Ice Hunter Read Online Free PDF Page B

out for Cat.”
    â€œMaybe I’ll bring Hoffa to deal with the hairball.”
    â€œCat will eat him for lunch.”
    â€œSee you soon, man.”
    Service and Treebone had finished college, Service at Northern Michigan, where he had been only a fair student and a competent hockey player. Treebone had played football and baseball at Wayne State and graduated cum laude. They had both been on the verge of being drafted, so they volunteered for the marines, met at Parris Island, and served together in the same long-range recon unit in Vietnam. They had been through hell and rarely spoke of the war since. When they got back to “the world,” they had both joined the Michigan State Police; two years later there had been an opportunity to transfer to the DNR and they had both accepted, but within a year Treebone had taken a job with the Detroit Metro Police. He was now a lieutenant in charge of vice. They had remained close friends now for more than twenty years. Tree wanted to ride with him? His friend had something up his sleeve, because he did not venture voluntarily into the U.P. without a compelling reason. Tree’s idea of wilderness was Belle Isle on the Fourth of July.
    Service thought about eating but didn’t feel like cooking. Court tomorrow. He would need sleep to cope with that bullshit.
    As soon as he settled onto his sleeping pad, the phone rang.
    â€œService.”
    â€œYou’re not out stomping around the boonies?”
    It was Kira Lehto. “I’ve got court tomorrow.”
    â€œYou sound beat.”
    â€œNo more than usual.”
    â€œDid you lose my phone number?”
    â€œYou know how it is.” She ought to. She was a well-known and highly respected veterinarian with a practice she called an ark—meaning she took on whatever came her way, rarely asking if people could pay before she took care of an animal. Just about every conservation officer and ranger in the central and western Upper Peninsula called her when they needed help. They had dated for the better part of a year, but many of their nights together had been interrupted by emergency calls, either for her or for him. The last couple of months they had begun meeting during the day when they could both break away from duty for a couple of hours.
    â€œI’m sorry.”
    â€œNo you’re not,” she said, her tone a well-delivered jab. So far, she seemed to understand and accept him, showing no interest in changing him, which made her unique. So far. “Will court take all day?”
    â€œCould be. A violet I plucked last September. From Detroit. He’s bringing his own asshole lawyer up to fight it.” Violet was the term Service used for violators.
    â€œIffy?”
    â€œYou never know. Tree called. He’s driving up the day after tomorrow. His mother-in-law is invading.”
    She laughed her hearty laugh. “Want to bring him over for dinner?”
    â€œI don’t know what time he’ll get in.”
    â€œOkay, see you guys Thursday. I miss you, Grady.”
    â€œI miss you too.”
    â€œWe ought to think about a vacation and take a couple of weeks, you know, go somewhere real.”
    â€œAnd leave all this good stuff to the bad guys?”
    â€œYou’ve got a job, Service. I’m trying to give you a life.”
    â€œThat’s a big challenge,” he said.
    â€œI’m up to it. Thursday night, then?”
    â€œWe’ll be there.”
    â€œGood luck in court.”
    â€œThanks.” He suddenly felt guilty and lonely. “You want me to drive over tonight?”
    â€œI think we should just wait,” she said. “Celibacy makes the heart grow fonder. Besides, you have to face a bad guy in court.”
    He grunted. “Okay, Thursday night. Tree can spring for the wine.”
    â€œBe safe, Grady.”
    Safe? Did that term ever apply to this job? Had he ever had a job that was safe?
    On the Freedom Bird from Da