Evolution chapter 5

The first few days at home felt almost painful. Surreal. Everything in her life felt somehow mundane and colourless. She however felt stronger, somehow more in-tune with herself. Krendler had offered her a snide remark in the corridor, and instead of feeling her anger spike, she had shaken her head and sniggered. There were a few other agents witness to the exchange and they also smirked with her. Krendler had turned beet red and stormed off. She didn't feel the need to answer his snide remark with one of her own; she had just brushed it off. It also didn't hurt her as it used to do in the past and she was both surprised and grateful

Who cares what he thinks? Fuck him.

Another body had turned up in Illinois. It brought the tally of the killer they were hunting there up to eight. It did not seem as if the team Mr Crawford sent there were making much headway. The media kept fixating on the organ removal, something that hasn't changed, and could reliably be counted on to bring Dr Lecter's name up whenever there happened to be slump in interesting news.

They weren't terribly busy at VICAP at the moment and so, Clarice found herself outside Jack Crawford's office late one afternoon. Jack looked haggard and tired. He had never really recovered after the death of his wife, Bella, and Clarice felt a deep sympathy for him.

"May I have a look at the Illinois file?" She asked him straight.

Her boldness must have surprised him because he signed and started rifling through the messy content of his desk.

"I don't suppose it can do any harm at this point. Here you go" he said handing her the file.

The remark stung, even though her newfound armour, and she was in a pensive mood when she reached the duplex. Ardelia was still at work and so Clarice sat on the floor and started working her way through the file. Ardelia was in the white-collar crime section like she had wanted and though she had her fair share of sexism and racism to deal with, she was generally very happy where she was.

"What are you up to?" Ardelia asked as she put her stuff down. It wasn't very unusual to find Clarice sitting on the floor with a file. That is also how the two of them had studied in the academy.

"You know they found another body up in Illinois? Well, I asked Crawford if I could have a look at the file. New eyes and all that"

Ardelia didn't think it was a good idea, but being a good friend, she made an effort to be supportive.

"See anything new?" she asked as she put the kettle on. It seemed Clarice was in for a long night.

"No not so far. I suppose it was a long shot"

Later that night Clarice woke with a start. A few connections have sorted themselves out in her mind as she slept and she eagerly returned to the file. She was sure that power over others played a major role in the life of the killer they sought. She felt that she needed to look for someone that has a fair amount of power to exercise over others in the daily life. Something that allowed the killer a sense of superiority over others. She was equally sure that that power had recently been lost, for whatever reason, and that's why the killings started. Someone working at customs, or does inspections for the municipality, or a compliance officer, something like that. It wasn't much to go on, but it was better than nothing, she felt. All she needed was one thread to start working on. She was also sure there was something else that she was missing. Something that Dr Lecter No, Hannibal would see immediately.

He had better still be back in France, or Europe at least. The States in no place for him to be running around in.

"Starling"

"Good evening, Clarice"

It was the first Saturday night after her return and she had been eagerly awaiting his call.

"Good evening Dr.., Hannibal"

It had become easy to call him by his name as he had asked back in France, but she found it harder to say his name here in her duplex. He didn't comment on her slip however.

"How have you been?"

He knows the transition hasn't been quite smooth.

"It was weird the first few days, but it's ok now. I find some things that used to bug the hell out of me, don't matter so much anymore"

His smile is genuine and he closes his eyes in mixed gratitude and relief. He had worried that she would slot back into her old life and find herself unchanged.

"I'm glad. It's because you felt what it feels like to be valued. You can see your own value more clearly"

Clarice decided not to respond to that remark directly.

"Krendler baited me the other day and I just smirked at him"

"Oh, to have been a fly on the wall to see that. You must have been magnificent"
She gives a half-embarrassed chuckle

"I also asked Mr Crawford for the file for the killer in Illinois. And he gave it to me"

This was met with a bit of silence on the line.

"Tell me"

His voice was more business-like than it was moments before.

"Hang on, I'll read it to you and tell you what I think"

She reads him the file, and ends with her theory of the killer having lost power.

"Agreed"

Clarice releases a breath she didn't realise she was holding and a tightness leaves her shoulders. She listens carefully as he continues;

"He is also older than your usual serial killer. Bit of a late bloomer. Between 40-50 I'd imagine. I would also postulate that the recently lost someone significant in his life. A partner, parent of child. Now I want to make something perfectly clear to you. You are not to go after this man by yourself. Do you hear me?"

His voice was more serious and more threatening than she had ever heard it

"Yes"

"Clarice.."

"Yes, I heard you"

"Clarice!"

"Yes. Ok. Fine. I won't go after him alone"

"And that boy on your team doesn't count"

"Who Rodriquez? OK, fine. I won't go after him alone or with only Rodriquez. Happy?"

"Not particularly, but it will do. Oh, there is one more thing, he is religious. Look for a recently dismissed pastor or priest"

Religion. Clarice smacks her palm on her forehead. How could I have missed religion?

"OK, well I won't be able to after him even if I had wanted to because I've been sent to Miami for two weeks. I'm leaving on Monday"

"You are being sent? How so?" his voice did sound more normal and Clarice relaxed a bit.

"Well remember the case we closed where all the drugs were confiscated?"

"You mean the case you solved and got shot in the arm for? Yes, I remember vividly. Go on."

Clarice rolled her eyes and continued

"Well, the DEA requested some of the agents that worked on that case as it ties is with some of their current cases and Cooper is sending me and Rodriguez down there"

"The boy"

"Rodriguez. Yes"

"Well at least it will physically prevent you from hunting your Illinois killer by yourself, so I suppose I mustn't complain"

"Dr Lecter, are you jealous?"

