Flow My Tears, the Policeman Said; Chapter 26

Jason is walking away from Mary-Anne's apartment, high on life and mesclane/an unknown drug's after effects. After living a PKD grade nightmare for most of the book, he's gotten everything back. He hails a johnnycab to go to Heather Hart's apartment. As the fliterbug flies, Jason reflects on Alys's death (I can't get involved, scandal rags would have a field day) the benefits of status (never having to sweat a police checkpoint) and the unimpeachable identity that 30 million viewers every week gives you. They exist, and thus so does Jason. Ratings ero sum, or something, Jason thinks as he falls asleep. The drugs (to say nothing of not sleeping at all over his two day nightmare) have made him sleepy.

Heather Hart's posh apartment complex is suspended by air jets, which rock to create the sensation of an infant falling asleep. Jason finds Hart is out shopping, but her maid, who he knows well lets him in. He's just gonna crash on the couch and listen to music, Jason says, as he squeezes the maid's firm right boob. "You're horny today" the maid says, pleased, before saying Jason is too tall for her. So, Hart has a top flight record player, and obviously a large collection of LPs, as well as some sort of CD-cassette changer, but for records? The maid said Hart would be back around fiveish, and it is around four pm now. Jason places the gift of Mary-Anne's beautiful pot on the center of the coffee table, then loads up the music player.

Jason comes to much later. He'd fallen asleep again. The apartment is dark, empty, and cold; Jason is amazed that he slept through several hours worth of records. His watch says it is 10:30 PM. Where was Heather?

The door flies open, and in walks an ashen-faced Heather, who has a newspaper. It reads:

TV PERSONALITY SOUGHT IN CONNECTION WITH DEATH OF POLICE GENERAL'S SISTER

and some stuff about how Jason Taverner murdered Alys. Heather asks him first if he murdered Alys, and then gets the Alys-themed part of Jason's adventure, including the discovery of Alys's thousand year old skeleton, while Jason wonders, again, if his good life is just some sort of drug-induced fantasy for losers. Heather wants Jason to turn himself in, because the LAPD is honest, so if you are innocent you have nothing to fear. Jason's two day odyssey makes him wise to what bullshit this is.

Hart wants to know if Jason murdered Alys, and then confesses her affair with Alys, which is a complete surprise to Jason. Reading the article, Jason notices that Herb and Felix back-dated Alys's death a few--

Heather tells him to shut up. And then turn to the back page, where Heather Hart is mentioned, and her affair with Alys is mentioned as possibly the trigger to Taverner's vengeful spree. Which is the first Jason knew of the affair, and, in spite of everything else, deeply confusing. Jason asks if the affair happened, and Hart hits Jason in the face, really, really, hard.

"Hit me back" Hart says. Jason is tempted, but doesn't, saying Hart is lucky. "Yeah I guess, if you killed Alys you could kill me too, huh? Might as well. They will gas you anyway." Hart, who you may understand now is incarnadine with rage, doesn't give a shit if Jason murdered Alys or not, because he's for some reason missing the big picture: Hart's career is over. Taverner's career is over. Hart is flipping between physically attacking Jason and dipping into emotional cryo-freeze.

quote:

"Do whatever you want." Her voice had sunk to a blunted whisper. "I don't care. Just go away. I don't want to have anything more to do with you. I wish you were both dead, you and her. That skinny bitch - all she ever meant to me was trouble. Finally I had to throw her bodily out; she clung to me like a leech."

So it turns out Alys was the one with motive, and to go back to chapter one, it is not a coincidence that Hart and Taverner together on NBC was how this book started, as we will see.

Taverner is looking for his shoes. The fact that he literally just learned about Heather's affair with Alys is having zero impact on Hart. "For you", Jason says, tossing Heather the box with the pot inside. Heather lets it drop to the floor. Fortunately Mary-Ann has a tight packing game, and the pot is undamaged. Heather, despite everything, says the pot is beautiful and thanks Jason for it.

Jason says "What can I do but go?" as Hart puts the pot on her mantle shelf.

Hart suggests turning himself in. Jason calls the operator and tells him to call the police general, it is Jason Taverner.

quote:

"You can dial that direct, sir."

"I want you to do it" Jason said.

"But sir---"

"Please" he said.