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Talking to Tree always made him feel better, but it didn't seem to change the fact that he was in a screwy situation--and this business with SuRo seemed ludicrous. He hoped she wouldn't try to chuck him out when he began asking questions. Seeing her was a waste of time, his gut told him. He had too many other questions he'd rather pursue. What was the exact security setup at Vermillion, and if there were tapes and the feds had them, when were they going to share?
And what exactly was a blue wolf? For that he would have to drive all the way to Crystal Falls and see Yogi Zambonet, the biologist who headed the state's wolf recovery program. Yogi had been born in Chassell, had gotten his Ph.D. from the University of Minnesota, and worked in Alaska and Idaho before returning home to Michigan, where he had developed into one of the most respected wolf biologists in the country.
Within the DNR Yogi was affectionately called Wolf Daddy. A tall gaunt man with a shaggy beard and long hair tied in a ponytail, the biologist tended to spend a lot of time alone in the field observing and tracking his animals, and catching up to him might prove difficult. Service radioed the district office in Crystal Falls, asked for the biologist, and was told he was not due in until the next morning. Service left a message that he needed to see him. He left his number for a call-back, and tried to shift his thoughts to Pidge Carmody and poachers.
But he was in no mood to think about work. Just outside St. Ignace he called Nantz's hotel and was put through to her room. "I'm sorry I had to bail out so fast, honey," he said.
"I'm glad you called, Grady. I've been worried. What happened at Vermillion?"
"There was an explosion," he said.
"But people were killed. Is this related to the stuff at Tech?"
"We don't know," he said. "You should see the vultures gathering: feds, state, county, everybody seems to be looking for a piece of the action."