Authors: Rube and Mischa
"Well, I mentioned to you that Hannibal was very odd?" Alicia didn't even give Clarice time to answer.
"Or maybe I didn't. But he was always very gentlemanly, very polite, and he respected my modesty.
I expected, with him being a man, that he would pursue a psychical relationship, but no. It took much
aggressive action on my side. It was painfully obvious, how much I wanted him, and I suppose that
wasn't too smart of me to do." She cut off sharply, jerking her head up, which had been previously
studying her nails. "Why am I telling you all this?" And yet again, no pause for Clarice to reply.
"The first time we advanced to a sexual level was probably the best in my life, to date. He was so
kind. It's impossible for me to comprehend that he did such monstrous things."
"Did Doctor Lecter ever talk to you about his patients?"
Clarice's head was bent over a pad of paper, trying to look busy writing down information, but
it was a cover for the beet-red face and wide eyes.
"A little here and there. He would mention things off-hand, though, everything not related to
art or music or books was off-hand with Hannibal. He didn't take an interest in people who
weren't 'into' what he liked. It took me a while, but I eventually came to enjoy the same things."
That was easy to see, if you looked around the house. Tapestries adorned the walls and
lovely rugs the hallways. Clarice shook the thoughts off and got back to the task at hand.
Alicia looked off in her own little world by now. Clarice tried and tried to shake off the mental
image of Hannibal and Alicia in bed together, but she couldn't dispel it no matter what she did.
A feeling kept snaking it's hold on Clarice's gut. A small feeling of nausea crept up her esophagus,
and she had a feeling that her face had changed from red to green. Please, she thought to herself,
please go away and just let me deal! Clarice took a few deep breaths. Alicia, Clarice realized, was
talking again.
"But he never talked much about his work to me. In fact, now that I reflect, we didn't talk much at
all. We always went to places were everything was at a light chatter mode, or to the theater or opera,
where you didn't talk at all. We were rarely alone."
Clarice felt the green feeling relent a little bit.
"Now that you mention it, he did mention someone. A Jame Gumb."
Clarice's heart lurched forward. She was sure she was going to vomit on the rug any moment.
"That name seems so familiar, but I can't place it." Alicia shrugged off the thought.
"When did he mention it?"
"We were vacationing in Florence, at the Hotel Beacci Tornabuoni. Lovely place. It was the last
time I would ever see him. He mentioned Mr. Gumb briefly. I thought it was odd, because we were
vacationing and he mentions work..."
"How long did you stay?"
"About a week. He registered under a different name...Kent Simone. He said his work was paying
for it, so he would use that name to stay free. Doctor Lecter had money, but he preferred to save it
more often then spend it."
"Do you know the address?"
"I have a card somewhere...Lisa?"
Clarice assumed she was calling out to the housekeeper. Sure enough, several moments later, the
woman entered the room.
"Yes?"
"See if you can't find the brochure for the Hotel Beacci Tornabuoni in Florence."
Her pronunciation was perfect.
"Yes miss."
"Hannibal loved that hotel; he wanted to stay longer, but got a phone call from the
states, calling him back."
"Do you think that if he were to return to Florence, he would stay there?"
"It's beyond me. I would bet my life on it, but it's possible. He said he liked the streets
there, in that area."
"Miss, I found it."
"Ah, here we are," Alicia said, as it was handed to her. She held it out for Clarice.
"Hotel Beacci Tornabuoni, via de' Tornabuoni, 3 - 50123 Firenze."
"Yes, that's where it was. Is there anything else, Clarice?"
"Not that I can think of."
"Well, I hate to rush you out, but I'm expecting people over in," she glanced at her gold watch.
"Ten minutes or so."
"Of course," Clarice quickly stood.
"Will you drop by another time?"
"Sure, as soon as I get a break."
"All right, then."
Alicia smiled at Clarice and then she was shown to the door.
~~~
Clarice in no way expected the post card that awaited her return to her house.
