Chapter 15: Interrogation/The Silence of the Lamb
"Was he at the hotel with you this morning, Clarice?" Ardelia was trying to coax answers out of her old room mate. "I can get you out of this mess if you talk to me. No one can do more than prove you were in his company. Tell me how he managed to keep you from running, or calling the authorities."
She said nothing; just stared into space. Her emotions ran so high that not even crying was a possibility. Yet she heard everything that was said to her. In her mind, she answered them with snide remarks. 'How he kept me from? I didn't want to you idiotic bitch.'
"Well, he'll come to get her if he's as infatuated as you suggest, Mapp." That was the voice of a male agent Clarice had never seen before. He seemed to be Ardelia's partner. Yet she'd never spoken of a partner in her e-mails.
"Dr. Lecter deserves just a little bit more credit than that." Clarice suddenly sighed. "He won't give up his freedom on my account. He won't lose anything on my account." Inwardly, she hoped she was right. Although Hannibal loved her, she didn't know how far he might go for her welfare. As far as she knew, as long as she was safe, he might not do anything. Her mind analyzed the pros and cons to everything she said aloud before speaking. She knew she hadn't said too much. Even as the agents stared at her.
"Clarice, let me help you get out of this mess."
"I'm not afraid of prison."
"Do you mean to say that you might deserve to go to prison, Ms. Starling?" The male agent asked.
Clarice stood, and walked away. Her calm exterior visibly shook them. That was good. One thing she'd learned from experience when interviewing Hannibal in Baltimore was that less is more. They would learn nothing unless she wanted them to. The hard part was taking the time to dissect everything she wanted to say. To weigh every word carefully for how much it gave away.
"Just tell us if you've seen him, Clarice." Ardelia entreated.
"I don't have to say one damn word." She replied. Saying that word again made her cringe, remembering what Hannibal had said about her fondness to it only that morning. "I want something to eat."
Sighing, the man stormed out of the interrogation room. Clarice and her now ex-best friend sat in an uncomfortable silence. Clarice would never forgive Ardelia for what she had done. Clasping her arms behind her back, she stood with her shoulders squared, facing the mirror she knew from experience had men and/or women watching from the other side. She kept her face carefully emotionless. Did this unnerve them, she wondered? Did they see the reminiscence of Dr. Lecter's old games at apathy?
"Was he at the hotel with you this morning, Clarice?" Ardelia was trying to coax answers out of her old room mate. "I can get you out of this mess if you talk to me. No one can do more than prove you were in his company. Tell me how he managed to keep you from running, or calling the authorities."
She said nothing; just stared into space. Her emotions ran so high that not even crying was a possibility. Yet she heard everything that was said to her. In her mind, she answered them with snide remarks. 'How he kept me from? I didn't want to you idiotic bitch.'
"Well, he'll come to get her if he's as infatuated as you suggest, Mapp." That was the voice of a male agent Clarice had never seen before. He seemed to be Ardelia's partner. Yet she'd never spoken of a partner in her e-mails.
"Dr. Lecter deserves just a little bit more credit than that." Clarice suddenly sighed. "He won't give up his freedom on my account. He won't lose anything on my account." Inwardly, she hoped she was right. Although Hannibal loved her, she didn't know how far he might go for her welfare. As far as she knew, as long as she was safe, he might not do anything. Her mind analyzed the pros and cons to everything she said aloud before speaking. She knew she hadn't said too much. Even as the agents stared at her.
"Clarice, let me help you get out of this mess."
"I'm not afraid of prison."
"Do you mean to say that you might deserve to go to prison, Ms. Starling?" The male agent asked.
Clarice stood, and walked away. Her calm exterior visibly shook them. That was good. One thing she'd learned from experience when interviewing Hannibal in Baltimore was that less is more. They would learn nothing unless she wanted them to. The hard part was taking the time to dissect everything she wanted to say. To weigh every word carefully for how much it gave away.
"Just tell us if you've seen him, Clarice." Ardelia entreated.
"I don't have to say one damn word." She replied. Saying that word again made her cringe, remembering what Hannibal had said about her fondness to it only that morning. "I want something to eat."
Sighing, the man stormed out of the interrogation room. Clarice and her now ex-best friend sat in an uncomfortable silence. Clarice would never forgive Ardelia for what she had done. Clasping her arms behind her back, she stood with her shoulders squared, facing the mirror she knew from experience had men and/or women watching from the other side. She kept her face carefully emotionless. Did this unnerve them, she wondered? Did they see the reminiscence of Dr. Lecter's old games at apathy?