Chapter two

The hunter is hunted

Twenty minutes later Clarice arrived in the park where Jack waited for her. Jack went to her, examined her for a moment and realised that she was flushed and had a hickey on her neck. For a moment a flash of jealously rushed through his veins till he thought better of something and apologized "I am sorry. I know it is late but it is important…. He left a note for you and we found number six."

Jack handed over the note to Clarice and she read the note with out any facial expression. The note said

Hello Special Agent Starling,

I am giving you an advise, stop looking for me because I won't hesitate to kill you. Everyone may think you are so special because the great Dr. Hannibal Lecter talked to you and you caught some killers but you are not special. You are nothing better than any other woman. Stop looking for me for your own sake or you will have to deal with the consequences.

Then there was a photo of Clarice from a newspaper and that photo of her was crossed with a red X.

Clarice gave Jack the note back and glanced over the crime scene. Jack watched her for a moment, moved closer and said in a worried way "Starling.. he is threaten your life, we may have to consider to put you off the case and ..." but before he could finish Clarice interrupted him "Yeah a threat and that is it. You know as well as I know that there are a lot of people who would like to see me dead... Do you remember Carlos Gamira?"

"The drug dealer?"

"Yeah, he still writes letter to me from his cell. He says he is going to kill me the minute he gets out of prison….. But that never stop me from doing my job. You see.. he isn't the first and he won't be last one...…"

"But Gamira is in prison Starling and he never gets out.. But the Cutter... he is…" But Clarice interrupted Jack again in a harsh way "I have a job to do.. Jack. Can we continue now?" Against his better judgement Jack nodded and they continued with their work.

Three hours later Jack and Clarice were in the forensic and recalled what they knew about his newest victim. Jack sighed and said "Her name was Elisabeth Woden. She was 29 years old. She lived alone in an apartment in the city. No one knew when she left her apartment but we do know that she has been dead for more than 20 hours."

"He must have killed her yesterday…. He kills her on Friday and on Saturday we find her body. He gets faster and he won't stop….." A moment later Clarice yawned and rubbed her eyes. Jack watched her and said "Go home Starling and get some sleep."

Clarice nodded and went home. On her way home she thought about many things and she started to doubt that she will ever find the Maryland Cutter. He was like a ghost. He never left any evidence. They had nothing that was leading to the Killer and it started to get really frustrating.

That son of a bitch. How do I catch him? She thought when she opened her door. A moment later she went into her bedroom and placed herself on the bed. She was too exhausted to think and closed her eyes. Some seconds later she drifted into a deep and dreamless sleep.

Two weeks had passed and nothing else happened but Clarice was on to something. She had talked to a friend of Elisabeth Woden and that friend said that Elisabeth had a date the day she was killed. According to that friend the date was a guy named Jason Lechain.

Clarice spend hours checking the guy out. But he had no criminal record and had a job at an insurance company. There was only one thing she found about Lechain. There once was a Mary Lechain who accidentally killed her husband George Lechain. Their son was Jason. Clarice decided to asked this Jason Lechain some question. She drove to the insurance company where he worked and waited in her car. Around four a o'clock he came out and went to his car but Clarice stopped him and said "Hi... I am Special Agent Clarice Starling and I would like to ask you some question about a woman named Elisabeth Woden."

Jason smiled at Clarice and said "Sure,…. did anything happen to Elisabeth?"

Clarice watched him for a second and then she said "She was killed and a friend of her said you had a date with her on Friday the day she went missing."

Jason looked shocked and shook his head while he asked "Elisabeth is dead?" Clarice focused on his eyes and they didn't showed the concern his face tried to express but she kept her professionalism when she replied "Yeah. Killed to be precise. Have you seen her that day?"

"No,.. No... I was calling her because I had to cancel our date."

"Why?"

"Something came up on work that couldn't be put off."

"And your colleges can testify to that?"

He smiled again and his eyes wandered over her body while he said "Yes, they can. Maybe you give me a number where I can contact you... just in case I remember something that could help you."

"Yeah... thank you for time Mr. Lechain."

Clarice gave him her card and went back to her car. She was sure that something was odd about him. She couldn't explain what it was but something was wrong with him. He definitely was good looking, blond, tall, blue eyes, muscular and charming. But Clarice always tried to look beneath the surface and even though she could define it, she was sure that something was odd about Jason Lechain.

Half an hour later she went back to the bureau and informed Jack about Jason Lechain. Clarice was leaning against the doorframe and said "Jack, something is wrong with Jason Lechain, we should keep an eye on him... he fits the profile."

Jack met her eyes and explain with a stern voice "He fits your profile, Clarice."

"Jack, I am telling you he charms them into going with him. He is good looking, he is charming and smart... The last victim.. she was a judge, a judge, not a stupid, young, naive woman... a judge, Jack. She passed all her exams with an A, her friend said how smart she was and that she was looking for something real... and that Jason Lechain is able to make a woman believe the things she wants to believe."

Jack shook his head, sighed deeply and refused to believe her "I still believe the Cutter is forcing them Starling. I am sorry but I don't think that he is charming them into anything."

"Why? Why do you think that?"

"Look at the crime scene, they are disgusting... almost a massacre ... Someone like that uses force to get what he wants... believe me..." He paused a moment, did run his fingers through his hair and continued "Jason Lechain is not our Killer. He was never in contact with the police or anything else, his colleges can testify that he was at work.. Let it go Starling. He is not the one we are looking for. Trust me."

