Corporal Robinson came to the Fisk house in the early evening to ask questions and inform them of progress in the police investigation. Cpl. Robinson had short, dark, carefully-trimmed hair. His dark stubble was especially prominent on his soft pink face. It took some time for the officer to go over in detail the information that Nancy had provided over the telephone. He gave the impression that he had been well trained not to show any great excitement or interest. He told them that the Podmores' house and businesses had been searched but nothing significant was found. Eberhart's house had also been searched with no more success. Neither Podmore nor Eberhart had alibis for Saturday night. The bank accounts of Jesse and Mr. Podmore would be checked for recent large deposits.
"What about Jesse?" Nancy asked.
The officer looked faintly annoyed. "He was released after questioning. Mr. Podmore asked that we not charge him for the broken window if he was willing to pay for it. No charges are being considered at this time. We have asked him to make himself available for further investigation."
"I guess that without any case for blackmail there's no case for tampering with evidence. That takes away any criminal intent from breaking in," Nancy reasoned. The corporal said nothing but his small eyes lifted up to look at Nancy and his eyebrows rose just a bit.
"When they were questioning Eberhart they didn't give away that it was Jesse who told the story about the blackmailing, did they?" asked Ivy anxiously.
"I assure you that care has been taken not to mention any other names."
Cpl. Robinson searched through Jesse's few belongings, which were still in the Fisks' living room. The girls showed him the photos that Jesse had taken on Mr. Podmore's boat. It was soon apparent that if Jesse had had anything to hide he had done a good job of discarding the evidence.
Nancy happened to glance at a small plastic case Jesse owned. She opened it and saw an assortment of hand tools, some with interchangeable shafts. Her eye was attracted to one that looked like an ice pick, with a short handle and a metal shaft, circular in cross-section, ending in a sharp point. She was not going to say anything when she heard George beside her exclaim, "The miserable creep!" George and Nancy had seen the same thing, that the tool looked like a match for the punctures in their kayaks.
"He wanted us off the island, too," fumed George. "It must have been because he wanted the gold all to himself. Do you think he wrote that letter about Mr. Fisk being a developer?"
"I don't know. That might have been before he got to the island. There's not much point in bringing it up now," said Nancy a little sadly.
"So you think Mr. Podmore won't be charged?" wondered Ivy.
"Without evidence, and without even an admission that there was a crime by the victim, I mean, Eberhart, the whole matter will likely blow over," said Nancy.
"Yes, but I don't think Jesse was counting on criminal charges against Mr. Podmore," said George. "He was more concerned with Eberhart taking revenge against someone, trying to get his money back."
"It's not clear what Eberhart will think," said Nancy. "He might hear the story, one way or another, that the newspaper used to make the blackmail note was found in Mr. Podmore's business."
"We've got to get the money back to Eberhart," said Ivy.
"If there really was money in the envelope," pointed out George.
"As for the drug smuggling case there doesn't seem to be any progress in that," said Nancy. "If I'm right and Jesse made up the story about his encounter with Eberhart at the cave, then we still don't know who is behind the operation."
George and Bess were bored in the evening and went to play tennis. They came back later quite excited, with something to tell Nancy.
"Hey, guess who we met at Jeremy's?" George began.
When Nancy would not hazard a guess, Bess continued, "It was Carolina, you know, Michael's girlfriend. She's been staying at Jeremy's."
"Naturally, we asked her a few things. She said she was staying a week. Get this, though. She said 'she wasn't supposed to be there'. I wonder what that means."
"She said she's a nurse and she lives in MacNeish on Coeverden Island."
Nancy interrrupted. "That rings a bell. Didn't Ivy's father say that Cyrus Fisk spent his last days at a care facility in MacNeish?"
"That's right!" Bess's eyes widened. "But it could be just a coincidence, I suppose."
"Anyway," George resumed, "I asked Carolina if she found it difficult to accept Michael being away most of the year at school, and she acted surprised and then she said nothing, just smiled."
"I think we should pay a visit to our kayak instructor in the morning," said Nancy.