One Good Turn 1 / 2
This has been festering on the back burner for about a year.
Precis : It is a story about someone who must have existed in one form or another, but is never mentioned in the books. It also examines the notion that people who walk on the wild side, will fetch up in the same harbour from time to time.
Follows book canon. Set before Red Dragon
Rating: M I suppose (for mention of certain sexual practices).
ANY comments are welcome – one is never done editing these things.
Dr. Hannibal Lecter, contained in these posts was created by and is the intellectual property of Thomas Harris. He is used herein without permission, but in the spirit of admiration and respect. No infringement of copyright is intended, and the owner, creators, moderators, members or contributors of this site make no profit whatsoever.
This room is quite plain. The floor is clean – the linoleum is sealed and polished. The tabletop is unmarked. Glassy black formica. The walls look as though they have been painted quite recently. Magnolia gloss. Like a public hospital. No windows but the fluorescent light has a pink hue instead of the usual leukaemic blue and of course there is the obligatory two way mirror.
The man opposite – Officer Petrie, is tidying his papers. The uniformed lady officer – I didn't see her name tag, is sitting stolidly in the corner, watching his back. I can imagine her providing unflappable but unimaginative support in emergencies. Not very quick on her feet.
I have always viewed fleetness of foot, as a necessity, living in a city – avoiding broken paving; puddles; dog mess; drunks.
We are waiting for Officer Petrie's companion. Officer Petrie looks up. Blue eyes with dark lashes, bright, untroubled. He allows me a warm smile.
"Apologies for the delay Miss Reece. Can I get you a coffee?"
"No thank you" I smile in return. My professional daytime smile. The one I reserve for those I don't care to know too well – UPS couriers; the cleaner; the garbage collector.
Officer Petrie is about 32 and clean shaven. He is wearing a good shirt with a crisp collar- van Heusen I think. The suit is not of the same quality, but it sits well over his shoulders. He is the right shape for suits. A neat haircut. Perhaps he used to be in the military? No wedding ring. Well manicured hands. In thrall to his own dexterity. Anxious to be seen to be smooth. I'm sure he eats noodles with chopsticks, carefully, out of a box. No drips down his chin. No smudges on his impeccably knotted tie.
"I have to wait for Officer Berlusconi before we can start" A semi apologetic smile this time. His voice is pitched quite high. He needs to relax his infrahyoid muscles and drop his larynx. He squares up his papers once more
"I quite understand"
The door opens. The tail end of a conversation and laughter in the corridor. Officer Berlusconi backs into the room carrying coffee in a large mug. Overweight but tidy feet. Like a dancer. Every stitch on his shiny suit, doing its duty. He places his mug carefully on the table and takes his jacket off and drapes it over the back of the chair. There are no sweat stains on his shirt but I can smell him. He is breathing quite heavily through his nose. Big lips. Voracious
Officer Petrie shifts a little to the right to give his partner some more space at the table. I see his nostrils flare. Fastidious. I like that in a man.
"OK. We ready to roll Nathan?" This to Officer Petrie. Officer Berlusconi takes a long slurp of his coffee. Officer Petrie's eyelashes flutter. He presses the switch on the tape machine.
"This is Officer Berlusconi and Officer Petrie interviewing Miss Deborah Reece?" – Officer Berlusconi looks at me finally to confirm that I am there "at the Baltimore Police Department Headquarters on Monday 31st March 1975 at" he consults a thick watch part buried in the flesh of his wrist "18.00 hours. Witnessed by …. "
"Patrolwoman Sommers" murmurs Officer Petrie
"Patrolwoman Sommers. You been read your rights Miss Reece?"
"Yes. Officer Petrie has covered the formalities"
"Formalities" Officer Berlusconi grunts while slurping some more coffee "Yeeaahh"
"You are Miss Deborah Reece date of birth 25 March 1950 resident at 1095 Barrymore Street?"
"That is correct"
"Kind of a fancy address for a Doctor's receptionist"
"I inherited the property from my parents" Officer Berlusconi's eyes contract to little piggy slits. Officer Petrie stares at me unblinkingly.
"How long have you been in the employment of Dr Lecter?"
"2 years"
The tone in Officer Berlusconi's voice implied that it would be a miracle if I or any of my kind were ever offered a decent job in this city.
