The usual applies; I own no one or nothing pertaining to this story.

Chapter 3 Back To Work

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Phillip Irwin Cole sat at his large oak desk starring at the phone, waiting. Finally, as if willing it to do so, the phone rang. He lifted the receiver, but did not speak right away.

"Dr. Cole, are you there?" The voice on the other end asked.

"Yes Mary, I'm here, what is it?"

"They've found another one Dr. Cole and the Chief wants you at the scene ASAP."

She gave him the address.

"Thank you Mary, I'll be there in twenty minutes."

Smiling as he hung the phone up, he grabbed the keys to his truck and headed out the door.

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Pearsall and Starling were still discussing the non-facts of the case when Pearsall's cell phone rang.

Clarice watched the features on his face sag as he ended the call with "I be right there." She looked at him as he replaced his cell back into his coat pocket and said, " They found another one, didn't they?"

"Yes, I have to go. You wouldn't by any chance……" She immediately cut him off and said, "Yes I would."

Pearsall smiled at her saying, "Good, lets go."

"So where we going?" She asked. "A restaurant not to far from here. An employee on her way home found the body in the parking lot next to her car.

As they pulled into the parking lot, Starling noticed the press everywhere. "Vultures," she said as she got out of the car. They walked over to where the body was lying. The victim was male, approximately twenty-two years old, wearing baggy clothing, and there was a skateboard on the ground next to him. The ice pick, standing at attention, from the right side of his temple, with the word: F O U R T H, neatly carved into the handle.

Pearsall's words finally shook Starling from the vision on the ground. "Starling I want you to meet someone." She looked up to see an older man standing along side Pearsall.

"This is the Chief Medical Examiner Albert Young. Al this is Clarice Starling."

"Nice to meet you Miss Starling. I've heard a lot about you." He smiled as he reached for her his hand. "Thank you Dr. Young, but you can't believe everything you hear," she replied, shaking his hand and returning his smile with a half smirk.

Pearsall interrupted asking, "Have you found anything new?"

"Not yet, my associate is winding things up now. We will be moving him to the office for a more intense search there." Just as Dr. Young had finished speaking, his associate came into view, walking toward the group. "We're all ready to go Al, we just need to get him in the van, and……..Who do we have here?" He said, starring at Clarice.

"Oh, my apologies Phil, this is Clarice Starling and you already know Agent Pearsall."

"Yes, Hello Agent Pearsall," he said as his gaze never left Clarice. Still starring at her he said, "Very nice to meet you Clarice Starling. I am Phillip Cole. As he took her hand into his, she felt a cold shiver run from the base of her neck down both legs. "Hi," was all she could force from her lips.

He was a tall, well-built man of about forty. Shoulder length Dark hair, mustache and goatee, both neatly manicured. But she couldn't get past the eyes. They were black as coal.

To uncomfortable to continue this starring contest any longer, she jerked her hand away from his, turning to Pearsall saying, "Are we finished here?"

"Yes, the other Agents can do the follow-up. Come on. I'll take you home."

As they were leaving, Clarice turned to see Dr. Cole getting into a large dark blue

pick-up. She felt another shiver as she read his license plate: PIC ME.

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There was silence during the drive home. Clarice had thought that by seeing one of the victims in person, she might receive some great insight to the murders. All she was left with was an odd feeling she couldn't determine.

Deciding she didn't want to go home, she asked Pearsall to drop her off at Ardelia's House. She just felt in need of a friendly face.

As Pearsall stopped in front of her friend's home he said, "I'm sorry if I caused you any anxiety tonight Starling. I just don't know what else to do. This guy doesn't look like he plans on stopping anytime soon, and if we don't get some leads pretty soon……."

"It's o.k. Mr. Pearsall, that Examiner guy just creeped me out, is all. I'm fine."

She tried to sound convincing. Pearsall bought it, as she knew he would.

Even though he was polite and he really did need some help with the case, she still felt like a pawn in the Bureau's chess game with the bad-guys and she wasn't about to let her guard down again.

"I'll call you later this week, Starling."

"Thank you Mr. Pearsall, Goodnight," she said as she shut the door to his car.