Sarah was at his door the next morning, with donuts, coffee strong enough to wake the dead, and babbling about a huge lizard getting into the house and making a mess.
"I mean, it looked like it was looking for something," she kept talking, while Jack checked the jelly fillings of the donuts. He only liked the banana cream ones, but Sara hadn't brought a single one of them.
"Uhuh," mumbled Jack. The movers asked him where they could put the bed, and he led them to the main bedroom.
"It was huge. And the worst part is that I honestly have no idea where it came from. One moment the house was empty –and I know it was. I checked every single camera- and then boom. Lizard!"
Jack laughed humorlessly. It really sounded crazy when told like that. Did he sound like that when he talked about the Showdowns and the Shen Gon Wus? He supposed he did.
"I knew you wouldn't believe me, so I brought the footage with me."
"No, no, I believe you. I knew something like that would happen. Don't worry about that," said Jack, biting on a donut that he didn't like as the movers set up furniture around the house. He felt like he was trapped in some wacko nightmare that just wouldn't end.
"You knew a giant lizard would break into your house?" she asked.
"Hnghyeeah. I mean sort of. Anyway, delete the footage. The original and all copies. Then have the security company set up cameras in every room here.
He was under no delusions that they would help in any way against Chase, when the inevitable confrontation happened, but he had put together a pretty nice defense plan for himself. He just needed to find some spare parts, and set up a decently sized bunch of jackbots.
The doorbell rang, and Sarah went on to answer the door, while Jack finished his coffee and started measuring the windows.
"It's for you Mr. Spicer," she said, handing him a letter and a small, rectangular package. "From Mr. Chase Young. Isn't he one of your friends?"
Jack's blood ran cold. He snatched the package from Sarah's hands, and opened it. Inside was a necklace of pearls.
"That looks like-" started Sarah, but Jack already knew that it was his mother's necklace.
The letter had Chase's perfect calligraphy.
"Perhaps an exchange might interest you?"