Little late this morning, aren't we?
I'm so sorry, Mrs. Geddes. It won't happen again.
- That's what you said last week. - This time I mean it.
I hope so.
Hey.
Earth to Lewis.
- Oh, hey. - What's so riveting?
I'm just finishing off my latest work of genius.
So you're modest as well as smart.
Admit it, you're intrigued.
"Intrigued" might be a little strong. Curious, maybe.
Okay, brace yourself.
I've designed a program that correlates tidal movements,
seasonal thermal water currents, underwater contours—
And you want all this because?
Because it'll tell me where the fish are and when they're hungry.
Wow. Impressive. - Wait till you see it in action.
Oh, no.
- Your laptop is a bit run-down. - Yeah, well, I can't afford a new one.
- Did you back it up? - I was about to.
Some genius you turned out to be.
Here.
No! My computer's dead?
That's it. I've got to find myself a job.
Hey, Ronnie.
- How you doing?
I know what you need.
You liked that, did you?
I was just…
I mean, he looked bored. I thought he needed a treat.
You should know the new rules, Cleo.
Only handlers are permitted to feed the dolphins now.
But squid is his favorite. He'd do anything for it. He adores it.
And you feed him often enough to know that?
No. I mean, yes. I mean, sometimes.
Ronnie's our main attraction. We need to monitor his diet very strictly.
Yes, Mrs. Geddes. I'm sorry.
- Fired? For that? - Seriously?
I can't believe it.
I'm sure you'll find another job.
Maybe, but where am I gonna find one that I like that much?
Serving ice cream to snotty little brats.
- What's to like? - Is a little tact so much to ask for?
Maybe when Mrs. Geddes calms down, she'll realize she's made a mistake.
- You think? - Of course.
She's bound to.
Plus, where is she gonna find someone else who'll work for a monster like her?
As luck would have it, a position has just become available.
Great.
What sort of position?
A very important one,
vital to the health and well-being of our clients.
Um, I'm sorry, I seem to be a bit short.
Allow me.
Uh, thanks, Lewis, but I can't let you do that.
Hey, it's okay. I can afford it. I got a job today.
- Really? - Yep.
In fact, you and I are going to be working together.
You better look out, I might do you out of a job.
You already have.
What?
I got fired today, Lewis.
Fired? You're kidding!
No, I'm not.
Hey, found a job yet?
Yeah. Only, I wish I hadn't.
It's just a small step to help us keep an eye on the staff.
Not you, of course.
Oh, of course.
You can't let him get away with this.
Hang on, let's not jump to conclusions.
Maybe he didn't know he was taking your job.
Oh, I forgot.
Lewis has been the walking definition of "loyal", lately.
Remember that thing I said about tact?
Look on the bright side.
It's Lewis we're talking about.
He'll probably drop a butterscotch triple on some kid's head
and end up getting fired.
- When he does, you can get your job back. - I doubt it.
It's practically the easiest job on the planet.
That's why I liked it so much.
She's right. It's not like serving ice cream is the hardest job in the world.
But it could be.
There he is.
After you.
Okay, if you insist.
Here you go, little buddy.
- Daddy! - It's okay.
It's okay, don't cry. I'll get you a new one.
There you go.
- Is this a joke? Absolutely not.
I have no idea what's going on here.
I'll be seeing your manager about this.
There's no need for that. Sir, you don't…
Show yourselves.
I cannot believe you two. Anyone could have seen you.
I can't believe you'd hurt Cleo like this.
She got fired. It was out of my hands.
What are you doing down there?
I was just, um… taking a break.
Well, you don't have breaks. We discussed that.
There's no one around.
- So, who were you talking to? - No one.
I might have said a quick, you know, hi to the dolphin,
but other than that…
This is your first day, Lewis.
I'd advise you to keep your mind on your job.
Yes, Mrs. Geddes. I'm sorry.
You guys are nuts!
Yeah? Well, you're a traitor, but we're above name-calling.
Come on, Em.
Or you could upgrade to get an extra hundred gig.
Lewis?
Hmm? Mm. Sounds great.
Lewis, you've got to stop beating yourself up.
Cleo got fired before you got the job.
I know, it's silly.
- I just feel guilty. - Well, don't.
Easier said than done.
Cleo's a big girl. She can look after herself.
I know that. It's just she loved her job,
and there's this one dolphin she has a real bond with.
What sort of bond?
Forget it. I've got to go. Catch you later.
No, wait. Don't you want to go through these brochures?
- Lewis! - Hi!
Cleo, can we talk?
Dad, if that person I'm not speaking to calls by,
can you tell him I'm not speaking to him right now?
I get the feeling she doesn't want to talk to you.
Come on, Cleo. I didn't know you lost your job.
It's weird, I can hear a strange, whining sound.
Mr. S, can you tell Cleo that I feel really bad about taking her job?
- Lewis says— I heard him!
And can you tell him that's not the point?
- Cleo says— - I heard her, and I disagree.
- How can you possibly disagree? - You got fired, Cleo!
Well, why don't you rub it in some more, Lewis?
You're sure he's not in the main pool?
Definitely. He's not in any of the pools.
Good morning.
- It's not so good, I'm afraid. - Ronnie's gone missing.
- You're joking! - This is hardly a joking matter.
- We need to ask you some questions. - Yeah, sure. Fire away.
Do you remember seeing anyone suspicious around the dolphin ponds yesterday?
No. Didn't see a soul.
