They were all back in Jack's office soon enough, but were now joined by Alana.
"So you went to see Abigail Hobbs recently." Jack directed this at Will though it had been a joint effect between himself and Hannibal a day ago.
"Well, yeah. She contacted us because Abigail is considering writing a book with Freddie Lounds." Will grumped back, "She wanted us to be in it."
"We declined." Which was a severe understatement on Hannibal's part. They, mostly Will, had put a very certain fear back into Abigail about it. "What is this all about, Jack?"
"Nicholas Boyle is still missing." Jack said with such gravitas like the statement was supposed to hold weight, but it only made the trio exchange questioning glances.
"Okay?" Will voiced this first. As far as he was concerned, Nicholas Boyle could and would remain missing. Hannibal and himself had made sure of that. The lye placed over his various, widely spread body parts would do the rest.
"Abigail has nightmares about Nicholas Boyle." Alana offered up.
"I'm curious about why." Jack said, impressing no one.
"His assault and attempting her bodily harm might be an excellent place to start." Hannibal said dryly.
"Or of him threatening her and accusing her of his sister's murder in public might be another, one that was soon after the traumatic deaths of both her parents." Alana added, just as flat.
"Why the sudden focus on Abigail?" Will asked, not liking where this was going.
"I think Abigail Hobbs is the common denomination between her father, Marissa Schuur, and Nicholas Boyle. This all goes back to Abigail. My instincts are telling me that Abigail has the answers that we have not heard." Jack told the Chesapeake Ripper and the guy who'd found him. Jack was about as keen as a baked potato when it came to the truly deranged.
"What are questions, Jack? Everyone in this room, including yourself, has questioned her." Will pointed out, "What are you trying to say? That four people who are experts in their fields can't crack a traumatized teenage girl who hasn't even graduated high school?"
"Let's start with where she goes when she climbs the walls of the psychiatric facility. Maybe she's meeting Nicholas Boyle. None of us know what was going on between them." Jack proposed to cricket noises.
"This is a waste of time." Will sighed, getting up to head toward the door.
"I want to go on record as well that this is pointless." Alana snapped, leaving as well. "Hannibal?"
"Jack has the look of a man with no interest in anyone's opinion other than his own." Which was a really long pompous way of saying that he agreed with the both of them, at least in Will's opinion.
"I have her here to interview again." Was what made the trio pause in their escape.
"Why wasn't I informed? As her therapist, you should have come to me first about it." Alana turned on him, fury creeping into her usually controlled tone.
"I'm informing you now." Was almost enough to make someone a lucky winner of the lab's betting pool.
"Abigail is too fragile for this sort of treatment. You can't manhandle an imaginary answer you want out of her just because you suspect she not being forthcoming." Alana was impressive when she was pissed. Will settled in to watch the show.
"I counting on that, and I can." Jack "Doctor Bloom, you may join me as a courtesy. I suggest you don't test me, or you'll have to leave." Which meant leaving Abigail alone with Jack. Alana squared her jaw, gritting her back teeth, but remained quiet, managing out a curt nod.
This wasn't over by any means of the imagination if the fire in Alana's eyes were anything to go by. Will almost felt sorry for Jack.
"Will, I'd like you and Hannibal to observe." Jack said as they made their way to the interrogation room. Will and Hannibal stayed behind the dark glass, watching as the other pair entered the room. Abigail sat there, trying to look more bored than scared. It was turning out to be a fine balance of both.
"Where do you go when you escape from the hospital, Abigail?" Jack asked once they were all seated.
"Sometime, into the city. Other times, into the woods. Sometime, just out." Abigail said, giving a half shrug, "I go get away from…what my life has become, to be alone where I can think…breathe. Pretend to be normal."
She crossed her arms to hold herself. It made Abigail appear more vulnerable. It had an effect on both Alana and Jack, though opposite in nature for either. Jack was ready to strike while Alana was set to defend.
"Do you ever meet with Nicholas Boyle on one of your little getaways from the hospital?" Jack asked. He received a pure expression only a teenager could manage. It was a three-way tie between "what is wrong with you?" and "why would you even ask that?" and "how fucking stupid are you?".
"No." Abigail kept it short and sweet.
"Did the two of you know each other before the night he attacked you?" Which should have been Jack's opening question, but here they were now.
"No." If Abigail's tone and expression were anything to go by, she thought Jack was an idiot as well. An idiot that she needed to fear and be wary of, but still an idiot.
"Did he know your father?" Jack asked.
"No."
"And you know nothing about why he's still missing?" Jack pressed.
"I know he tried to kill me, and Doctor Bloom, and Doctor Lecter." Abigail said, sounding tired and fed up. "And when he was trying to kill me, all I could think was that I was gonna die in that house after all."
Jack was prompted into silence so Abigail took her chance to keep going. "But I didn't. I survived. Doctor Bloom and Doctor Lecter saved my life. They saved me from him."
"And have you seen him since?" Jack was not a happy man.
"Only in my nightmares. Are we done here?"
"I'll tell you when we're done."
"You may not like me, but I'm not my father. I want my lawyer." Abigail said, "I'm not answering anymore of your questions."
"He's already on his way." Alana said, smiling over at Jack who allowed Abigail to leave. Will and Hannibal joined them.
"You all believe her?" Jack asked as he continued to glare at Alana.
"Yes." Hannibal said.
"Yup." Will added.
"I think Abigail Hobbs is damaged. There is something she's using every ounce of that strength to keep buried, but it's not about Nicholas Hobbs, Jack!" Alana was not pleased.
"What makes you so sure?"
"Because any reservation I have about Abigail doesn't extend to Hannibal. He has no reason to lie about any of this!" Gaslighting was a beautiful thing, Will managing to keep it together. He didn't want to ruin Alana's moment by giggling. "And the same goes for Will. What is the point of subjecting us to all this if you have no intention of listening to any of us?!"
"I'm curious about that myself." Hannibal certainly knew when to stoke a fire. "Jack, the Minnesota Shrike is dead, taking all the answers you want with him. You can't keep punishing the daughter for the sins of the father. Abigail was Garrett Jacob Hobbs victim as well."
"If you go over my head or ambush Abigail, I'll report you for misconduct, and I won't be holding back when I do." Alana said, "There are people in the FBI who'll actually listen to me."
"And if they don't, they'll listen to me". Will said, earning a surprised look from Jack. "I'm sick of you wasting my time with this. I have a killer to catch, or did you forget about the entire totem pole of bodies?"
"Anything else to add?" Jack wanted to lash out at someone. Unfortunately for him, he chose Hannibal for this.
"I could certainly mention this incident to Gerald over dinner next week." Hannibal said, smooth as glass, "But I find office politics a rather gauche topic for sparkling dinner conversation."
"Gerald, as in the head of the FBI Gerald?" Will asked to receive a cat smile full of canary. "How?"
"Charming man. I ran into him at Quantico a while ago, and we had a lovely chat. He's been calling me on and off ever since I diagnosed a somewhat rare heart condition the poor man was completely unaware of. He's very fortunate that a polite conversation saved his life and start a new friendship." Because of course he did. Sometime, Will really felt like the universe took a perverse joy in screwing with his life. "I simply had to invite him over for dinner. I've told him so much about Will, but I have yet to mention you, Jack."
"I think we're done here." Alana told Jack, Will and Hannibal following her out.