{Seven Mile Island – June 1985}
The day after his clandestine mission to the Masters’ property, Frank Sharp opened his market and attempted to perform his duties in a normal manner. As he worked that morning, his thoughts were torn between frustration and relief. On one hand, he was upset that the girl had unexpectedly appeared on the dock and that he had been forced to abduct her and then dump her in the bay. He was also disturbed by the frightening nightmare he experienced after his journey to the Masters’ home. On the other hand, he was relieved that he hadn’t been caught, and he rationalized that there was no possible way that anyone could suspect his involvement in the incident.
Regardless, it was business as usual for Frank throughout most of the morning. That was until he accidentally bumped his wrist against a table, which caused significant pain. It was also the moment when Frank remembered that the girl had scratched him when he pushed her off the boat.
To add insult to injury, at that instant, the girl entered his market with her mother and grandmother. While putting forth his absolute best demeanor to his customers and offering suggestions for their planned luau party, Frank could not help but notice how the girl’s mother stared at his bandaged wrist as she paid for the fruit, vegetables, and shrimp.
After the ladies left the market, Frank decided that he needed to rest. He closed his business three hours earlier than normal and walked straight to his small house to try to get some sleep. Unfortunately, the more he thought about the botched mission, the more stressed and anxious he became. To make matters worse, he kept thinking about the girl’s mother and the expression on her face as she seemed to look directly at his injured wrist. It was as if she was revealing, “I know that you’re responsible for my daughter’s kidnapping!”
After several hours of tossing and turning, Frank sat up in his bed and shouted, “There’s no way she could know. I’m fine. I won’t let that woman’s silly expressions deter me.”
Later that evening, Frank Sharp turned his focus back to the boys and their so-called Pirate Cave. He believed that the only reasonable place to search for the cave was at Dylan and Christine’s large property. Because he had no way of knowing that the boys had already discovered a gold bar and that the authorities had been notified, Sharp irrationally decided that it would be safe to return to the Masters’ home after nightfall to find the boys’ cave.
Frank targeted 1:30 a.m. for his next mission, as he presumed that their luau party would be over by then and that the entire family would be asleep. After fine-tuning his surveillance plan, Frank reckoned that he had the perfect strategy to covertly inspect the property.
Noting that he still had several hours before he would embark, Frank decided to try to sleep. After setting his alarm clock, he closed his eyes and softly mumbled, “Please let me relax and rest.”
As he slept, Frank’s vivid imagination returned. He dreamed about his youthful past as a handsome, intelligent, and successful Kriegsmarine naval officer who was always willing to do anything for the Führer and Germany. The satisfying hallucinations reached a pinnacle when Frank envisioned that he found the U-boat with its valuable cargo on Dylan and Christine’s property. At that moment, the sleeping man gave a sigh of pure bliss as he visualized himself navigating the U-boat toward Argentina.
The delightful dream was disrupted by the loud blasting of his alarm clock, which forced him to open his eyes and begrudgingly face reality. It was 12:15 a.m. when Frank sat up in his bed. After a brief moment to collect his thoughts, he felt refreshed and full of excitement.
Frank quickly dressed in all-black lightweight pants, a long-sleeved shirt with an attached hood, shoes, and gloves. After collecting his flashlight from the closet, Frank looked into his bedroom mirror. Approving of his own reflection and feeling ready, Sharp began to laugh in a disturbing and eerie manner as he uttered the words, “Tonight’s the night we meet again.”
Instead of taking his boat back to the Masters’ property, Frank decided to drive his car. At 1:15 a.m., he drove onto the island and headed north on Ocean Drive. Upon reaching 12th Street, Frank parked on the side of the dark road. He then exited his vehicle and walked unobserved through the town’s deserted public park situated between 8th and 12th Streets. After turning west onto 7th Street, Frank walked a short distance on the unlit road before he reached Christine and Dylan’s property. Pausing for a moment, he looked down the long stone walkway and could see their house situated at the northwest corner of the island.
As Frank quietly walked toward the house, he confidently believed that he would soon learn the truth about the Pirate Cave and also the fate of his long-lost U-boat.
With his anticipation and obsession reaching a boiling point, Frank struggled to think clearly. Moving in the darkness, he silently whispered, “So close. It’s mine.”
At two o’clock, Frank began using his flashlight to search for the cave. After finding nothing of importance on the southeast side of the large property, he headed toward the lagoon area. But unbeknownst to Frank Sharp, not everyone was asleep at the house!