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Chapter 3: The Domino Factor

Clarice was home, having to work the 3-11 shift that night, when the package came. For a tense moment she worried it was from Dr. Lecter. But he'd vowed never to contact her again and the relief she should have felt was bitter.

Opening the large brown envelope, she pulled out a bound manuscript. On the cover, centered horizontally and vertically in 28 pt Times New Roman was the title: "Star Cross'd: Romeo and Juliet Syndrome". Underneath, in more modest 18 pt was the author, Matthew McIntyre. The entire composition was about 200 pages, bound by clasps on three points along the left margin.

Clarice grabbed a bottle of Coke out of the fridge and sat down on the sofa with her new acquisition. Flipping through the work she realized it was not actually about serial killers, but rather an odd dissertation on the attraction of certain people that could only be described as tragic from the onset. Matt spent a considerable amount of time on women who fall for death row inmates and wind up marrying them, including several in depth case studies. He also touched briefly on battered woman syndrome. But the piece de resistance was no less than the romance between Hannibal 'the Cannibal' Lecter and the lovely former FBI agent Clarice Starling.

"Well, you little prick," she said out loud.

Matt had made this the focal point of his paper, using their 'relationship' as a textbook case of opposites attract carried to the infinite power. Utilizing many of the 'facts' used by the National Tattler, Matt had summed up his thesis with the interview with Clarice. Of course it contained nothing but assumption and innuendo, even going so far as to speculate that the relationship was consummated the night beside the Chesapeake Bay. He made a point of describing her decline, having to take the position of deputy in the tiny western Virginia town, spending her days on the Maritime Patrol Unit, busting poachers and illegal campfires, a far cry from her illustrious FBI career. He described her as 'wallowing in denial' and 'unable to face the awful truth' that Lecter was in love with her. More damaging was his assertion that Ms. Starling was in fact in love with Lecter in return, although she was loathe to admit it. He summed it all up by saying these 'two people would never be happy apart from one another, and that for obvious reasons a life together would be no less than fatal'.

Clarice momentarily considered filing a libel suit, but thought better of it, since that kind of publicity would do more harm than good. Relax, she told herself. It's just a stupid thesis. No one will ever even see it.

Halfway across the globe, in Sydney, Australia, Dr. Hannibal Lecter was in the midst of sketching when his mail was dropped through the slot in his door. He put the finishing touches on his version of Botticelli's 'Birth of Venus'. His rendering of the Goddess of Love bore a remarkable resemblance to a former Special Agent Starling, as she stood coquettishly upon her seashell. Lecter rose and gathered the deposit made by the postal worker.

Among the mundane junk mail and bills, he received his monthly copy of the American Journal of Psychiatry. Tossing the rest aside he went to sit and peruse the Journal. Flipping through, his eyes were immediately drawn to a picture of none other than himself. Expecting another pompous psychiatrist had tried to explain his 'mad genius', Lecter settled back to enjoy. However he soon discovered that a professor at the University of Chicago had been so impressed with the thesis of one of his students, that he had submitted a portion of it for publication.

The unusual theory, coupled with Dr. Lecter's notoriety, was too much to pass up. The Journal devoted a four page spread to "Star Cross'd: Romeo and Juliet Syndrome", including pictures of the principal characters. On the third page were some less than flattering photos of Clarice, mostly courtesy of the Tattler.

Lecter read and reread the article five times before putting it down. Wallowing in denial, indeed. He had no doubt Mr. McIntyre's speculations tended to be more shock value than actual insight, however Dr. Lecter wondered what hadn't made it into the thesis. Matthew McIntyre had actually met with Clarice. Lecter felt an urge to speak with his tragic ladylove, but was bound by his word of honor. Perhaps he could kill two birds with one stone.

He immediately went to his laptop and remarked to himself how easy it was to arrange global travel in these days of the World Wide Web.

Special Agent Eric Reid sat at his desk in what was once christened 'Hannibal's House'. He had reluctantly inherited the office space upon the departure of Clarice Starling. Eric had known Starling more by reputation and office gossip, and he felt that even though she seemed to have a connection with the man they sought, she had been a loose cannon, and good riddance. He wasn't exactly happy with the assignment, but dug his heels in to do the best job possible.

Eric had been called out to the house on Chesapeake Bay three years ago and had interviewed Starling in regards to Lecter's escape. He never quite bought her story, but the evidence seemed to substantiate it. Still in the back of his mind, Clarice Starling would always be the wild card in this investigation.

A junior agent assigned to Reid walked into the windowless room and said, "Eric have I got something for you." He had been assigned to collect all information on the fugitive doctor published throughout the world. It was a long and boring task, but on this occasion he felt he'd hit the jackpot.

He slapped a copy of the American Journal of Psychiatry in front of Reid. With a sigh Eric said, "Another psych profile? I'm not exactly interested in whether or not he's got an Oedipal Complex."

"Uh uh. Check out page 10."

Reid opened the publication to the indicated page, his mouth turned down in a frown. His eyes darted back and forth as he took in the contents. After a few moments the corners of his mouth turned up. "Hot damn," he swore quietly. Looking up at his associate he said, "Not bad at all. I wouldn't put money down on how accurate it is but I'd bet on one thing: Lecter's gonna freak when he sees it."

"You think he'll try to contact her again?"

"Sure."

"So you think maybe she did it? I mean sleep with him and let him go?"

Reid turned up his nose in distaste. "She's a weird one, but I can't imagine she'd be that freaky. If I find out she did though, I'll nail her ass. Now get some field agents down to Bedford County. I want her watched."

Continued