Red Dragon (Hannibal Lecter 1)

“Why do you want to know? To what purpose?”

“Let me ask you this: Could we enrage him and focus his attention?”

“He’s already fixed on Graham as his adversary, and you know it. Don’t fool around. You’ve decided to stick Graham’s neck out, haven’t you?”

“I think I have to do it. It’s that or he gets his feet sticky on the twenty-fifth. Help me.”

“I’m not sure you know what you’re asking.”

“Advice—that’s what I’m asking.”

“I don’t mean from me,” Dr. Bloom said. “What you’re asking from Graham. I don’t want you to misinterpret this, and normally I wouldn’t say it, but you ought to know: What do you think one of Will’s strongest drives is?”

Crawford shook his head.

“It’s fear, Jack. The man deals with a huge amount of fear.”

“Because he got hurt?”

“No, not entirely. Fear comes with imagination, it’s a penalty, it’s the price of imagination.”

Crawford stared at his blunt hands folded on his stomach. He reddened. It was embarrassing to talk about it. “Sure. It’s what you don’t ever mention on the big boys’ side of the playground, right? Don’t worry about telling me he’s afraid. I won’t think he’s not a ‘stand-up guy.’ I’m not a total asshole, Doctor.”

&nb

sp; “I never thought you were, Jack.”

“I wouldn’t put him out there if I couldn’t cover him. Okay, if I couldn’t cover him eighty percent. He’s not bad himself. Not the best, but he’s quick. Will you help us stir up the Tooth Fairy, Doctor? A lot of people are dead.”

“Only if Graham knows the entire risk ahead of time and assumes it voluntarily. I have to hear him say that.”

“I’m like you, Doctor. I never bullshit him. No more than we all bullshit each other.”

Crawford found Graham in the small workroom near Zeller’s lab which he had commandeered and filled with photographs and personal papers belonging to the victims.

Crawford waited until Graham put down the Law Enforcement Bulletin he was reading.

“Let me fill you in on what’s up for the twenty-fifth.” He did not have to tell Graham that the twenty-fifth would bring the next full moon.

“When he does it again?”

“Yeah, if we have a problem on the twenty-fifth.”

“Not if. When.”

“Both times it’s been on Saturday night. Birmingham, June 28, a full moon falling on a Saturday night. It was July 26 in Atlanta, that’s one day short of a full moon, but also Saturday night. This time the full moon falls on Monday, August 25. He likes the weekend, though, so we’re ready from Friday on.”

“Ready? We’re ready?”

“Correct. You know how it is in the textbooks—the ideal way to investigate a homicide?”

“I never saw it done that way,” Graham said. “It never works out like that.”

“No. Hardly ever. It would be great to be able to do it, though: Send one guy in. Just one. Let him go over the place. He’s wired and dictating all the time. He gets the place absolutely cherry for as long as he needs. Just him . . . just you.”

A long pause.

“What are you telling me?”