The interview was a slow process and almost painful for Alice. Lecter was using every method to throw her off or to anger or distract her and she threw everything she knew about criminal psychology back at him.
"It would seem that we both have something in common, Agent Blaire." he said as Alice wrote something down and she looked up at him, her cool, calm gaze connecting with his soul-searing maroon gaze.
"What would that be, Dr. Lecter?" she asked, her voice controlled and a small smile graced his face.
"We have both seen into the criminal mind. Tell me, Agent Blaire, are you familiar in the ways of criminal psychology or perhaps, psychiatry?"
"Yes. They were my majors in college and that's what I do for a living, Dr. Lecter."
"Ah, so we are very much alike, Agent Blaire."
"Except I haven't killed anyone, Dr. Lecter."
"Very true, Dr. Blaire."
Alice frowned slightly and she fixed her black dress jacket, feeling her empty shoulder gun houlster pressing against her side. Lecter watched her closely and his smile widened slightly.
"Your gun houlster is like a security blanket to you, Dr. Blaire. Even when it's empty you keep it on. Is it a reminder of the difference between you and other criminal psychologists?" he said, his voice smooth and held no underlining tone other than teasing. It was if he were a child poking fun at someone just to see their reaction.
"I keep it on because I don't see the need to have to take it off constantly. It's a bother." she shot back, quickly defending herself and Lecter took silent joy in the fact that he could push her buttons so easily.
"It's not a bother, Dr. Blaire. You just wish to hide something. Tell me, do you have scars that are from horrid childhood experiences or did your father hit you?"
"No, my father never hit me, Dr. Lecter. Tell me this, why do you hide yourself whenever someone from the FBI comes to talk to you about criminal profiling? Are you hiding something in your own life that you don't want others to see? Maybe a weakness that could destroy this carefully constructed dangerous reputation you have about yourself? Try pointing your perseption somewhere else, Dr. Lecter. I don't fall when I'm pushed."
Lecter's smile never disappeared or faded and Alice's unusual violet eyes connected with Lecter's equally unusual maroon eyes, both their gazes steady. It was a battle between the minds as they kept staring at each other and neither were willing to be the first one to look away. Neither wanted to be the one to be reticuled for being weak or frightened by what they saw in the other's eyes.
"Do you go to anger management, Dr. Blaire?" Lecter asked softly and Alice frowned, not liking where this line of questioning was headed. "You seem to lose your temper very easily, but you also use masking mechanisms to try to cover your anger."
"This...interview, for the lack of a better term, would go a lot faster and smoother if you'd quick avoiding the questions, Dr. Lecter." Alice nearly growled and she mentally scolded herself for letting her anger show as she noticed the subtle smirk Lecter gave her.
"I'm not avoiding anything, Dr. Blaire. I am merely trying to assess you and your line of questioning. No avoiding."
And I'm the Queen of England., Alice thought as she mentally rolled her eyes and her lips became a thin line. I should shoot Crawford for this. Lecter knows just what buttons to push, no matter if you've just met him or you've known him for years. Knows how to get under your skin. She wasn't going to answer Lecter's question about her anger management, even though it was true and he probably had already figured that out. Her anger was what got her into this mess in the first place.
Crawford had called her into his office after she had returned from helping out local state police in Washington state with a murder investigation that turned out to be a simple suicide and he appeared older than she had remembered. "Take a few days to cool off, Blaire. I need you to stop being a federal agent for a bit. I need you to interview someone." She remembered Crawford saying when she protested to interviewing criminals, but when he told her it was Dr. Hannibal Lecter she was going to be interviewing, she remembered how red her face got. The damn cannibal was getting the better of her and he had twenty years on her. Loosing her temper at the age of thirty-two with a criminal left her with a sick feeling of self-pity and the mental inkling that maybe she should take early retirement before she gave herself an ulser.
"Something wrong, Dr. Blaire? Or are you merely trying to control your anger with useless and demeaning techniques?" Lecter's voice cut through Alice's thoughts and she nearly kicked herself for letting her thoughts run wild.
When she focused back on him, she noticed that his expression was completely blank, not like the teasing one he had throughout the interview, and he looked like he was almost worried about her. Probably worried I'm going to kick the bucket or leave before he can finish dissecting my brain., she thought and she exhaled softly, steadying her blood pressure.
"I'm fine, Dr. Lecter. Thank you for your concern." she said, trying to make her voice sound as honest and thankful as possible and his maroon eyes gleamed. "Now, about this questionnaire."
"No. No, Dr. Blaire. We were having a fine conversation before you decided to become a federal agent again instead of an intelligent doctor of the human mind."
"I'm not here to let you pick my brain for your own enjoyment, Dr. Lecter. I was sent here to conduct this interview and to give you this questionnaire. Take it or leave it, I don't really care."
Something changed in Lecter's eyes as he continued to stare at her. Like he decided that he didn't feel like continuing the interview and Alice couldn't force him to continue. "You know, Agent Blaire, you remind me of someone. Will Graham. How is he doing? I heard that he was looking at the world with a new...perspective. You come here, dressed up in a suit that seems to be too good for you, with your little questionnaire, thinking that just because you have an insight into a criminal's mind that you can dissect all criminals or psychopaths. Do you spend your free time trying to cover up that Brooklyn accent, Agent Blaire? Trying to show people that you're not all about street smarts and that you can actually read a book without getting a headache." he said, keeping his voice purposely blank and demeaning at the sametime and Alice could feel her anger flaring again.
This man had no right to pass judgement on her that quickly. No right at all, but then again, she really didn't have the right to pass judgement on him just because he was locked up. Alice kept her face blank of all expression and she tucked the questionnaires back into their folder, folding her hands over it.
"Very well, Dr. Lecter. Have it your way. You're right. I do try to prove that I have more than street smarts to help me, but I don't think that just because I have an insight into the criminal mind that I can dissect all criminals or psychopaths. I'll leave that to you, Dr. Lecter. I'm sure you'll have plently of time." she said coolly and she stood up. "Good day, Dr. Lecter." I hope you rot in hell.
Alice began walking back towards Barney, who was waiting on the other side of the steel-bar door for her, and she ignored Miggs' muttering. She had just narrowly escaped being splattered with what seemed to be semen from Miggs and she could hear Lecter calling after her.
"Dr. Blaire." he called and Alice stopped walking. Something in his voice stopped her. She found it suddenly hard to breath. "Dr. Blaire."
She exhaled softly and quickly walked back to Lecter's cell, narrowing her eyes at him. "Yes, Dr. Lecter?" she quickly asked and there was a new gleam in his eyes. Anger? Disgust?
"Rudeness such as that is digusting to me, Dr. Blaire." he said, his voice hoarse and she flushed.
"Then make it up to me, Dr. Lecter. Be the gentleman you are." A new gleam.
Sudden calmness came over Lecter. Maybe she was too late to get him to do what she wanted. "I will not do the questionnaire."
"Dr. Lecter-"
He held up his left hand to silence her. Two middle fingers, matching perfectly. "I will make you happy. Glad that you came, Dr. Blaire. Look in Raspail's car for your answers. Got that, Dr. Blaire? Raspail's car. You have time to go before Miggs can manage again, even though he is crazy."
Alice nodded, making a mental note to remember this little detail, and she quickly walked away from Lecter's cell and out of the hospital.
