"If Eberhart knows he's under surveillance maybe he'll just lie low for a while," said George.

"I don't think so," replied Nancy, "because he wouldn't have taken the bags out of their hiding spot unless he was planning to deliver them soon. Now he faces a dilemma. He has associates who are waiting for delivery but he knows his moves are being watched and his cellphone is being monitored. I'm sure his land line is tapped as well."

"That's what the guy with the laptop was doing?" asked Bess. Nancy nodded.

Jesse arrived back on Catriola on the late afternoon ferry. The earlier afternoon sailing did not allow passengers on Mondays because it was for dangerous cargo. After weeks of sun the weather had gotten gray and overcast. This seemed to match the mood in the Fisk house. No one felt like talking much. Jesse looked subdued if not glum. He talked briefly with Mr. Fisk, out of hearing of the girls.

They soon found him packing up his belongings in the livingroom. He hesitated for an instant over each item, as if asking himself what the police officer would have thought during his search.

"Then you're going?" asked Nancy.

"Yes, I'll have to stay on Catriola until they're finished their investigation, but we thought it would be better if I moved to Mr. Saxton's. Ivy's father arranged a discount rate for me."

"Oh, Jesse, you'll have to return Mr. Eberhart's money," said Ivy in a voice that betrayed her concern. "Who knows what he might do if he suspects you."

"Money? There wasn't any money." Jesse had a wry, angry grin. He barely looked in Ivy's direction. "If you want to know the truth, all Eberhart put in the envelope was a note calling me all kinds of nasty names and basically saying to go ahead and set the police on him.I didn't gain a penny."

"And you're out the fifty dollars to pay for the repairs to our kayaks," said George unsympathetically.

"Oh, yeah, that. Sure, I'll pay it."

"You did tell the police the truth?" Nancy asked in level tones.

"Yes," Jesse answered with fierce reluctance. "You were right, after all."

Under Nancy's observant gaze Ivy showed no signs of emotion at Jesse's departure. She didn't mention his name again, either.

Jesse left just as Horace Eberhart came to the front door. "Excuse me," was all Jesse said as he swung his bags past Eberhart. Eberhart glared at him for a brief moment before passing into the house. Eberhart talked to Mr. Fisk. They walked up to the bathroom they had been working on and then out to the yard where debris from the renovation was still sitting.

Ivy informed the girls later that her father had terminated Eberhart's services. Fortunately, all the work had been done except some finishing touches that Mr. Fisk would undertake himself. Eberhart tossed the discarded bits of plumbing and other junk into the back of his truck. He left without a word to the girls.

"It's a little creepy having that Eberhart around here," said George, "even if he's just a suspect."

"We still don't know if he or Podmore is the smuggler, or maybe both," Bess reminded them.

"If I had to make a guess," said Nancy, "I would say Podmore's not our man."

"Well, where are we going to stake out Eberhart?" George asked.

"But I thought the police didn't want us to get involved," objected Ivy.

"Don't worry Ivy, we'll phone them as soon as we see anything. We always manage to stay out of trouble." George shared a brief look with Bess and Nancy.

"All right, then."

Bess said, "The police have to keep at least two people watching the Podmores, another up on the ridge, two on the road, and most likely, people assigned to the police boat. That stretches them pretty thin. They probably have nobody on the road west of Eberhart's house. How about if we waited there?"

"Sounds good, Bess," said George. "Let's get Operation Eberhart into gear, girls."