"Through an advertisement in the Baltimore Chronicle and Sentinel. I was interviewed. I guess there were other candidates. I was offered the position 3 days later. I accepted. The salary was good. There was a health insurance package, which you wouldn't normally expect with that sort of position. It was similar to work that I had done before. Dr. Lecter was a very correct and fair employer"
"What did you do for Dr Lecter?" There was bored contempt in the way Officer Berlusconi voiced this question. I felt a twinge of sympathy for any admin clerk who had to deal with him.
"I looked after the patients when they came to his office. I arranged all the appointments. I dealt with all the billing. I dealt with all the professional correspondence – referral letters, the replies, the reports and of course the papers that he wrote. I liased with the editors of the journals to which he submitted papers, the referring doctors, hospitals, courts and so on, dealt with all the arrangements when he was lecturing and kept his diary."
The two officers looked up. "You kept his diary?"
"His professional diary. I had nothing to do with his social diary, his public service or benefit work. He organised all that himself. He would update me every Monday with times and dates he wouldn't be available in the office"
Officer Petrie's lips compressed.
"Dr Lecter regularly saw patients on Sundays?"
A skipped pulse
"About 2 weekends every month. The patients scheduled were usually those in maintenance therapy, rather than new patients, starting out, and of course he never saw women patients on a Sunday, as I don't work in the office on that day. . Is … is Officer Graham OK?"
Officer Petrie's masseter muscles contracted. They made fine ridges over his cheeks. "He is recovering. He lost a lot of blood"
I could feel the ice forming at the base of my diaphragm. Where Papa used to hit me
"Had you seen Officer Graham with Dr Lecter before?" Officer Petrie interrogated as precisely as he dressed.
"Yes on two occasions – I can't remember exactly when, I would have to check the schedule."
"Did Dr Lecter make any remark to you about Officer Graham's visits?"
"No more than mentioning that he was coming in and that as Officer Graham was generally a busy man, he shouldn't be kept waiting
"Did Dr Lecter tell you that he was expecting Officer Graham on Sunday?
"No"
Officer Berlusconi now. "So how d'ya feel when you were told what Dr Lecter had done?
"It was a complete shock. I mean … he's a doctor. He … he never came across as someone who would physically harm anyone. He was always very courteous, thoughtful. His demeanour was always very even, calm and correct"
Like a bottomless lake
"Did you notice any change in his …. demeanour over the last 4 weeks or so?" Officer Berlusconi trying to curl his lip. It made him look like a snuffling pig. You need thin, impeccably chiselled white lips to sneer convincingly. Someone really should show him a mirror.
"No." A pause "Nothing out of the ordinary"
Not strictly true. Dr Lecter had a harpsichord in his office, which he would play sometimes during his lunch break, and at the end of the day. He had been practicing Handel's Suite No 7. From what I could hear, he was having some trouble with the Passacaglia, which was unusual. He was generally, a very easy, confident and fluent player. I would dawdle sometimes in the evenings, in the outer office. I enjoyed listening. Anyway I think he was getting frustrated with this particular piece.
Also his dictation on the tapes had gone a little awry. He was always a very accurate and clear dictator – no pauses or breaks but lately he had started stopping in the middle of sentences, as if his attention was wandering.
And then there was the problem with the dry cleaning. A young guy came to deliver his dark grey Barathea suit on Wednesday. He checked it in the outer office and then said very icily 'This won't do' and showed him a crease in the lining of the jacket. ' Did you think I wouldn't notice? Do you think I am a complete plebeian? Take it back' and he just let the suit drop to the floor and went back into his office. I had never seen him being directly uncivil to anyone – not even with some of our more demanding patients. So …
"No change in his routine; the way he dressed; the way he treated you or his patients?"
"No. Nothing that I can remember"
"Well if you do recall anything be sure to let us know, won't you Miss Reece" Officer Berlusconi sat back in his chair, his shirt straining at the buttons over his belly. He picked up his mug of coffee.
"Of course"
Officer Petrie now. "We will be going over Dr Lecter's diary with you in some detail, once we have a court order, allowing us to go through his records"
"I understand"
"Where were you yesterday?"
