~+~My Brother, Myself~+~

CRASH!

Clarice awoke suddenly and sat upright in her bed.

“Who’s there?” she hollered. No answer. She grabbed her gun off the nightstand and crept towards her bedroom door, wearing nothing but her white underwear and a tight-fitting, gray FBI T-shirt. It was slightly open and she peeked out into the hallway. She slowly slipped out the door without it moving. Quietly, she made her way down the hall. She peered around the corner into the laundry room, and into the kitchen, but saw nothing. She approached the living room and was startled by something touching her leg.

“Aaah! Oh! Sasha, it’s just you.” She had forgotten she was watching the neighbor’s cat for a few days they were away on vacation. “You just about scared me to death, you little fur ball.” She bent down and stroked the cat. Through the space between her lower legs, she could see behind her. She saw a pair of black shoes, and two legs concealed by black dress pants.

She put her finger back on the gun’s trigger as she turned around quickly to meet the eyes of this stranger standing directly behind her. No more than she turned around, the wrist of the hand holding the gun was grasped and her mouth was covered by a second hand. She was spun around and her back slammed against the wall, followed by the hand holding the gun, which forced her to drop it under the force.

“Don’t scream” came a male voice. Clarice was in arm’s length of the hallway light switch and she reached her free hand out and flipped it on. The light revealed the stranger’s face. He dropped his hands from her and took a half a step back as a reflex.

“Doctor Lecter!” Clarice’s own face was as shocked as his.

“Not quite, but close, Clarice” he said, his voice unmistakable to her ears. “Let me explain. But perhaps you should go into your bedroom and put on some more clothes, first” he said, sincerely. “I’ll put the gun in a safe place. And please don’t try calling for backup. I’ll be listening.”

“I don’t have a phone in the bedroom” she said, rather calmly. She was going to tell him that she only had a phone in the living room and a cell phone in her purse, which was hanging on a hook in the hall closet.

“Good. I’ll be right here. Please join me once you’ve dressed. I have some things to tell you, that I think you’ll find quite interesting.” He smiled and stared at her, waiting for her to take the hint and do as he said.

Clarice backed towards her bedroom and shut the door. She fumbled though her closet looking for some pants while her mind raced a mile a minute. How did he escape Dr. Chilton’s custody? she thought to herself. Why is he here? She pulled on her tan Khakis. What does he want with me? She opened the door slowly, and proceeded to go into the living room. Her gun was nowhere to be seen.

“Ah, you’re back” came the familiar voice. “Please, sit down.”

Clarice chose the chair to sit in. It was furthest from the sofa which Lecter was seated on. Her eyes looked over the room, trying to pinpoint the location of her gun. He must’ve hidden it.

“Doctor, can you please tell me how you escaped and why you’re--” she was interrupted.

“Clarice, I know this will be hard for you to believe, but I am not who you think I am” he began. He had the portable phone sitting on the table. He knew it would be the only way to prove what he was saying. He instructed her to call Dr. Chilton and subtly inquire about Dr. Lecter. He knew the number, and dialed the phone for her. He made sure she knew that if she tried anything, it would be a big mistake, and she believed him. After all, she thought it was the Lecter that she knew.

Once she’d made the call and was told by Dr. Chilton, in so many words, that Lecter was safe in his cell, she had no choice but to believe what she was hearing from this other Lecter. But she still had no idea what his intentions were.

Her face was that of a confused child learning geometry. “I don’t underst--”

“Let me explain everything. Please don’t say anything until I’ve completely finished.” He waited for her to nod in agreement and then continued. “My last name is Lecter, but my first name is Sem. Hannibal is my brother. He was born only minutes before me. ‘Identical twins’ is....an understatement. Hannibal and I were separated at birth. Our mother did not intend to have twins, and I was given up as soon as I was born. I know very little about my family as I was raised by a middle-aged couple who should not have been permitted to be anywhere near a child. They treated me horribly, but I managed. And when I was of age, I left them and made my own living, working as a carpenter.”

She knew she wasn’t supposed to speak until he was through, but she couldn’t help it. “But how do you know about me?”

