Epilogue
When Lecter rejoined Clarice some time later, he found her standing at the railing of the weathered deck, staring at the moonlight shimmering over the water.
"It's done, then?"
Her gaze remained fixed on the ocean.
"Yes, it's done."
She turned to face him.
"May I?"
"I insist."
She nodded and made her way to the door, her hand brushing along his forearm as she passed him. She paused for a beat before crossing the threshold.
Will Graham's body was exactly as the Doctor had promised him it would be. There was no peg board this time. The corpse was arranged on the floor in the center of the room. There were also personal touches. The linoleum knife lay at Will's feet. His right hand held a crime scene photo of Lecter's 6th victim and the National Tattler article that had attracted Lecter's attention.
Starling studied the scene with no obvious reaction, while Lecter stood just inside the door, watching her.
When his voice broke the silence, it held the edge of a chill.
"How does it feel, former Special Agent Starling, to be reminded of the choices you've made?"
She turned to face him, her placid gaze meeting his rapacious stare.
"Far less disturbing than it should, Doctor."
She answered him simply and then turned back to survey the scene once more. Almost as an afterthought, she breathed a bemused chuckle.
"If Crawford wasn't dead already, this would have killed him."
The Doctor offered her a rich laugh, eyes flashing.
"One could only hope, Clarice."
He moved forward and slipped his arms around her waist, pausing to admire his handiwork over her shoulder before nuzzling the side of her neck. She smiled and settled against him.
"What now? Back to the Chesapeake?"
"I think that's best for the moment. It should be some time before Will is discovered, and then the search will most likely be focused here... perhaps the islands."
"It's a long drive," she sighed. "We should get started soon."
"Mmm...I suppose you're right. " She could hear the amusement in his voice. "We'll leave right after dinner."
FIN