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〃It's outstanding。〃
〃If you say so。〃
She tapped the brick back into place； then stood。 She checked her watch。 Three o'clock； Friday afternoon。 The Museum would close in two hours。
She turned to O'Shaughnessy。 〃Look； Patrick； I need you to get up to my office at the Museum； plunder my field locker for some tools and equipment I'll need。〃
O'Shaughnessy shook his head。 〃Nothing doing。 Pendergast said I was to stay with you。〃
〃I remember。 But I'm here now； safe。 There must be five locks on that door； I won't be going anywhere。 I'll be a lot safer here than walking the streets。 Besides； the killer knows where I work。 Would you rather I went uptown and you waited here？〃
〃Why go anywhere？ What's the hurry？ Can't we wait until Pendergast is out of the hospital？〃
She stared at him。 〃The clock's ticking； Patrick。 There's a killer out there。〃
O'Shaughnessy looked at her。 Hesitated。
〃We can't afford to just sit around。 I hope you're not going to give me a hard time。 I need those tools； and I need them now。〃
Still； hesitation。
Nora felt her anger rise。 〃Just do it。 Okay？〃
O'Shaughnessy sighed。 〃Double…lock the door behind me； and don't open it for anybody。 Not the landlord； not the fire department； not Santa Claus。 Only me。 Promise？〃
Nora nodded。 〃I promise。〃
〃Good； I'll be back ASAP。〃
She drew up a quick list of items； gave O'Shaughnessy directions； and locked the door carefully behind him； shutting out the sound of the growing storm。 Slowly； she stepped away from the door； her eyes swiveling around the room； ing to rest at last on the brickwork beneath her feet。 One hundred years before； Leng； for all his genius； could not have anticipated the reach of modern archaeology。 She would excavate this site with the greatest care； sifting through his old laboratory layer by layer； bringing all her skills to bear in order to capture even the smallest piece of evidence。 And there would be evidence； she knew that。 There was no such thing as a barren archaeological site。 People…wherever they went； whatever they did…always left a record。
Taking out her penknife； she knelt and； once again； began easing the blade between the old bricks。 There was a sudden peal of thunder； louder than any that had e before； she paused； heart beating wildly with terror。 She forced her feelings back under control； shaking her head ruefully。 No killer was going to stop her from finding out what was beneath this floor。 She wondered briefly what Brisbane would say to this work。 The hell with him； she thought。
She turned the penknife over in her hands； closed it with a sigh。 All her professional life； she had unearthed and catalogued human bones without emotion…with no connection to the ancient skeletons beyond a shared humanity。 But Mary Greene had proven utterly different。 There； outside the girl's house； Pendergast had thrown Mary Greene's short life and awful death into sharp relief。 For the first time； Nora realized she had excavated； handled； the bones of someone that she could understand； grieve for。 More and more； Pendergast's tale of Mary Greene was sinking in； despite her attempts to keep a professional distance。 And now； she had almost bee another Mary Greene。
That made it personal。 Very personal。
Her thoughts were interrupted by the rattle of wind at the door； and another； fainter； rumble of thunder。 Nora rose to her knees； opened the penknife again； and began scraping vigorously at the brickwork beneath her feet。 It was going to be a long night。
FOUR
THE WIND SHOOK the barred door； and occasional flickers of lightning and grumblings of thunder penetrated the room。 Now that O'Shaughnessy had returned； the two worked together； the policeman moving the dirt； Nora focusing on uncovering the details。 They labored by the light of a single yellow bulb。 The room smelled strongly of decaying earth。 The air was close； humid； and stifling。
She had opened a four…square…meter dig in the living room floor。 It had been carefully gridded off； and she had stepped down the excavation； each meter grid to a different level； allowing her to climb in and out of the deepening hole。 The floor bricks were neatly piled against the far wall。 The door leading to the kitchen was open； and through it a large pile of brown dirt was visible； piled in the center of the room atop a sheet of heavy plastic。 Beside it was a smaller sheet of plastic； containing bagged items recovered from the digsite。
At last Nora paused； putting her trowel aside to take stock。 She removed her safety helmet； drew the back of her hand across her brow； replaced the helmet on her head。 It was well past midnight； and she felt exhausted。 The excavation at its deepest point had gone down more than four feet below grade： a lot of work。 It was difficult； also； to work this rapidly while maintaining a professional excavation。
She turned to O'Shaughnessy。 〃Take five。 I'd like to examine this soil profile。〃
〃About time。〃 He straightened up； resting on his shovel。 His brow was streaming with sweat。
Nora shone her flashlight along the carefully exposed wall of dirt； reading it as one might read a book。 Occasionally she would shave off a little with a trowel to get a clearer view。
There was a layer of clean fill on the top going down six inches…laid； no doubt； as a base for the more recent brick floor。 Below was about three feet of coarser fill； laced with bits of post…1910 crockery and china。 But she could see nothing from Leng's laboratory…at least； nothing obvious。 Still； she had flagged and bagged everything； by the book。
Beneath the coarse fell； they had struck a layer containing bits of trash； rotting weeds； pieces of mold…blown bottles； soup bones； and the skeleton of a dog： ground debris from the days when the site had been a vacant lot。 Under that was a layer of bricks。
O'Shaughnessy stretched； rubbed his back。 〃Why do we have to dig so far down？〃
〃In most old cities； the ground level rises at a fixed rate over time： in New York it's about three quarters of a meter every hundred years。〃 She pointed toward the bottom of the hole。 〃Back then； that was ground level。〃
〃So these old bricks below are the original basement flooring？〃
〃I think so。 The floor of the laboratory。〃 Leng's laboratory。
And yet it had yielded few clues。 There was a remarkable lack of debris； as if the floor had been swept clean。 She had found some broken glassware wedged into the cracks of the brick； an old fire grate with some coal； a button； a rotten trolley ticket； a few other odds and ends。 It seemed that Leng had wanted to leave nothing behind。
Outside； a fresh flash of lightning penetrated the coat Nora had hung over the window。 A second later； thunder rumbled。 The single bulb flickered； browned； then brightened once again。
She continued staring thoughtfully at the floor。 At last； she spoke。 〃First； we need to widen the excavation。 And then； I think we'll have to go deeper。〃
〃Deeper？〃 said O'Shaughnessy； a note of incredulity in his voice。
Nora nodded。 〃Leng left nothing on the floor。 But that doesn't mean he left nothing beneath it。〃
There was a short； chilly silence。
Outside； Doyers Street lay prostrate under a heavy r