"You just looked at it? You didn't subject it to any tests?"
Thompson took a deep breath. "No."
"Why not?"
"There wasn't anything inside it to test."
This time, there was more than just a buzz around the courtroom. Judge Lapworth rapped for order.
When the room was quiet, I said: "The box was empty, then?"
"Well, no. Not exactly empty. It had some stuff in it."
I turned to the judge. "If the Court please, I would like to have the so-called device, Exhibit A, opened so that the members of the jury may see for themselves what it contains."