“I’ve always kept in touch with my brother in some way or another. He and I would write to each other on a regular basis for many years, but he began doing things, evil things, and I lost touch with him. I wasn’t sure if he was insane to the point of not caring anymore, or he was trying to protect me, but I went years without hearing from him. The only way I knew what was going on was to keep my eye on the papers and television reports. Then I heard he was captured and placed in an asylum, so I had some people dig up all the information on him and everything to do with him, and I came across you. I knew that if I could just speak to you and explain things, you’d understand my situation and perhaps help me.” His eyes seemed to glaze over as he looked up at her.

“Doct-- Mister Lecter, I don’t know what you expect me to do.” She felt weird calling someone “Mister Lecter.”

“I just want to know what’s going on with my brother. I want to help him. He’s had a terrible life, much worse than my own, and that’s saying a lot. I know he’s done some horrible things, and he should be punished for them, but I also know that he’s quite sick in his mind. All those letters throughout the years were from a sane man, not this person whom you know locked up in that cell. I want him to have a chance at being human again.” He waited for her answer.

“I’ll look into it. I’ll try and find someone who’s willing to risk attempting to penetrate that twisted mind of his. I can’t make you any promises. There’s not many people who are gonna jump at the chance to do this.” She tried to look sympathetic. Could Dr. Lecter ever have been a decent, normal person? But what exactly is the definition of “normal?”

Morning came in no time and Clarice awoke in a heap on her chair. What’s that smell? She sat up and shuffled into the kitchen where she found Lecter making a huge breakfast. For a moment, she’d forgotten all that happened last night and almost screamed at the sight of him in her house, let alone holding a hot frying pan and grinning at her.

“Good morning, Clarice. I hope I didn’t wake you. Even though I was about to call on you for breakfast, anyway.” He arranged the food onto two plates and pointed towards the chair for her to sit down.

“You didn’t have to fix breakfast” she said, sitting down and inhaling the wonderful scent of some sort of fancy, pancake-looking structures with strawberries and other goodies. She went to take a bite, but stopped at the sound of Lecter’s throat clearing in a noticeable manner.

“Please take a moment to hear a prayer, Clarice” he said as he bowed his head and folded his hands. Clarice obliged and listened as he said a short, yet powerful prayer. When he was through, they ate their meals and indulged in small conversation about the weather and such things.

After breakfast, Lecter insisted on doing the dishes. He told Clarice she could go take a shower and get freshened up and he’d tidy up the kitchen. She did as he suggested. While she was in the shower, she couldn’t help but think how sophisticated and pleasant he seemed to be. This must be what the real Lecter would have been like if he was normal. There’s that word again. She let the water run through her hair and down her back as she thought more about Mr. Lecter. The way he told her she could go freshen up, even though she looked like an angel that had just awoken from a nap on a cloud. Dr. Lecter would have had something a bit more criticizing to say to her if he’d seen her after she’d gotten up from a night on the chair.

Once she was out of the shower and dressed, Clarice made her way to the kitchen, but Lecter wasn’t there. She found him in the living room. He was writing something on paper when she approached him.

“He looked up from the paper, “Ah, Clarice. You look wonderful. I trust you enjoyed that shower? You were in there for quite a while.”

“Yes, it was very nice. Thank you.” She strained to look at the paper with his writing on it.

“Oh, this? I was just writing down some things you’re out of in the fridge. I thought maybe you’d want to pick them up on your next shopping spree. I’d go myself, but as you can imagine, it’s hard enough trying to sneak around town at night without being seen. Let alone in the daytime.” He chuckled a bit and handed her the list.

At first glance, she noticed his handwriting. “You’re handwriting is identical to Dr. Lecter’s.”

He picked up the pen and write something on another sheet of paper. “I can even sign his name the exact same way he does. It’s eerie, isn’t it? I told you, ‘identical twins’ is an understatement. We could’ve gotten away with a lot had we gone to the same school.” He tore the sheet of paper off the pad and crumpled the signature into a ball. “You’d better get rid of this. Wouldn’t want anyone to find it lying about.”

