Chapter 5
Will Graham got on his laptop and began searching the name Clarice Starling. He had vaguely remembered the stories from all those years ago, but never gave it much thought. He went into the kitchen and poured a glass of whiskey. He could hear the thunder roaring outside as rain began to hit the roof of his house. He sat down in front of his computer again searching. He found hundreds of articles about the two. He was shocked and decided to siphon through it all. One article read "Bride of Lecter" another read "The Monster's Woman." All of these articles focused on the Doctor and Starling's growing relationship. He read about the most recent occurrence, the escape from Chesapeake. Will read all about how Clarice, suspended from duty went to rescue Hannibal Lecter from Mason Verger.
"Hhhmmm…that's interesting….so she isn't scared of him?"
He read as much of the report as he could find about the incidents at Paul Krendler's summer home. How Paul was found with his brain exposed and partially eaten, how Clarice was dressed in an evening gown, and how Dr. Lecter's blood was found all over the kitchen.
"What? He was injured?"
Will dug and dug for more information, but could find none. All the reports said was that Lecter was possibly injured, but Starling had escaped from custody before she could be questioned on what happened that evening.
"Let me get a good look at this woman."
He pulled up several pictures of Clarice and noted she looked fit and petite.
"She looks too small to be able to do any real damage against that monster. So how did he get injured?"
Will took a sip of his drink and a thought hit him that nearly made him choke.
"He doesn't make mistakes…unless he was distracted and let his guard down."
He looked back and read more articles on Starling's visits to the insane asylum, and he read her full statement on Lecter's capture by Verger's men.
He laughed, "You have got to be shitting me. Don't tell me that bullshit tabloid finally wrote the truth for once?"
He looked at another picture of Starling taken after she had just graduated from the academy. He looked at her eyes.
"You really aren't scared of him are you? So how did you do it?"
The storm outside started to slow and he could hear the steady drip, drip, drip of the rain.
Pearsall said he wants him dead. But Lecter doesn't make mistakes he has no weaknesses…but somehow she was able to hurt him…her….could she be his weakness? Could she distract him enough for me to set up a rifle and shoot him? That is all it would take. No confrontations, no bullshit arrests or captures. No! Just one shot to kill the monster. If I am going to kill him, I will need your help little Starling. You will seek him out and find him, and when you do, that is when he will be at his most vulnerable. That will be when I can execute him. That will be when I can kill him!
Graham took one last gulp down to finish his drink and picked up the phone. It took Will 4 hours to make his decision. He called Pearsall. He answered on the second ring.
"Hello?"
"I'm in."
"Heh, just when I thought it was going to be a no."
"Just to clarify, I get to kill him right? No arrests are to be made?"
"None."
"One more question I need to clarify."
"Go ahead."
"What of the woman?"
Pearsall paused, "Why?"
"She could prove to be just as dangerous as Lecter, especially if kept alive much longer."
"…kill her. Take Lecter out and her too."
"Done."
"Meet me at the airport at 9am sharp."
The line went dead. Will was going to join in on this game of cat and mouse. He was going to let Starling find Lecter and kill them both.
On the other end of town Pearsall sat in his hotel room by the window watching the storm pass by. This is absolutely perfect! The one man who can catch Lecter is finally on the case. Lecter…Starling….it is over for both of you.