فصل 21

CHAPTER 21

Clarice Starling entered the Baltimore State Hospital for the Criminally Insane at a little after 10:00 P.M. She was alone. Starling had hoped Dr. Frederick Chilton wouldn’t be there, but he was waiting for her in his office.

Chilton wore an English-cut sportcoat in windowpane check. The double vent and skirts gave it a peplum effect, Starling thought. She hoped to God he hadn’t dressed for her.

The room was bare in front of his desk, except for a straight chair screwed to the floor. Starling stood beside it while her greeting hung in the air. She could smell the cold, rank pipes in the rack beside Chilton’s humidor.

Dr. Chilton finished examining his collection of Franklin Mint locomotives and turned to her.

“Would you like a cup of decaf?”

“No, thanks. I’m sorry to interrupt your evening.”

“You’re still trying to find out something about that head business,” Dr. Chilton said.

“Yes. The Baltimore district attorney’s office told me they’d made the arrangements with you, Doctor.” “Oh yes. I work very closely with the authorities here, Miss Starling. Are you doing an article or a thesis, by the way?” “No.”

“Have you ever been published in any of the professional journals?” “No, I never have. This is just an errand the U.S. Attorney’s office asked me to do for Baltimore County Homicide. We left them with an open case and we’re just helping them tidy up the loose ends.” Starling found her distaste for Chilton made the lying easier.

“Are you wired, Miss Starling?”

“Am I—”

“Are you wearing a microphone device to record what Dr. Lecter says? The police term is ‘wired,’ I’m sure you’ve heard it.” “No.”

Dr. Chilton took a small Pearlcorder from his desk and popped a cassette into it. “Then put this in your purse. I’ll have it transcribed and forward you a copy. You can use it to augment your notes.” “No, I can’t do that, Dr. Chilton.”

“Why on earth not? The Baltimore authorities have asked me all along for my analysis of anything Lecter says about this Klaus business.” Get around Chilton if you can, Crawford told her. We can step on him in a minute with a court order, but Lecter will smell it. He can see through Chilton like a CAT scan.

“The U.S. Attorney thought we’d try an informal approach first. If I recorded Dr. Lecter without his knowledge, and he found out, it would really, it would be the end of any kind of working atmosphere we had. I’m sure you’d agree with that.” “How would he find out?”

He’d read it in the newspaper with everything else you know, you fucking jerk. She didn’t answer. “If this should go anywhere and he has to depose, you’d be the first one to see the material and I’m sure you’d be invited to serve as expert witness. We’re just trying to get a lead out of him now.” “Do you know why he talks to you, Miss Starling?”

“No, Dr. Chilton.”

He looked at each item in the claque of certificates and diplomas on the walls behind his desk as though he were conducting a poll. Now a slow turn to Starling. “Do you really feel you know what you’re doing?” “Sure I do.” Lot of “do’s” there. Starling’s legs were shaky from too much exercise. She didn’t want to fight with Chilton. She had to have something left when she got to Lecter.

“What you’re doing is coming into my hospital to conduct an interview and refusing to share information with me.” “I’m acting on my instructions, Dr. Chilton. I have the U.S. Attorney’s night number here. Now please, either discuss it with him or let me do my job.” “I’m not a turnkey here, Miss Starling. I don’t come running down here at night just to let people in and out. I had a ticket to Holiday on Ice.” He realized he’d said a ticket. In that instant Starling saw his life, and he knew it.

She saw his bleak refrigerator, the crumbs on the TV tray where he ate alone, the still piles his things stayed in for months until he moved them—she felt the ache of his whole yellow-smiling Sen-Sen lonesome life—and switchblade-quick she knew not to spare him, not to talk on or look away. She stared into his face, and with the smallest tilt of her head, she gave him her good looks and bored her knowledge in, speared him with it, knowing he couldn’t stand for the conversation to go on.

He sent her with an orderly named Alonzo.