"You are wrong about him..." but before Clarice could finish her sentence Jack interrupted her in a harsh tone "I know you want to catch him but he is not our guy. We are wasting time. Jason Lechain is clear. There is no evidence Clarice. Focus on the facts and not your feelings or what your gut is telling you. I knew you try hard but we all make mistakes. And now let it go."

Clarice looked at Jack for a moment and with a shaking head she left his office.

Clarice was sitting on the couch when Ardelia came home and asked "Hey are you okay? You look exhausted."

"Yeah, I am fine... Jack and I just ... had a difference of opinion."

Ardelia went into the kitchen and some seconds later she placed herself besides Clarice with two glasses and a bottle of wine in her hand. Ardelia poured their glasses and passed Clarice one while she said "Well, maybe you need to take a vacation. You work too much...You should take a break... and besides... Mike is still pissed with you and frankly I can't blame him Clarice. He won't wait forever."

"Well, this is not exactly a nine to five job."

"No... it is not. I know that better than anybody else but sometimes you try too hard... You do have a life after all, you know... Sweetie, there aren't many men like Mike and you aren't getting any younger."

Clarice gave her a shocked look and replied "Thank you."

"Come on, you know exactly what I mean. You spent too much time at work and with Jack. Do yourself a favour and relax a little from time to time."

"I will try."

"You better... I don't want to worry about you when I am gone. Andrew is taken me to Aspen tomorrow, but you call me when anything happens Clarice. Whatever it is. Lecter or the Cutter... alright?"

"Yes, I will call you. Don't worry I'll be fine. Now finish your glass of wine and start packing."

Next morning

It was pretty early when Clarice got up and said goodbye to Ardelia. After Ardelia had left, Clarice went running and two hours later she came home. She took a shower and while the hot water was running down her skin she thought about Dr. Lecter`s letter. He wrote something about the Cutter probably having a complicated relationship to his mother. Jason Lechain`s mother accidentally killed her husband.

Maybe it wasn't accidentally. She thought when she stepped out of the shower and toweled herself. Clarice sighed deeply and decided that it would be better not to have such thoughts because they only confirmed her suspicion regarding Jason Lechain and with Jack she did go unheeded with everything that involved Jason Lechain. Right now there was nothing she could do.

Two days later

Clarice was in her office when the mail came. She received a grey box without an address on it. Clarice held the box in her hand frowned and asked herself who did send that box and why it was so heavy. She shook her head and opened the box. A wired scent was storming out of the box. It smell like blood and decomposition. Clarice saw a note, took it and started to read.

I see you've found number six, here is the heart of number seven. The next will be yours Special Agent Clarice Starling.

Clarice placed the note on her desk and watched the box. She took a deep breath and opened the white sheet. A moment later she could see the heart. The door to her office was opened and so Jack entered her office in that moment when Clarice discovered the heart. Jack saw the strange look on her face and asked "What is wrong?" But Clarice didn't answer him. Instead she handed over the box and the note to him. Jack looked at it and couldn't believe what he saw. A moment later he started to scream "Who did let the box pass without a security check?"

Someone in another office heard Jack screaming and went to him. Jack held out the box and said "Bring that down and let it analyse. Search for everything."

The person left with the box and Jack turned to Clarice and said angrily "Okay that is enough! From now you will be guarded 24/7."

"No way. That will only draw more attention. The press is already sneaking around my house and I have no..."

"That's not negotiable. Clarice You are off the case and if you do not want other Agents move around you than you have to fly to Europe or Japan or somewhere else but you need to get away."

"Jack, you can't..."

Jack interrupted her while he raised his voice "Lecter is right Starling... okay.. that son of a bitch is right... I am putting you through too much and I am risking your life. I put you in danger when I send you to him and than he escaped and even now he is not leaving you alone and that is my fault. I can't undo that but I can stop the Cutter and I will. ...The Cutter won't stop you said so yourself and he obvious wants to kill you because you are a threat... This is too dangerous. It is out of control and you are off the case... Period."

Clarice looked at him and whispered "Jack..." Jack met her eyes, grabbed her arm and pulled her closer to him while he said with a worried voice "Clarice, I am responsible for you and your safety and besides that ..I care for you and I don't want you to be his next victim. I won't allow that. You are too important to me."

This was beyond professional care. Jack couldn't bear it, if something happened to her and Clarice realized it too. Jack stepped back, masked his emotions again and Clarice saw into his professional hard face when he said with a formal voice "Time out or 24 hours guarding? It is your choice."

Neither of the two options were acceptable to Clarice but she knew that she had to do something. The Maryland Cutter was dangerous and he obviously intended to kill her. She wasn't scared and that was probably the entire problem with her. She should be at least a little bit. Maybe Ardelia was right and she was totally overworked. Clarice sighed deeply and agreed with bad grace "Fine...I take a time out."

"Okay I will come by your house later tonight and I will give you a ride to the airport."

"All right... see you later."

Three hours later

Jack Crawford was driving Clarice to the Airport. Before she left the car he said "This is your passport and here is your ticket. The flight is to Moscow and from there you can fly anywhere you want... just.. give me call from time to time."

"Okay."

"Take care of yourself Clarice."

Clarice looked him in the eyes and promised "I will." A moment later Clarice exited the car and entered the airport.