Friend Of A Cannibal

Chapter Thirteen

Saturday, 4:22 PM

Eleanor sits at home, enjoying a cup of tea in her living room, watching cartoons on TV. It's the only thing she could find while flipping through channels that didn't have any sort of violence in it. Her dachshund is curled up next to her on the couch, napping. All her friends called earlier to see how she was doing, Chanel in tears when she heard the news. She told Nora that they're still investigating but Luke's parents said they haven't found anything, so no suspects.

Someone knocks on the door loudly. She puts her cup and saucer down on the coffee table and stands, going to answer it. Through the window she sees that it's Will Graham, the FBI investigator who warned her of Hannibal about a month ago. She opens it and stands in the door way. "Good afternoon." She says to him.

"I need to speak to you, may I come in?" He says. She moves out of the way and he walks in and she shuts the door behind him.

"Have a seat. Would you like some tea?"

He sits down and shakes his head. "I heard about your friend. I'm sorry for your loss."

"Any luck finding who did it?" She sits back down and picks her teacup back up.

"Not yet. But I have an idea. I think Dr. Lecter had something to do with it."

She tries not to roll her eyes. "Luke wasn't one of Hannibal's patients. Why would he have anything to do with it?"

"I know that you're romantically involved with Hannibal. And I know that Luke Small was romantically interested in you." Their eyes are locked onto each other.

"How do you know this?"

"I did some investigating."

"Right. I still don't see why Hannibal would kill Luke just because he had feelings for me."

He leaned forward. "Hannibal was jealous. You couldn't tell?"

"This is so silly. You don't even have any proof. I think if that's all you have to say, you should leave now Mr. Graham." She stood, walking to the door to open it. He stood too and followed her.

"You'll figure it out soon, Ms. Harper. Goodbye now." And he leaves.

__________________________________________________________________________

Sunday, 6:02 PM

Eleanor walks into Hannibal's home after he lets her in, and he shuts the door behind her. "How are you feeling, dear?" He asks her, wrapping her arms around her in an embrace.

"Better, but still not all that great. They still haven't found any suspects." Nora hugs him back, but lets go soon after, taking off her coat and scarf. He hangs them up for her.

"That's a shame. I'm still preparing dinner. Would you like to help?" He takes her hand and leads her to the kitchen.

"Of course. What can I do to help?" She smiles, hoping that this night with Hannibal will take her mind off of things.

He hands her a sharp knife, pointing to a cutting board with a bowl of heirloom tomatoes next to it. "The tomatoes need to be sliced."

"Okay. I'll get right on it." She smiles, standing in front of the cutting board on the counter and picking up a tomato. He's smiling too, watching her. Hannibal's keen sense of hearing picks up on something coming from where the front door is, it sounds like someone is trying to enter his home.

"Wait here. I'll be right back." He says, but Eleanor didn't pick up on the sound. She nods and continues to cut the tomatoes. Hannibal walks to the living room where the door is. A man he doesn't know is standing there, aiming a gun at him. "And who are you?" He asks him.

The intruder comes closer. "I'm your end, doctor." He walks around him, still pointing the gun at him. Now his back faces the doorway to the kitchen. "Tell me, where were you the night that my nephew was killed? And is that your Bentley in the driveway?"

Eleanor hears an unfamiliar voice. She can feel it in the atmosphere that something isn't right. She bites her lip, taking the knife with her, moving toward the doorway light as a feather with footsteps that don't make a sound. Now she can see him, the intruder, pointing a gun at the man she's come to love. She stays quiet. Hannibal can see her but he doesn't look at her directly or else it would call attention to the man in front of her that she's behind him. "I was at my girlfriend's party. And yes, that's my Bentley."

"I know you followed him, doctor. You killed him didn't you?" The man with the gun says, cocking the pistol in his hand.

Eleanor gets closer to him, the floorboards don't creak, her breathing is quiet as a mouse, she doesn't make a sound. She raises the knife behind his neck, and jams it in. The blood pours, spraying her and dripping to the ground. He drops the gun and falls to the floor and she drops the knife, hands going to cover her mouth in shock that she actually did that.

Hannibal walks to her and over the man she just killed. Eleanor is shaking and he puts his hands on her arms, trying to calm her. "I.. I panicked! He had a gun!" She says, fear in her eyes while she stares at Hannibal.

"I'm going to call the police. You're safe." He says. "Wash your hands and take off your clothes, I'll find something clean for you to wear."

She obeys and strips down to her undergarments, putting them in a bag. Then she washes her hand and Hannibal returns with one of his t-shirts and a pair of shorts. She changes into them and puts her hair in a bun to get it out of her face. "Go rest on the couch in the study. I'll make you some tea after I clean this up." She listens and goes to the sofa to rest.

Hannibal calls the police and returns to the study with two cups of tea, setting them on the coffee table, wearing a pair of sweat pants and a sweater. The police arrive moments later and Hannibal lets them in. Two officers talk to Hannibal and Eleanor while a few more inspect the crime scene.

"She's in shock, officer. That man broke into my home and pointed a gun at me, told me he was my end. Eleanor snuck up behind him and defended us, stabbing him out of self defense." He told the officers and the wrote it down in their notepads.

They took the body and finished cleaning up, and Eleanor and Hannibal went down to the station to elaborate more about the crime. No one got in trouble, and after the business was done, Hannibal followed Eleanor home and stayed with her for the night so she could feel safe.

[A/N: Hey everyone, sorry it took me so long to update. Unfortunately updates will be slow coming from now on. They promoted me at work and now I work 40 hours a week. But I will do my best to keep writing because I'm not giving up on this story! So thank you for 2k reads and all the votes!! -LostWitch]