The one thing you could say about Jackson Strange was that magic...was not exactly the career he'd been aiming for.

Unlike Allie or Benny or Rufus Heck, for whom magic was a passion, for Jackson Strange, magic was a job. A skill he knew he was proficient at and thusly could ride all the way to the bank. When he had been in high school, he'd attended a party and, while there, had done a few simple card tricks to entertain the masses. When their fawning over his easily understandable card tricks simmered down, that's when it hit Jackson...people were dumb, and would believe anything they saw. So he focused on magic, created a persona, and the rest was history. But Jackson didn't want to be a goofy stage magician with a fancy costume like he'd seen growing up, no, he wanted to be a cool magician, one that worked on the street and didn't play by the standard rules. Needless to say, he achieved his goals threefold. Whether that was a good thing or not remained to be seen, seeing as it made him somewhat of a pariah amongst the industry, many of whom worked longer and harder than he had and yet never attained the same level of fame he'd gotten in all their years. But Jackson found an audience, not in the traditionalists, but in the new age and outsider crowd. The gothic scene, especially. He was a big draw at parties, and there was no bigger outsider party than that of The Divine Arts.

The only problem now was...what did one wear to such an event? Molly Hatchet had no idea.

Standing in front of her mirror in her bedroom, wearing a plain black backless dress with a slit up to her hip and her hair pulled up into a messy bun, Molly almost didn't recognize herself. After learning this club was set in a grungy downtown underground club, Molly figured the best she could do was try to fit in. So she looked up gothic makeup tutorials - nothing extreme, just the basics - and made her face paler, did heavy eyeliner and dark red lipstick. She actually didn't dislike the way she looked, which was perhaps the most surprising part of all. Benny entered the room, finishing up tying his tie, when he stopped and looked up at her.

"Alright, we need to move if we're gonna make this thing and...whoa," he said, "damn. Look at you."

Molly turned her head and blushed, looking at him.

"Well, dare I say I think I'm gonna be there with the best lookin' girl, that's for sure," Benny said, "Ya know, I didn't know I had a thing for goth girls until just now."

"Oh, was my one time attempt your awakening? Boy you're easily swayed," Molly replied, the both of them laughing as Benny approached and put his hands on her hips, tugging her towards him, making her gasp.

"It's a shame you're gonna have to reapply your lipstick," he said quietly, before kissing her. Truth was, despite all that was going on...Molly Hatchet had never been happier in her life, all thanks to the relationship between herself, Benny and Olivia. After a little impromptu makeout session, Benny and Molly arrived at the club, showed their tickets and were let in instantly. As they headed down the stairs and into the main foyer, Benny tugged at the chest of his suit.

"I'm not used to wearing such tight clothes," he muttered.

"Try wearing heels when you never do, my god, I'm going to break my neck," Molly said.

"That's the attitude to have while in here, embrace death," Benny said, making her chuckle. After they reached the bar, next door to the theatre where the show proper would be held, they stood and ordered some drinks. While waiting, they scanned the area, and after a moment, Molly pointed at two women off in the distance in black shoulderless dresses, the texture of which looked to mimic spiderweb.

"What about them?" she asked, "look at their knee high boots. I would rather wear those."

"Well we can make that happen," Benny said, "but they have to stay on in bed."

"But you really are discovering new things you like," Molly said, laughing as someone sidled up beside her and ordered a drink. Molly looked towards the man, and realized immediately it was Jackson Strange. Once he got his drink, he lifted it to his lips and then looked at Molly.

"Hey girl," he said, "how are you doing tonight?"

"I've been better," Molly said.

"You here for the show?" he asked.

"Think that's what everyone is here for, yes," Benny said, chiming in.

"Well, hope you enjoy, it's gonna be a doozy," Strange said, downing the rest of his drink, wiping his mouth on his long duster sleeve and then turning to leave. Molly shook her head and scoffed, as Benny took a sip of his own drink.

"I really dislike him," Benny said.

"Get in line," Molly said.

                                                                           ***

Allie and Zoe were sitting in Allie's car, parked outside of a seemingly rundown apartment building. Allie checked the card Rufus had given her one more time and rolled her eyes. Yes. This was, in fact, the right address. She groaned and laid her head back on the headrest, putting a hand over her face as Zoe turned her head to face Allie.

"We can just go," Zoe said, "We don't have to do this."

"Rufus said Salem Shaw knew Raymond Sykes better than anyone," Allie said, "I need as much information on the guy just in preparation for what's to come. Eventually we're going to come face to face, and when that moment comes, I need to know exactly what I'm up against."

