- The next morning the police come by Jason's house to find out if he painted the water tower. They don't really seem to believe his denial until he rants a little about all the bad things that came out of his last climb: "'Believe me, the view wasn't worth it. I'm not the mad graffiti climber you take me for'" (27.19).
- Jason tries and fails to write one of his book reports. He sleeps all day and can't sleep that night—and this is when he notices that the pattern of the flashing light atop the water tower is occasionally interrupted. There is someone up there, intermittently blocking the light.
- He figures it's one of Henry's stooges again. There's an electrical storm coming though, and he begins to worry. If it's not the stooges, who is it? And why would they basically commit suicide by staying on the tower to get struck by lightening?
- He sneaks out his window.