Chapter 3

Dr. Lecter had recovered nicely from his surgery. He had chosen wisely with his friend Alexander whom he met at an opera show. When Dr. Lecter first me Alex he was still an up and coming surgeon trying to make due in the field. Thanks to Lecter's input, intelligence, and funding he was able to get a better job with a stronger support system. Alex knew of Lecter's dealings, when he had a bad run in with some thugs in an alley. Alex was running late one night after a horrendous shift at the hospital. He walked down the street to his apartment. Luckily for him Lecter was not far. Alex had always said he owed his life to Hannibal that night.

"What will you do with the bodies?" asked Alex.

"I don't think you would want to know Alex." Hannibal smiled wickedly.

Alex was fascinated by the Doctor. He knew of his dealings, but stayed out of his way. They had a mutual respect and friendship. Alex was not surprised to see Hannibal show up needing assistance because he felt like he had a debt to pay. But one thing that was astonishing to him was how fast he had recovered. Within an hour Dr. Lecter was up and moving around, and within 24 hours he had started practicing using his hand at the piano.

Alex approached Hannibal who was in the living room seated in front of the piano. He was just pressing the keys lightly trying to get a feel for them.

"I know that has to hurt Doctor. Are you going to rest it?"

"It will be fine Alex. I will place it in a sling before I leave for the airport in the morning."

"You are leaving so soon?!"

"Yes, I have some important things to attend to right away. I thank you for your hospitality Alex."

"Where are you going?"

Hannibal began to play a small piece, repeating a few keys over and over, "You know I can't tell you that my friend."

Alex looked at his glass he held in his hand, and then he looked to his dog Max who was laying on the floor beside Hannibal while he was playing, "Is it because of Clarice?"

Hannibal's hands froze over the keys but he didn't turn to look at Alex. Max picked his head up and gave an inquisitive look toward Hannibal.

"She is evolving."

"What?" Alex took a seat in the chair beside the piano.

"She is evolving and maturing into something quite beautiful and interesting."

"What is she turning into?"

Hannibal turned around to face Alex. The intense look on his face startled him for a moment.

Hannibal crossed his legs and rested his hands in his lap, "You misunderstand, she is not turning into anything. No. She is still and forever will be Clarice Starling, she isn't turning into anything. I said evolving and maturing. Like when a little cub finally grows into the lion it is always supposed to become. Clarice is growing into what she was always meant to become."

"What brings you to this idea?"

"The night she came to rescue me, she went against her superiors who had suspended her from duty and shot and killed 3 men in the barn. That same night, she killed a police officer on duty. Clarice has freed herself from the chains and restraints of her old life. Instead of depending on the pride bringing her food for the day, she has gone out on her own hunt. It will be interesting to see how far she has grown in such a short time."

"And what about your hand?"

"As I said previously, she is still maturing, she has not entirely grown into those claws and teeth just yet. But she will."

"Do you think she wants to see you again?"

Hannibal looked down to Max and began petting him, "Yes."

"Why?"

"Because only I understand what she is going through. She will seek answers from me."

Alex looked Hannibal in the eye and nodded, "Good luck my friend."

Pearsall stood in the same basement as Clarice Starling did just a few days ago. Hannibal's House the agents would joke walking by its doors. The photos were all still hanging along with the letter Hannibal wrote to Starling. It had been 3 days since that night and there was still no sign of either of them. Pearsall cursed, "Damn it all!"

He placed his hands on the desk and pushed all the files into the floor. He kicked a box over and papers began flying everywhere. He huffed and huffed glancing down at the papers scattered across the floor. He saw a face amongst the mess that intrigued him. He bent over and pushed the box aside revealing the man underneath. He picked it up and read the summary.

"Well I'll be damned. Maybe I just found my answer."

He set the paper down on the desk and rushed back up to his office to get his coat and keys. You see Pearsall believed he found the key to his troubles on that paper. On that paper, showed the face of Will Graham.