Part 56 (1/2)
”And why the Musee de l'Homme? They don't do radiocarbon testing. And why a complete skeleton? You need only a small bone sample. And why single out that one skeleton? Yadin never talked about it. Haas never saw it.”
”I've said from the get-go, there's more to that skeleton than anyone's letting on.”
”You told me you were going to ask the Hevrat Kadisha straight out if they'd taken Max. Did you phone them?”
”Twice.”
”And?”
”I'm waiting for a callback.” Sarcastic.
Wrapping the string, I squeezed my tea bag against the bowl of my spoon.
”That'll make your tea bitter,” Jake said.
”I like it strong.”
”You'll get it bitter.” Jake was fully awake and his argumentative self.
”I think I prefer you sleepy.”
We both added cream and stirred.
”What's happening with the DNA?” Jake asked.
”I haven't checked my e-mail in days. Getting online at the hotel is a nightmare.” True, but I really didn't expect results this soon. And to be honest, with nothing for comparison, I suspected any DNA data on Max or his odd tooth would be of limited use.
”When I submitted my samples from the Kidron tomb after talking to you by phone in Montreal, I asked both labs to e-mail the reports to you. Figured I'd need an interpreter.”
Jake's paranoia again? I didn't comment.
”Why not give it a go. Use my computer.” Jake chin-c.o.c.ked the file room. ”I'll grab a quick shower.”
Why not? Taking my mug to his laptop, I logged on.
E-mails were in my box from both DNA labs.
I opened the reports on Jake's Kidron bones first. There was some information, but it meant little to me. I a.s.sumed each sample number corresponded to an ossuary or to a bone dump on the tomb floor.
Next, I opened the ancient and mitochondrial DNA reports on Max and his tooth.
At first I was surprised. Then confused.
I read the final section again and again. I couldn't imagine what it meant. But I knew one thing.
I'd been dead right about Max.
And dead wrong about the relevance of the DNA.
34.
I MUST HAVE HAD THAT DOE-IN-THE-HEADLIGHTS LOOK MUST HAVE HAD THAT DOE-IN-THE-HEADLIGHTS LOOK.
”What are you staring at?”
The creases were gone and Jake's face was wet. Instead of sweats, he now wore jeans and a red luau s.h.i.+rt.
”DNA results.”
”Oh, yeah?”
Jake clicked on the printer and I made a hard copy.
Jake scanned each report, face neutral. Then, ”Very nice.” He dragged a chair beside mine and dropped into it. ”Now. What does it mean?”
”The mitochondrial DNA-”
”Slowly.”
I took a breath.
”And from the top.”
”The top?” I was hardly in the mood for a biology lesson.
”The penthouse.”
Deep breath. Calm. Go.
”You're familiar with nuclear DNA?”
”That's the double-helix kind found in the nucleus of a cell.”
”Yes. Researchers have been working for years to map the DNA molecule. Much of that mapping has focused on an area that codes for specific proteins we share as a species.”
”Sounds like Atkins. No carbs, no fats.”
”Do you want to hear this?”
Jake held up both hands.
I tried to think of a simpler way to put it.
”Some researchers are working to map the area of DNA that makes us all alike, the genes that give us two ears, scarce body hair, a pelvis designed for walking. Medical researchers are working to identify genes that can mutate and cause illnesses, like cystic fibrosis or Huntington's.”
”So mappers look at genes that make us all the same. Medical researchers look at genes that make things go wrong.”