The Sacred Bones (17 page)

With Charlotte phoning the AMS lab he recommended, Bersei was once again suited up as he began his analysis of the ossuary. Dimming the lights above the workstation, he swept each surface of the ossuary with an ultraviolet light wand. Looking through the Orascoptic's crisp lenses, key areas-- particularly the etched grooves forming the intricate designs-- were tightly magnified.

The first thing he noticed was that the patina had been scuffed in many areas, particularly along the sides. Glowing under the black light, the abrasive marks were long and wide, in some areas leaving an impression of woven fiber. Straps, he guessed, though no trace fibers had been left behind. Probably new nylon webbing. Confirming that there was zero sedimentary buildup on top of the impressions, he concluded that the marks were fresh.

It wasn't that shocking. He'd often seen relics that had been handled improperly during excavation and shipment, but this type of disregard for the past always offended him. He had read that the James ossuary had been cracked during shipment. By comparison, the damage here was forgivable and probably wouldn't devalue the ossuary either.

After mounting the digital camera on a tabletop tripod, powering it up and deactivating its flash, he snapped some shots. Then he turned off the black light and set the workstation lighting higher.

Next, painstakingly inspecting every edge and surface, Bersei hunted for any evidence that the patina had been manually transplanted with tools. Had the box been inscribed after it was found, the geological residue would exhibit obvious inconsistencies. It took considerable time, but lengthy examination showed no suspicious scrapes or gouges. The patina was bonded tightly and evenly across the ossuary's limestone surfaces, including the relief carved onto the box's side.

As he stood to straighten his cramped shoulders, he flipped up the Orascoptic lenses, taking a moment to once again admire the ossuary's decorative patterns. His twenty-fifth wedding anniversary was quickly approaching and that intricate rosette design might look nice on a piece of jewelry. After so many years together with Carmela it was becoming increasingly difficult to find an original gift.

Leaning over the ossuary again, he used a small blade to scrape samples from selected areas, placing the material on glass slides and clearly marking each one. After collecting fifteen samples, he organized the slides neatly on a tray, moved to another workstation equipped with an electron microscope and loaded the first specimen.

Super-magnified and projected onto an adjacent computer monitor, the dried minerals and deposits that formed the patina looked like grayish-beige cauliflower. He saved a detailed profile of the sample in a database, removed the first slide and continued along the tray. When the last sample image had been captured, the entire group was displayed side by side on the monitor.

He entered a command to cross-check for inconsistencies. After a few seconds of calculations that compared biological content, the program detected no significant differences between the samples. If any part of the patina had been artificially "manufactured"-- the most common method, using chalk or silica diluted in hot water-- the program would have spotted inconsistent isotopic ratios or possibly even foreign traces of microscopic marine fossils that could appear in household chalk.

As anticipated, all the samples were high in calcium carbonate, with nominal levels of strontium, iron, and magnesium. According to Bersei's online research, these results were consistent with the patinas on similar relics removed from subterranean Israel.

Bersei pulled the last slide from the microscope.

As far as he could tell, these results substantiated that the ossuary's etchings predated the formation of the patina. It was more than reasonable to conclude that the mysterious pagan symbol on the ossuary's side did indeed date from the same time as the bones. There was a chance that if he could figure out what exactly it meant, it might help identify the crucified man.

Watching Giovanni Bersei at work on the other side of the lab, Charlotte picked up the cordless phone, dialed the number he had given her. The ring tone-- so uniquely European-- chimed endlessly. Just when she thought she needed to redial there was a response.

"
Salve.
"

For a moment, she didn't know what to say. She'd expected a switchboard or assistant-- perhaps even voice mail-- and wondered if she'd accidentally dialed someone's residence.

"
Salve
?" The voice was more insistent.

She eyed the note again where she'd jotted the phonetic spelling. "Signore Antonio Ciardini?"

"
Si
."

"This is Dr. Charlotte Hennesey speaking. Giovanni Bersei suggested I contact you. I'm sorry-- I didn't know I'd be calling your home."

