Chapter 4
The curtains in Clarice's half of the duplex were tightly drawn; only the slightest amount of light was allowed to creep into the bedroom. She had drawn them as soon as she had got in, knowing full well that the press would have no qualms about invading her privacy and aiming their lenses through the windows of the duplex.
She lay in bed thinking to herself; the attention was draining, the general consensus of the American media, and probably now the general public was that she; Clarice Starling was the lover of Hannibal Lecter, whether she liked it or not the two names were combined on the lips of every news reader across the country. It worried her just how accurate they were; true enough her and the doctor were not lovers, but they were close. He had kissed her that night and she hadn't stopped him. She had relished the touch of his lips on hers. He was intoxicating; she closed her eyes and pictured him. He was everything a woman would wish for; besides the whole eating people misdemeanour. Handsome, intelligent, wealthy and completely captivating.
She opened her eyes, furious with herself.
"I am an FBI Agent. He is Dr Hannibal Lecter, a veteran of America's Most Wanted."
Clarice tore her quilt off her legs, walking to the bathroom quickly purely for something to do. She ran the tap and splashed cool water up her face, trying to cleanse her mind of the thoughts which had just polluted them. Suddenly a movement from downstairs startled her out of her reverie she pulled a bathrobe around her and moved downstairs; her cuffs and gun had been confiscated for good now; including her spare.
She crept quietly down the stairs; trying to keep the sound from her footsteps to a minimum; it wasn't him she was certain of that. He wasn't stupid enough to announce his entry to the world, the thought scared her even more; at least with Lecter she knew where she stood.
She heard a rustling coming from the kitchen; the lights were off. It definitely wasn't a false alarm. Ardelia would have put the lights on. Peering around the corner of the doorframe she caught sight of Ardelia on the opposite side of the kitchen; mirroring her thoughts ready to pounce on the intruder.
"Freeze FBI!" The man jumped out of his skin, dropping the kitchen utensils that he had in his hands he turned on his heels and was faced with the two formidable women leering at him.
"I'm from the tattler, please, don't shoot!" He glanced at Ardelia's cocked gun and then glanced over at Clarice. He was quite obviously no older than 18, Ardelia lowered her gun and motioned to Clarice. They gripped him by the arms; one on each and led him to the front door, opening it abruptly they threw him onto the doorstep.
"This is yours." Clarice spat at the red faced man at the door.
"We will speak tomorrow. I have a statement to make, until then if I see any of you cretins inside my house I will be filling for a restraining order."
"Were you hoping it was Dr Lecter, Agent Starling?" The older man grinned at her.
She exhaled, turned and slammed the door in his face.
