‘‘You were here when she found the museum snake in her desk drawer,’’ said Korey. ‘‘Her voice carried all the way up here.’’
‘‘Well, it was a shock,’’ said Jonas. ‘‘And speaking of getting the job done, I’m in the process of translat ing the case our mummy friend came in. I’m working with an Egyptologist friend from the University of Chicago.’’
‘‘Is there any way we can date the case?’’ said Diane.
‘‘I took the liberty of taking a few scrapings from the inside to send off for analysis. The translation will also tell us something. I’ve sent photographs to my friend.’’
Diane looked from Jonas to Korey. ‘‘It looks like all of you have all this well in hand. I’ll be in the lab if you need me to sign something.’’
Before Diane went back to the other bones in her lab, she asked Korey to send the X-rays to her office so she could study the complete set on her light table that evening. She was getting as excited about the mummy as the others. It felt good. She would like to have explained to the people who didn’t want a crime lab next to the museum that for the people working in the lab, the museum was a welcome oasis.
Jin looked through the glass into the jar and back at Diane, his face somewhere between amazement and laughter. ‘‘Nice piece of glass he’s in,’’ said Jin.
‘‘I need a blood sample. My people in the museum tell me that this is the best place to get it.’’
Jin nodded. ‘‘All that vascular tissue it has is needed to—’’ He grinned. ‘‘Well, you know.’’
‘‘Indeed. Will you take care of it?’’
‘‘You came to the right place. Did you break it off?’’
‘‘No. He came to us in that condition.’’
‘‘Want me to let you know if it was whacked off or broken?’’
‘‘Please.’’
‘‘I knew there would be perks in working here,’’ said Jin, taking the Victorian pickle jar to his work station.
Diane started back to her lab, but abruptly turned and went to Jin’s desk—a large work space with mi croscopes, glassware and chemicals. It could have been the space of a mad scientist.
‘‘Jin, did you leave anything in my car?’’ ‘‘Leave anything? Like what?’’
‘‘Like anything.’’
‘‘No. Was I supposed to?’’
‘‘No. Just asking.’’
Diane didn’t really believe that Jin would have sent her flowers, but you never know.
She laid out the bones of Green Doe in order, head to toes, on the shiny metal table. As with Blue, she started with the pelvis, measuring, recording and ob serving. The pattern of Green Doe’s pubic symphysis, the front articulation of the two sides of the hips, was similar to Blue’s—rough and unworn. He hadn’t lived the years it takes to smooth out the ridges and in crease beveling along the margins. Green was around the same age as Blue Doe. Young—late teens or early twenties. There were no markings on his pelvis, nor were the muscle attachments overly prominent. He hadn’t been a particularly muscular fellow.
She went to Green’s skull, which had strikingly in teresting facial features. Her mind flashed to the clay models that Neva had presented to them. The fact that she was an artist wasn’t on her vitae—it wasn’t something that Neva thought employers would find important. But it was important to Diane. She picked up the house phone and rang the lab. David answered.
‘‘Jin showed me the mummy’s crown jewels. Inter esting,’’ David said.
‘‘I imagine it will generate all manner of conversa tion among my staff.’’
‘‘How could it help but?’’
‘‘Is Neva there? Would you send her to the bone lab?’’
‘‘Sure thing.’’
‘‘Oh, and David. You didn’t happen to leave any thing in my car, did you?’’
‘‘No. What did you find there?’’
Diane told him about the flowers and the card. ‘‘I didn’t think you or Jin sent them, but so far, no one I know has.’’
‘‘That’s really odd. I take it Frank didn’t send them, or Mike?’’
‘‘No, they didn’t.’’
‘‘Maybe you should get one of us, or museum secu rity, to walk you to your car for a few days.’’
‘‘It’s odd, but I don’t think it’s ominous.’’
‘‘Nevertheless . . . it doesn’t hurt to be careful. I’ll send Neva over.’’
Diane met Neva at the entrance to her lab and let her in. Neva stopped at the entrance and gazed around the lab and over at the table where Green Doe was laid out.
‘‘I haven’t seen this lab. It’s big,’’ she said. ‘‘You didn’t put it on the chief’s tour.’’
‘‘No, I didn’t. Technically, it’s part of the museum.’’
Neva looked uncomfortable . . . a little embarrassed. ‘‘I want to thank you for sending me to process the car by myself.’’
‘‘I had confidence you could do it. And now—why I asked you in here. You’re about to discover that there are hazards in letting your employer know you have a talent.’’
