“Oh, lots of things—that is with people also closely associated with him.” Then she told about Punaro and her belief that he was connected with the cannery fire, and later their coming unexpectedly upon him at the dock. “It looked to both Brad and me that he was hiding a tightly nailed box with the rubbish on the barge.”
“Um-m,” grunted her father significantly.
“Dad, that’s why I wanted to go out to the dump pile and see what the situation was for myself.”
Her father had risen and was now pacing the floor. He turned toward her sharply and said, “Surely you didn’t go ashore there?”
“Then Billy didn’t get the germ from that dump—or there was no greater chance of his getting it there than anywhere else. But the foolish thing, Kitty, was you two going alone. You might have taken Brad with you as long as you had discussed these things with him.”
“He was down at the beach for the afternoon. I picked up more clues down there, too, which made it seem certain supplies are going out from our hospital to the German subs. One of the Coast Guard men told about them finding Bayshore Bakery bread on one of those captured subs.”
“If that was all they’re getting I might not have so much to worry about,” said her father.
Kitty glanced at him sharply. “What do you mean, Dad? You think they’re getting more than that?”
Kitty knew he was keeping something from her. However, she was determined now to tell him all. “Another strange thing happened yesterday that may or may not be significant.”
“It was odd, after seeing old Uncle Mose on Terrapin Island Sunday, someone on the troop train yesterday asked me about him.” Kitty gave a sprightly account of the veteran returned from the Pacific. “And by the way I have that dollar and must take some tobacco to the old man.”
“And what connection does all this have with the clues you’re running down?”
“Vera Parsons told me that the owner of Terrapin Island was near when I was talking to that fellow. She said he actually glared at me when he heard I’d been on the island. Of course it was all posted over with ‘No trespassing’ signs, and maybe we shouldn’t have eaten our supper there.”
“We did no harm. Those signs generally apply to hunting, fishing and fire-making.”
