Page 122 of The Bone Code
“Oui.” Sarcastic.
“Do you know where she earned her degree?”
“Some school in the States?” Half question, half statement. “I’m not sure. It’s been so long. And it’s not in her file.”
“Was she American?”
“I don’t know.”
Beyond Ryan, I noticed Eisenberg’s face pop up, heavy brows angled down below the bridge of her glasses.
A beat, then Ryan circled a hand and asked, “What goes on here?”
Murray launched into what sounded like a well-practiced pitch. “InovoVax focuses on the development and manufacture of vaccines for infectious diseases. We’re at the cutting edge of research, one of very few labs exploring an mRNA mechanism. Are you knowledgeable concerning vaccine manufacture?”
“Knowledgeable enough.”
“I’m certain you are.” Tone suggesting the opposite. “Some of our products include Influvax, Penivax-B, Inov-3607, VGGX-2812—”
“What’syourbackground, doc?”
“I hold a doctorate in molecular biology.”
“Impressive.”
“Thank you.”
“How long have you been with InovoVax?”
“Twenty-one years.”
“So you started the same time as Ms. Chalamet?”
“I suppose that’s true.”
“I assume you weren’t director back then.”
“I was a researcher.”
“Was Ms. Chalamet one of your techs?”
“She and I worked in separate divisions.”
“What can you tell me about her?”
“I’ve already answered that.” Condescending smile. “It’s a big facility, and she was far below my pay grade.”
Eisenberg’s frown deepened.
“You formed no impression at all?”
“Based on the very few conversations that we had, I’d have to say she was a bitter and unhappy woman.”
“Why?”
Murray shrugged. “It’s my understanding, and I may be completely wrong, Ms. Chalamet was to begin an MA program and had to drop out due to pregnancy. I believe she resented those of us who completed our studies and, as a consequence, were enjoying more responsibility and more generous compensation.”
“Why did she quit?”
