Chapter 7 Summary: Jeff Goldblum Does Not Belong in This World
⚠️ 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
Three days after Alan Scarpio stood K up at the diner, K tries the number on the business card one last time. It's out of service. K tries to settle back into ordinary life—cleaning up neglected online trading accounts and doing housework—but the memory of the strange meeting lingers like a fever dream, a glimpse into an alternate reality where a billionaire asked for help. With no way to contact Scarpio, K assumes that if Scarpio really needs help fixing Rabbits, he'll have to find K.
Two days later, the news breaks: Alan Scarpio is reported missing. One of his PR companies holds a press conference, stating he's been gone for a significant but unknown period and asking the public for information. Baron calls, barely containing his excitement, and immediately connects the disappearance to Scarpio's visit and the game. K is more subdued, still processing the coincidence.
K returns to the diner and retrieves Scarpio's phone from the waitress who served them. The phone is nearly empty—no call records (including the call that had clearly disturbed Scarpio), no contacts, no email account, and only a dog wallpaper as a photo. It's obviously not Scarpio's primary device. K takes the phone to the Magician, who examines it with intense curiosity. The Magician asks detailed questions about the diner meeting, the pie, the mystery woman, and the rhubarb recording. Just as he's about to dig deeper, an old yellow analog phone on his desk rings once and stops. The Magician abruptly ends the meeting, unhooks Scarpio's phone, hands it back, and ushers K out, muttering to himself.
That night, Chloe shows up at K's apartment with a revelation: Alan Scarpio is allergic to dogs, so the dog wallpaper must be a clue. She's caught up in the rush of the game, her eyes bright and movements quick. They examine the photo closely, zooming in on the dog's collar, and find a tag reading