"Well, I'm here with you, you're not alone," Zoe said, grabbing and holding Allie's hand, making her smile. The two women nodded, stepped out of the car and, zipping up their respective jackets, headed up to the apartment building. It was so run down there wasn't even any security to get in the front door, they instead just pulled the doors open and headed right inside. Once there, they stood and looked around, wondering where they might find an index of tenants and what apartments they resided in. After a moment, Zoe tapped Allie on the shoulder and pointed at the mailboxes built into the wall, with names and apartment numbers on them. They walked over and found Salem Shaw, Apartment 3B. Together, they then headed up the stairs, seeing as the elevator was out of order - and looked like it had been for years - and eventually landed on the third floor. They then began scouring the door plaques for 3B, until they finally found it. Allie exhaled, reached out and knocked. After a minute, the door opened, a chain keeping it half shut, as a nervous looking half face peered back out at them.

"Hello?" the face asked.

"Hi, I'm...I'm Allie Meers, this is my friend Zoe Fitch, we're magicians. Rufus Heck told me to come speak with you," Allie said, "I hope we're not imposing."

"Rufus sent you?" the face asked, its one visible eyebrow lowering in suspicion, "...why?"

"Can we come in and discuss that?" Zoe asked, as a second voice called out from inside the apartment.

"Open the door, Salem," the female voice said, and the face sighed, then did as it was told. The latch unchained and the door swung fully open, revealing a man who looked to be in his mid thirties with a short beard and scruffy brown hair. He was wearing a short sleeved button down shirt with a pattern on it that resembled arcade carpet and torn jeans. He stepped aside and allowed Allie and Zoe entrance into the apartment. As they walked inside, they then saw the woman from whom the voice seconds ago had come from. She was tall, over 6 feet, with bleach blonde long hair, wearing a pencil skirt and a nice blue blouse with white polka dots. Together, the two seemed utterly mismatched. She smiled at them as they entered her line of sight, and they smiled back politely.

"Hello," she said brightly, walking towards them and extending her hand to shake theirs, "I'm Jane. Rufus sent you guys?"

"Hello Jane, nice to meet you, and yes he did," Allie said, as she and Zoe shook her hand; Allie then turned to look at Salem, who had lit a cigarette and was taking a long drag before adding, "we really need to talk to you."

"I mean, I'm not...I'm not working anymore, I don't know why you'd be interested in speaking to me," Salem said, coughing as he smoked.

"It's about Raymond Sykes," Allie said, and Salem's eyes widened.

"...fuck," he whispered.

                                                                           ***

Sitting in the theatre, Benny kept wiggling in his seat, as Molly looked at him and smirked until he finally noticed her and stopped, staring back at her.

"Enjoying the show?" he asked, and she laughed, nodding; Benny grinned and said, "my seat has like a broken spring or something and it's jabbing me right in the crotch. It's very unpleasant."

Just then the lights came down and the theatre got dark, as some cheers and whistles erupted from the small crowd. Benny and Molly then covered their eyes as they were blasted with blinding white spotlights from the front of the stage, illuminating just the middle of the stage, where the infamous glass box stood. Music was playing, and after a minute, Jackson Strange, in his regalia, stepped out to massive applause. Benny scoffed and looked around.

"It's a goddamn fashion show for him, and look at how they're treating him, like he's the Saint of Magic or some shit," Benny whispered.

"He's insufferable," Molly whispered back, "but I think you're right, the adoration is far more insufferable simply because it lacks any sense."

Jackson walked to the center of the stage and stopped, putting his hand on the glass box and then, looking at the crowd, grinned.

"Welcome...to The Divine Arts!" he shouted, making the crowd erupt.

"And they said Claire ran a cult," Benny whispered, making Molly smirk.

"Tonight I will be giving you an example of the trick I am looking to pull off publicly on a large scale in just a few months time, and that is escaping from this transparent glass box," Jackson said, "the illusion of escape is an ancient one, going back all the way to the start of magic itself. And why does it entice us so? Because, at one time or another, we've all wanted to escape."

"Jesus, someone call the pretentious police," Molly whispered, making Benny chuckle and hold her hand.

"Well, tonight, I intend to prove, before this esteemed crowd, that escape is possible, even when it seemingly isn't," Jackson said, "and when I am done, you too will realize that, even when things look their bleakest, you can also pull off the unimaginable, and do the impossible. I am Jackson Strange, and this is The Glass Box!"

Another cheer erupted, as Molly rolled her eyes. This was going to be a long night.

                                                                           ***

"Yeah, I know what a bastard he is, upfront," Salem said, "I saw it firsthand."

"You worked with him?" Allie asked, and Salem shook his head as he sat on the arm of the couch.

"Nah, didn't get that personal with him outright, definitely didn't enter into some kind of business relationship," Salem said, "no, I dated his daughter. Nicole. Hearing she'd put a hole in her head was...hard. But, truth be told, I wouldn't be shocked if he was the reason she put it there. Man was a deceitful, controlling, manipulative piece of shit."

