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Edouard Manet
1879
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"WHAT is..."

"Brownies!" She smiled sweetly just as the dessert. "I'm not a very good cooker, but I've made some for my brother, and I believe these are too much of then this time..." because she was used to making brownies for Bree as well. She shaked her head to avoid those thoughts. "Anyway, I thought that maybe I could give you some, I mean, if you want to." She continued kindly "As a thanks for helping me."

"I shouldn't accept gifts from my patients, Ms.Mallory." Hannibal lecter judged the small chocolate brownies inside the transparent recipient she caried. "I am not doing a favor, it is my-"

"Your job? Yeah, I know, but that doesn't mean you don't deserve something sweet, right?" She insisted in a light humor. "Ah, come on, my arms are aching already."

He glanced at her, then at the brownies, repeated the process, but, even if he wanted to refuse, accepted it. It would be rude to refuse it, right? His fingers brushed hers lightly as she passed the recipient to him, her skin was softer, smoother than he expected it to be.

"Oh, and I've brought this" she took off his handkerchieff from the purse, looking almost new. "100% clean!" She offered it to him. Hannibal this time didn't take it.

"It's fine, you can keep it." He refused, while walking until his desk to put the brownies there.

Alice insisted once more and he still refused, saying that he already had others, so she could keep that one. He could be quite petty about his belongings.

Once he realized she has been staring at him for too long, he questioned her the reason with his eyes. "Oh, nothing...how are the brownies?" She asked with a small smile.

The thing is that he still seemed a bit unrealistic to her, from his manners to his style, and he was incredibly attractive in her point of view. So, sometimes she would just stop and stare, maybe daydream for a single second. Of course she wouldn't do anything further than that, he was her therapist after all.

Hannibal glanced once again at the brownies on the desk. He would have to prove them.

"I didn't poison you, doctor, calm down." She laughed walking towards the desk and grabbing one of them in her hands. "Will and Colin said they were delicious. I'll prove one, if you don't believe me."

"Will Graham?" Hannibal asked with interest, as she took a bite of the dessert. Alice nodded while chewing, unable to answer.

That's when she made a face, covering her mouth with her hands. They weren't as good as she believed, they seemed...crunchy, salty. "um..." she avoided eye contact "...bad news...I strongly think that I've mistaken sugar with salt." He tried hard not to laugh at her expression. "Good news is that they are still eatable...if you like salt stuff"

"Why don't you take a seat, Ms.Mallory?" Hannibal suggested, changing the subject and escaping from the sour brownies, with a light smile on his face trying not to burst into a laugh.

"Right, sorry." She mumbled and went to the same seat from the previous session, for now, no visions had appeared. "By the way, that other day, when I...." she fidgeted her fingers "um...cried..."

"Yes?" Hannibal sat slowly on the velvet chair, adjusting his tie, there was something about that gesture that was ridiculously hot.

"Just wanted to mention that I don't do that very often, so...don't expect me to cry a river." She said, burying the emotions and making a joke of it "I was just...overwhelmed."

"And you prefer not to let these emotions out?"

"I prefer not to bother. And by that I also include myself." She gave a polite smile while crossing her legs.

"And since when do you believe that crying is a burden to others, Ms.Mallory?" Hannibal asked, initiating the session before she could even realize it.

"Since I realized it doesn't solve any problems" she lifted her shoulders indifferent. "Maybe when I was still very young."

Hannibal nodded, he was dealing with someone who manage to hide everything. She was the sun that could lighten up a whole town but deep inside was completely frozen. A scared rose that cut its' own thorns. The bitter taste of an undesired emotion in a rainy day.

It was fantastic.

"Why don't we start from the beginning?" Hannibal suggested, curious to know more about her. This session he didn't use amy lights, just asked normally, without manipulation. "Where we you born, Ms.Mallory? England, I believe"

"The accent always gives it away, doesn' it? Even moving to America after all these years I still have a bit in my voice." She chuckled, finding the fact funny. "Um...let's see...I was born in Bristol, wasn't rich, which is not very different from now either." She joked.

"What about your parents?"

"My mother died at Bree's birth, when I was only 4, so I don't remember much about her."

"And your father?"

Alice bit her lip. He had caught her. She blinked anfew times, avoiding to look directely at the doctor. "He's...something. Doesn't really matter."

It was definetely something since she couldn't speak about it, pretending that her nails, which she suddenly started to pick at, were more important. Hannibal decided to push her limits a bit more.

"Could you care to tell me more about him?"

"It's really not important." Her answer was sharp this time. No smiles, no jokes. "Maybe we should focus on Bree's murder day instead." she excused herself.

"Why do avoid the subject, Ms.Mallory?" His gaze intensely stuck on hers, pressuring her into blazes.

"Why do you insist on the subject, Dr.Lecter?" Her tone was now firm, in a defensive stance. He had touched one of her weaknesses at that moment, and he was aware of it.

"If you're not going to talk about yourself, then what is the purpose?"

"I am here to find whoever killed my sister. I am here for Bree." She said clenched her teeth. The room suddenly was more tense, anticipating conflict.

"We might never reach the memory you want if you can't speak about a previous one." