AfterNet 01 - Good Cop Dead Cop

auditorium was impressive. I should have been down here the whole time. Although he couldn’t hear the music, he could sense the rhythms of it by the motions of the musicians and the baton of the conductor. It pleased him to see the feet of the musicians as they kept time when he bent down low and saw their perfect synchrony.
    He allowed himself to see everything at once, not concentrating on anything in particular, for once enjoying the 360-degree vision that terrified him when he first realized that he was dead. He looked up at the overhead lights and allowed himself to see the full spectrum, playing the wavelengths from infrared to ultraviolet almost as if they were musical notes.
    He realized the orchestra had stopped, and then he saw that the audience was standing, first in clumps and then standing as a wave of people. The conductor turned to face the audience and he saw her beaming, red face and he noticed the sweat that plastered her short brown hair.
    She turned to her orchestra and in turns motioned for individual musicians or sections to take a bow. Finally, she had the orchestra take a bow together and again Munroe marveled at their simultaneous bow, as if they were all still keeping time with the music.
    Suddenly he felt like an intruder, sharing the accolades that were meant for the orchestra and he backed away from the stage, up the aisle of the orchestra level and toward the exit. He never even saw the perky blonde.
    Yamaguchi eventually showed up at the coat check, although he almost didn’t see her because the crush of people had forced him into a corner with limited view.
    “Hi,” he said.
    “Hi,” she said. “Did you amuse yourself?” She began walking away from the coat check.
    “Yes I did. And how was the music?”
    “Sublime.”
    “And is that good?” She ignored his remark. She knew that he knew the meaning of the word. Well, I’m pretty sure I know the meaning of sublime: from the ridiculous to the sublime, right?
    “Are you ready for the reception?” she asked.
    “Yes, looking forward to it.”
    “And no smart remarks in my ear.” A man they were passing looked at her oddly. She smiled at him and walked a little faster.
    Munroe had to dodge a very fat woman who blocked his way and couldn’t immediately respond. “R U listening?” she asked silently.
    “Yes, sorry. No smart remarks. I’ll behave.”
    “You know you can be very childish sometimes,” she said out loud.
    Munroe bit back a smart remark. “I said I’d behave. Uh, where are we going?” he asked, when he noticed they were leaving the building.
    “The reception.”
    “I know that. I mean, isn’t it in the concert hall?”
    “Don’t you read the email you’re addicted to? I sent you the information. It’s in the theatre complex, the next building over.”
    “Oh, yeah. I remember now,” he lied. He decided he’d better keep quiet until they got there.
    She led them to the theatre complex. It must have been even colder because Munroe saw the crowd hunched even tighter than before. He saw that she was trying to show a brave face even though she must be freezing, despite her heavy wool coat.
    She entered the building’s outer door. Inside, a doorman checked her invitation and he held the door open as she went through the inner door. Munroe followed as she headed for the coat check. As she was taking her ticket, she silently told Munroe, “Wait here Ill be back.”
    “What, why?” he asked.
    “Because Im going to the bathroom.”
    Munroe waited for her. The novelty of touring women’s restrooms had long since passed.
    She returned and Munroe asked, “Ready?”
    “Yup, let’s do this,” she said out loud.
    She led them up a flight of stairs to the ballroom. Munroe marveled at her knowledge of the performing arts center. I guess she’s a culture vulture, he thought. Guess I don’t know as much about my partner as I thought.
    Another doorman opened the door and she stepped through. As Munroe entered, he noticed the field effect of an AfterNet terminal.
    “Hi, name please,” a disembodied voice asked.
    “Uh, Alex Munroe,” he told the voice. “Hey, hold on Linda, looks like I got to register.”
    She raised an eyebrow but waited while Munroe talked to someone he supposed was dead like him, but for all he knew was just a living person somewhere else.
    “Please enjoy yourself, Officer Munroe, and feel free to use the terminals while you’re here. There are several hotspots throughout the