Possession (Hannibal x Reader)(Book One)

Chapter 13

traveling in a rented black sedan it pulls up to the curb and stops. You are now in Belvedere Ohio, after a moment you climb out of the car. Double-checking the address, you glance up from a folded street map to an old, three story wooden house, in a row of similarly shabby homes, all backing onto a narrow river. A path of boards, laid over mud, leads back along this house towards the brown water. You notice the hound of hammering and head in that direction.

You see a huddle of pigeon coops sprawls by the blackish water. The birds cooing mixes with the hammering. A tall grunt man in a knit cap is obsessively pounding nails into a new coop, you approach him, the man lowers his hammer. You notice he has red-rimmed eyes of watery blue, his face is deeply seamed "Mr. Bimmel...?" you ask, he just stares at you, warily. After explaining who you were he lead you into the house and up a flight of stairs "I don't know nothing to tell ya. The police have been back here so many times already... Frederica went into Columbus on a bus to see about a job. She left the interview ok. She never came home." Mr. Bimmel says to you, you stop at the top of the stairs, to look at a framed photo, the familiar graduation portrait. Other pictures show Frederica as a young girl, toddler, infant - plump and hopeful at each age.

"Her rooms how she left it. Just shut the door when your done." Mr. Bimmel says, you walk in slowly towards her room, as you take in flowery chintz curtains... Posters of Madonna and blondie... A twin bed with worn stuffed animals on the pillow... A big sewing machine in the corner. You turn around, absorbing the nuances. you here a shrill meow, you look down and see a black cat rubbing against your ankle, you pick up the cat scratching behind it's ears, you place down the cat and walk over to a desk, taking a seat, turning the pages of a high school yearbook. You stand from the desk and walk over to and old Decca record player, kneeling beside it, you flip through LP's and singles. You stand up and head over to the closet pulling a string to light it up. You look surprised and intrigued to see an extensive wardrobe. You look above and see a shelf stacked high with sewing supplies, in clear plexiboxes, you flip through the hanging clothes, pulling out one dress for a closer look. The dress is very big, to fit Frederica, but beautifully cut. Some of the seams still look unfinished. You turn it around, you see two blue tissue dressmaker's patterns still pinned to the back.

You turn around favoring the sewing machine. You hang the dress on the closet door knob, you cross to sit at the machine. You remove the dust cover, running a hand over the cool metal, as a memory of something Hannibal said to you runs through your mind 'Billy wants to change, too, Y/N. But there's a problem about his size, you see...' Hannibal's words ring through your head 'I miss the sound of his voice' you think to yourself, you turn and look at the unfinished dress. You suddenly straighten, your attention riveted by something. You look down at the printed pattern, down at the lower back of the outlined dress, are two bold black triangles, you stare at them, starting to tremble, you here Hannibal's voice in your head again 'even if he were a women, he'd have to be a big one...' you think back to those missing triangles of skin on the dead girls back, in the funeral home in west Virginia... You jump to your feet, with fierce joy "sewing darts. You bastard." you say.

After rushing downstairs you called Crawford, pacing back and forth you explain what you figured out "he's making himself a 'women suit,' Mr. Crawford - out of real women! and he can sew, this guy, he's really skilled. A dressmaker, or a tailor.." you say without taking a breath "Y/N" Crawford says interrupting you "that's why there all big, because he needs a lot of skin! he keeps them alive to starve them a while, to loosen their skin, so that" you continue speaking before interrupted again "Y/N, we know who he is! and where he is. Were on our way now." Crawford says, you pause, surprised "Where?" you ask "Calumet city, edge of Chicago. I'll be on the ground in 45mins with the hostage rescue team. I'm back in charge, Y/N. He's mine" Crawford tells you, you react happy for Crawford, but a little disappointed at being so suddenly out for the hunt. "Sir, that's great news. But how" you ask "John Hopkins finally came up with a name for us. We fed him into known offenders, and he came up cherries. Subject's name 'Jamie Gumb,' aka 'John Grant.' Lecter's description was accurate, he just lied about the name." Crawford says "this Gumb's a real beauty. Slaughtered both his grandparent's when he was twelve, and did nine years in juvenile psychiatric. Where, Y/N, he took vocational rehab, and learned a useful trade..." Crawford continues "sewing..." you say "take a bow. Customs had some paper on his alias. They stopped a carton two years ago at LAX - live caterpillars from Surinam. The address was 'John Grant.' Calumet power and light's given us two possible residences under that alias. We're hitting one, Chicago SWAT's taking the other." Crawford explains "Chicago's only about 400 miles from here. I could be there in-" you say eagerly but Crawford cuts you off "no, Y/N, there isn't time, and you've still got crucial work to do in Ohio. We want him for murder, not kidnapping. I'm counting on you to link him to Bimmel girl, before he's indicted." Crawford tells you, you swallow your disappointment. "yes sir... I'll do my best" you answer "Y/N, you've earned your place in the academy. We never would've found him without you, and nobody's ever going to forget that. Least of all me." Crawford says "yes sir, thank you" you answer, and Crawford hangs up the phone.

Leaving the house you slowly walk across the yard, absorbing all the news, you see Mr. Bimmel staring at you in surprise, he's sitting by his coop smoking. Somewhat embarrassed, you cross over to him "Mr. Bimmel... Did Frederica ever mention a man named Jamie Gumb, from Calumet city? or John Grant?" he just shook his head "did she know any man that could sew?" you ask "she sewed for everybody. Stores, ladies, whatever. I don't know about men." he tells you "who was her best friend, Mr. Bimmel? who'd she hangout with?" you ask, he explains to you that she would hangout with a girl named Stacy, you asked where you could find her and he gave you the directions.

You headed down to the bank where you were told Stacy worked. Inside you asked to speak with her. "Freaked me out. Get your skin peeled off, is that a bummer?" Stacy says to you "they said she was just rags, like somebody-" she continues speaking, you interrupt her getting straight to the point "Stacy, did Frederica ever mention a man named Jamie Gumb? or John Grant" she shakes her head "do you think she could've had a friend you didn't know about?" you ask "no way. She had a guy, I would've known, believe me. Sewing was her life, she was really great at it. Poor Freddie." Stacy says "did you ever work with her" you ask "oh sure, me and Pam Malevesi used to help her do alterations for old Mrs. Lippman. Lot's of people worked for her, she had the business from all these retailed stores? but she was like totally old, it was more then she could handle." Stacy explains "where does Mrs. Lippman live? I'd like to talk to her" you ask "she died. She went to Florida to retire, like two years ago? she died there" she said, you react disappointed at the ending of this trail "is that a pretty job, FBI agent?" Stacy asks "I think so" you answer "you get to travel around and stuff? I mean, better places then this?" Stacy says "sometimes you do" you answer "Freddie was so happy for me when I got this job. This toaster giveaways, and Barry manilow on the speakers all day - she thought this was really hot shit. What did she know, big dummy..." Stacy says, fighting back tears, you reach over and give her a hug. Stacy gave you the address where Mrs. Lippman used to live and you decided to fly down there, see if you can find more information.