"Getz thought the shroud was first century, made of both linen and wool, and probably imported."

"Meaning costly."

"Yes. And the hair was clean, trimmed, and vermin free."

Ryan got it right away. "Good threads. Good grooming. The guy in the shroud was upper crust and had a perforated heel bone. Jake thinks it's J.C."

I recounted Jake's explanation of the history of the Kidron and Hinnom. h.e.l.l Valley. Then I ticked points off on my fingers.

"High-status individual found in a Kidron tomb Jake's certain was the Jesus family tomb. The tomb held ossuaries inscribed with names out of scripture. Jake believes the tomb is the source of the James ossuary, the possible burial box of Jesus' brother."

I dropped my hand. "Jake's convinced the man in the shroud is Jesus of Nazareth."

"What do you think?"

"Come on, Ryan. What are the chances? Think of the implications."

We both did that for a moment. Ryan spoke first.

"How does Max tie in with this Kidron tomb?"

"I don't think he does. And that's another point. What's the probability that two skeletons with claims to being Jesus Christ show up at the same, exact point in time?"

"That's not quite true. Max was unearthed in the sixties. It's just recently that he's resurfaced."

"Ferris is killed. Kaplan shows me the photo. I locate Max, then rule him out. Three weeks later I find the guy in the shroud and he's he's Jesus Christ? It's preposterous." Jesus Christ? It's preposterous."

"Jake was so hot to have Max he paid your way to Israel. Who does he think Max was?"

"Someone of importance who shouldn't have been at Masada."

I recounted my trip to Hebrew University, and told Ryan about the missing pages from the Masada transcripts.

"Curious," he said.

I also described my meeting with Tovya Blotnik, and mentioned Jake's qualms about the man.

"Curious," he said.

I debated telling Ryan about the sedan. What if the whole thing was the product of my imagination?

What if it wasn't?

Better to be wrong than to take a rock in the head. Or worse.

I described the incident.

Ryan listened. Was he smiling? Too dark to tell.

"Probably nothing," I said.

Ryan reached across the table and put a hand over mine. "You're okay?"

"More or less," I said.

Ryan rubbed his thumb back and forth across my skin. "You know I'd prefer that you didn't set out on your own."

"I know," I said.

The waiter dropped two coasters on the table and parked a can of high-test c.o.ke on each. Apparently Ryan's Hebrew lessons hadn't included the word "diet."

"No beer?" I asked.

"Not an option."

"How do you know?"

"No beer signs."

"Always detecting," I said, smiling.

"Crime never sleeps."

"I think I'll go to the Jerusalem Post Jerusalem Post tomorrow, browse through the archives, see what Yadin was saying about the Masada cave skeletons back in the sixties," I said. tomorrow, browse through the archives, see what Yadin was saying about the Masada cave skeletons back in the sixties," I said.

"Why not use the university library?"

"Jake says the Post Post keeps old articles on file by topic. Should be a h.e.l.l of a lot quicker than plowing through reels of microfiche." keeps old articles on file by topic. Should be a h.e.l.l of a lot quicker than plowing through reels of microfiche."

"The Post Post will be closed on Sat.u.r.day," Ryan said. will be closed on Sat.u.r.day," Ryan said.

Of course it would. I changed the subject.

"How was your interview?" I asked.

"Kaplan's insisting he was hired to hit Ferris."

"By whom?"

"Kaplan claims he never knew her name," Ryan said.

"Her?"

I think Ryan nodded.

"What did this mystery woman say to him?"

"She needed a shooter."

"Why'd she want Kaplan to kill Ferris?"

"She wanted him dead."

Eye roll. Wasted in the dark.

"When did she solicit his help?"

"He thinks it was the second week of January."

"Around the time Ferris was asking Kaplan to sell the skeleton."

"Yep."

"Ferris was shot in mid-February."

"Yep."

The waiter issued napkins, plates, and utensils, then placed a pizza between us. It was covered with olives, tomatoes, and little green things I took to be capers.

"How'd the woman make contact?" I asked when the waiter had gone.

"Called the pet shop."

Ryan served slices of pizza.

"Let me understand this. A strange woman rang up, inquired about guinea pigs, then said, 'Oh, by the way, I want you to take someone out?'"

"That's his story."

"Now that's that's curious." curious."

"That's his story."

"This woman give a name?"

"Nope."

"Could Kaplan tell you anything about her?"

"Said she sounded like a c.o.kehead."

The pizza was excellent. I took a moment to wade through the flavors. Tomato, onion, green pepper, olives, feta, and a spice I couldn't identify.

"What did she offer?"

"Three grand."

"What did Kaplan say?"

"Ten grand."

"He got ten thousand dollars?"

"The woman counteroffered with three grand up front, three after the hit."

"What did Kaplan do?"

"He claims he took the payout, then blew her off."

"He scammed her?"

"What's she gonna do? Call the cops?"

"She's still got three grand to have him capped."

"Good point." Ryan served up seconds.

"Did Kaplan and this woman ever meet face-to-face?"

"No. The money was left under a trash can in Jarry Park."

"How very James Bond."

"He insists that's how it worked."

We ate and watched the crowd around us. A woman sat opposite, her face a pale egg in the darkness. It was all I could see. Her hijab hijab hid her hair and was pinned beneath her chin. Her shirt was dark, the sleeves long, the cuffs b.u.t.toned tight at the wrists. hid her hair and was pinned beneath her chin. Her shirt was dark, the sleeves long, the cuffs b.u.t.toned tight at the wrists.

Our eyes met. The woman didn't look away. I did.

"I thought Kaplan was strictly white-collar," I said.

"Maybe he got bored and decided on a career change."

"Kaplan could be making the whole thing up to throw you off."

"I've been thrown off by lesser luminaries," Ryan said, doling out the last two slices of pizza.

Again, we ate in silence. When I'd finished, I leaned back against the wall.

"Could the mystery woman be Miriam Kessler?"

"I posed that very question to Kaplan. The gentleman answered in the negative, saying the good widow was above reproach."

Ryan bunched his napkin and tossed it onto his plate.

"Got any ideas?" I asked.

"Madonna. Katie Couric. Old Mother Hubbard. Lots of women call small-time crooks with no history of homicidal behavior and offer them money to commit murder."