Well, I saw some souls, but they didn't look suspicious.
And what were you doing near the underwater gate?
Nothing. I swear.
- Did you open the gate? - No.
I wouldn't know how to, and even if I did, I wouldn't do it.
Really? - Really.
Maybe you'll reconsider your version of events
when we show you the security footage.
Is this really necessary? I mean… things always look weird on security footage.
Quiet, Lewis.
There.
Explain that.
- What? - That.
That's me. That's just harmless little me.
- You were talking to someone. - To Ronnie.
I'm an animal lover from way back. I treat them just like they're people.
- Especially dolphins. I love dolphins. - This is a serious matter, Lewis.
I appreciate that.
What were you doing with the controls?
I didn't touch the controls.
Not on purpose. I was trying not to fall in.
A likely story.
Look, I'm gonna ask you one more time, Lewis.
Did you let Ronnie out through the underwater gate?
No. I didn't. I swear.
I have combed every piece of footage from that moment on,
and there's no further appearance from Ronnie.
That's terrible, really it is, but I don't see what it's got to do with me.
You're responsible for Ronnie's disappearance. Admit it.
No, I'm not. And I'd be lying if I said I was.
Fine.
You leave me with no choice.
Uh, get me the police, please.
You'll never believe it. Ronnie's gone missing.
Cleo, that's terrible.
They think he got out through an underwater gate.
And it gets worse. They think Lewis is responsible.
What? Why would they think that?
I don't know. It doesn't make any sense. Lewis wouldn't do that.
I've got to get down there.
It must have been us. We must have let him out.
- We've got to tell her. - We can't tell her.
Cleo loves that dolphin, and it's our fault he's gone.
We've got to get Ronnie back.
This is ridiculous. We're never going to find him.
Positive thinking wouldn't kill you, Rikki.
Reality check.
We're searching for one dolphin in an ocean full of them.
Then we're gonna have to try harder.
The only way we're gonna locate Ronnie
is if he swims up and bites us on the tail.
And if we don't find him,
Cleo's gonna do worse than that to your tail.
I wish I didn't let you talk me into going after Lewis in the first place.
Me?
Alright, maybe we're equally to blame, but we meant well, didn't we?
Explain that to Lewis.
Can you imagine it? I'm never gonna hear the end of this.
- We better call Cleo and come clean. - No! No way.
There's still plenty of places we haven't checked. Come on.
Lewis. I just wanna know one thing.
- Did you do it? - No.
Then why do they think you did it?
They've got security footage of me crouching at the controls
to the underwater gate at the moment Ronnie went missing.
How can you be sure you didn't do it? Maybe you accidentally opened the gate.
Trust me. I didn't do it.
- I know who's responsible. - Then say something!
- I can't. - Yes, you can.
No, really, I can't.
- Why? Because…
I can hardly tell them that a couple of your soul-sister mermaids popped in
and accidentally left the gate open, can I?
We got your message.
Anything you guys want to tell me?
That top brings out the color in your eyes.
You let Ronnie out!
We're sorry, Cleo. It was an accident, I promise.
- We didn't know he followed us out. - What were you doing there?
Anybody could have seen you!
We just… We couldn't let Lewis get away with taking your job.
So we went there to complicate things.
Well, let's see.
Ronnie's gone and Lewis is in serious trouble.
Is that complicated enough for you?
That's the last time the dolphin was seen?
That's right.
I know how it looks, but I didn't do it.
All you have to do is explain to me
what you were doing by the gate controls.
Just tell me the truth and you're free to go.
- We've already searched the reef. - We'll search again.
Think about it, Cleo. We can't cover the entire ocean.
- He must be starving by now. - He'll be fine.
He's swimming in an ocean full of fish.
He's been raised in captivity. He doesn't know how to hunt for live feed.
Then what does he eat?
Oh, squid. He loves squid. He'll do anything for it.
Wait!
I've got an idea.
I came across a whole school of them this morning.
- Really? Where? - East side of Mako.
What do you want squid for anyway?
Um, fishing. See you later. Thanks, Dad!
So, what sort of charges are we looking at?
Charges? I didn't do anything.
Once we've done a full investigation, we'll get back to you.
For now, we need to get you down to the station to make a formal statement.
His parents will meet you at the station.
- For the last time, I'm innocent. - Spare me, Lewis.
The only thing that'll save you now is Ronnie himself.
Thank you, officer.
Ronnie!
You were saying?
- Is this the missing dolphin? - Yeah, that's him! That's him!
He looks fine.
Almost as if he's been here all along.
I don't understand how this would have happened.
That's nature for you, Mrs. G.
Full of wonders beyond our understanding.
Get that gate checked so it doesn't happen again.
Yes, of course.
And a simple apology will be fine.
An apology? You must be kidding.
I don't think that's too much to ask.
Unless you'd like your superiors to hear about the incident.
Fine.
I'm, uh… sorry. There. Happy?
Hmm.
Oh, actually, I do have one more request.
It's good to be back.
One thing I won't miss about this job?
The lame hat.
- Bet you'll miss the paycheck, though. - Yes. Ouch.
But seeing as you guys are gonna help cover the cost of Lewis' computer repairs,
it won't matter, will it?
- I guess I could chip in. - You're dreaming.
- Rikki, it is the least you can do. - Your computer, your problem.
- You are so uncharitable. - I am so charitable!
I am the most charitable person I know, other than Emma.
Maybe you should get a job here, too!
Well, maybe I will!
Lewis!
JS