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Hannibal lowered himself from the air duct into the principal's office where the security camera monitors were set up. The office was barely an office, more suitable to supply as a janitor's closet. The walls were made of painted concrete blocks that did nothing to keep the building warm in the winter or cool in the summer. In front of the numerous monitors airing the school like a common reality show, a desk sat with paperwork littered on every inch of space available. Whether the top was wood or a cheap substitute wrapped in a metal liner, he couldn't tell and wouldn't venture to find out.

A single bookshelf stood tall by the door, but didn't house many items other than a couple binders and a family photo. Not even a degree or award to show off. The only other piece of furniture in the room was a half circle table with two matching chairs. The chairs were built with a better structure than the table, and Hannibal feared another file too thick would make the whole thing combust into a heap on the floor.

His attention moved back to the monitors though and their safety features. From what he could see, his first impression of the lack of security was correct. The cameras were functioning and recording, but they held no inner alarm system. No alerts of motion would wake the ones with access to the security footage. There were only two outdoor cameras, one at the back entrance and other at the front. The other cameras were rotating in semicircles. One camera watched over two hallways like a fan that children would chase to get a few more seconds of cold air on hot days or talk into to hear their voices echo back to them off the fan blades.

There wasn't even a security code to get inside the system. With a small flash drive size device, he plugged it into the computer box and clicked through the computer settings with a tissue between his fingers and the mouse. While the download began, Hannibal pulled out another device from his back pocket and used the mass of wires from the computer to hide it, twisting it in with the camera feed.

Twenty minutes until download completed.

Satisfied that his presence wouldn't be observed unless the escape plan deviated and gave away his location, he walked out of the office, snatched a cheap blue notepad off the passing secretary's desk, and found himself emerging into the school hallways.

He thumbed through the notepad with the locker assignments and combination patterns. Dividers for each letter of a student's last name was marked with a yellow tab, each curling on the top right corner where the secretary had worn them with their use. Observing the hallways, he let his fingers slide along to the S tab in the pad before he flipped pages to find his little bird's name.

He told her he would be watching.


Clarice nearly spit her coffee out of her mouth when she saw Bella walk in with puffy eyes and a red nose. She had a tissue in her hand and talked as if she had cotton shoved down her throat. "Mommy, I don't feel good."

"I can tell." Clarice said before walking around the island and reaching for her daughter's forehead. "You don't feel too warm. It might be that twenty-four hour bug that's been going around."

"It's going to be a long twenty-four hours." Bella mumbled before wiping her nose again. "I have the ballet in two days. I need to go to practice."

Clarice guided Bella to the couch and sat her down. "We both know you don't need more practice compared to the rest of those kids. Besides, pushing yourself will force you out of the ballet entirely." She pulled a blanket from the back of the couch and draped it over Bella before giving her the TV remote. "I don't want to leave you here alone though when Chet Krendler is just looking for a weak spot."

"He doesn't even know where we live." Bella smirked before closing her eyes. "He's not smart enough to follow us home after practice."

"Either way. I would rather have someone watch you." Clarice reiterated. "Or at least come check up on you to make sure you haven't burned the house down with your new found cooking skills."

Bella closed her eyes, cocooning herself into the couch. "Ha ha. You're so funny. I don't even want to think about food right now."

Clarice smiled sympathetically before kissing the crown of Bella's head. "Get some sleep. I'll call the school. If anything, I'll come check on you. My presence isn't exactly wanted around the office since Delia went to the Chief with the theory the killer is after us." Her hair fell over her shoulder as she leaned down to meet Bella's eyes. "Do you have anything upstairs you want me to bring down?"

"Just my bag. It's on the floor by my bed." Bella sighed. Without moving her arm, she used her fingers to tug the remote across the seat and into her hand. She thumbed the buttons until she could change the channels. "I'm going to be fine, Mom."

"Are you telling that to me or to yourself?" Clarice asked with a smirk. She stood from the couch and began walking down the hall towards the stairs when she heard Bella's voice again.

"I guess we'll see at the end of the day."


With the Behavioral Science building and all the swirling rumors behind her, Clarice, sunglasses perched on her nose, climbed into her mustang before pulling out the burner phone. Using memory touch, she had dialed his pre-existing number without looking at the phone as she pulled out of her parking spot. A single nod to the guard and Hannibal's voice filled her ears. "Good morning, Clarice. I do hope that you are calling with Mr. Graham's last known location."

"Here I thought you would just like to hear my voice." Clarice teased, a smirk tugging on her lips. "I found a couple addresses, but the one frequented the most in an apartment building a couple miles from me. I was thinking about checking it out myself. I'm not sure how Graham would react if you happened to show up at his front door."

"And if our killer has already captured him, what's to stop him from coming after you, my dear?" Hannibal questioned as he sat in the station wagon on the side of the street. "I'd rather I join you if you want to check out the place yourself. If Will is there, you can handle it how you would like. If he isn't there, if there is evidence of foul play, better to have two sets of eyes to access a possible crime scene and look for threats."

Clarice resisted the urge to tell him she could watch her own back. He was only being protective, and she would have to get used to that in the near future. If the roles were reversed, she would be telling him the same thing. "Where are you?"

Hannibal smiled behind his own sunglasses. "Not far. Watching over our little bird. Why is she not in school, Clarice?"

Of course, he was going to be as close to her as possible.

"She is sick. Came down looking worse than some of your old friends from the asylum." Clarice stated, a touch more of her southern twang showing than she would've preferred. "She'll probably be out like a light most of the day. Her classmates have been getting it and felt completely better the next day."

Hannibal's eyes scanned the street, but his face remained pointed to the Starling townhouse. "Still, alone and unguarded is a dangerous place for any one of us now. I can't keep eyes on the both of you in this arrangement."

Clarice sighed when she pulled up to a spot light. The pause allowed her to rub her right temple with her fingers, hoping to work out the headache just over the horizon. "What are you suggesting, Hannibal? I can do the search myself. If your theory about the Beer Can Killer is correct, he won't kill me. He wants you. Having me is leverage to get you to him."

"When you reach the building, call me from outside and talk me through the scene. If Will is there, you can hang up when he answers the door. Take pictures with your phone either way. You know how I analyze a place." Hannibal nearly purred.

"I do." Clarice nodded once before the light turned green. She took off towards the apartment address. "If you prefer, you can go inside with her, Hannibal. I know you miss her, and she misses you too. Probably more than she's willing to admit. Go in and take care of your daughter."

Hannibal smiled. "Thank you, Clarice."

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