Chapter 24

Pearsall got dressed for work that morning and kissed his wife goodbye as he headed out the door. The sun was just starting to rise in the sky. The dew was still fresh on the grass, and he began his descent down the porch steps over to his car. He glanced up while taking a sip of his coffee and froze in his steps. The coffee slipped from his grasp and spilled all over the ground. Pearsall shouted to his wife and she came rushing out to see what was wrong. There, on the side of Pearsall's white SUV were the words written in some sort of red liquid, "Free Hannibal!"

Pearsall got closer and noticed that it had been written in blood. Pearsall pulled out his phone and called the office. Within moments they were at his location. Samples of the blood had been taken to lab, and the car was searched for fingerprints of any kind.

A man approached Pearsall, "Think this is Clarice's doing?"

Pearsall looked dumbfounded, "Of course! Who else would be psychotic enough to do this?!?"

"I just don't get it though. Why would she want all this attention? Lecter keeps telling us all she is dead, so why would she want us to know she is here?"

Pearsall shook his head, "No it doesn't make since, but this has to be her doing. Who else would do all of this? Bring Ardelia to my office. I want her there in 30 minutes."

"Yes sir."

Ardelia Mapp slept soundly in her bed until she was woken up by a pounding sound at her door. She threw on a big, plush robe and ran over looking through the peep hole.

"Who is it?"

"Special Agent Ford."

"What do you want?"

"Pearsall requested to see you in his office. I am here to pick you up."

Ardelia opened the door and glared at the Agent, "May I ask what for?"

"His car had been vandalized this morning with the words 'Free Hannibal' written in blood on his car. He asked me to bring you in to discuss the situation."

Ardelia's eyes widened a fraction in disbelief, "Holy shit….alright…give me just a few minutes to get ready." She slammed the door in his face and ran upstairs to retrieve the burner phone that Clarice had given her.

"Come on! Pick up, pick up…."

Three rings and then Clarice answered, "Hello."

Ardelia almost shouted, "Why would you do something so stupid girl, why? I thought the plan was to lay low?"

"What are you talking about Dee?"

"Pearsall's car! The message written on it in blood. What the fuck is that about?"

Silence on the other end of the line.

Ardelia suddenly became very confused at her silence.

"What did the message say Ardelia?"

"Are you telling me it wasn't you?"

"What did the message say?!"

"'Free Hannibal.'"

Clarice sighed.

Ardelia spoke out again, "Now I am being brought in for questioning. Did you or did you not do this Claire?"

"No….I didn't. I need to get Hannibal out of there. It would appear someone else wants him as well. Just when I thought the situation couldn't get any worse….Dee listen to me. Go to the meeting and talk to Pearsall. We need to know everything. I need to know who it is we are dealing with."

"Oh fuck….yes, I got it."

"Call me later tonight if at all possible. Around 10:30."

The phone went dead. Ardelia sat on her bed running her hands through her hair, "What the fuck have we gotten into?"

She heard the door banging again. She jumped up and ran to the closet slipping on a pair of jeans and a black long sleeve shirt. She ran downstairs and opened the door, "Alright I am ready."

"About time…alright let's go."

The drive over felt like it was taking forever. Her heart pounded but her outward exterior remained very calm and composed.

Once they arrived she was escorted to Pearsall's office. He sat in his chair behind the desk conversing with about three agents. He dismissed all of them out of the room other than Ardelia.

"Sit down Agent Mapp."

"I'd rather not."

"Do you know why you are here today?"

"I know there was a message left on your car this morning. But no I am not for certain why I am here."

Pearsall tapped his desk with his fingers as if pondering his next move, "Do you think Clarice Starling did this?"

Ardelia shrugged, "How the hell should I know that?"

Pearsall slapped his hand against the desk, "I know you don't know! I am asking you what you THINK."

"I don't know why she would sir. That would draw unnecessary attention to herself."

"Who else would want that monster free?"

"I don't know. Look sir…I don't see what this has to do with me. So if you don't mind I would like to leave. I am, after all, on suspension right?"

"The men have been following you for a month now. I am lifting the suspension tomorrow. Too many of the higher ups are asking me questions of your involvement with Will Graham, Clarice Starling, and Hannibal Lecter the night of the shoot out. Unfortunately, the Director asked me to lift your suspension on grounds that I don't have enough evidence. So I brought you in today to warn you."

"Warn me about what?"

"If I even catch you with Clarice Starling, even in passing, you will be a kill on site target. Do you understand?"

"I understand sir."

Pearsall seemed pleased with himself, "Good, now having said that Special Agent Mapp, I wanted you to know that the blood we ran checked with a girl who went missing a week ago in the DC area. Forty-three years old , black hair, brown eyes, works as a lawyer, not married, and no children…I want you on this case."

Ardelia gave him a confused look, "I thought you didn't trust me, and now you want me assisting with this case?"

"Yes. The closer you are to me the closer watch I can keep over you. Now get to work. Report your findings by the end of the day. You can leave the report on my desk."

Ardelia nodded and left the room. She made her way back to her office and shook her head. It had been a long time since she had felt this alone. But she knew she had to suck it up.

After six hours of hard work, phone calls, headaches, and pacing around she had found something that interested her more than anything else. Something that stood out too much to be called a mere coincidence. She gathered the file and left the office in a run. She made it to her car and glanced at the time 9:10pm. Almost perfect.

She rushed over as quickly as she could to the facility that housed Dr. Hannibal Lecter. The drive took approximately an hour to complete. Once she began the check in process the nursing staff came out to greet her.

"We are very sorry Special Agent Mapp. Dr. Lecter is not currently allowed visitors. If you wouldn't mind…."

Ardelia's mind zoned out….she could see lips moving but no words were audible. She began this day, threatened by her boss, thrown onto a case she did not want, and now was being denied access to see the one man who could help her with this case. She slammed her hand against the counter top.

"That is fucking enough! I am tired, exhausted, working a case, and I am damned pissed off. If you would like, I will gladly call my boss and tell him how you are getting on the way of a federal investigation. So go on! Tell me how I can't see him, I fucking dare you!"

It was a bold move to burst in that outrage. Mapp knew that if Pearsall found out she was there, he would be pissed. But it was a bluff she had to risk. And luckily for her they finally bought it.

The nurse glared at her, "Very well ma'am, but I should let you know that no one is to approach or touch him. If you have to pass him anything, use it through the carrier tray."

"What happened to the two way gate system?"

"He killed one of the guards using the gate. He has been placed in an isolation room. There is a metal carrier that can be used to give him the case file. Paper only. No plastic, no clips, no nothing. Video and audio monitoring at all times."

Ardelia's eyes widened, "I understand."

They allowed her in and she walked the distance to the last cell in the room. The nurses left her alone. Hannibal turned to look at her and smiled. He sat on his cot that was placed on the floor. He stood up, brushed his pants, and gave a slight bow.

"Good evening Miss Mapp. To what do I owe this pleasure."

"We need your help."

Dr. Lecter smiled and shook his head, "So the FBI believes I will help out with another case? Why would I do that?"

"Because this one involves you."

Hannibal's smile vanished and a frown took its place instead. "Pardon?"

She placed the file in the tray and looked at her watch, 10:20. Almost time.

Hannibal opened the file and saw the first images of the young woman. Throat cut open and body hung as a display. Hannibal spoke, "Cindy Porter. An unfortunate sight, she was a very successful girl."

He kept flipping pages and saw the blood message written on the side of Pearsall's van, "Free Hannibal!"

He glanced up at Ardelia, "This message was written in her blood?"

"Yes. I did some digging and found out she was a patient of yours. Too big of a coincidence wouldn't you say Doctor?"

Hannibal kept flipping through the large file.

"They think it is Clarice."

Hannibal visibly froze as though he were a statue, "No. You don't believe that now do you?"

Ardelia's eyes met his, "No….no I don't." She glanced at her watch again 10:28. "Doctor Lecter, can you please turn to page 132 in the file?"

He gave her a sideways glance and flipped the page over. Ardelia, for the first time, got to see Hannibal Lecter in shock and she had to admit it did give her a since of joy. On that page was a cell phone taped down with Ardelia's handwriting. "Video and audio recording in progress, keep phone in file. Clarice will video call at 10:30 as I have requested her to do so."

As if on cue, the phone lit up but no sound came out. He accepted the call and Clarice's image appeared on the screen. She waved her hand and smiled. Dr. Lecter smiled as well and his eyes softened. Ardelia could see them from where she was.

Clarice held up a white board in the video, "I have missed you. There is a new enemy on the loose. Delia has been assigned to case. We need to move fast. We need your help."

Hannibal nodded in agreement and then it would appear as though something startled him. But Ardelia wasn't sure what it was. Clarice held up a picture of the first sonogram of their child and smiled. She then flipped the image over and it gave the expected due date. Hannibal could feel the tears coming but chose to hold them back for now. He placed his hand over the phone and stroked the image. She waved goodbye one last time and the phone call ended. Hannibal glanced up to Ardelia who smiled.

"Do we have an understanding Doctor?"

"Indeed we do Miss Mapp."