"Well, I mentioned to you that Hannibal was very odd?" Alicia didn't even give Clarice time to answer.
"Or maybe I didn't. But he was always very gentlemanly, very polite, and he respected my modesty.
I expected, with him being a man, that he would pursue a psychical relationship, but no. It took much
aggressive action on my side. It was painfully obvious, how much I wanted him, and I suppose that
wasn't too smart of me to do." She cut off sharply, jerking her head up, which had been previously
studying her nails. "Why am I telling you all this?" And yet again, no pause for Clarice to reply.
"The first time we advanced to a sexual level was probably the best in my life, to date. He was so
kind. It's impossible for me to comprehend that he did such monstrous things."
"Did Doctor Lecter ever talk to you about his patients?"
Clarice's head was bent over a pad of paper, trying to look busy writing down information, but
it was a cover for the beet-red face and wide eyes.
"A little here and there. He would mention things off-hand, though, everything not related to
art or music or books was off-hand with Hannibal. He didn't take an interest in people who
weren't 'into' what he liked. It took me a while, but I eventually came to enjoy the same things."
That was easy to see, if you looked around the house. Tapestries adorned the walls and
lovely rugs the hallways. Clarice shook the thoughts off and got back to the task at hand.
Alicia looked off in her own little world by now. Clarice tried and tried to shake off the mental
image of Hannibal and Alicia in bed together, but she couldn't dispel it no matter what she did.
A feeling kept snaking it's hold on Clarice's gut. A small feeling of nausea crept up her esophagus,
and she had a feeling that her face had changed from red to green. Please, she thought to herself,
please go away and just let me deal! Clarice took a few deep breaths. Alicia, Clarice realized, was
talking again.
"But he never talked much about his work to me. In fact, now that I reflect, we didn't talk much at
all. We always went to places were everything was at a light chatter mode, or to the theater or opera,
where you didn't talk at all. We were rarely alone."
Clarice felt the green feeling relent a little bit.
"Now that you mention it, he did mention someone. A Jame Gumb."
Clarice's heart lurched forward. She was sure she was going to vomit on the rug any moment.
"That name seems so familiar, but I can't place it." Alicia shrugged off the thought.
"When did he mention it?"
"We were vacationing in Florence, at the Hotel Beacci Tornabuoni. Lovely place. It was the last
time I would ever see him. He mentioned Mr. Gumb briefly. I thought it was odd, because we were
vacationing and he mentions work..."
"How long did you stay?"
"About a week. He registered under a different name...Kent Simone. He said his work was paying
for it, so he would use that name to stay free. Doctor Lecter had money, but he preferred to save it
more often then spend it."
"Do you know the address?"
"I have a card somewhere...Lisa?"
Clarice assumed she was calling out to the housekeeper. Sure enough, several moments later, the
woman entered the room.
"Yes?"
"See if you can't find the brochure for the Hotel Beacci Tornabuoni in Florence."
Her pronunciation was perfect.
"Yes miss."
"Hannibal loved that hotel; he wanted to stay longer, but got a phone call from the
states, calling him back."
"Do you think that if he were to return to Florence, he would stay there?"
"It's beyond me. I would bet my life on it, but it's possible. He said he liked the streets
there, in that area."
"Miss, I found it."
"Ah, here we are," Alicia said, as it was handed to her. She held it out for Clarice.
"Hotel Beacci Tornabuoni, via de' Tornabuoni, 3 - 50123 Firenze."
"Yes, that's where it was. Is there anything else, Clarice?"
"Not that I can think of."
"Well, I hate to rush you out, but I'm expecting people over in," she glanced at her gold watch.
"Ten minutes or so."
"Of course," Clarice quickly stood.
"Will you drop by another time?"
"Sure, as soon as I get a break."
"All right, then."
Alicia smiled at Clarice and then she was shown to the door.
~~~
Clarice in no way expected the post card that awaited her return to her house.