brought to the dock.
“You can go aboard her now,” he told her.
“I insist upon being present when the search is made,” Mary put in angrily.
“Very well,” the captain said, after a brief hesitation. “I’ll give you every opportunity to prove your story.”
Soberly, Nancy Drew followed the captain to the motorboat, while Mary, guarded by the naval officer, brought up the rear.
“Perhaps I’d better keep all of the bystanders away,” the captain suggested to Nancy.
“By all means.”
Not without misgiving, she stepped aboard the boat and entered the cabin. Fortunately, everything was as it had been left at the time of the accident, for the rain had extinguished the fire as quickly as it had started. Critically, Nancy Drew surveyed the room, wondering where to begin the search.
“Well, produce the Crandall jewels if you know where they are!” Mary brought out triumphantly.
Nancy did not make a response, but began to open the drawers of the table. As she had half-expected, she found nothing. Undaunted, she made the rounds of the walls, tapping upon them sharply with her knuckles. To her disappointment, there was no indication of a hollow behind any of the panels.
“Didn’t I tell you?” Mary demanded of the captain. “Now will you let me go?”