"How long were you two together?" Zoe asked, as Jane came back, handing everyone coffee mugs before seating herself on the couch, beside Salem, her free hand on his leg as if to comfort him in some sort of way during this moment.

"Not long, 5, 6 months maybe," Salem said, lifting the mug to his lips and drinking before taking another drag on his cigarette, "but the things I saw, the things she told me...Rufus was the only one I ever shared that with, and only because he and I wound up doing a charity event together. He was retired, but they begged him, loved him, so he agreed. It was a one night thing. To get to perform with your hero, how could I turn that down? Some rich kids birthday. So afterwards Rufus and I strike up a conversation, we get to talking, turns out we both the governor, albeit for different reasons. Start swapping stories."

"He's told me what he was involved in," Allie said, "Rufus, I mean. But I'm still not clear on what it is you know."

Salem leaned back against the couch and sighed. He looked into his coffee mug and waited, tapping his nails on it.

"...I watched him," Salem said, "watched him make Nicole do things she wasn't comfortable with. Perform financial alterations she didn't want to perform. Phony up tax documents, the whole thing. Nicole would tell me these things too. I didn't just see it. Sometimes, when we would get together, she would break down from the stress and tell me all about what he was making her do. Controlled every aspect of her life, using her job as a means to cover his tracks with where his campaign funds came from."

"Why did you stop seeing one another?" Allie asked, and Salem scoffed.

"That one, funny enough, wasn't Raymonds doing," Salem said, "uh...that was...ya know, I was mad about it, cause I actually really liked her. Wanted to help her get out from under his tyranny. Turns out she had a more vetted romantic interest in her own stepbrother than me."

This admittance made both Allie and Zoe recoil in disgust. They looked at one another, then back at Salem, who just smirked as he took another long drag and nodded.

"Yeah," he said, "that's pretty much the response I had too. Walked right in on 'em. Nicole obviously knew I wasn't a threat, cause Raymond never came after me, at least not for what I knew, cause he didn't know I knew what I did. From what she had told me. But he did come after me for another reason."

"...which was?" Zoe asked, almost scared at this point.

"We were careful," Salem said, "but apparently carefulness doesn't prohibit you from still fucking up. About a month after it ended, she called me up, told me she was with child. Said she didn't know what to do, was scared to go to her father about it, understandably so. Her terror was entirely justified, as I'd soon find out, because after she did, at my insistance - the one mistake I will never forgive myself for - I learned that not only did he force her to abort it, which she wasn't entirely against, but then started checking up on her regularly. In ways a father never should. About things a father never should. She was entirely under his thumb and I couldn't help her, and knowing she had dated me, he took that ire out on me. Said I'd gotten her pregnant and then left. Said I refused to come back or give her money. These lies he spread, they...they destroyed my career. Nobody would work with me. That's why winding up at that party, with Rufus...that was a blessing. Working for the first time in so long. I missed it so bad."

"Rufus told me that Raymond also told people he was sleeping with his assistant, because of their age gap, and that they ruined his career too. Seems to be his go to excuse to slander people," Allie said, "...so...if Raymond Sykes learns that we're after him?"

"If Raymond Sykes learns you're after him..." Jane started, before she and Salem exchanged a look.

"...run," Salem whispered, finishing her sentence.

Allie's blood ran cold.

                                                                            ***

Sitting in the theatre after the show had ended, while everyone else was piling out, Molly couldn't help but feel like she and Benny were the only ones not as impressed by Jackson's magic show. Sure, he did what he said he would do. He got into the box, he vanished, and reappeared elsewhere in the theatre. But to Molly, the illusion wasn't this feat of grandiosity that it appeared to be to everyone else watching. As she dug through her purse, looking for her car keys, Benny sat in his chair beside her, shaking his head, his chin on his fist, his elbow propped up on the seat rest.

"You know, I've seen some pompous people enter this industry during my time," Benny said, "but this guy might just take the cake."

"He owns the whole goddamn bakery, Benny," Molly replied.

"His entire thing is 10% magic and 90% schtick. He's nothing but a public orator, extolling how great magic is instead of just...ya know...DOING magic," Benny said, "it's disgusting. He's a magic show designed for reality TV. And all that crap about everyone wanting to vanish sometimes, I mean, sure, he's not wrong, but to tie it into this kind of faux positivity you can do anything mentality, that's even worse. He's preying on peoples biggest insecurities. Nothing more disgusting and underhanded than that. So he escaped from a box. He's not fucking Houdini."

And that's when Molly looked up. It had hit her in the middle of her brain like a freight train. How had nobody else seen this? She grinned so wide as she looked at Benny, who looked back at her, confused.

"What?" he asked.

"That's it," she said, "that's how he does it. Houdini."

"...I'm gonna need you to elaborate," Benny added.