Palatial Intimacy

VIII - The Butcher

April 9, 2030

"Where have you been?"

Molly's tone made it clear to Will that he wasn't going to get away from this conversation. When he entered their bedroom quietly after his visit to Doctor Lecter, he turned to find her sitting on the edge of the bed, glaring at him in her sweatpants and T-shirt. He was sure that his tiptoeing looked ridiculous to her.

Luckily, he'd been ready for this. "I had to go for a drive," he said. "I just...I couldn't get to sleep. Couldn't lay still."

"You can't do that to me, Will." Molly uttered through clenched teeth. "Someone potentially dangerous just got let out of jail, and you disappear on me? Even if it's just for an hour, you can't do that to me!"

If only she knew. "Shit. Yeah, I didn't even think about that. I'm sorry, honey. Really, I'm sorry." He went up to her and wrapped his arms around her slouched body. Despite everything, she softened. "I didn't mean to scare you."

"Answer your phone next time. Quit silencing it."

"I promise." He kissed her cheek. "But, Mol, things might be a little different until we're done analyzing all of the evidence. God knows how long they'll keep me there every day."

"You're just going to leave us alone every night?"

"I'm going to work only on the condition that an officer is stationed right outside. And I'll still be getting paid for overtime." Plus, I'll be exactly where the murderer is, so you don't have to worry about that.

"Do you think they let the wrong guy go, Will? Be honest. And don't worry about not scaring me," she said when he opened his mouth to object.

Will shed his jacket and lay back on the pillows. "...Yeah. Yeah, I think that Hannibal is the culprit."

"And they let him out."

"He's under surveillance, and you will be, too. All I'm going to do while I'm at work is try to prove that he's the killer. I refuse to do anything else."

"How are you going to do that?"

"I'll just have to closely analyze the evidence. Surely there's got to be one screw-up, or one crime scene that reflects his identity much better than Chilton's. Surely there's something in his home that we're missing."

"I damn well hope so."

"I'll keep you safe. Both of you." He couldn't bring his lips to form a promise. He wasn't sure if he'd be able to keep it.

And he definitely couldn't ensure that he was going to be kept safe. 

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April 10, 2030

"How does the portable one differ?"

Will fumbled with one of the helmets on Hannibal's couch. It felt odd to be sitting here conversing with the enemy so casually. The enemy himself was sitting at the opposite end, as far away as possible, his back straight in perfect posture as he watched Will intensely.

"Well, for full transparency, it's a little more dangerous. We can't monitor our brain waves. If something goes wrong, we won't know until it's too late. The device knows to wake you up when you're having a seizure or something, but there aren't any doctors to stop the process before the seizure happens, if that makes sense."

"So we could get ourselves into some danger."

"Yes. But, if this will make you feel better," he looked up. "If something happens, and I wake up to find you incapacitated in some way, I swear to you I'll either protect you or get help. Depends on the severity."