Two days after the twins left to pack up and settle things where they've been living, Stephen gets a call shortly after dinner.
Percy glances down at her hand for a ring, which also masks a look at Jackie's emotional state. "But clearly, you had to help poor me, like a good Samaritan. He doesn't need to know how."
Amusement and mild interest are overcoming boredom at the moment, though there's still a fair amount of the latter. She's wearing two rings - a wedding ring and a simple ruby engagement ring. She wiggles her fingers at Percy with a smile when she notices her looking.
"That's true," she agrees thoughtfully, before pouting, "It's only fair I have a little fun, too. He's been so busy with his new project lately he's hardly paid me any attention at all."
"You know what, you're right." She looks up, noting the fading light of the day, "And it's just getting late enough to enjoy the nightlife, too. Give me a moment to change and I'd love to go out." She backs up a step, and then pauses, "Oh, I'm Jackie, by the way. Jackie Spade."
"Oh, another long name, huh? Mine's actually Jacqueline." She mock shudders, then laughs, "Well, I'll see you in a moment, Percy. Don't go anywhere!"
She jogs back up to the house, slipping inside beneath a table the movers are bringing through the door.
She doesn't. Instead, she just types furiously about what just happened and for the Graywards to do something about it.
And a few minutes later, Jackie comes back outside, more casual outfit replaced with something a little shorter and skimpier. Once she gets down the steps, she waves Percy over to the garage, "Come on, we can take my car," she offers, pressing the garage door control on her keychain. The door opens to reveal the same car that Davin was seen getting into after placing the note in the Starrs'.
"Nice ride." Percy says, she is good at not showing any sort of panic related to entering a vehicle with a potential kidnapper. "Do you mind if we pass at my hotel, so I can change clothes?" She gives the address, it's a fairly decent one.
"Thanks," she laughs, "And not at all."
And off they go to the hotel.
"So you're thinking of moving here, huh? On your own, or are you bringing a family?"
"He has the most complicated family situation. As in, he has multiple half-brothers, and them and his father won't just let him leave."
The slowly growing anticipation she'd been feeling since Percy got in the car with her settles down a bit at this.
"Wow, you hear about clingy families, but... So you've gotta have the escape route prepared before he leaves, huh?"
"That's the idea. I can't even tell you for sure I want to marry the dude, but I am serious enough to do something like this, at least."
She's feeling the sort of morbid intrigue that one feels when they accidentally turn on the soap opera channel and then get sucked in.
"Wow, that's really nice of you. I guess we'll just have to see how it goes, huh? At least you'll have one friend in the area, now."
"Well, I was already planning to leave that town. Might as well not leave any stuck there. And, I appreciate meeting you." Charming smile.
"You've definitely brightened up my day, too."
And soon enough they're pulling up to the hotel.
And they go up Percy's room, so she can freshen up while Jackie waits.
The room itself is apparently rather normal, except for a random assortment of candles and crystals dotting around the space.
It's also very quiet.
She peers at the crystals and candles from the doorway, "Huh, you into wicca or something?" She asks, taking a few steps further inside to get a better look.
Perseverance turns around and points at a crystal on the floor. She does not speak.
In fact, Jackie might or might not notice how everything goes suddenly quiet once she is in the room.
And maybe Jackie did look up or not, regardless. Aaron falls from the ceiling where he was holding himself up by pressing his legs against the opposite walls of the short passage between the room's door and the hallway. His hands go to her wrists and their touch is like a taser.
She did look down, not that it would have mattered if she hadn't. His shocking grip sends her falling to her knees with a silenced scream, her body jerking from the electricity.