Page 74 of The Loophole

Vee promised to text me if Embry showed up, and after we ended the call, I took a look around me. Part of the stone counter was discolored, one of the upper cabinets was slightly scorched, and the fire extinguisher had made a mess, but I didn’t care about any of that.

All that mattered was Embry. I hated the thought of him alone out there, racked with guilt and in need of medical attention. It seemed unlikely that he’d go to a hospital, so I needed to find him as soon as possible and persuade him to get checked out.

I opened a window to air out the kitchen while I tried to figure out what he’d do. Assuming he was trying to get to the Pink Victorian, he didn’t have his phone to use the Lyft app, and I didn’t know if he’d be able to take public transit with his dog. IfEmbry was on foot, it was about an hour’s walk. Maybe I could find him somewhere between here and there.

I hurried to my car and drove the most direct route to the Mission District, which was about two and a half miles from Nob Hill. Then I tried every alternate route I could think of before driving to the Pink Victorian.

When I knocked on the door, Vee answered and invited me in. As we took a seat in the living room, he asked, “Why are you so dressed up?” I’d forgotten I was wearing a suit and an overcoat.

“I was looking at commercial properties with a real estate agent this morning, but I got discouraged and came home early. Good thing, too.”

“Why are you looking at properties already? You still have eleven months until you get your inheritance.”

“Actually, my grandfather figured out what we were doing. He was really nice about it, and he decided to give me the inheritance anyway. We got the money this past weekend.”

“How did Embry react to that?”

“Not like I expected him to. I thought he’d be happy, or relieved. Instead, he felt like he’d failed because we didn’t fool my grandfather, and he refused to take his payout.”

“Did anything else happen over the weekend?”

“This probably isn’t related, but Embry started having a series of accidents—little things like tripping, or knocking over glasses. It went on the whole time we were in Sausalito, as if once it started, he couldn’t stop it.”

Vee nodded, as if that was exactly what he’d expected to hear. “I saw a change in him after you two decided to work together to get your inheritance. He seemed more confident. I think that sense of purpose did a lot for his self-esteem.”

“And you think the accidents are related to that?”

He shrugged. “Even though you still got your money, thinking he’d blown it must have rattled him. It also might have made him question where he stood with you, now that the job’s done. If he’s feeling good about himself and has some sort of accident, it doesn’t really faze him. But if he’s feeling insecure, it tends to snowball. Maybe he starts trying too hard not to screw up anything else, and that has the opposite effect.”

I got up and said, “I need to find him. He would have gotten here by now if this was his destination. Where else would he go? He has Dusty with him, so that probably limits his options.”

“I have no idea.”

“I’m going to drive around some more and look for him. Please call me if he shows up.”

Vee walked me out. “I will. And if you find him, let me know. I’m worried about him.” I promised I would.

Once I was back in my car, I circled the block and asked myself where Embry would go if he was upset. The Pink Victorian was the obvious answer… but then, I realized there was another answer, too. I pulled to the curb and quickly looked up something on my phone. Then I flipped an awkward three-point turn and headed to a part of town I usually avoided.

Pier 39 catered to tourists, not locals. The only time I’d been there was in the sixth grade. After a class field trip to Alcatraz, our teachers had brought us here for lunch. It consisted of themed shops and restaurants, along with attractions like an arcade and carousel.

In the summer, it would have been jam-packed. But on a rainy weekday at the end of January, it was nearly deserted. In fact, as I hurried down the pier, I only saw one person.

Embry was huddled on a bench beneath a second story walkway, so at least he was out of the rain. He had to be freezing, though. His light blue hoodie had gotten soaked on the way here.

Dusty poked his head out and looked at me. Embry had zipped up the dog inside the jacket, to keep him warm. I took off my overcoat and wrapped it around both of them before taking a seat on the bench.

Embry’s voice sounded ragged when he whispered, “I’m so sorry about your kitchen.”

“It’s fine.” He didn’t believe me. He glanced at me with a frown from beneath his hood, and I said, “Really. All that matters is you. We need to take you to the hospital, so you can get checked out.”

“I’m fine.”

“Your voice sounds raspy.”

“That’s from all the coughing. I was okay as soon as I got outside.”

“I’d feel better if you let a doctor examine you.”