Clarice took the ball of paper and tossed it into the trash can in the kitchen. She put the shopping list into her purse. “I don’t know if you’ve got money or anything, but if you need to stay here, you can. Just don’t answer the phone or the door and stay out of sight. I‘ve gotta go on a small business trip for a couple days and sort out some notes and things for a case I‘m working on. I‘ll stop at the store when I get back in town. There should be plenty to eat until then..” Did I just invite him to stay here while I’m away?? What is wrong with me? Damn, I can’t very well change my mind now. I guess he can’t do any damage here. Nothing much here to damage, anyway.

“Thank you. I’d appreciate you letting me stay here for a few days. I promise not to be a bother. Oh! I took the liberty of fixing that drawer, on your end table there, while you were in the shower. If there’s anything else you need fixed, I’d be happy to do it.” He stood and looked around for traces of things that needed to be fixed.

“Thank you. Um, the laundry room shelf is kinda loose, if you get around to it. Otherwise, just check out the TV and videos in the side of the TV stand and I’ll be back as soon as I can.” She smiled and made her way to the door. Just leave the house standing ‘til I get back.

“See you then” Lecter said, as he watched her leave.

Clarice was still a little confused. She knew it was possible that he was telling the truth, but what if he wasn’t? What if it was the Lecter she knew. What if Dr. Chilton was too stupid to notice his most important inmate was missing. She had to set her mind at ease. She hadn’t been back to see Dr. Lecter in the asylum since he’d refused her proposal for Anthrax Island. He’d seen right through her little scheme and he wasn’t very happy about her trying to scam him. He was of no help to her from then on. He completely cut her off. But she did manage to use all the former information he’d given her to crack the Buffalo Bill case.

Clarice hopped on a plane to Baltimore, made her way into the asylum and with nearly half an hour of battling with Chilton, she’d finally gotten him to agree to let her see Lecter for one last goodbye.

She made her way to his glass cell and found him lying on his back, on his cot, reading. Just seeing him was proof enough. There was no real need to speak to him, so she tried to creep away without him noticing her presence. She failed, of course.

“Hello, Clarice” he said, not looking away from his book.

This is too creepy. “Hello, Doctor Lecter.”

Still looking into his book, “Is there something I can help you with, Clarice? Besides the old scam game, that is.”

“No, Doctor. I just wanted to see if you were doing alright.” Even she found it hard to believe that one.

“I see. And what would you call being alright? What is a....normal environment for you, Clarice? Do tell me.” His head was still facing away from her, buried in his book.

Normal. Better make absolutely sure. I hear your voice, Doctor, but I don’t see your face. “I, I don’t know. I guess you’re doing as well as can be expected in a place like this. It could be worse, I suppose.”

“No. When you take the wings from a bird that’s flown free all it’s life, or you take the fins from a fish that’s swam across the Atlantic, that’s the same as putting a person like me in a place like this.” He turned the page of his book.

“I’m sorry, Doctor.” She couldn’t help but feel some sympathy for him. She pictured the pain he must have gone through in his life, like his brother had mentioned. He’s still a cold-hearted murderer, Clarice, get a hold of yourself!

“Sorry? How sweet of you. Now, tell me, why are you really here?” He didn’t take her sympathy seriously. Maybe it really wasn’t there to begin with, and he could tell better than she could.

“Doctor, could you look at me?” She hadn’t meant to ask that of him, but it was on her mind, and she needed to confirm his being there.

Lecter set his book down as he spoke, “Why Clarice, you’re not searching out tears or pain on my face are you?” He stood and approached the glass, his eyes staring straight through hers. “What is it you seek here, Clarice?”

“Nothing. I mean, I was just making sure.” She wanted to tell him about his brother’s concern for him, but she wasn’t sure he’d take it well. If he didn’t, she’d have a lot to explain to people. Sem wasn’t wanted by the law for anything, that she knew of. But she’d get a lot of grief from the FBI if they found out she was housing Dr. Lecter’s own brother. “Making sure they didn’t hurt you or anything.” She saw him smile affectionately and she felt uneasy. “I don’t support anything you’ve done, but I also don’t support inmate brutality. Good day, Doctor.” She turned to walk away. Real smooth, girl, real smooth.