"You've dialed my mobile. Quite all right." There was a small pause. "You are American?"

His English was impressive. "I am."

"What can I do for my good friend Giovanni?"

Everyone seemed to like Dr. Bersei. "He and I are working on a unique project here in Rome. In the Vatican, actually-- "

"Vatican City?" Ciardini cut in.

"Yes. We've been asked to examine an ancient bone sample. And to be thorough in our analysis, we'd like to date the specimen."

His voice went up a notch. "Bone specimens in the Vatican? That's an odd pairing. Though there are those tombs beneath St. Peter's Basilica where they bury the popes," he tried thinking it through.

"Yes, well..." She couldn't elaborate. "I hate to trouble you, but Dr. Bersei was wondering if you might be able to speed up the results."

"For Giovanni, sure. The bone-- is it in good condition? Clean?"

"It's extremely well preserved."

"Good. Then I suggest you send a sample of at least a gram."

"Got that. And...would this be all right?...there's a wood splinter that we'd like to date as well."

"Preferably ten milligrams for wood, though we can go as low as one milligram."

"Ten is no problem. Is there some kind of form you'll need me to fill out?"

"Just address the package directly to me with your name-- that's all. I'll handle the paperwork. Indicate where you'd like the dating certificate sent."

"That's very kind. I know I've asked too much of you already, but Dr. Bersei was wondering if you could call us as soon as the results are available?"

"So that's why he had you call, Dr. Hennesey." Ciardini let loose with a big belly laugh. "I'll process the samples as soon as they arrive. Normally it takes weeks to get results. But I'll do my best to get them done within a couple of hours. I'll give you the address."

Ciardini repeated the street address slowly while Hennesey jotted it down.

"Thank you. I'll send the Vatican courier. The samples will be with you in a couple of hours.
Ciao
."

Returning the receiver to its wall-mounted cradle, she went back to the workstation.

Studying the skeleton, she finally settled on a splintered fragment from the left foot's fractured metatarsal. With a pair of tweezers, Charlotte carefully broke away a small piece and sealed it in a plastic vial.

To determine its age, and thus the age of the skeleton, this sample would need to be incinerated. Then, the carbon gases could be collected, scrubbed, and compressed, in order to quantify any remaining carbon 14-- the radioactive isotope in all organisms that, upon death, begins halving in quantity exactly every 5,730 years. Though the process seemed simple to her, she had learned that the complex array of equipment required for this test-- known as an Accelerator Mass Spectrometer-- demanded substantial investment and maintenance. Most museums and archaeological groups opted to outsource to independent specialist AMS labs like Ciardini's.

From the drawer, she retrieved the wood splinter she had taken during the initial pathological analysis.

Placing the two specimens in a padded envelope, she prepared a second envelope with a Vatican City shipping label. Seeing the label's embossed papal crest, she smiled inwardly feeling like an extra-- or maybe a player-- in a detective story. It all seemed a million miles from her daily routine back home. When she was analyzing samples at BMS, at the very least she knew their age and where they came from.

To thoroughly re-create the skeleton's physical profile, Charlotte would also need to sample the skeleton's deoxyribonucleic acid, or DNA. Contained within the core of all human cells, the ribbon-like nucleotide acids held the coding that determined every human physical attribute. She'd read studies suggesting that in the absence of harsh conditions and contamination, DNA could remain viable in ancient organisms. Scientists had studied it in Egyptian mummies almost 5,000 years old. Judging from the skeleton's remarkable condition, she was confident that its DNA would not have degraded beyond the point of being able to study it.

Like carbon studies, genetic examinations required sophisticated equipment. And without doubt, Charlotte knew the fastest and most reliable facility for such testing was at BioMapping Solutions, under Evan Aldrich's watchful eye. BMS had patented new systems and software to efficiently analyze the human genome using improved laser scanning techniques, and she'd been an integral contributor to the system's technological development.

Glancing at her watch, she picked up the phone and dialed Phoenix. A quarter to five. Even with the eight-hour difference, she knew Evan was an inveterate early bird.

