I do not own the characters of H2O: Just Add Water or Mako Mermaids.
The following morning after breakfast, Charlotte slipped on a denim skirt and pink button down blouse. Slipping on her shoes, she headed down for the lobby to wait for Elizabeth and Joshua as they were still getting ready. When she was getting dressed just minutes before, Charlotte saw the two of them together in Joshuas' room, prepping their guns and lacing up combat boots.
She looked down at her feet, realizing how inappropriate her attire was. Flats donned her large feet and it was obvious that they were not meant for running in. But she had no choice, since she hadn't gone shopping for the right clothes yet. Her train of thought came to an end when she saw her dad walk through the doors as he came in to the hotel. She stood awkwardly, not sure if she was supposed to greet him formerly or casually.
"Good morning," Agent Watsford spoke up.
"Morning," She muttered.
"Where are the agents?"
"Just finishing getting ready."
"Okay."
An awkward silence followed. Agent Gregory Watsford pulled out a little black book and skimmed through the pages, keeping busy while he waited for the older agents. He didn't have anything to say to Charlotte, while Charlottes mind raced with things that she could ask him.
"So...have you talked to mom lately?" Charlotte finally spoke up.
Gregory flinched a little. Well...she poked at the right spot.
"Uh...no...no I haven't. I haven't talked to her in a few years actually," Gregory answered.
"Oh...okay."
She tried to think of something else to ask, but was saved from the awkwardness when Elizabeth and Joshua finally showed up. Elizabeth slipped her phone in to the back pocket of her shorts and re-adjusted her gray crop top.
"Sorry we're a little late. We had to check in with General Leblanc," Joshua apologized.
Gregory just looked at the two, as if making an observation before he gave a little 'hmm' sound. He didn't sound very convinced, but he left it alone. He gave the two a look that seemed to say 'I know what you two were really up to', and it flew over Charlottes head.
"Right, well then, let's get going. We'll regroup at fourteen hundred hours," Gregory said.
Nodding, they left the hotel and got in their separate cars. Getting in to the passenger seat, Charlotte was handed a little black book that Elizabeth had on her person.
"Can you look up the address to Isabella Hartleys' home?" Elizabeth asked.
"Yeah."
Charlotte skimmed through the book until she found it, then plugged it in to the rental GPS. Huh, that was funny, it was right near a bank of water. Elizabeth began driving to the location.
"Charlotte, I had a theory last night while I was in the bathroom," Elizabeth spoke up.
"Is that where you get most of your theories?" Charlotte cracked a joke.
Elizabeth gave a grin.
"Sometimes, actually. Anyways, we both know that Rikki, Emma and Cleo are mermaids, but Joshua doesn't and your father especially doesn't know. What if the reason all of them are missing is because of that? What if they're missing because of who they secretly are?"
"Well...that would make some sense to me. Lewis told me about this woman from about a year ago who found out the girls secrets," Charlotte spoke up.
"What's her name?"
"Denman. Linda Denman."
"I've heard of her! She's a Marine Biologist. That would make sense. Tell me the rest of her story with the girls," Elizabeth urged.
So Charlotte did and recalled all that Lewis had told her about what happened, even about the lunar eclipse that the girls chose to be part of. Elizabeth then shook her head.
"Okay. Now it's making less sense. If she was convinced that they lost their powers forever, then she would have no reason to think that mermaids still existed. She's a scientist, but I'm sure that even she knows that the Moon Pool can't be explained. It's not her. There's got to be someone else at work here, someone like Doctor Denman," Elizabeth explained.
"We really should have been the ones to take the girls homes," Charlotte voiced.
"I agree, but you didn't keep your mouth shut and now we have to uncover secrets about these other women. Don't worry, we'll find out who's behind this and save your friends," Elizabeth replied.
The GPS alerted them that they had arrived at their destination. Parking the car and getting out, Charlotte looked around to make an observation. This didn't seem right. They were at Lewis's home.
"What are we doing here?" Charlotte asked.
"Isabella Hartley doesn't live in Queensland. She lives in Ireland. I just didn't pencil that in to my book. I needed to keep you distracted," Elizabeth admitted.
"So then...why are we at Lewis's?" Charlotte asked, her anxiety rising up.
"He'll be able to give me the answers that I want: the right answers. At least I hope so," Elizabeth explained.
They walked up to the front door and Elizabeth gave three sharp raps. The door opened and Lewis's big brother Lenny answered the door.