Choir practice and then the Sunday service at the University Baptist Church and then there was a pot luck supper in the evening.
"You are a practicing Christian?" Officer Petrie cocked his head in enquiry.
"Yes. I was brought up a Baptist"
"What do you do in the evenings the rest of the week?" Officer Berlusconi licked his lips
"My singing takes up 2 evenings a week and half of Sunday. I sing alto in the University Baptist Church choir and in the Handel choir. I have a large house to look after. I have friends"
And clients. I have 6 regular clients who have been with me for up to 2 years. Madame is a meticulous businesswoman. She has a talent for matching. A God given gift. I specialise. I have a well stocked hope chest. 4 different sorts of whip; 2 canes – one plane the other knotted; various chain arrangements and collars, nipple clamps cock rings and so on; cuffs of course and various lengths of rope, chord, rubber tourniquets, garrottes other bits and bobs oh and plenty of ceran wrap. I have one client who likes to be very thoroughly swaddled, like an Egyptian mummy.
My wardrobe is esoteric – everything from Vivienne Westwood to minimalist black leather. My heels are Manolo Blahniks. I don't believe in stinting on the accessories and I feel duty bound to offer a wide range of choices. And yes, I admit it, I feel much sexier in expensive outfits.
"We had a guy in here last week said he lived next to a black lady who was a Baptist with a great voice – sang in the shower in the mornings. Do you sing in the shower in the mornings Miss Reece?" Officer Berlusconi licked his lips again.
Could it be – Mr Jope next door? Why would he be called in by the Police?
"Sometimes"
"This guy gave an address next door to your house – you know him? Mr Hastings Jope?"
"He also let fall that you have some regular male visitors Miss Reece day and night"
"Really?"
"Yes… reeeaaallly. Turns out Mr Jope being a concerned and observant citizen has been keeping a diary"
"He is retired. I guess he has nothing better to do with his time"
"Well he also has an upstanding citizens concerns regarding what may be inappropriate activity going on in a next door property"
"Inappropriate activity? Have you ever heard the expression 'playing the field' Officer Berlusconi?"
A direct stare was what was needed here. Madame got me to practice this over and over, when I first joined her agency. You have to be sure of your ground.
Officer Berlusconi grimaced. Officer Petrie gave me another unblinking look. I smiled at them both.
"Dangerous game Miss Reece. Do they all know they are only one of a stable?"
"How I conduct my affairs is my own business Officer"
"Not if the neighbours start to complain"
"Have they complained?"
No reply
"How do you square this with your Pastor Miss Reece – not exactly Christian behaviour, by the book "
"Our Lord exhorted us to go forth and multiply. The Psalms, if you have ever read them, are full of material that might even make you cross your legs Officer Berlusconi. I see no contradiction between my faith and my private life."
Officer Petrie tapped his pen on his neat pile of papers and looked at the table top. Officer Berlusconi half closed his eyes – trying to look menacing I suppose.
"We'll be watching you Miss Reece"
"Then I will look forward to tweaking my net curtains and admiring your manly form packed into the car across the street Officer Berlusconi" I think the irony was lost on him. However, Officer Petrie got the joke – he bit on his pen very hard.
Officer Petrie straightened up his papers again and coughed discreetly behind his smooth hand.
"Dr Lecter ever visit you at your home Miss Reece – delivering dictation tapes, to let you know about changes in his schedule?"
"No"
Madame always recommended short answers with no embellishments –' don't give them a handle they can tug on' she used to say
"There is a wine storage cabinet in the office. Were you responsible for that?"
Aaah.. The little secretary. Looking after the Doctor's every need.
"Certainly not. Dr Lecter kept that for his own use and for when he had the occasional committee meeting at his office or when he was entertaining potential new sponsors for the Symphony or the American Visionary Art Museum or one of his hospital programmes. I kept tea, coffee, some herbal teas for our more health conscious patients, in the outer office"
"Dr Lecter the great philanthropist" Officer Berlusconi tried to sneer again.
"Did you ever accompany Dr Lecter to any social gatherings?"
A flame of anger. How dare they suggest … Easy
"Certainly not. I was his employee. Our relationship was entirely professional"
Well. Not entirely. He did perform a service for me once. Some time ago…