Disclaimer:

Chapter 6: Lavender and Silk

It was long past dark when Clarice pulled into the parking lot of the Motel 6 in Arlington, Virginia. Checking in under a false name and paying with cash, she went to her room carrying a bag from the closest fast food restaurant she could find.

After eating she slipped under the covers and was fast asleep.

It was almost noon on Friday, May 15th when she opened her eyes in the motel room. The heavy drapes kept out the morning sun, and when she opened them she flinched back from the brilliance of the day.

She was hungry, having fasted for over 12 hours, but felt a greater need in her bones. After spending 24 of the last 48 hours on the road she needed to get outside and get her tense body working again. Grabbing shorts, her jog bra, an old t-shirt, her running shoes, and some sweat socks out of her duffle bag, she quickly dressed then brushed her teeth. She laced up the well-worn Nikes and strapped a fanny pack around her waist to hold her wallet and room key. Picking up her sunglasses on the way out, she locked the room and walked to the front of the building.

The motel was located on a stretch of road filled with souvenir shops, fast food restaurants, and strip malls, the likes of which are commonly found in close proximity to major interest sites. Clarice began a slow jog up the avenue, getting comfortable with her stride. She let her mind wander and her body do the work.

Thinking about the circumstances of the last two days brought her a sense of relief she felt ashamed of. The rise and fall of her career had been at the hands of Dr. Lecter. Hearing from him again should not be a good thing. She should feel enraged. But she'd been living in an emotional void for the past three and a half years, and frankly anything that stirred her long dead heart felt good.

Seeing the commercial property around her starting to thin out, she checked her watch. She'd been running for almost half an hour. She calculated she'd run about 4 miles; turning around she started back the way she came. By the time she'd completed the circuit she was red-faced and sweating, but her body felt loose and flexible again.

She was not quite at the motel yet and saw a cluster of stores to her right. There was a mannequin in the front window of one of the stores wearing a dove gray suit with a heather pink silk shirt. It was lovely and she made an impulsive decision to purchase it. A little bell rang as she walked into the air conditioned cooled shop alerting the commission hungry salesgirls. Before any of them could approach her, Clarice walked over to the display to look for her size, which she found easily.

She went to the back of the store and laid her choices on the counter. The clerk took one look at her disheveled appearance and said, "I suppose you need to try them on?"

With her sweetest smile she replied, "No, I'm sure of the size."

"Fine." The clerk rang up the three items for a total of $201.87. Clarice pulled out her wallet and removed two hundred-dollar bills and a five. She dumped the change back into her fanny pack and took her bag, flipping a little wave to the young sales girl.

A few doors down she encountered a shoe store. Inside she found a pair of Prada shoes the exact shade of heather as her shirt. She didn't even blink an eye at the $150 price tag.

Walking out the door she was assaulted with the overwhelming fragrance that comes out of those bath and body shops you can find in every mall across the country. Entering the boutique next door she saw every bath bead, body lotion, fragrance spray, or candle anyone could possible need. Wandering up and down the isles, she didn't have anything in particular in mind, when she came across a gift set that included bath oil, body lotion, and spray, in a lavender scent. The back of the bottles proclaimed that lavender 'relaxes, soothes, restores and balances your body and mind'. *Well I can certainly use some of that* Clarice thought. She purchased the set, as well as a couple of candles.

As she walked out of the boutique she checked her watch. It was after four and her stomach verbally reminded her that she still hadn't eaten. She walked to a sandwich shop at the end of the strip and ordered a veggie wrap with a Coke. She sat at an outdoor table and enjoyed her late lunch/early dinner.

By the time she reached her room it was almost five. She deposited her bags on the bed, taking out the bottle of bath oil and started the tub filling with hot water, dumping a quarter of the bottle in. She lit the candles, placing them around the room and pealed off her clothes before sinking into the fragrant bath water. Closing her eyes, she laid her head back against the plastic tub enjoying a little relaxation of mind for the encounter that was to come.

When the water became tepid she released the drain and turned on the shower, quickly washing her hair. Grabbing a towel as she stepped out she dried herself off before generously applying the body lotion and spray. Now she slowly dressed piece by piece. Before putting on the jacket she slipped on her Yaqui side holster. Checking the mirror to make sure there was no unseemly bulge in the material she was silently pleased at her choice to purchase the outfit.

She spent several more moments in front of the mirror styling her hair followed by some quick attempts at makeup. The Lutherans had eschewed makeup, and Clarice had found little need in it in her later years. She was only mildly concerned at her sudden need to primp.

After packing up her belongings into the large duffle, she blew out the candles and took everything out to her car. She drove around to the front desk to return her key. She was out on the street and driving towards the cemetery at quarter past six.

She nodded at the Marine guard as she drove through the gate at Arlington National Cemetery and found an easy parking spot as it was close to closing time. She purchased two yellow roses and entered the well-manicured lawn and acres of symmetrically placed white grave markers.

Agent Reid muttered in frustration. It was almost seven o'clock, his wife was going to kill him when he got home. He had just shut down his computer when the telephone rang.

"Reid here," he grunted.

"It's Lloyd. We've got a report of Starling's car entering Arlington National Cemetery."

"No shit! I'm on it." He threw the receiver back into the cradle and grabbed his jacket as he ran out the door.

Continued