“Good day, Clarice” came a faint voice.

Over the next several days, Clarice and Sem shared many stories about their lives, but she failed to mention her business trip had actually been a check-up on his story. Clarice continually tried to find a psychiatrist that was both skilled and brave enough to try and help Dr. Lecter. Several tried and failed miserably, while others chickened out when they got to the asylum. Clarice was consumed with guilt over the situation, and Sem was more than comforting to her. He’d been living in secret at Clarice’s house for over two weeks, and in the middle of the second week, Clarice and Sem shared their first kiss.

As confused as Clarice was, she knew the kiss was well intentioned, and she wasn’t afraid of it. At first she only thought of such feelings with Sem, knowing that it would be weird, as if he was Dr. Lecter she was thinking of. But she knew that Sem wasn’t like Hannibal. She knew Sem would never do the things Hannibal had done. And these positive thoughts allowed her to feel comfortable around Sem. Comfortable enough to make love to him.

A month since she had met Sem, Clarice asked him what his plans were. They both knew that Dr. Lecter was refusing to cooperate with any of the help she tried to send him, and Sem needed to get out and live his own life instead of being cooped up in the house for so long. They sat down over dinner one night and discussed their future.

Sem admitted that he didn’t intend to stay as long as he had, but he never thought he’d have these feelings for Clarice. There was no way he could stay with her and have a normal life. She told him that she was in love with him and that she wanted to be with him, but there was no easy solution. Her job stood in the way, and frankly, they didn’t feel safe being anywhere near the same coast as Dr. Lecter, for fear if he found out about their love for each other. Maybe he wouldn’t care, or maybe he would, but neither of them yearned to find out.

Time seemed to pass unnoticeably and before they knew it, two more months had gone by. Sem had become Clarice’s live-in lover, and a complete secret at that. She never had much company to begin with, so that wasn’t a problem. It was rather nice to come home to hearty meals and someone who appreciated her beauty and intelligence. She longed to tell people about Sem and her love for him, but she knew that wasn’t an option. Or was it?

On their fourth month anniversary of meeting, Sem proposed to Clarice during a romantic dinner he’d prepared for her. She was so moved, but managed to mutter a quiet, “Yes” in response.

Sem told her that he knew they would have to be wed out of the country so the press didn’t get a hold of it. Clarice would have to take a vacation, and just her luck, she had two weeks vacation time accumulated. That weekend, they set off to Lithuania, the birthplace of Sem.

Sem showed her where he had lived prior to leaving his country. He’d lived all over Europe throughout his life and even visited the United States prior to his meeting Clarice there. Clarice had never seen a country like this before, and she was oddly attracted to it. She took great interest in Sem’s background, and his life. They spent the first few days riding around in a rental car, exploring various places of his childhood and adulthood as well. The fourth day, they were married in a small church. Clarice couldn’t have been happier. It all happened so fast, but she was living in the moment and it seemed so right to her.

That weekend was spent in their modest hotel room, relaxing and indulging in their newlywed splendor. At the beginning of the next week, Sem decided to take Clarice to a special place. They drove out to the country and up a long dirt road. At the end of the road was a nice sized house.

“It needs a bit of work, but it’s mine. I mean, it’s ours.” He explained to her that he owned this house from years before he left his country, and it was never rented out. He wasn’t sure how she’d react to it. After all, he was asking her to move to Lithuania and live with him here. Which meant leaving everything she knew and had, back in the States.

“It’s beautiful” she said, hugging him close to her side. “It’s just what we need to start our new life together.”

“You mean you won’t miss your home and friends? Your job?” He was surprised, but glad.

“The few friends I have will understand, and my job is nothing but a joke now. There’s got to be something better out there for me than being stepped on by a bunch of suits. I want us to be happy, without any pressure from other people.” She stared at the house imagining a child or two running around out front. She smiled at the thought.

“Then we’ll get moved in here, and arrange for your things to be sent to you. I’m sure you’ve got at least one trustworthy friend who wouldn’t mind handling that? And I have an account, at a bank not far from here. I know it’s built up quite a pile of interest since I’ve been away.” He gave her a small kiss on the lips. “We’ll have the best life together. There’s no going back. We’re Mr. and Mrs. Lecter, Forever.”