"I'm jealous of all the men that can be in your life openly"

His reply stunned her, as such declarations from him usually does, but she was saved from replying when he continued;

"Well, on that riveting note, I'll say goodnight"

"OK. Thank you for calling"

"My pleasure. Sleep well my dear"

"Goodnight Hannibal"

"Goodnight Clarice"

Clarice returned the file to Mr Crawford the following Monday before leaving with Rodriguez for the airport. She gave a report of her theories, omitting where some of them had come from, but she could see how dismissive Crawford felt about her ideas. It left a sour taste in her mouth. Rodriguez asked her what was wrong, so she told him of her theories regarding the killer.

"Well, they don't have anything else. Might as well check it out right?" he told her.

They had often been partnered since she joined VICAP and they worked really well together. She knew he genuinely respected her and she was grateful to have him as a partner. She felt he actually had her back.

The work in Miami progressed very well. The agents of the DEA didn't treat her with the same dismissive contempt she'd come to expect and she enjoyed working with them. She was coming down to breakfast the Friday morning to find most of the hotel guests and staff crowding around the TV in the dining hall. Rodriguez eagerly waved her over.

"He's dead. It's over"

Her blood ran cold and she felt her heart pounding in her ears

"Who's dead?"

"The Illinois killer. They found him late last night. Listen" Rodriguez directed her to the news

reported on the TV and Clarice breathed again.

"Carl Jacobs, 51, was found dead in his house just outside Aurora, Illinois last night. The electrical company was called to investigate when the power of the whole street shorted-out. Once the technicians saw the inside of his house however, they contacted the police"

The scene cuts to an interview with a severely stressed electrician telling how he walked-in to find a dead guy on the floor, and hearts and other organs in jars all over the house. The interview is interrupted so the poor man can vomit in the nearby bushes.

"We are still wating for official confirmation from the authorities but it seems as if Carl Jacobs can be confidently identified as the Illinois serial killer that local authorities and the FBI have been hunting for months. As you can see behind me, local police and the FBI are still swarming over the house. We can confirm that Carl Jacobs worked as a city compliance officer but was dismissed a few months ago after numerous complaints. We can also report that he used to life with his emotionally abusive mother till her death at the end of last year. We will keep you updated when more information becomes available"

With that, the TV cuts back to the studio.

"Wow, Starling, you were right on just about everything. The only things you were wrong about, was the religious thing"

"Yeah" Clarice said with a frown "Imagine that"

Clarice picked-up the phone in her hotel-room on the first ring

"Starling"

"Good evening, Clarice"

"How?"

"Now that's not a very polite answer my dear"

"Don't play with me Hannibal. How?"

"Oh, it's not very difficult to deduce in which hotel in Miami the government would stash their agents"

"I don't mean that. But, yeah, how did you know? No, forget about that, I mean how did find Jacobs? How did you get to him?"

Dr Lecter gave a smug chuckle and Clarice got the distinct impression that he would be purring if he had been a cat.

"It wasn't particularly hard, given the information and insights you provided. I assumed Jackey-boy and the gang would have dismissed your opinions, correct?"

Clarice knows him mentioning Jack Crawford is a way to try and distract her but she refuses to take the bait, even when her heart gave a painful lurch.

"And the religious thing? What was that?"

"Nothing but a red-herring if you will"

"You lied to me"

He can hear the hurt in her voice and grimaces.

"Misinformation, yes, and for that I am sorry. But tell me, despite your assurances to me, how many parishes and miniseries have you phoned to enquire about a dismissed employee since we last spoke hmm?"

"Umm"

"Clarice…"

"Ok so about twenty but that isn't going after him myself. I just wanted a name I could give to Mr Crawford"

"I see. Well, I regret having to lie to you, but I stand by my decision. I seem to be more heavily invested in your continued good health than you yourself are. Tell me, do I understand the reports correctly and you have been shot? Again?"

Now it's Clarice's turn to grimace

"It really sounds worse than it is. The vest stopped the bullet"

"The vest stopped the bullet" his voice had a chilling edge to it "I see. You were shot in the chest then?"

"Um, the abdomen but I just have a big bruise. Really, I'm fine"

"I see"

The line goes quiet again and Clarice steers the conversation back to Jacobs, and away from her recent injury.

"They have ruled the death of Jacobs as accidental electrocution, but I know it was you"
"It did lack some of my more usual touches I admit, but I did manage to short-out the whole street. That was fun"

"Seriously Hannibal. They were actively hunting a serial killer, AND you in that area. It was super risky."

"Oh pish-posh. It was like trying to avoid kindergarteners. But tell me, did you close the case? Will you be heading back to DC?"
"Yeah, we closed the case but I don't think we'll be heading back just yet. There is still a lot of paperwork to sort out. Having two agencies involved really complicates it. Plus, some of the people we arrested have political ties to Washington, so the higher-up's want's everything to be done thoroughly"

"Political ties you say? There is going to be trouble as far as that is concerned my dear"

"I don't see why. We arrested them and got a boat-load of drugs off the street. I don't really see what they could do about that"

Dr Lecter closed his eyes. Her naivety was endearing but he foresaw serious problems up ahead. He knew it would be unavoidable and will only serve to let Clarice see her precious institution for what it was, and hopefully drive her into his arms, but he wished he could spare her some of the pain that was on the horizon.

"Well, I'll speak to you again then next week. Do try not to get shot again in the interim hmm?"

Clarice gave a small embarrassed laugh

"I'll try. It's not as much fun as advertised"

"Hmmm. Goodnight Clarice"

"Goodnight Hannibal"