Ticket for a long journey (3/?)

Clarice unfolded the letter... He wrote:

--~°--~°--~°--~°

Clarice,

I can imagine you there in your plain apartment sitting over this letter open-mouthed and shaking your head - indeed it is me who wrote you!

Did you really think I would forget? How could I possibly, it has been a cruel test as it is and I wasn't longer able to resist the urge to write to you.

Agent Starling, I am ready to give you another opportunity to catch me! Are you willing and able to tempt your fate?

Well if you do, and I assume your all present ambition will force you to, follow my instructions.

We will play a little game - you do love games, don't you Clarice, we both know that - we will start a little paper-chase! Doesn't that sound splendid, little Starling? All those tips and tricks the FBI has taught you will come in handy now!

Well then Clarice, yes, I know what you are thinking and you are most accurately right - the first little precious slip of paper lies quietly in that lonely metal box somewhere in London... my clever girl!

Oh and Clarice, don't even think about it - of course I am not in London so you don't have to make all your British colleagues start a running the gauntlet for me. I won't be there to welcome them!

Think about it Clarice - I am waiting!

ta ta

Hannibal Lecter

PS: whenever I touch the deliciously smooth coldness of that single cuff I have that vision of you in my mind - how do you feel when you take it into your beautiful hands, Clarice?

--~°--~°--~°--~°

Clarice's eyes were opened wide. She felt numb, her skin tingled all over. She folded the letter, her index finger stroking over the edges of the soft elegant paper. Seconds later she unfolded it again to read it over once more - just to make sure she wouldn't miss anything.

When she finished reading it for the second time she scoffed, shaking her head.

"This is ridiculous!" she said aloud.

Clarice rose from her chair almost knocking it over. How could he do that to her - a paper-chase - how absolutely absurd, and what was that about her loving games, huh - who was the one starting this silly game! It was f...g ludicrous.

It drove her to despair. He was so damn sure that she wouldn't bring the letter to the Bureau, because certainly there would be a flood of questions washing over her, which she definitely couldn't and wouldn't even try to answer. Of course he knew that and for sure even planned that, why else did he add things like his inability to forget her or the part about the cuff. The FBI didn't even know yet that she didn't own one genuine pair of handcuffs anymore. Clarice hadn't told anybody. She'd just ordered a new one and reported the old one missing since the incident with Lecter. The officer hadn't even hesitated one second.

They all had been very understanding and had treated her as if she suffered from an awful disease. Thank God that had calmed down after some weeks, it was getting on her nerves.

Anyway, Clarice was not sure how she was supposed to go to London in 4 days. The possibility of staying in Washington never crossed her mind. What should she tell her boss? Maybe she should just call in sick and take some days off, but she knew that wouldn't be enough - who can say what that genius mind had planned? - Clarice thought about it nibbling on her thumb nail. Well, she had a little over two weeks vacation time left.

However, Clarice was sure she would go anyway, perhaps it was the last chance he granted her.

Deep wrinkles of doubt appeared on her forehead. She kept on biting that thumb nail of hers obliviously.

Clarice realized that she had been pacing around the apartment all the time. She stopped short, then took the letter into both hands and folded it again, her final decision clear in her mind.

"Ok Doctor, I'll take the bait - let's see what you've got in store?!" she said aloud a smirk on her lips.

end of part 3

to be continued-