No longer did the name give her chills or cause uncertainty within her. She was finally happy and content, and free from all her worries.

A year and a half since their actual marriage, the house had been fixed up and Clarice was working at home writing for legal columns. She’d gathered a large collection of books on all subjects of the law, and was now putting it to use by giving daily advice to people who needed it. Sem was working as a carpenter again, but Clarice hardly ever saw him for most of the day. When he got home, he was surprisingly cheery and usually far from worn out. He would always come home and cook her a gourmet meal and arise early in the morning to fix her a healthy breakfast. She was on her own for lunch though, and she often had a plain sandwich or some soup to tide her over for the big meal she’d receive in the evening.

Things were going perfectly, and Clarice had left her past behind her. On occasion she’d see herself on TV. One of the gossip news shows would do a story on the sudden disappearance of Clarice Starling, but it was well known that she’d just decided to see more of the world. Only a few of her closest friends new she was married. Nobody knew who she was married to, though. She figured they’d never believe her anyway.

One day, Clarice got an invitation to one of her best friend’s weddings. The invitation was for her and Sem, but they both knew he couldn’t be seen in public without starting a scandal and full investigation of the relationship. However odd that would be as a story, the press never take a day off and they never skip a juicy story. Clarice decided she would attend the wedding. Nobody would notice her, and nobody would much care even if they did notice.

Clarice flew alone to the States, leaving Sem behind. She was to be back in seven days. The day she arrived at her friends house, they spent time catching up. Day two was the preparation for the wedding. Last minute shopping and related things. Day three was the wedding, and what a grand wedding it was. Clarice was glad to see her friend so happy as she had been when she married Sem. Day four, Clarice saw her friend, and her new husband, off to Hawaii. Her friend gave Clarice the keys to her place, and to her car, so she could do what she pleased. After a few hours of sitting in the house, Clarice went for a long drive. She couldn’t get Sem off of her mind, and she missed him greatly.

She decided to cut her trip short and return home. Luckily she managed to get her ticket changed without hassle, and she was on her way back to her beloved husband.

Knowing Sem was still at work, Clarice put her things away and made herself a cup of coffee. She was a bit jet-lagged and groggy, but she wanted to wait up for Sem and surprise him when he got home. She decided to go out back and soak up some sun.

As she stepped into the back room, leading to the door, she noticed some drops of blood on the tiled floor. A few steps ahead, she saw Sem’s keys laying on the floor by the door. Omigod! Sem! She wasn’t sure what to think, but she knew he had to have came home from work early, and hurt himself somehow. She ran out into the backyard and stopped dead in her tracks.

The backyard had always been well concealed with bushes and trees, and even if there had been neighbors, they would never be able to see past the shrubbery. The sight that Clarice saw sickened her and she vomited in a nearby bucket they used for washing the lawn chairs and other yard items.

“What on Earth--” she shouted at Sem. Standing over a body who’s face was torn to shreds, Sem, with blood on his own face, revealed his red-stained teeth just enough for Clarice to make out what was going on.

Sem looked at his wife with guilt in his eyes. And a strange spark that she preferred not to have seen. He walked towards her and she backed away, stumbling over a garden hose but quickly gaining her balance enough to fall into the house and lock the thin door that separated the house from the backyard.

Sem called to her from outside, “Open the door, Clarice.” His voice getting more irritated each time he had to demand her to let him in. She panicked for a moment and then noticed

that Sem had stopped trying to get into the house. She looked at the table a few feet from her position and she grabbed the phone from it. It was dead.

Clarice, still in the back room, hurried to the closet and fumbled for the large hunting knife that was hidden somewhere among the pile of junk on the top shelf.

CRASH!

Sem busted the door down. “Looking for this?” he said, holding up the knife that Clarice had been searching for. “How do you think I cut the phone line just now?” That spark still evident in his eyes.

Clarice was scared and confused out of her mind. “Why are you doing this?! What happened here?!” She knew better than to run away, so she remained where she was, but backed away from the closet for fear she’d be shoved into it and locked away for who knows how long.

