Chasing a Blond Moon by Joseph Heywood Page B

baits. She wanted to, she could go into business making them. If an animal was in her trap it’s not likely it got out because the trap failed.”
    Service left her doing push-ups and sit-ups and went up to the bathroom to shower. When he came back down she was still at it.
    Nantz followed him out to the truck and gave him a kiss.
    She kissed him again. “See you tonight, babe.”
    â€œCount on it.”
    The office was fifty miles north of Gladstone, just outside Marquette, and Service found Captain Ware Grant staring north out at Lake Superior when he knocked on the doorjamb and stepped into his boss’s office. Grant was the senior law enforcement officer for the Department of Natural Resources in the Upper Peninsula. “You wanted to see me, Captain?”
    â€œYes, thank you.”
    Service pulled out a chair at the captain’s small round conference table and sat.
    â€œThat body of the Tech professor?” The captain began.
    Service nodded. Why was the captain bringing this up?
    â€œThe preliminary shows evidence of a large dose of cyanide in the victim’s blood. The medical examiner has ruled it a homicide, but they are not releasing this to the media yet.”
    Service knew that homicides were not the responsibility of DNR law enforcement. He also knew better than to try to guess where the captain’s peculiar mind was taking him.
    â€œYou saw a package of chocolate-covered figs in the refrigerator at the victim’s home? Some of them were laced with cyanide.”
    â€œFigs,” Service said. “Not your usual murder weapon.”
    â€œIt’s more complex than that. What interests us is that the package containing the figs also contained two freeze-dried bear galls.”
    â€œWhat about the hair samples from the scat?”
    â€œRose Lake sent them on to Fish and Wildlife Forensics in Oregon.”
    Fish and Wildlife was the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, the federal agency charged with overseeing the nation’s fish and game interests. Their forensics laboratory in Oregon was top-notch, but slow in responding to most state requests.
    â€œWhy?” Service asked.
    â€œRose Lake couldn’t identify the samples other than to confirm they are ursine.”
    â€œThis could be a tough one,” Service said. There had been bear poachers off and on in the U.P. for years, but they were difficult to nail. “I don’t like bringing Fish and Wildlife into this so early.”
    â€œWe’re not. Rose Lake told them the hairs were gathered during a vacation and they wanted ID as a favor. Right now the whole thing is scientist to scientist.”
    â€œThat will take forever,” Service said.
    â€œOnce we have more evidence, we can change the nature of the request.”
    As usual, Captain Grant was thinking ahead.
    The captain added, “Officer Turnage asked if you might be available to assist him. The two gallbladders are enough for me to make this your case, but you two can decide how you want to handle it.”
    â€œFigs,” Service said, shaking his head.
    â€œYou understand what the freeze-dried gallbladders signify.”
    â€œYes.” It meant poachers. The main markets for bear parts were in Asia. The dead man was Korean and Korea was one of the largest markets. Service wondered if the professor’s work gave him access to cyanide.
    The captain said, “We’re in agreement. If we make a solid case in this arena, it will go a long way toward discouraging similar incursions.”
    Service understood. Some watchdog groups claimed that global trafficking in animal parts was second only to narcotics in profitability, a fact that seemed to escape the attention of the media or maybe they were as dubious as he was. It was hard to believe that such a market was real and global in nature. “I’ll let Gus know I’m on my way.”
    At the doorway, Service stopped. “The homicide belongs to the