Chasing a Blond Moon(106)

Service stopped to see Pyykkonen. She glanced up from her cluttered desk. “I thought you died, and by the looks of you, maybe you did.”

“I know.”

“You’re gonna like this,” she said. “I talked to a detective in Charlottesville who says they busted fifty-two people for bear poaching. They recovered three hundred gallbladders. One of the couples they got said they’ve been in the business more than ten years and have been selling three hundred galls a year.”

“When?”

“The busts were made in 2001 after more than three years of digging. Virginia Inland Game and Fisheries worked with U.S. Fish and Wildlife and the Park Service. The ring was operating in the Blue Ridge Mountains, including Shenandoah National Park. The only regret here is that they never got the main money man.”

“They ID him?”

“No, all they know is that he’s Asian and fled the area before the grand jury came down with indictments.”

“The timing coincides with Harry Pung’s move to Tech.”

“You must be a detective,” Pyykkonen said.

He told her about Colliver and Fahrenheit and how Ficorelli had helped—but only his official role. “Wayno asked about you,” he added.

She shook her head. “He’ll get over it.” Service wanted to ask her about Shark Wetelainen, but restrained himself. He didn’t want his friend hurt, but it was none of his business.

“Did you run Harry Pung’s name past the Virginia people?”

“They said all they know is that the money man is Asian. I don’t think they were ducking.”

“Be nice to know if Pung’s son was with him in Blacksburg.”

“He wasn’t. I called the university and they said his records show no son. She handed him a folder. “From Virginia Tech, and the Michigan Tech papers are in there too. They don’t square with each other. This whole thing is about bears,” Pyykkonen said.

“I know,” Service said. There were a lot of things he might have shared, but didn’t.

He called Fern LeBlanc on his way past the Marquette office. “The Captain’s calls are piling up,” she said in a disapproving tone of voice.

“Tell the Cap’n I’m just not management material.”

“Are you coming in?”

“No. Pass the most important messages to McKower.”

“I already have,” LeBlanc said.

Nantz’s plane flared a little before 9 p.m. and settled for a firm landing, the tires squirting tiny jets of smoke as rubber struck concrete.

He watched her walk around the plane, making her post-flight inspection and talking calmly to a mechanic while glancing over at him, a smile dominating her face.

She came to him on the run and her clipboard clattered on the ground as she leaped and threw her arms and legs around him. He almost fell while they were kissing.

“Man, oh man,” she whispered as she hugged him. “Man, oh man. There’s a case of Bell’s in the bird, and a case of wine.”

They went out to get them. He carried them both and his arm and broken finger throbbed.

“You look like you got flogged with a frozen pork chop,” she said. “I can’t wait to get naked,” she added.

He pulled into Outi Ranta’s driveway and Nantz gave him a look.

“What’s this?”

The red Jeep was there, but no gray Honda. “I have to talk to Outi.”

“Outi or Honeypat?” Nantz asked, raising an eye.

“You’d better stay here,” he said.

He knocked several times on the door but got no answer.

He tried the door. It was open. “Outi Ranta?” he called into the hallway.

Only silence.

He took one step inside and looked to the right into the kitchen and saw her, sitting at the table, her head on her hands. There was a large, empty glass in front of her.

“Outi?”

She looked up, her eyes glazed and distant.

“Outi?”

“Yeah, Grady.”

“Have you been drinking?”

“What if I have?”

“I want to talk to you.”

“Go away,” she said, putting her head down.

“I want to talk to you about the casino in Watersmeet. And Charley Fahrenheit.”

Ranta looked over at him. “What about it?”

“You want to tell me about it?”

“Get a warrant,” she said.

“Outi, I’m just asking questions.”

“Some things are none of your business.”

“They are when they involve breaking the law.”

“I didn’t break no laws,” she said, perking up.

“Outi, you were working with Fahrenheit. They were poaching bears. There’s a whole chain of things and it all starts with a homicide.”