The plan had been to reciprocate with some speculation of his own about the recipient of the mysterious little trunk, whoever that might be. But that goes out the window when Dr. Bernat says medical engineering. Now there's a hungry sort of look in his eyes as he stares, fixating, at the briefcase.

"Do you mind if I take a look?" he ventures, setting his glass down beside the now-forgotten box. "In the event that it-- that I can. Identify it."