Waterworks (H2O Just Add Water) 🌊

46. The Gracie Code Part Two

Lewis brought over Max's research of Mako Island and the moon pool and set it all up in Cleo's room. When meeting the elderly man, I was surprised to learn he knew Ida also and was one of his best friends. It also made me wonder if Grandma knew Max too since they lived around the Gold Coast for the majority of their lives.

"So, you really think there's anything in this stuff?" Emma wondered as she examined everything.

"Max was getting close to something," Lewis answered.

"Why didn't he just tell you what he knows?" Cleo asked.

"That's not how scientists work."

"They don't shove everything all at once in your face. They start with one piece at a time," I pointed out.

"Right, Zoey," Lewis nodded.

"So, how do old crackpots work?" Rikki asked as she held what was an antique magnifying glass and a booklet.

"Guys, something in here is going to confirm my own research. The moon's gravitational pull on Mako Island, the alignment of the planets, and magnetic anomalies. Stuff about how you became mermaids. And all of this is telling me I'm on the right track."

"Hey, look at this," Cleo smiled as she revealed some black and white photos.

I looked over and saw it was a photo of Max while in his youth along with Miss Chatham, Ida, Gracie, and Julia. Once again, I smiled at the sight of my great-aunt at my age.

"That must be Max," Lewis pointed out.

"And that's Gracie," Cleo switched to another photo of both Max and Gracie together, "They're so sweet."

It broke my heart after Max told us how he lost Gracie.

Cleo went through the rest of the photos and found a photo of Gracie by herself and clipped it on the whiteboard with a magnet, "She was just like us."

"Yeah. Ida as well," I nodded as I found a photo of all of the girls together.

That second, Cleo's phone rang. She went over and answered it.

"Hello," she spoke into the phone, "Hi, Charlotte."

All of us glanced over wondering what was up.

"Um, I'll just get him for you," Cleo continued as Lewis went over to her and she handed the phone to him.

He ended up taking the conversation into the other room. The others listened in, except me. After hanging up, Lewis told us he'd go over everything later on and left the room. Before leaving, he handed the phone back to Cleo. I had to guess Lewis was meeting up with Charlotte. It seemed she was still suspicious of him hanging out with the rest of us as if she didn't trust him enough.

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Sometime after Lewis left, we went through the series of articles and notes written by Max. The other girls couldn't stop talking about the phone call with Charlotte and Lewis' departure.

"He was half an hour late, so what?" Rikki scoffed.

"She must've been worried about him," Emma guessed.

"Calling your boyfriend on his ex-girlfriend's phone is not being worried. That's being paranoid."

"Well, this looks interesting," Cleo called out showing us what looked like some old film trying to deter Rikki and Emma from the topic.

"What's that?" Emma wondered.

"Some old film they used to shoot home movies on."

Cleo held up a strip of the film at some light trying to get a better look at it. The others and I went over and looked over.