“Walt had dinner with Shark and me a couple of nights ago and I told him about the professor at Tech. He called me this morning and said he’s learned some things about the professor’s son.”
Service was irked. “Dammit, Gus. Why did you tell him? It’s not his concern.”
“He’s interested in what we do.”
“It’s not your place, Gus.”
“Don’t be stupid. Your son’s taking an interest. I think we should hear what he has to say.”
“He’s just a kid.”
“He’s his old man’s kid—only smarter.”
“It’s not his business.”
“How many times have you stuck your nose into stuff that wasn’t your business? He’s just trying to help. When can you get over here?”
Service thought for a moment. “I need to talk to Grinda in the morning, then I can drive up. Dinner at six at the Douglass?” The Douglass House Saloon was the oldest bar and restaurant in Houghton and a hangout for the students and faculty from the university.
“Six it is. Don’t go hard on Walt, Grady. You going to call him?”
“I’ll take care of it.”
Service called his son’s dorm room and was relieved to get the answering machine. He told his son that he and Gus would meet him the next night at the Douglass at six.
Some time during the night Nantz slid into bed with him and spooned. “You awake?” she whispered.
“I am now.”
“Did you call Walter?”
“Are you checking up on me?”
“Just asking,” she said gently. “I told Lori I’ll fly for her. I’m going to take my bird to TC tomorrow and leave it there. I agreed to one month, that’s all. I told her I need a month to get ready for the academy.”
“Are you okay with this?” she asked. “And don’t say, ‘not a problem.’”
“You’re a fully growed woman.”
“Jesus, you sound like Jed Clampett.”
“It’s your decision.”
“I’ll get home every chance I get,” she said. “I’m not going to do anything to jeopardize the academy. What did Walter say?”
“He didn’t. I left a message on his machine.”
“Grinda?”
“I’m going to see her in the morning.” But he had not talked to her, so he got out of bed, took the portable into the hallway and punched in her cell phone number.
“Officer Grinda,” she answered, her tone all business. Grinda was a thirty-something Swede who lived near Bruce Crossing in Ontonagon County. She had fashioned a record of getting the job done well, but was also known for not willingly cooperating with other officers. She was pathologically polite and reserved, with wild brown hair that always looked windblown. She had physically tangled with many lawbreakers and was known by other officers as Sheena. Although she had ended up saving his life the previous year, he hadn’t worked with her since. What their relationship would be now remained an open question.
“Service. I got your message.”
“Thanks for the call back. Sounds like you and Candi had a nasty day.”
“You’ve had worse,” he said.
As usual, she got right to business. “I had a complaint about some freeloaders at Burned Dam Campground on the Tamarack River. Just before I got there a bear ran across Forest Highway 4500. It was trailing something, so I stopped, followed it, and found it tangled in some cedar roots along the river. It was exhausted. There was steel cable around its neck—like some sort of snare set. I got Doc Emmarpus from Watersmeet and we darted the animal. It’s caged at the vet clinic now.”
“Joe Emmarpus? I thought he retired to New Mexico.” Emmarpus had been a vet in the western U.P. for more than forty years.
“He did. This is Doctor Rosary Emmarpus, Joe’s granddaughter. She was practicing in Alaska, but when Joe decided to call it quits, she bought his practice. She’s a little odd, but people like her. She told me she had seen cable used like this up in Alaska—by bear poachers. After we talked I tried to back-track the animal, but I lost the trail and had to call it quits. I’m going back in at first light.”
“You mind if I join you—say five?”
“I could use the help,” she said. “Let’s meet on 4500 where it crosses the Tamarack.”
She wanted help? This was a stark change from the Grinda he had first worked with last year.
“See you then.”
“I’ll have the donuts,” she said. “You sure you’re okay from today?”
“Just sore. See you at five.”
He set the alarm for 3 a.m. when he got back in the bedroom and got into bed.