A Fishy Tale, The Sequel - Fanfiction for H2O Just Add Water

Chapter 131

Chapter 131

Ben stopped to admire his handiwork, putting his tools down. The final island house was now completed. Now that their houses were made from regular materials, they wouldn't have to be afraid of their village being discovered. Of course, they wouldn't be advertising it to others, but if they ever encountered another 'Ryan' it was one less thing to worry about. It was also good timing in case the police looked into their addresses.

It had been a week since the police had arrested Ryan and his employees and life had returned so some semblance of normalcy. The kids were all still processing what had happened, so the adults had been being deliberate about reducing pressure and making sure they felt safe. Any swims were accompanied closely by parents. Even though Ryan was in custody and couldn't harm them, it was a good precaution.

"Nice work, Ben," Anna approached. "All the houses look great."

"Thanks honey," he replied, kissing her on the cheek.

Anna's phone began to ring. She pulled her phone from her pocket and answered the call.

"Hi, Anna speaking." She looked at Ben and mouthed 'police'.
"Ok, thanks for letting us know. Is there anything else you need from us at the moment?"

"No? Ok," she listened for a minute before saying, "Great, thanks, bye," Anna hung up.

"The police?" Ben questioned.

Anna nodded.

"It was just an update on the case. Let's get everyone together and I can share the news,"

Anna relayed the update to the adults. Ryan was in police custody and from the evidence in the warehouse and their testimonies as witnesses, the police were confident that they would be able to prosecute for kidnapping and assault (from the use of sedatives and tranquiliser darts on unconsenting people – which can cause overdose). If Ryan was released on bail, he would have strict conditions that would prevent him from coming near them. The detective assured them that they and their children would be safe. Ryan would have his preliminary hearing (to see whether it would go to trial) in a few weeks. It did not seem like the police believed Ryan's claims about their mermaidness.

OoOoO

Detective Isla Griffin looked over her case board again. They definitely had proof that the defendant had taken the children, drugged them, and tranquilised a woman who had come to retrieve them. They had proof that it was premeditated with the stalker photos (of them, their schools and home) and detailed information. They had the witness testimonies from the family of the kidnapping victims. Based on this evidence, it was enough to prosecute with confidence. This is what Isla had updated Anna with over the phone. Despite these facts, there was something about the case that was niggly. There were some facts about the families involved that didn't sit right.
Mr Tate sincerely believed that the children and their parents were mermaids and mermen. When he had been questioned he was certain in his statements about this, trying to convince her that he'd been providing a service to expose the mermaids for who they truly are. He was trying to convince her that mermaids exist. He definitely did not show remorse about the kidnapping; he sincerely believed that they were not human children so it was justified. Ridiculous. All the children had valid Australian birth certificates, and their parents were all citizens with jobs and histories that were easy to find. Isla was surprised to find out that the families shared a singular mailing address and other properties registered in their names were being rented. When she asked Anna about this, Anna had reported that they actually lived on Mako Island but had their mail sent to that address – Isla found out that Isabella Benjamin had purchased a privatised half of the island years earlier. While this detail was strange, it didn't indicate that the families could be hiding more.
What Isla recognised as a discrepency was some of the physical evidence at the crime scene – the warehouse. They had found melted tranquiliser guns and they had no idea what could have done it. Maybe Ryan had staged the melted guns so that they might believe the supernatural of his story? Or maybe the mermaids did have special powers like he said. Isla shook herself out of that silly thought. They must've been staged.