“Now Clarice, you need to learn not to be so gullible. Some men will take advantage of that and use your sympathy and shallowness against you.” He lowered the knife and slowly moved in on her, making sure she wasn’t going to run. He had her backed against a wall, blocking her way from one side, while a table blocked the other side.

“I don’t understand.” Fear apparent in her voice.

“You never do, Clarice. And you never have. In all fairness, so you don’t feel like a complete fool” he said, in a taunting manner, “All of what I told you was true, for the most part. I do have a twin brother. A younger brother. He was sent away shortly after his birth. Didn’t amount to much, and I suppose he had a bad childhood, but I really wouldn’t know. I never cared to explore it. I do know that he tried to keep in touch with me and I was constantly hounded by his bothersome letters. He’d dedicated his life to keeping track of me. No matter where I was, he always seemed to know. I guess it has something to do with twins and mind power or some nonsense.”

Clarice was in awe, and speechless. She listened intently.

“Anyway, I was a....naughty boy throughout my life, and my brother was always there writing to me and even calling me, trying to convince me that I could be helped and saved from this tormented life I was living.“ He paused, “Little brother, always trying to help me.“ Another pause, possibly a moment he took to reflect on his brother‘s love for him. “But I never wanted or needed his help. I continued doing the things I liked to do, and I started ignoring his letters and phone calls. The realization that he couldn’t help me drove my brother mad, and he snapped. I tried to warn him, Clarice. Warn him that it wasn’t healthy to focus so much on one’s life that it consumes you to the fullest extent. But he didn’t listen.

“I did love my brother, Clarice, I’m sure you can believe that. I still love him, I suppose. I have to, you know. But the day came when I did need his help. I hadn’t heard from him in several years, and by then I’d gotten myself into a bit of trouble in the States. It’s so much easier to get away with murder here than it is there, wouldn’t you agree?” He waited for her response, and smiled when he knew she wasn’t going to humour him.

He continued, “I discovered where he was and wrote to him. I was surprised to receive a letter back from him in an unlikely style. His words made little or no sense and he was doing nothing but rambling on. Quite an annoyance. He did agree to come to my aid, and arrived in the States only days later. I explained to him that I was wanted by the police for murder and....other things. You’re aware of the nasty things I did, aren’t you Clarice? You know all about them. They’re all in those files you kept at your side for so many years.”

Clarice still didn’t understand what was going on.

“Well, long story short, although we certainly have all the time in the world to get into this, but maybe at another time, I asked him for his help, and he agreed. Quite willingly, I might add. I didn’t even have to use force.” He grinned, but had no effect on Clarice. “You see, my brother had spent his entire life studying my own life and consuming himself with my every move. That does something to a person, Clarice. He wasn’t himself anymore. His goal in life was to help me, and when I told him I needed his help, at that stage in his life, anything I would have asked him, he’d gladly have done. He knew, and knows, no right from wrong, Clarice. So I told him that I was in trouble and if I was captured, he’d have to find a way to get to me.

“I managed to do a fine job of misleading the authorities and dodging the law. Perhaps some day I can teach you a few of my tricks, if you’d be interesting in learning. Eventually I was captured and put into the asylum and my ever loyal brother kept his promise to help me. It’s amazing what people will do for the right amount of money, Clarice. I was visited by a relative of mine, one I’d never seen, but he was my uncle, nonetheless, for the day. While he sat telling me the story of our made up time we’d spent together, he given me some writing paper and on the center page was a note from my brother. He’d come up with a plan.

“The next day, my uncle was back, but this time with some coffee laced with a strong sleeping aid. It took only seconds for the guards, along with Dr. Chilton” another grin, “to be completely unconscious. I was greeted in my cell by my brother, and my uncle. My brother and I switched places, and Sem has now been sitting in that cell for much longer than I have.”

“Doctor?” Hearing him say Sem’s name made everything register in her mind. He’d used his own brother to pose as him, and Sem was too messed up to realize what he was doing. He thought he was helping but he got lost in the part. Sem had become Dr. Lecter and didn’t have enough sense to know he wasn’t. He lost his own identity.

