Lecter had carefully followed the girl to her apartment, making sure he was
not seen by her. He watched her walk into the door, waited a few minutes,
then walked over. He quickly scanned the mailboxes, looking for a name.
What name, he didn't know. Then he saw it; Starling, C.A. #401. 'C.A.?'
he thought. 'I wonder what her name is.' He looked across the street at a
small café. 'Well, nothing wrong with a cappuccino now is there?' He
sauntered over and took a seat at a table directly across from the door of
the apartment complex and watched. After 20 minutes, Young Starling (as he
thought of her) walked out the door and down the street. Now was his
chance. Lecter got up from the table, left money for his bill, then walked
over to the complex. Once inside, he climbed up the stairs to the fourth
floor and quickly found #401. Taking a skeleton key from his pocket, he
carefully and quietly opened the door and peeked inside.
Entering the apartment, Lecter looked around for anything that might say the young girl's name on it. He found a high school diploma hanging on the wall and read: Cara Adonna Starling; Class of 2002; North Lauderdale, Florida. "Florida?" he asked aloud. "My dear, if you are from Florida, where on earth did you get that atrocious accent?" As he walked around the living room, Lecter noticed several things reminding him of his own Clarice; family pictures, books, Bourbon, and.a gun? What the hell did she have a gun for? He picked it up. A Colt .45. 'Nice choice' he thought. Lecter saw a photo album lying on the floor next to the couch and decided to take a gander at it. The first picture he saw was a family photo, obviously taken several years ago. Seated at a picnic table in what looked to be Central Park in New York were several men and women including Clarice, and one child, which must have been Cara. Cara was seated on Clarice's lap, twirling her aunt's dark hair in her fingers. Next to Clarice and Cara was a man whom Lecter thought to be Cara's father, Clarice's brother. He flipped through more pictures; baby pictures of Cara, more family photos, photos of friends. Two pictures in particular caught his eye. One was of Clarice and the late John Brigham, looking as if they were dating. The other was of someone he could only assume was Clarice's father. Lecter made a mental note of this, and closed the book.
As he was setting the album down, Lecter heard a sound much like a growl come from behind him. He looked to his right to find himself face-to-face with a full grown male Rottweiler. "Nice puppy," he said. "Good dog." Lecter got up and started slowly toward the door.
When he was out the door, Lecter heard the phone ring from Cara's apartment, then heard the answering machine pick up. A young man's voice with a heavy Italian accent started talking: "Cara, I'm willing to forget what you did to me earlier today. If you don't come to terms with me within the hour, you'll be very sorry you ever crossed me. If you know what's good for you, you'll call me back. Ciao."
'Hmm.' Lecter thought. 'He seems like a very rude boy.'
Entering the apartment, Lecter looked around for anything that might say the young girl's name on it. He found a high school diploma hanging on the wall and read: Cara Adonna Starling; Class of 2002; North Lauderdale, Florida. "Florida?" he asked aloud. "My dear, if you are from Florida, where on earth did you get that atrocious accent?" As he walked around the living room, Lecter noticed several things reminding him of his own Clarice; family pictures, books, Bourbon, and.a gun? What the hell did she have a gun for? He picked it up. A Colt .45. 'Nice choice' he thought. Lecter saw a photo album lying on the floor next to the couch and decided to take a gander at it. The first picture he saw was a family photo, obviously taken several years ago. Seated at a picnic table in what looked to be Central Park in New York were several men and women including Clarice, and one child, which must have been Cara. Cara was seated on Clarice's lap, twirling her aunt's dark hair in her fingers. Next to Clarice and Cara was a man whom Lecter thought to be Cara's father, Clarice's brother. He flipped through more pictures; baby pictures of Cara, more family photos, photos of friends. Two pictures in particular caught his eye. One was of Clarice and the late John Brigham, looking as if they were dating. The other was of someone he could only assume was Clarice's father. Lecter made a mental note of this, and closed the book.
As he was setting the album down, Lecter heard a sound much like a growl come from behind him. He looked to his right to find himself face-to-face with a full grown male Rottweiler. "Nice puppy," he said. "Good dog." Lecter got up and started slowly toward the door.
When he was out the door, Lecter heard the phone ring from Cara's apartment, then heard the answering machine pick up. A young man's voice with a heavy Italian accent started talking: "Cara, I'm willing to forget what you did to me earlier today. If you don't come to terms with me within the hour, you'll be very sorry you ever crossed me. If you know what's good for you, you'll call me back. Ciao."
'Hmm.' Lecter thought. 'He seems like a very rude boy.'