"Mister Hobbs?"
"Yes?"
"I am Agent Will Graham of the FBI." Will pulled his credentials free of his coat pocket, holding it out for the man before him to read. "This here is Doctor Hannibal Lecter, a consultant for the FBI. We would like to talk to you for a few minutes. May we come in?"
The man stepped forward, onto the front stoop of the house. The door closing quietly behind him. "No, sorry. My family and I are about to have breakfast, I would prefer for you to not bother my daughter."
Garrett Jacob Hobbs was a man of average height and weight. His light brown hair was receding. His eyes were a blue that reminded Will of dirty water. His face was free of old age but had not escaped a few laugh lines. His clothes were simple, not overly expensive; perhaps bought at a department store instead of a Walmart. There was a slight layer of sweat coating his skin; he nervous.
Will sniffed the air discretely. There was no trace of non-human mythos on Hobbs. He was definitely human then. Faint hints of blood; both animal and human, coated the man's skin. Will's eyes closed for a second, images flash behind his eyelids. Young women, no girls, laying in their beds. Asleep and unaware. His hands wrap around the girls' throats. His hands tighten, choking the life from the sleeping girls. The images change from the girls' rooms to a dark, wooden room – a cabin perhaps. Racks upon racks of antlers line the room; the girls, now dead, hang upon the antlers. Blood dripped from the punctures. He turned to see one of the girls laying on a table, split open down the center like one would slice open the center of an animal fresh from the hunt.
Will's eyes open. He looks down at his watch, mere seconds have passed; it had felt like hours to Will. Hobbs remained unaware of Will's little trip into his own mind; however, Will could feel Hannibal's gaze on him as if it were setting him on fire. The kitty cat really was far too observant for Will's peace of mind.
"Mister Hobbs, may we still ask you a few questions out here instead?"
"I would rather that you come back at a later time. When my daughter is out, would be more preferable."
"Alright; thank you, Mr. Hobbs."
Hobbs didn't reply, just simply opened the door to his home and slid back inside. Will could only see a dark oily substance slithering into the house. Garett Jacob Hobbs was the purest of evil. Will stepped back, positive that he had found the right man for the murders.
"Well, I do believe that went well." Hannibal smiled.
"Yes. We'll call Jack, let him know our suspicions and how everything went. He'll also want to know that we have found our killer."
"What makes you believe that Hobbs is the killer?" Hannibal asked.
"Surely you smelt it. The blood." Will looked up from beneath his lashes as he reached for the handle of his car. "Or is that cute wittle kwitty nosey wosey of yours not up to snuff?"
Hannibal lips twitched for a moment before he was taken over by a full body laugh. Tears wet Hannibal's eyes, his body bends in half. Will watches Hannibal, a smile on his own face. Eventually Hannibal clears his throat and straightens to stand properly once more. He fixes his clothing while his lips continue to twitch. "Has anyone ever told you; that you are a very rude pup, Will"
"All the time." Will tuned his grin onto Hannibal. "I do believe you have mentioned it a time or two."
"And yet, you persist in your rudeness."
"What can I say?" Will shrugged his shoulders. "It's all just a part of who I am."
Behind them, the front door to the Hobbs' house opened up. A woman with blond hair came stumbling out, her hands about her throat. Blood poured out over the woman's hands, down her body and onto the ground. Will and Hannibal raced to her side. The woman had collapsed onto the front stoop by the time they reached her. Will knelt beside the woman, one hand reaching out to check her pulse. Looking up at Hannibal, Will shook his head. "Dead." He says softly.
Will stood once again, he drew his gun from its holster. "Stay here, and call Jack." Will didn't wait for a reply, he stepped quietly into the Hobbs' home. His eyes dart, looking for any doorways that could allow for someone to sneak up behind him and harm him.
Soon, he came to the Hobbs' kitchen. Blood coated the walls and floor. Hobbs stood with his back to Will. A girl with brown hair lay on the floor, blood flowing from her throat like a red river. The daughter, Hobbs' golden ticket. "FBI! Drop your weapon!" Will called out.
"You ruined everything. She was so perfect. My precious little Abigail. The world wanted to take her and ruin her. Turn her into a drug addicted, alcohol abusing whore." The last word came out as snarl. Hobbs turned; a blood covered knife held in one hand. Will watched the blood drip from the tip of the knife onto the floor.