“So all those meetings in the dungeon, they weren’t with you, they were with your brother.” She couldn’t believe it. She felt foolish for falling for such a trick, but how could she have known? No one knew except both Lecters and the uncle.

“No no no. It was you and I in the dungeon, Clarice. That is until I visited you in your home and cooked you all those meals you enjoyed so much.“ He could tell by the look on her face that he’d hit a nerve in her.

“But when I went back there to check, that business trip I said I had to go on, he knew who I was, he knew me.” She played back the last meeting in her head.

“He’s a wonderful understudy, wouldn’t you agree? You know, 'Sem,' in this country, means 'sin.' Ironic, isn't it?” He looked down at the floor as if he pulled his next comment from the tiles, then looked back up at Clarice. “’Identical twins’ is an understatement.” His smile made chills go through Clarice’s body.

Just then, she realized something horrible for the first time since this whole story came out into the open. “Omigod! I....married you! I made love to you!” She felt nauseous and lightheaded. Luckily, the wall was there to hold her up. She put all her weight against it.

“Clarice, you say it as if it were a bad thing.” The mock tone in his voice made her even more sick to her stomach. “If it means anything, I do cherish our close relationship. It’s been nice to share my life with someone and not have to worry about disposing of them right away. Such is the case of my uncle. But it had to be done, you do understand, don’t you, my sweet wife?” He’d purposely thrown in that last bit for his own pleasure.

This isn’t happening! “I don’t know what to do. I can’t be married to you! I have to turn you in, Doctor!” She tried to move past him, but it was no use.

“Now Clarice, don’t do anything you’ll regret. What could you possibly accomplish by turning me in? I surely wouldn’t go with you back to the States, and when you tell the FBI, they’ll never find me. Sem, thinks he’s me, so he’d be no help, and you’d just look like a poor girl who’s been left by her husband and she’s seeking attention by making up wild stories.” He knew she saw it his way. “And besides, haven’t you been happy being married to me? Granted, I wasn’t out being a carpenter every day, but I was working with such related tools.”

“I thought I was happy. It seemed like the perfect life.” She couldn't believe she was siding with him, even after hearing that he was out there doing strange things when she thought he was doing carpentry. He was probably killing carpenters! No wonder he was never tired when he got home from work. He wasn’t even working!

“Come now, Clarice. You know I wouldn’t hurt you. I have no reason to do so, unless you were to give me one. Now, why don’t you go take a warm bath and I’ll fix us up one of those big meals you like so much, hm?” He put the knife down and moved aside so she could get past him.

“Alright” she said, hesitantly. “But no funny ingredients!” She walked around the corner and into the bedroom that lead to the bathroom.

“There’s nothing funny about the ingredients I use” he said as she walked away.

Lecter was in the kitchen chopping the vegetables. He lifted the knife to chop a cucumber, and stopped. He looked towards the bedroom. “I was afraid this would happen eventually” he said, under his breath.

Lecter walked towards the bedroom door. He reached the bathroom door and could hear the water running. He tapped on the door and entered before waiting for a response. She didn’t even hear the tapping or the door open. She had the shower curtain closed while she was in the tub. The water still running.

“I’m sorry, Clarice, but--” he pulled back the curtain and found Clarice in the tub of reddish water. She was naked and her wrists were slit open. A razor blade lay on the side of the tub. “--the cucumbers aren’t fresh enough for the salad” he said sadly, as he knelt down by the tub.

A tear formed in his eye and his head hang low as he knelt, holding her bloody hand in his. “Was it so bad, dear Clarice? Did I not make you happy when you didn’t know my true identity? I was only trying to protect us. You weren’t here and I was home early. A reporter came to the door looking for you and I didn’t want you to go through a scandal. I did it for you. For my lovely wife. And I ended up hurting you so badly, with the truth, that you couldn’t bare to be with me. I’m so sorry.” The tear rolled down his cheek and landed on the side of the rub.

Lecter removed Clarice from the tub and dressed her in her finest gown. He prepared a wonderful dinner, complete with soft music. He sat down to eat, and made a toast to his cherished wife, who sat palely across from him in the candlelight. “To my wife, forever.”