In southern California, there is a sunny and verdant town, with one bowling alley, one movie theater, and one high school.
There's also one cemetery.
"Ugh. The two of you, unbelievable."
The Sheriff vacates the much-creepier-than-Jay guests from the premises.
"The Sheriff just dragged our two tombstone-lurkers away," Tantalus reports. "Looks like he knew them. You didn't happen to catch what they were saying, did you?"
"They weren't armed," Jay responds, almost casually. "I'd discounted them from things I needed to keep an immediate eye on. And the media are distracting. Also, this isn't all that big a town. It's perfectly feasible for the Sheriff to know them. Maybe they're the town troublemakers?"
"Maybe. It looked a bit different to me, more like... Almost like a father dragging two unruly sons away."
Tantalus winces at that particular phrase, waiting for some biting rejoinder that's likely to come from Jay about having no frame of reference, but she stays surprisingly silent.
The Sheriff hovers by the squad car, listening to something on his radio.
The Argents huddle close, talking quietly.
Except one, who watches the boys get dragged away.
"I'm not wrong in thinking there's a police scanner in our car, am I?" Jay asks. "Something seems to be happening. And I think Ms Argent was...aware, of the lurkers."
"Maybe," Tantlus says. "If I say yes can I go and hide in the car? Too many people are looking in my direction..."
That the boy currently looking into the trees isn't looking directly at him is actually more worrying.
"How come no-one's looking at you?"
"Maybe because I took time to conceal myself?" Jay suggests with a grin. "Yeah. Go ahead and let me know what the score is with the police."
She hangs up before Tantalus can say anything. A quick scan of the crowd produces nothing new, and she follows the teenager's sightline to the trees. Because that is slightly disturbing.
The man standing at the edge of trees doesn't stay long, but he nods at the boy before vanishing.
Jay catches sight of the man just before he leaves, and frowns.
She gives it a few minutes after the Argents leave to depart herself. Tantalus is waiting in the car nearby.
Apparently, an ambulence was stopped and its passenger kidnapped.
While moving. Rammed in the side by something that left a dent.
"And there was no apparent vehicle involved?" she's reaching into the glove compartment and digging under the map and packet of sweets to dig out the box she'd left here earlier.
Tantalus side-eyes her. "We're going and investigating aren't we? You remember that sleep is kind of a thing you need?"
"It's still early," Jay shrugs. "And I just want to get a look at the scene. We were sent here to investigate you remember."
"You remember that you're starting school tomorrow, right? This is a thing that is happening. I am not getting in trouble because you miss your first day. But fine. We can go and look."
Are they sure they don't want to follow these two boys who are sneaking out of the squad car?
"You've got that look again. The one that says I'm really not going to like what you're planning."