Chapter 12 Summary

Case sits in a bar and smokes. He muses about where his rage came from, realizing that he has not felt anger before. He surmises that he has been emotionally numb for many years and is finally getting in touch with his feelings. Cath runs into Case at the bar, perhaps by accident. She tells him the she saw him walking with Molly and that Molly reminds her of Hideo, the Tessier-Ashpool's ninja. She tells him a little about the Tessier-Ashpool family and explains how "triff" (p. 198) and rich they are. Cath gives Case another dose of betaphenethylamine and tells him she wants to take him to a party. She insinuates they will later have sex together. Instead, he runs out of the bar, away from her, in a rage.

Case wanders through Freeside thinking of Linda Lee and then not thinking of...