Return Of The Cannibal(Hannibal x Reader)(Book 2)

Chapter 51

Mason spoke into his intercom and a tall figure came into the room. He was as muscular as Margot and dressed in whites.

"This is Barney," Mason said. "He was in charge of the violent ward at the Baltimore State Hospital for the Criminally Insane for six years when Lecter was there. Now he works for me."

Barney preferred to stand in front of the aquarium with Margot, but Dr. Doemling wanted him in the light. He took a place beside Krendler.

"Barney is it? Now, Barney, what is your professional training?"

"I have an LPN."

"You're a Licensed Practical Nurse? Good for you. Is that all?"

"I have a bachelor's degree in the humanities from the United States Correspondence College," Barney said, expresionless. "And a certificate of attendance from the Cummins school of Mortuary Science. I'm qualified as a diener. I did that at night during nursing school."

"You worked your way through LPN school as a morgue attendant?"

"Yes, removing bodies from crime scenes and assisting at autopsies."

"Before that."

"Marine Corps."

"I see. And while you were working at the State hospital you saw Y/N and Hannibal Lecter interacting - what I mean is, you saw them talking together?"

"It seemed to me they-"

"Let's just start with just exactly what you saw, not what you thought about what you saw, can we do that?"

Mason interrupted. "He's smart enough to give his opinion. Barney, you know Y/N."

"Yes."

"You knew Hannibal Lecter for six years."

"Yes."

"What was it between them?"

At first Krendler had trouble understanding Barney's high, rough voice, but it was Krendler who asked the pertinent question. "Did Lecter act differently in the Y/N interviews, Barney?"

"Yes. Most of the time he didn't respond  at all to visitors," Barney said. "Sometimes he would open his eyes long enough to insult some academic who was trying to pick his brain. He made one visiting professor cry. He was tough with Y/N, but he answered her more than most. He was interested in her. She intrigued him."

"How?"

Barney shrugged. "He hardly ever got to see women. She's really good-looking-"

"I don't need your opinion on that," Krendler said. "Is that all you know?"

Barney did not reply. He looked at Krendler as though the left and right hemisphere of Krendler's brain were two dogs stuck together.

Margot cracked another walnut.

"Go on, Barney," Mason said.

"They were frank with one another. He's disarming that way. You have the feeling that he wouldn't deign to lie."

"Wouldn't do what to lie?" Krendler said.