"Garett Jacob Hobbs, put your weapon down. I will not tell you again. " Will releases the safety on the gun.
"You came here. You wanted to take my daughter from me. Take her and use her for your own desires. You wanted to ruin her. I will not let you have her!"
Hobbs lunged at Will; the bloody knife held aloft. Hobbs did not scream or yell as he made to stab Will. He didn't make it far. One bullet to the center of Hobbs' head sent the obsessed father falling to the floor of his own kitchen. Dead before he could even know it.
"How long have you been standing there?"
"From the very beginning, Will. I followed you in."
"Did you call Jack?"
"Not yet, no. I wished to see what you were going to do."
"Were you not concerned about your own safety, doctor?"
"No."
Will gave a dry chuckle. "You are a bastard, you know that?"
"I thought that I was a cute kitty cat." Hannibal had the audacity to actually pout.
*HANNIBAL AND WILL*
"You have an appointment with Dr. Lecter today at noon."
"Why?" Will asks grumpily. He slouched down into his seat; his arms crossed over his chest.
"You shot someone! In the head! With one shot!"
"So?"
"It is standard procedure for any personal involved in a shooting to see a councilor afterwards.
"Lecter is a consultant for the FBI and is a witness to the shooting." Will pointed out.
"Do not argue with me, Will?" Jack nearly shouted at Will.
"He is correct, Jack. Dr. Lecter cannot perform the evaluation without bias."
"Director Purnell." Jack grumbled.
"Morning Jack. Morning Agent Graham."
"What brings you here, to my humble office, Director?"
Purnell stepped into the office and held out a small scrap of paper out to Will. Will takes it without complaint. Looking down at it, Will had to hold back a grin. "Thank you, director."
"You're welcome." Purnell turned to face Jack. "I have arranged for Graham to meet with a different therapist that has been approved by the FBI."
*HANNIBAL AND WILL*
"I must admit that I am surprised to see you here, Will."
"Oh?"
"When Jack informed that our meeting was to be canceled, I had thought that your weekly meetings may as well be canceled."
"Ah. The director felt that you would not be able to be unbiased when evaluating me for the shooting. You were there and witnessed the incident. You are also a consultant for the FBI."
"I cannot say that I disagree."
"Director Purnell may be come by sometime. I would not be surprised if she does so. Jack has been making decisions that are quite questionable of late. Hiring you as both a consultant and my therapist is one of those. To then have you do my evaluation is also suspicious."
"The director is worried about Jack."
"No." Will sat silently for some time, his fingers tracing the fabric of the chair he sat in. "Tell me, doctor. Is anything and everything I say to you in this room, confidential?"
"As long as you are not making any plans to harm or kill yourself or others; then yes, everything you say is confidential."
"Good." Will grinned. "Did Jack try to sneak any tape recorders in here?"
"Yes, he did in fact try. I had to remind him many times that it would not only be a violation of your privacy but possibly the privacy of my other patients as well. He was not happy about that."
"I am not surprised by that. Jack does not truly see me as a person. If he could, he would lock me up in the lab or his office, for his use at will."
"A dark thought for a man who calls himself your friend, Will."
"Jack and I are not friends. Never have been, never will be. I am not the only one who thinks this way about my relationship with Jack. Beverly Katz, you met her, and her girlfriend hate the way Jack treats me. Even Brian and Jimmy have pointed out how Jack seems to think that I am a tool and not a person."
"A fool he is then."
"Are you friends with Jack, doctor?"
"I consider Jack to be of my acquaintance and remain on friendly terms with him. As to friendship with Jack, I do not deem him of worth."
Will was silent for a moment. "What about us, doctor? Are we friends?"
"Such a relationship would be considered inappropriate, Will."
"You did not say no, doctor."
"No, I did not say no."
"Then perhaps I should call you Hannibal from now on then?"
"To hear you call me by my first name, would give me great pleasure."
A bell, soft in sound, rang. "It seems that our meeting for tonight has reached its end."
"That it has, dear Will."
They rose as one, heading towards the exit. Hannibal helped Will into his coat, taking a deep inhale as he did so. "Did you just smell me?"
"I could not help myself, I'm afraid. The overwhelming stench of dog was simply to overwhelming."
Will laughed. "Touché, Hannibal."