"Oh no, not you. Go away. Lewis wants nothing to do with you," Lenny said, looking at Charlotte.
Charlotte frowned. Of course she would expect this. Elizabeth whipped out her badge.
"Sir, my name is Agent Elizabeth Striker. I'm with the CIA. Are you Lewis McCartney?" Elizabeth asked in a formal manner; keeping in mind that she needed to keep secret the fact that she already knew who Lewis was.
He shook his head and gave her a look of worry.
"No, I'm his older brother. What's going on? Why does the CIA want to talk to my brother?" Lenny asked.
"It has to do with his friends who are missing. I just want to ask him some questions," Elizabeth explained.
"Okay, but why is she with you?" He asked in disgust.
"She's been of use. Now...your brother?"
Lenny nodded and allowed the two in to the house. The two waited by the entryway while Lenny went upstairs to grab Lewis. Within five seconds, it sounded as if a herd of elephants came barreling in to the room, as Lewis came bounding down the stairs. His eyes blinked in disbelief at what he was seeing. Charlotte cringed when she saw the unpleasant look that he gave her when the two locked gazes.
"Lewis McCartney?" Elizabeth asked, since Lenny was still hanging around.
"Yeah, who wants to know?" Lewis asked.
Elizabeth flashed him her badge.
"My name is Agent Elizabeth Striker. I've been assigned with the CIA to investigate the disappearance of your friends. I'd like to ask you a few questions about them," Elizabeth inquired.
Nodding, Lewis gestured for them to follow him outside, assuring his brother that he would be fine on his own. Once out of the house and at a safe distance to talk, Elizabeth opened up.
"Lewis, when was the last time that you saw them?"
"It was a few weeks ago, after the fifty year full moon. We were all hanging out at the beach when they decided to swim to Mako Island. I didn't see them after that and got worried, so I went to the Moon Pool, but they weren't there. I searched half the island, but they were nowhere to be found," Lewis answered.
"You didn't see anything strange while you were there?"
"Not really."
"Hmm. Maybe we should take another look, just in case there was something you missed. Did you get a bad feeling when they swam off to Mako? Did something not feel right to you?"
Lewis shook his head.
"No. But I'm really worried about them."
"You mean you're worried about Cleo?" Charlotte piped up, folding her arms across her chest.
Elizabeth gave her a warning look.
"What's she doing here?" Lewis asked, gesturing to Charlotte.
"She joined the agency."
Lewis gave Charlotte a look of bewilderment. Elizabeth was quick to ask her next question before Lewis began on his own.
"Do you ever recall the girls accidentally using their powers in public?"
"Oh yeah, plenty of times. One time, Rikki and Emma swum in to the dolphin pool and the Marine Park and accidentally let Ronnie escape. Emma once accidentally froze a person without knowing it and the girls all had to revive her. There's been a lot of mishaps, but they're not perfect. They've made mistakes," Lewis answered.
"Hmm. Have any of them used their powers on someone for payback? Perhaps because they felt cheated out of something that they got mixed in?"
"Yeah, well...only Rikki. This one guy was making a profit off of the fish that she was gathering. She didn't like that and almost boiled him to death," Lewis remembered.
Elizabeth and Charlotte both winced. Never make Rikki feel cheated.
"What was his name?" Elizabeth asked, pulling out her little black book.
"Barry? I think his name was Barry?"
"And was he arrested after the incident?"
"Yeah. I called the police beforehand once we found out that he had been selling fish without a license."
Elizabeth wrote the name down, then proceeded to check her phone. She and Charlotte had to get going soon.
"Charlotte told me about Linda Denman. Do you think that she could be behind the girls disappearance?" Elizabeth asked.
Lewis shook his head.
"I doubt it. She became convinced that the girls lost their powers forever."
Thanking him, Elizabeth said that it was all she needed and allowed for him to get on with his day. Before Lewis turned to go back inside, he turned around and called out, specifically to Charlotte.
"Thanks for helping."
He went inside. Charlotte felt a little tear trickle down her cheek. She could hear the sincerity and concern in his words. Despite that he was worried about the girls, specifically Cleo; Lewis was genuinely grateful that Charlotte was making it up by helping to look for them. She got in to the passenger seat and buckled up.
"What next?" Charlotte asked.
"We're going to get in contact with Evie McLarens family and friends next," Elizabeth replied.
Punching the address in the GPS, she drove towards their next location.