“That’s extraordinary,” Bingham said. He was suddenly self-conscious at his overreaction to celebrity, but as a politically oriented person, he was already thinking about whether there was a way to take advantage of Jack’s friendship with the archbishop. “Do you and His Eminence get together often?”

Jack smiled. “If you call every thirty-one years often, then yes, we get together often.”

“Oh, it’s like that,” Bingham said, mildly disappointed. “It’s still surprising to think of the two of you having a shared past. Are you serious about his asking for a favor? Excuse the pun, but what in heaven’s name is it?”

“He humbly requests the use of lab space in the OCME DNA building.”

“Now, that is an unexpected request from the most powerful prelate in the country.”

“Actually, it’s not for him but rather for our mutual college friend, although he will consider it a favor to him if you grant the request.”

“Well, we do have quite an excess of lab space, and I certainly cannot see it as detrimental extending a hand to the archbishop, but who is this friend, and is he a competent lab scientist? We can’t have just anybody working over there, whether he knows the archbishop or not.”

“I’m not sure if he is a lab scientist or not,” Jack admitted, “but his wife is a DNA expert from Columbia University’s College of Physicians and Surgeons.”

“That constitutes expertise,” Bingham said. “I’d also like to have some idea of what they’ll be doing and how long they’ll need.”

“The archbishop’s guess is around two months.”

“And what is it exactly that they plan to do?”

“The husband, whose name, by the way, is Shawn Daughtry, is a Ph.D. in Near Eastern archaeology and biblical studies. He has found what is called an ossuary. Do you know what that is?”

“Of course I know what an ossuary is,” Bingham snapped in his signature impatient style.

“I didn’t,” Jack admitted. “It’s rather unique in that it is sealed, and they are hoping to isolate some ancient DNA. The reason they would like to use our lab is to keep the project secret until they finish analyzing all the ossuary’s contents, which will supposedly include a document or two in addition to the bones.”

“I’ve never heard of an ossuary with a document of any kind.”

“Well,” Jack said, “that’s the story I’ve been told.”

“All right,” Bingham said. “Considering we’re doing it as a favor for the archbishop, I’ll allow it, provided Naomi Grossman, the DNA department head, doesn’t have an objection.”

“Fair enough,” Jack responded. “I’ll thank you for my friends.” Jack turned toward the door, but before he could exit, Bingham called out to him, “By the way, how’s that case where the tour doctor forgot to bag the hands?”