Dr Lecter was truly confused, he stared blankly at Alisha. She looked back
and repeated her question. He leaned back in his chair and said; "I'm
sorry, I don't understand what it is that you're talking about."
She leaned forward, "What I'm saying is this. In return for eight years of your life, you will find your soulmate."
"I don't believe in soulmates."
"Well neither do I, I'm only using it for lack of a better word. Let me try and explain it like this: Contrary to popular belief, not every person on this earth has 'another half' or soulmate as many choose to call it. There are, however, a few people who are meant to be together. They are like two halves of the same person and when they meet, it's almost as if they have become complete. They can exist without their 'other half' but they will spend their whole lives feeling as if something is missing." She paused, "I'm sorry, I know it sounds confusing, but I really can't explain it any better than that."
Dr Lecter pondered for a minute. He wasn't sure what Alisha was talking about, she certainly wasn't making any sense. He decided, however, to play along and see where this would lead. "No, I understand, but I must say, I don't see how this applies to me."
Alisha lifted her legs up and sat cross-legged in the chair. She put her elbows on her knees, held her head in her hands and looked straight at Dr Lecter. "What I am about to tell you, you will not believe at first, but bear with me and hear me out, I may just say something that is of use to you."
Dr Lecter nodded, "Go ahead."
"Okay," She closed her eyes again, took a deep breath and started speaking; "Will Graham came to see you last week." It wasn't a question, it was a statement, but the doctor nodded anyway. "He asked you about an arrow wound in one of your old patients, who is now dead."
"Yes, that's true." Though how she knew about it was anyone's guess. Dr Lecter certainly hadn't told anyone.
"I'm not sure how you responded to his questions, but whatever you said made him suspicious. He is going to come back tomorrow to talk about it in further detail. He doesn't suspect you yet, but he certainly believes that you may know something."
Dr Lecter tensed. Maybe Alisha belonged to the FBI, which would explain how she knew about Will Graham. Well if she did belong to the FBI, she wouldn't be there for very long, he couldn't let anyone know his secret and live. He leaned forward, as if to try and hear better, absorbing every word.
"It will take Graham another week to realise exactly why the injuries in your old patient seemed so familiar to him. As you know, they were arranged according to the Wound Man, an illustration in medieval medical books, describing different battle injuries in one image."
If Will didn't know about the Wound Man yet, then how did Alisha? Dr Lecter did not like where this story was going and he made as if he was about to say something.
Alisha held up her finger, "Let me finish."
Dr Lecter decided to hear her out, he had to admit, he was curious.
"When he comes and sees you tomorrow, he'll see an old medical book, something will 'click' in his head and he will realise that you're the one behind the nine murders, two of your victims survived, though they are in no condition to respond to questions." She smiled briefly, as if amused by the thought. "You'll try to kill Graham, but he'll survive and tell the FBI. You'll be caught, put on trial and found guilty. You will then spend the next eight years of your life in the 'Baltimore Hospital for the Criminally Insane'."
She leaned forward, "What I'm saying is this. In return for eight years of your life, you will find your soulmate."
"I don't believe in soulmates."
"Well neither do I, I'm only using it for lack of a better word. Let me try and explain it like this: Contrary to popular belief, not every person on this earth has 'another half' or soulmate as many choose to call it. There are, however, a few people who are meant to be together. They are like two halves of the same person and when they meet, it's almost as if they have become complete. They can exist without their 'other half' but they will spend their whole lives feeling as if something is missing." She paused, "I'm sorry, I know it sounds confusing, but I really can't explain it any better than that."
Dr Lecter pondered for a minute. He wasn't sure what Alisha was talking about, she certainly wasn't making any sense. He decided, however, to play along and see where this would lead. "No, I understand, but I must say, I don't see how this applies to me."
Alisha lifted her legs up and sat cross-legged in the chair. She put her elbows on her knees, held her head in her hands and looked straight at Dr Lecter. "What I am about to tell you, you will not believe at first, but bear with me and hear me out, I may just say something that is of use to you."
Dr Lecter nodded, "Go ahead."
"Okay," She closed her eyes again, took a deep breath and started speaking; "Will Graham came to see you last week." It wasn't a question, it was a statement, but the doctor nodded anyway. "He asked you about an arrow wound in one of your old patients, who is now dead."
"Yes, that's true." Though how she knew about it was anyone's guess. Dr Lecter certainly hadn't told anyone.
"I'm not sure how you responded to his questions, but whatever you said made him suspicious. He is going to come back tomorrow to talk about it in further detail. He doesn't suspect you yet, but he certainly believes that you may know something."
Dr Lecter tensed. Maybe Alisha belonged to the FBI, which would explain how she knew about Will Graham. Well if she did belong to the FBI, she wouldn't be there for very long, he couldn't let anyone know his secret and live. He leaned forward, as if to try and hear better, absorbing every word.
"It will take Graham another week to realise exactly why the injuries in your old patient seemed so familiar to him. As you know, they were arranged according to the Wound Man, an illustration in medieval medical books, describing different battle injuries in one image."
If Will didn't know about the Wound Man yet, then how did Alisha? Dr Lecter did not like where this story was going and he made as if he was about to say something.
Alisha held up her finger, "Let me finish."
Dr Lecter decided to hear her out, he had to admit, he was curious.
"When he comes and sees you tomorrow, he'll see an old medical book, something will 'click' in his head and he will realise that you're the one behind the nine murders, two of your victims survived, though they are in no condition to respond to questions." She smiled briefly, as if amused by the thought. "You'll try to kill Graham, but he'll survive and tell the FBI. You'll be caught, put on trial and found guilty. You will then spend the next eight years of your life in the 'Baltimore Hospital for the Criminally Insane'."