Chapter 13 Summary: Property of Shirley Booth

⚠️ Spoiler Warning: This guide contains detailed spoilers for the entire novel. Proceed only if you've finished reading or are comfortable knowing the plot.

Summary

Two weeks after K’s conversation with Russell Milligan, K and Chloe meet at K’s apartment to review everything they’ve learned about the game. They invited Baron, but he hasn’t responded to calls or texts since starting his job at WorGames. Chloe notes that Baron’s silence is unusual—he’s normally in constant contact. K suggests sending Baron a towel, a private emergency signal they use, but they decide to wait until the end of the day.

The conversation turns to the Magician, who has also been acting strangely. Since discovering the WorGames connection on Alan Scarpio’s phone, the Magician has been withdrawn, muttering about the band Toto and locking himself in his office at the arcade. Chloe hasn’t been able to get him to talk. K is increasingly worried, especially because Alan Scarpio had warned him that something was wrong with the game and that if the next iteration started before it was fixed, they would be “well and truly fucked.” Scarpio then vanished after receiving a call from WorGames. K recalls the fear behind Scarpio’s flippant smile and feels a growing sense of dread.

Chloe suggests they approach Russell Milligan, the man who freaked out when K mentioned Rabbits. K is skeptical—Russell made it clear he wanted nothing to do with the game—but Chloe insists they try. K contacts Russell, and they agree to meet at a coffee shop near the University of Washington.

At the meeting, K introduces Chloe, but Russell quickly realizes they’re not there about a UX design job (a lie K had told to get the meeting). Russell stands to leave, but K mentions Alan Scarpio’s warning. Russell stops, intrigued despite himself, and warns them to stay away from the game if they want to stay alive. When they press him for information, he reluctantly tells them about a rumored 800 number for Hazel, the mysterious figure behind the game. He explains that Hazel, like actor Bill Murray, is supposedly reachable only through a special phone number. Russell doesn’t have the number, but he directs them to a woman named Amanda Obscura. He makes K and Chloe promise they’ll never contact him again, then enters Amanda’s name and number into K’s phone and leaves.

K texts Amanda and receives an address and a time. They arrive at Bloom Vintage, a thrift store that also sells used records and vintage items. Amanda Obscura, a woman in her mid-thirties with pink-tinted sunglasses and a paisley scarf, is working on a crossword puzzle. She initially seems unhelpful, but after K buys three albums (Neil Young, the Beatles, and the Kinks) and Chloe adds a jade necklace and a Posies T-shirt, Amanda retrieves a small green box from a high shelf. Inside is a 1978 Coleco Electronic Quarterback handheld game. Amanda points out a name and phone number carved into the back: “Property of Shirley Booth” and 1-425-224-6685. She won’t let them photograph the game but allows Chloe to write down the number, provided they don’t post it online.

Back at K’s apartment, they search for Shirley Booth and learn she was an actress who played the title character in the 1960s sitcom Hazel. The connection is clear: Shirley Booth was Hazel. They call the number. The line sounds old and distorted, and after three rings a woman’s voicemail message plays: “Hi, you’ve reached Golden Seal Carpet Cleaning. We’re currently out of the office. Please leave your name, contact information, and a brief message, and we’ll get back to you when time allows. If you’re applying for the advertised position, please visit the stationery room on the second floor.” K leaves a message explaining that Alan Scarpio told him something was wrong with the game and that Scarpio is now missing. After hanging up, Chloe suggests they get food and then head to Golden Seal Carpet Cleaning.

Key Events

K and Chloe meet to review findings; Baron is unreachable for over two weeks.
The Magician is acting withdrawn and locked in his office.
K and Chloe approach Russell Milligan, who initially refuses to help.
Russell reveals the rumor of Hazel’s 800 number and directs them to Amanda Obscura.
At Bloom Vintage, Amanda gives them a 1978 Coleco Electronic Quarterback game after they make purchases.
The game has “Property of Shirley Booth” and a phone number carved on the back.
They research Shirley Booth and discover she played Hazel in the 1960s sitcom.
They call the number and reach a voicemail for Golden Seal Carpet Cleaning.
K leaves a message about Alan Scarpio’s warning and disappearance.
They decide to visit Golden Seal Carpet Cleaning.