After three rings the phone was wrestled from its cradle. "Aldrich."

That was the way he always answered: to the point. Another thing she loved about him. "Hey there. It's the Rome field office calling in."

Hearing her voice, he immediately sounded cheerful. "How are operations at Christianity Central?"

"Good. How are things back home?" She touched one of her earrings, remembering he had given them to her for her last birthday-- emerald, her birthstone. He had told her they matched her eyes.

"Same old. So what's shaking at the Vatican? Figuring out how to make the pope live forever?"

"It's amazing. I've been analyzing ancient skeletal remains. Standard forensic stuff so far, but fascinating. I wish you could see this."

"Back in the trenches then. Hope it's worth our time."

"Too early to tell. But it is extraordinary work. Anyway how often do you get a call from the Vatican?"

"True." He paused. "I'm assuming you didn't call just to chat."

After her abrupt-- make that
icy
-- departure last Sunday, she knew he was referring to relationship issues. Evan had slept at her house the previous evening. A night of passion that led to an early morning discussion about "taking things to the next level." Still not having told him about her cancer, she'd been quick to dodge the issue, much to his frustration. The limo had arrived in the thick of it all and she hadn't left on the best of terms. Fixing things between them was important, but now was not the time. Luckily, Evan was still pretty good at separating work and pleasure.

"The specimen's bones are in incredibly good shape and I was hoping to impress the locals with some DNA-mapping magic," she explained. "I want to reconstruct the physical profile. Think BMS might be interested?" There was a brief pause that she knew was most likely disappointment.

After a long moment, he said, "Sounds like it would be good PR."

"Is the new gene scanner ready?"

"We're already in the beta testing stage. That's why I'm in so early-- I've been poring over the data."

"And?"

"It's very promising. Get me your sample and I'll run it through. It'll be a good test."

"I've got a whole skeleton here. What piece would you like?"

"Play it safe-- something small like a tarsal. When can I expect it?"

"I'll see if they'll let me send it for overnight delivery. Hopefully I can get it to you by tomorrow."

"It will be processed immediately. In fact, I'll handle it personally."

"Thanks, Evan."

"Say hi to the pope for me. And Charlotte..."

Here it comes, she thought. "Yeah?"

"Just want to let you know it isn't just my best scientist I miss around here."

She smiled. "I miss you, too. Bye."

Charlotte returned to the workstation, trying like hell to fight off a sudden surge of regret welling up inside her. She should have told him why she couldn't be with him in that way-- the way he wanted. Drawing a calming breath, she resigned herself to the fact that when she returned to Phoenix, she would tell him everything. Then they would need to figure out how to move forward. Lord knows she didn't want to scare him away.

Back to work.

Bagging the metatarsal, she stuffed the sample into a DHL box. As she wrote BMS's address on the shipping label, she tried to suppress a sudden bout of homesickness, realizing how far apart she was from Evan.

As she completed the form, Dr. Bersei joined her. He put his hands on his hips. "Far as I can tell, the patina wasn't tampered with. It's the real thing. You?"

"I had a nice conversation with Signore Ciardini," she said, managing a smile. "Very charming man. He'll have the results for us tomorrow."

"What's that package you're working on?"

"Another sample I hope will provide a genetic profile for our man." She held it up. "I'm sending it to Phoenix for analysis."

"DNA?"

"Mm."

Bersei glanced at his watch-- just past five. "We got a lot done today. I've got to get home for dinner. My oldest daughter is stopping by tonight."

"What's Carmela making?"

"Chicken saltimbocca." He raised his eyes and began stripping off his mask and gloves, then lab coat.

She laughed out loud and it felt good. "Good luck with that."

"Watch out or I'll bring you the leftovers," he threatened. "Anyway, tomorrow maybe we can take a look inside the box, and I'll see if I can't decipher that symbol. I'll also show you an instrument that will be a nice complement to your DNA analysis. See you in the morning-- just hope my daughter doesn't tempt me into a second bottle of wine."