North American detective: From scoundrel to god among men

Chapter 25 Lecter's Letter

Titus received the package; it contained a letter, a piece of linen paper sealed with sealing wax. He opened it; the letter was written in flowing, cursive English, and read as follows:

Dear Officer Gallagher, I have studied the Buffalo Bill case, and this female tailor ultimately could not escape your righteous punishment.

But perhaps you still don't understand why you crave power so much?

Your father, a complete alcoholic, a self-righteous sobriety man, do you remember our conversation in the dungeon? Did you spend your whole life trying to take your father's place and take care of your younger siblings?

When you taste the wine of power, do you feel the need for more strength to break free from the shackles of the world?

I was recently surprised to find that my name had disappeared from the FBI's dull, ordinary criminal list; they had put me on their Top Ten Most Wanted Fugitives list.

Finally, I'm delighted to hear that they've appointed you to investigate my case! I will return to the public eye; take care, my friend Titus.

Oh, and please give my regards to Miss Starling.

……

Lecter positioned himself as a mentor and friend, and his last words were quite cheeky and arrogant. After showing the letter to Starling, Titus included it in the case as evidence.

Starling astutely suggested that they send it to the forensic department to see if they could trace the source of the fragrance and find some clues.

Titus readily agreed, and the two took the evidence to the forensic department. The department told them that the letter paper, ink, postmark, and wax could not pinpoint a specific location, and there was no substantial discovery. However, they had a perfumer who could test the letter for a complex fragrance.

The two took the letter to the perfumer and quickly received a reply. In a conference room, there were quite a few people who were curious about Lecter's letter. Titus, Starling, and several senior executives of the agency sat around the conference table listening to the perfumer's report.

The perfumer, a well-dressed bald man, picked up the letter with tweezers, gently twirled it under his nose, and slowly said:

"Hand cream..."

"Based on ambergris... Tennessee lavender, and... wool."

Starling asked, "What is ambergris?"

The fragrance expert replied, "Whale products are things we like but can't obtain, so they shouldn't be included in the 'Endangered Animals Protection Act'."

Starling asked, "Then in which country is it not illegal?"

The incense master revealed a hint of barely concealed disgust and said:

"Japan, they enjoy whaling."

He paused, then continued:

"These kinds of incense are also sold in several other places in Europe, such as Paris, Rome, and London."

"This is custom-made incense; the shop makes it according to the customer's requirements."

Titus asked:

Which stores sell this kind of custom-made fragrance?

The incense master replied:

"I can make a list and give it to you later."

Titus thought he could check the surveillance footage from those stores later.

One executive asked, "Why would Hannibal write to you?"

Titus replied, "I don't know, and it's none of my business what he thinks."

The executive leaned forward, shifting from a relaxed reclining position to a seated posture, and said with his hands crossed:

"May I assume that you have some connection with Hannibal, and that you helped him escape? As far as I know, you also received his help in the capture of Buffalo Bill."

Titus curled his lips slightly. He thought, "The hook hasn't even been cast yet, and this guy has already taken the bait. He's an acquaintance of Lecter. Lecter wouldn't make friends with someone so stupid. So this guy must be Lecter's enemy."

Is he also trying to find Lecter's whereabouts?

Are you so eager to see Lecter write to me?

He wants to get revenge on Lecter?

He wants to use me to find Lecter, but what makes him think I can do it?

Titus looked at his name tag, which read: Michael Hodgson.

"Mr. Hord, I have no dealings with Hannibal. If you think I have a problem, you can take legal action against me instead of making baseless speculations, which makes me doubt your professionalism."

Hod glared at him angrily, while Titus stared straight back.

"Furthermore, I can't help but wonder where Mr. Hodg learned of this information?"

Titus was alluding to "his receiving help from Hannibal."

"That's what people in the bureau told me."

"Someone from the department? Mr. Hodgson, my conversation with Lecter is classified. I only reported it to Chief Crawford. How did you find out about this?"

"And if I remember correctly, when I was investigating the Buffalo Bill case, some newspapers claimed that the FBI was cooperating with 'a devilish man' to discredit me and the FBI. Who is leaking FBI intelligence?"

Hord's face flushed red as he shouted:

"There are more complexities involved than you think, and it's not up to a lowly detective like you to comment!"

This Hord needs to be investigated thoroughly! That old bastard, don't let me catch him red-handed!

Thinking this to himself, Titus said no more, nodded to the incense master, and strode out of the conference room with Starling.

After leaving the meeting room, Titus and his companion went to Mason Vijay's estate. Mr. Vijay was from a long-established wealthy family in the area, whose main business was meat processing.

This morning his assistant called the FBI, claiming to have Hannibal Lecter's belongings.

Titus reviewed the files on Mr. Vijay, who had been charged with child molestation and sentenced to community service and compulsory psychotherapy, with Hannibal Lecter as his attending physician.

One child born! Child molester sentenced to community service and psychological treatment—truly befitting an old-established wealthy family! Titus couldn't understand it.

He's either asking for help from Hannibal Lecter or seeking help from pedophiles. Isn't there a normal person who can get information?

Lost in thought, Titus pushed open the manor gate. The walls were covered with paintings and ancient Roman-style murals, the dome was sacred in a Christian style, and the furniture was classic.

This guy built his home like a church and claimed to be a "born-again Christian".

Soon the two arrived at a large bed with a golden canopy. On the bed lay a gaunt man, looking like he was about to die. He was wearing pajamas, and various needles were inserted into his body. There was also an IV bag next to him. What was most striking was his horrific face, which was covered in cuts and was unrecognizable. Large chunks of flesh had been cut off from his lips, cheeks, and nose, to the point that it was as bad as a child's crying.

Mr. Vijay's left eyeball had been gouged out, leaving only his right eye with a scrutinizing gaze:

"Very few people look me straight in the face like that anymore."

Titus didn't respond to him, but said:

"Hello Mr. Vijay, this is FBI Agent Titus Gallagher, and this is Starling Clarice. We received a call from your assistant saying that you have Hannibal Lecter's belongings."