Where Rivers Part Read Online Free PDF Page A

me,” Juliet told her.
    â€œYou’re taking your iPhone?”
    Juliet nodded. As proof, she pulled the electronic device from her pocket and held it high over her head as she walked toward the door leading to the east wing.
    QA was located at the end of a long maze of cubicles, home to the accounting, logistics, and human resources folks. At the break room, Juliet turned right and continued down a narrow hallway to an entry posted with a large red and white sign that read A UTHORIZED P ERSONNEL O NLY .
    Juliet slid her security card through the reader and waited. When the lock beeped, she pushed through the heavy double doors leading to the lab. Just inside, her hands pulled a set of protective gear wrapped in sealed plastic from the shelf. She opened the package and slipped on the blue paper gown, shoe covers, and hair cap, then washed her hands at a large white basin, using soap that smelled of disinfectant. With her elbow, she pressed a red button on the wall next to another door with a tiny oblong window. The door buzzed and released, and Juliet pushed with her shoulder and entered.
    She stepped into a large room, kept several degrees colder than the outer offices. Stainless steel counters and lab stools lined the walls, with white cabinets above. In the center of the floor stooda compounding isolator and a polypropylene table, the surface scattered with glass beakers and funnels.
    Malcolm Stanford, her QA supervisor, stood at the rear of the room near the incubator along with two women techs all dressed in sanitary gear. He looked up as Juliet approached. “Good morning, Dr. Ryan.”
    â€œGood morning, Malcolm.” He had a petite build, small black eyes, and often a chilly personality that matched the lab’s room temperature. “Malcolm, I noticed the nitrate levels were up on the last batch of reports.”
    He slid a stack of lab trays into a cupboard and closed the door. “I noticed that as well. But we’re well below the requisite MCL standards.”
    Juliet nodded. “Still, I’d like to know why the levels increased.”
    â€œProbably the storms coming in off the gulf. Climate changes can affect the levels.” He picked up a half-filled beaker from the counter.
    Juliet set her jaw. While nitrates are naturally present in all sources of water, higher levels could indicate contamination. “All the more reason to run the samples through the spectrophotometer and get a second reading, which I believe is in line with the SOP revisions I issued,” she reminded him, wondering why it was necessary to explain herself. Wasn’t she the boss?
    The supervisor glanced between the lab techs. “Uh, sure. We’ll get right on it.” He placed the beaker in a nearby sink. “I should have the results by morning.”
    Before Juliet could thank him, her cell phone buzzed. She excused herself and stepped away to take the call, pulling her iPhone from her pocket.
    â€œTavina? What’s up?”
    â€œHey, Dr. Ryan. Alexa Carmichael wants to see you in a half hour. Her office.”
    â€œI’ll be there. Thanks for letting me know.” She clicked off herphone and turned back to Malcolm. “Now, let’s take a look at the calibration schedules.”
    Twenty minutes later, Juliet headed for the lobby. She checked her watch as she passed the break room and the smell of microwaved pizza, wishing she’d eaten breakfast now that it looked like she’d be working through lunch.
    In her short time here, Juliet had learned Alexa worked on two modes—high gear and higher gear. The woman often pulled an energy bar from her office drawer, which she ate in place of meals. On her desk were photos of a boy who looked to be around sixteen or seventeen.
    â€œYour son?” Juliet once asked, pointing to a frame on Alexa’s credenza.
    â€œYes,” she’d replied, her face softening. In a rare moment, she shared something