Ruby Gans

Her hunt begins with deduction. She feels sure it was in the car yesterday, which meant it must have fallen out of the car, which feels kind of unlikely now that I say it. Like, did the shoe hurl itself out somehow? Anyway, she makes a list of every place she had gone the day before. She'd gone to a city office to file a form. She'd gone to a Trader Joe's. And she'd gone to work.

So she checks all these places. The parking lot at the city office. The Trader Joe's actually goes into the Trader Joe's and asks the manager, did any workers find a single shoe in the parking lot? No. She texts the facilities guy at work, who texts her back a laughing face emoji and no, no shoe. She also goes to look at her boyfriend's house, where things took a turn.

So she checks all these places. The parking lot at the city office. The Trader Joe's actually goes into the Trader Joe's and asks the manager, did any workers find a single shoe in the parking lot? No. She texts the facilities guy at work, who texts her back a laughing face emoji and no, no shoe. She also goes to look at her boyfriend's house, where things took a turn.

So she checks all these places. The parking lot at the city office. The Trader Joe's actually goes into the Trader Joe's and asks the manager, did any workers find a single shoe in the parking lot? No. She texts the facilities guy at work, who texts her back a laughing face emoji and no, no shoe. She also goes to look at her boyfriend's house, where things took a turn.

He just mentioned it in passing, but suddenly things made a lot more sense. The question was, who was it? It had to be someone who knew about the first shoe and how crazy that had made her. who had then taken the second shoe as a kind of prank. There was a short list of suspects. Maybe a friend at work. There are cameras in the parking lot. She could ask the facilities guy to go through them.

He just mentioned it in passing, but suddenly things made a lot more sense. The question was, who was it? It had to be someone who knew about the first shoe and how crazy that had made her. who had then taken the second shoe as a kind of prank. There was a short list of suspects. Maybe a friend at work. There are cameras in the parking lot. She could ask the facilities guy to go through them.

He just mentioned it in passing, but suddenly things made a lot more sense. The question was, who was it? It had to be someone who knew about the first shoe and how crazy that had made her. who had then taken the second shoe as a kind of prank. There was a short list of suspects. Maybe a friend at work. There are cameras in the parking lot. She could ask the facilities guy to go through them.

Or maybe actually her boyfriend. It would have been easy for him to grab her car keys.

Or maybe actually her boyfriend. It would have been easy for him to grab her car keys.

Or maybe actually her boyfriend. It would have been easy for him to grab her car keys.

She waits a minute. He texts her back.

She waits a minute. He texts her back.

She waits a minute. He texts her back.

It wasn't funny to her either. But anything was starting to seem possible at this point.

It wasn't funny to her either. But anything was starting to seem possible at this point.

It wasn't funny to her either. But anything was starting to seem possible at this point.

Ruby wonders, should I call the police? She drives home from her boyfriend's house, sits on the front steps, when a thought occurs to her. And that thought is... Wait, yesterday, didn't I come home for 10 minutes? I did. And didn't I park over there? She gets up, walks over to that spot.

Ruby wonders, should I call the police? She drives home from her boyfriend's house, sits on the front steps, when a thought occurs to her. And that thought is... Wait, yesterday, didn't I come home for 10 minutes? I did. And didn't I park over there? She gets up, walks over to that spot.

Ruby wonders, should I call the police? She drives home from her boyfriend's house, sits on the front steps, when a thought occurs to her. And that thought is... Wait, yesterday, didn't I come home for 10 minutes? I did. And didn't I park over there? She gets up, walks over to that spot.

And there in the tree was her shoe. I'm kidding. It was a few feet away on a curb next to someone's yard. It looked like someone had helpfully picked it up and set it off to the side.