torino said, pointing to the center of the vee.
'And you say you've only seen one other magnet strip with a similar notch?'
'Yes, sir. The only other time I've seen one like it was in the case Mrs. Griffen prosecuted against Mr. Deems.'
'As an expert in the area of explosive devices, what conclusion do you draw from the similarity in appearance of these two strips?'
'Either the same person cut them or someone intentionally tried to make the second strip look like the first.'
'Why would someone intentionally do that?'
'One reason would be to frame Mr. Deems.'
'Objection,' Reynolds said, standing. 'That is pure speculation.'
'Sustained,' Judge Baldwin said, turning toward the jury.
'You jurors will disregard that last remark.'
'Officer Torino, you did say that the defendant knew about the unusual notch in the end of Exhibit 357'
'Yes, sir. I pointed it out to her during the investigation of the Hollins murders.'
'Thank you. Now, Officer Torino, on the evening that Justice Griffen was killed, were you called to another location to search for explosive devices?'
'I was.'
'Where did you go?'
'To a home the defendant was renting. District Attorney Stamm was concerned that the same person who killed the judge might have rigged a bomb at Mrs. Griffen's house.'
'In the course of your search did you look in Mrs. Griffen's garage?'
'Yes, sir.'
'Describe it.'
'It was a typical two-car garage with a work area in one corner. The work area consisted of a workbench and table with a vise. Tools were hanging from hooks on the wall.'
Geddes handed Torino a photograph. 'Can you identify State's Exhibit 52 for the jury?'
'That's a shot of the garage.' Torino held up the photograph so the jury could see it and pointed to the left side of the picture.
'You can see the workbench over here.'
Geddes took the photograph and handed Torino the last plastic bag. It contained a clean strip of metal. It was not charred or twisted. One end was flat and obviously shaped by a machine.
The other end came to a point. The point was jagged and appeared to have been cut by hand.
'This is State's Exhibit 37. Can you tell the jury what it is?'
Torino took Exhibit 36 in one hand and Exhibit 37 in the other and fit the jagged point from Exhibit 37 into the notch at the end of Exhibit 'Exhibit 37 appears to be the other part of the longer strip from which Exhibit 36 was cut. They don't fit exactly because Exhibit 36 was mangled in the explosion.'
Geddes paused and turned toward Abigail Griffen.
'Did you find Exhibit 37, Officer Torino?'
'Yes, sir.'
'Where did you find it?'
'Under the workbench in Abigail Griffen's garage. You can see the strip in the bottom right corner of Exhibit 52. We also have a close-up in another photo.'
Tracy suddenly felt sick. Torino's testimony was devastating.
She glanced quickly at the jurors. Every one of them was leaning forward and several were writing furiously on their notepads.
Then she looked at Matthew. If he was feeling any stress as a result of Torino's testimony, Tracy could not see it.
'Officer Torino, there are what appear to be metal shavings in the plastic bag that we've been using to hold Exhibit 37. Where did they come from?'
'They were found on the floor under the vise.'
Geddes went back to counsel table and pulled a plastic Clorox bottle from a shopping bag.
'Can you tell the jury where State's Exhibit 42 was found?'
'It was also found in Mrs. Griffen's garage.'
Tracy glanced at Reynolds. He still appeared to be unconcerned.
'Your Honor, at this time I move to introduce State's Exhibits 35, 36, 37, 42 and 52,' Geddes said. 'Any objection, Mr. Reynolds?'
'May I see 42, please,' Reynolds said calmly as he climbed to his feet.
Tracy could not believe how well he concealed the shock he had to be experiencing. Geddes handed Reynolds the Clorox bottle.
'May I ask a question in aid of objection, Your Honor?'
'Go ahead.'
'Officer Torino, this Clorox bottle is in one piece, is it not?'
'Yes.'
'Then it could not be the bottle from which was cut the plastic strip used in the detonating device?'
'That's true.'
Matthew turned toward the bench. 'I object to the admission of State's Exhibit 42. It has no relevance.'
'Mr. Geddes?' the judge said.
'It is relevant,' Geddes answered. 'This is obviously not the bottle from which the strip was cut, but it proves that the defendant uses the brand.'
'I'll let it in. It has limited relevance, but as long as it has some, it meets the evidentiary threshold for admissibility.'
'I have no further questions of this witness, Your Honor. Mr. Reynolds may examine.'
'Mr. Reynolds?' Judge Baldwin asked.
'May I have a moment, Your Honor?'
Baldwin nodded. Matthew turned to Abbie. His features were composed, but Tracy could tell that he was very upset.
'What was that metal strip doing in your garage?' he asked in a tone low enough to keep the jurors or Geddes from hearing what was said.
'I swear, I don't know,' Abbie answered in a whisper. 'My God, Matthew, if I made that bomb in the garage, don't you think I'd have the brains to get rid of anything that could connect me to it?'
'Yes, I do. But we're stuck with the fact that the strip was found in the garage of the house you were renting together with metal shavings that would be created when it was sawed off the rest of the strip. When was the last