Character Development

K shows increasing determination and a willingness to push past his own fear. He lies to Russell to get a meeting, follows cryptic instructions, and leaves a vulnerable message on an unknown voicemail. His memory of Scarpio’s fear drives him forward, even when the path seems absurd.

Chloe emerges as a pragmatic partner. She suggests approaching Russell, quickly adapts to the thrift-store ritual, and is the one who insists they go to Golden Seal Carpet Cleaning. Her calmness balances K’s anxiety.

Russell Milligan is a man haunted by the game. His initial refusal to help, followed by his reluctant advice, shows both his terror and his lingering curiosity. The mention of Alan Scarpio is enough to make him engage, but he extracts a promise that they’ll never contact him again—a sign of how dangerous he believes the game to be.

Amanda Obscura is deliberately cryptic. She doesn’t explain the game’s significance; she simply provides the clue after a ritual of purchases. Her line “Sometimes a cigar is just a cigar” suggests that not everything is a puzzle, but her actions say otherwise.

The Magician and Baron are absent but their absence is telling. Baron’s silence and the Magician’s withdrawal indicate that the game is affecting even those who aren’t actively playing.

Themes, Symbols, or Motifs

Secrecy and hidden knowledge: The 800 number, the carved inscription, and the thrift-store ritual all suggest that information about the game is deliberately obscured and must be earned.
Fear and compulsion: Russell’s warning (“stay away from the game if you want to stay alive”) and K’s memory of Scarpio’s fear highlight the game’s dangerous pull.
The blurring of reality and fiction: Shirley Booth, a real actress, played a character named Hazel, which is also the name of the game’s mysterious figure. This layering of fiction and reality mirrors the game’s own nature.
The towel meme: The private emergency signal between K, Chloe, and Baron underscores the importance of their friendship and the seriousness of Baron’s silence.
The stationery room: The voicemail’s mention of a “stationery room” is an odd, specific detail that suggests a hidden location or a clue to the game’s next step.

Why This Chapter Matters

This chapter is a turning point in the investigation. K and Chloe move from passive research to active pursuit of Hazel, the game’s central enigma. The introduction of the 800 number and the Golden Seal Carpet Cleaning voicemail provides a concrete lead that will likely drive the next phase of the story. It also deepens the mystery around Alan Scarpio’s disappearance and the WorGames connection, while reinforcing the sense that the game is not just a pastime but a life-or-death matter. The chapter also develops the characters’ relationships and their willingness to take risks, setting the stage for the challenges ahead.

Study Questions and Answers

Why does Russell Milligan initially refuse to help K and Chloe, and what changes his mind?

Russell is terrified of the game and wants nothing to do with it. He warns them to stay away if they want to stay alive. However, when K mentions Alan Scarpio’s warning, Russell becomes intrigued—Scarpio’s name carries weight in the game’s world—and he reluctantly shares the rumor of Hazel’s 800 number, though he makes them promise never to contact him again.

What is the significance of the “Property of Shirley Booth” inscription on the Coleco game?

Shirley Booth was an actress who played the title character in the 1960s sitcom Hazel. The inscription connects the game to Hazel, the mysterious figure behind the Rabbits game, and provides a phone number that leads to Golden Seal Carpet Cleaning. It’s a layered clue that blends pop culture with the game’s hidden reality.

What does the voicemail message from Golden Seal Carpet Cleaning reveal about the nature of the game?

The voicemail is cryptic and businesslike, mentioning an “advertised position” and a “stationery room on the second floor.” It suggests that the game operates through mundane cover identities and that reaching Hazel requires following a specific, unexplained protocol. The message also implies that the game has a physical location, which K and Chloe decide to investigate.

Navigation

Previous Chapter | Next Chapter | Book Hub