Chapter Three.
"Hi?" she asked, as the man walked into her office.
"Hi, I'm AD John McGregor," he said, extending his arm, "You must be Agent Branch?"
"Yes that's me," she said, as she smiled and took his hand in a warm shake.
"Agent Branch, I know you weren't expecting me, but can I have a quick word with you?"
"Of course, take a seat," she said, motioning towards the chair in front of her desk as she, too, sat.
"Thank you," he said, sitting. "I know that you've had a rough time lately, both in your personal life and in your career."
"Yes, that's correct. I lost my father last month."
"And you have a lawsuit against you for wrongful death."
She looked down. "I was only doing my job. I had a choice to be killed or to kill. Rather or not Mrs. Lamby was the killer we were looking for, she still assaulted me."
"I understand, Agent, but that's not what I'm here to talk with you about."
"What is it then?" she snapped back.
He looked up to her, insulted at her reaction. "Well. First of all, your case reminded me of a case I had to study while I was in the Academy. Agent Branch, do you recall ever hearing of FBI Agent Clarice Starling?"
"Of course. She's MIA, and assumed to have willingly gone along with the mass murderer, Hannibal Lecter. Everyone knows about Courtesan Clarice."
He smiled. "Do you know of her case, then? Where she was slapped with a lawsuit for killing a mother holding her child?"
"Briefly. We had to study it in class. It was one of those 'This Agent screwed up, don't be like her' type things. I don't remember everything."
"Well, instead of forcing her into the lawsuit, a man she worked with, Paul Krendler, took care of the media for her and assigned her on another case. I'm willing to do the same for you."
"If I do remember correctly, Mr. McGregor, she was only assigned to a new case because a wealthy man with information would only talk to her," she said, raising her eyebrows to him.
"That's true," he said, casually. "But this is a very important, unsolved case that I cannot find anyone else with the qualifications to take."
"And that would be?"
"The very case we just talked about... The case of Hannibal Lecter and Clarice Starling."
She stared blankly ahead for a moment before starting in small drifts of laughter. "You're not serious."
He didn't find what was funny. "Yes, yes I am..."
"The is NO way in hell I'm taking that case, Sir."
"And just why not?"
She couldn't help but laugh again. "Why not? For God sakes, with all due respect, Sir, it's Hannibal Lecter!"
"Alright. I see that you much rather loose your job, then," he said, raising from his chair.
She thought for a second. "No... wait."
He turned around.
"Give me until tomorrow and leave the case file here."
He smiled, sitting the file on her desk. "Thank you, Agent Branch. See you tomorrow."
"Goodbye."
More later :)
"Hi?" she asked, as the man walked into her office.
"Hi, I'm AD John McGregor," he said, extending his arm, "You must be Agent Branch?"
"Yes that's me," she said, as she smiled and took his hand in a warm shake.
"Agent Branch, I know you weren't expecting me, but can I have a quick word with you?"
"Of course, take a seat," she said, motioning towards the chair in front of her desk as she, too, sat.
"Thank you," he said, sitting. "I know that you've had a rough time lately, both in your personal life and in your career."
"Yes, that's correct. I lost my father last month."
"And you have a lawsuit against you for wrongful death."
She looked down. "I was only doing my job. I had a choice to be killed or to kill. Rather or not Mrs. Lamby was the killer we were looking for, she still assaulted me."
"I understand, Agent, but that's not what I'm here to talk with you about."
"What is it then?" she snapped back.
He looked up to her, insulted at her reaction. "Well. First of all, your case reminded me of a case I had to study while I was in the Academy. Agent Branch, do you recall ever hearing of FBI Agent Clarice Starling?"
"Of course. She's MIA, and assumed to have willingly gone along with the mass murderer, Hannibal Lecter. Everyone knows about Courtesan Clarice."
He smiled. "Do you know of her case, then? Where she was slapped with a lawsuit for killing a mother holding her child?"
"Briefly. We had to study it in class. It was one of those 'This Agent screwed up, don't be like her' type things. I don't remember everything."
"Well, instead of forcing her into the lawsuit, a man she worked with, Paul Krendler, took care of the media for her and assigned her on another case. I'm willing to do the same for you."
"If I do remember correctly, Mr. McGregor, she was only assigned to a new case because a wealthy man with information would only talk to her," she said, raising her eyebrows to him.
"That's true," he said, casually. "But this is a very important, unsolved case that I cannot find anyone else with the qualifications to take."
"And that would be?"
"The very case we just talked about... The case of Hannibal Lecter and Clarice Starling."
She stared blankly ahead for a moment before starting in small drifts of laughter. "You're not serious."
He didn't find what was funny. "Yes, yes I am..."
"The is NO way in hell I'm taking that case, Sir."
"And just why not?"
She couldn't help but laugh again. "Why not? For God sakes, with all due respect, Sir, it's Hannibal Lecter!"
"Alright. I see that you much rather loose your job, then," he said, raising from his chair.
She thought for a second. "No... wait."
He turned around.
"Give me until tomorrow and leave the case file here."
He smiled, sitting the file on her desk. "Thank you, Agent Branch. See you tomorrow."
"Goodbye."
More later :)