Thomas Harris - The Silence of the Lambs

"To work with the medical records?"

They were in front of the drugstore now.

"Not unless the clinics stonewall us and we have to take the records. I want you in Memphis. We have to hope Lecter tells Senator Martin something useful. But I want you to be close by, just in case-- if he gets tired of toying with her, maybe he'll talk to you. In the meantime, I want you to try to get a feel for Catherine, how Bill might have spotted her. You're not a lot older than Catherine, and her friends might tell you things they wouldn't tell somebody that looks more like a cop.

"We've still got the other things going. Interpol's working on identifying Klaus. With an ID on Klaus we can take, a look at his associates in Europe and in California where he had his romance with Benjamin Raspail. I'm going to the University of Minnesota-- we got off on the wrong foot up there-- and I'll be in Washington tonight. I'll get the coffee now. Whistle up Jeff and the van. You're on a plane in forty minutes."

The red sun had reached three-quarters of the way down the telephone poles. The sidewalks were still violet. Starling could reach up into the light as she waved for Jeff.

She felt lighter, better. Crawford really was very good. She knew that his little nitrogen question was a nod to her forensic background, meant to please her and to trigger ingrained habits of disciplined thinking. She wondered if men actually regard that kind of manipulation as subtle. Curious how things can work on you even when you recognize them. Curious how the gift of leadership is often a coarse gift.

Across the street, a figure coming down the steps of the Baltimore State Hospital for the Criminally Insane. It was Barney, looking even larger in his lumber jacket. He was carrying his lunchpail.

Starling mouthed "Five minutes" to Jeff waiting in the van. She caught Barney as he was unlocking his old Studebaker.

"Barney."

He turned to face her, expressionless. His eyes may have been a bit wider than usual. He had his weight on both feet.

"Did Dr. Chilton tell you you'd be all right from this?"

"What else would he tell me?"

"You believe it?"

The corner of his mouth turned down. He didn't say yes or no.

"I want you to do something for me. I want you to do it now, with no questions. I'll ask you nicely-- we'll start with that. What's left in Lecter's cell?"

"A couple of books-- Joy of Cooking, medical journals. They took his court papers."

"The stuff on the walls, the drawings?"

"It's still there."

"I want it all and I'm in a hell of a hurry."

He considered her for a second. "Hold on," he said and trotted back up the steps, lightly for such a big man.

Crawford was waiting for her in the van when Barney came back out with rolled drawings and the papers and books in a shopping bag.

"You sure I knew the bug was in that desk I brought you?" Barney said as handed her the stuff.

"I have to give that some thought. Here's a pen, write your phone numbers on the bag. Barney, you think they can handle Dr. Lecter?"

"I got my doubts and I said so to Dr. Chilton. Remember I told you that, in case it slips his mind. You're all right, Officer Starling. Listen, when you get Buffalo Bill?"

"Yeah?"

"Don't bring him to me just because I got a vacancy, all right?" He smiled. Barney had little baby teeth.

Starling grinned at him in spite of herself. She flapped a wave back over her shoulder as she ran to the van.

Crawford was pleased.

The Grumman Gulfstream carrying Dr. Hannibal Lecter touched down in Memphis with two puffs of blue tire smoke. Following directions from the tower, it taxied fast toward the Air National Guard hangars, away from the passenger terminal. An Emergency Service ambulance and a limousine waited inside the first hangar.

Senator Ruth Martin watched through the smoked glass of the limousine as the state troopers rolled Dr. Lecter out of the airplane. She wanted to run up to the bound and masked figure and tear the information out of him, but she was smarter than that.

Senator Martin's telephone beeped. Her assistant, Brian Gossage, reached it from the jump seat.

"It's the FBI-- Jack Crawford," Gossage said.

Senator Martin held out her hand for the phone without taking her eyes off Dr. Lecter.

"Why didn't you tell me about Dr. Lecter, Mr. Crawford?"

"I was afraid you'd do just what you're doing, Senator."

"I'm not fighting you, Mr. Crawford. If you fight me, you'll be sorry."

"Where's Lecter now?"

"I'm looking at him."

"Can he hear you?"

"No."

"Senator Martin, listen to me. You want to make personal guarantees to Lecter-- all right, fine. But do this for me. Let Dr: Alan Bloom brief you before you go up against Lecter. Bloom can help you, believe me."

"I've got professional advice."

"Better than Chilton, I hope."

Dr. Chilton vas pecking on the window of the limousine. Senator Martin sent Bean Gossage out to take care of him.

"Infighting wastes time, Mr. Crawford. You sent a green recruit to Lecter with a phony offer. I can do better than that. Dr. Chilton says Lecter's capable of responding to a straight offer and I'm giving him one-- no red tape, no personalities, no questions of credit. If we get Catherine back safe, everybody smells like a rose, you included. If she… dies, I don't give a God damn about excuses."

" Use us then, Senator Martin."

She heard no anger in his voice, only a professional, cut-your-losses cool that she recognized. She responded to it. "Go on."

"If you get something, let us act on it. Make sure we have everything. Make sure the local police share. Don't let them think they'll please you by cutting us out.

"Paul Krendier from Justice is coming. He'll see to it."

"Who's your ranking officer there now?"

"Major Bachman from the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation."

"Good. If it's not too late, try for a media blackout. You better threaten Chilton about that-- he likes attention. We don't want Buffalo Bill to know anything. When we find him, we want to use the Hostage Rescue Team. We want to hit him fast and avoid a standoff. You mean to question Lecter yourself?"

"Yes."

"Will you talk to Clarice Starling first? She's on the way."

"To what purpose? Dr. Chilton's summarized that material for me. We've fooled around enough. "

Chilton was pecking on the window again, mouthing words through the glass. Brian Gossage put a hand on his wrist and shook his head.

"I want access to Lecter after you've talked to him," Crawford said.

"Mr. Crawford, he's promised he'll name Buffalo Bill in exchange for privileges-- amenities, really. If he doesn't do that, you can have him forever."

"Senator Martin, I know this is sensitive, but I have to say it to you: whatever you do, don't beg him."

"Right, Mr. Crawford. I really can't talk right now." She hung up the phone. "If I'm wrong, she won't be any deader than the last six you handled," she said under her breath, and waved Gossage and Chilton into the car.

Dr. Chilton had requested an office setting in Memphis for Senator Martin's interview with Hannibal Lecter. To save time, an Air National Guard briefing room in the hangar had been rearranged hastily for the meeting.

Senator Martin had to wait out in the hangar while Dr. Chilton got Lecter settled in the office. She couldn't stand to stay in the car. She paced in a small circle beneath the great roof of the hangar, looking up at the high, latticed rafters and down again at the painted stripes on the floor. Once she stopped beside an old Phantom F-4 and rested her head against its cold side where the stencil said NO STEP. This airplane must be older than Catherine. Sweet Jesus, come on.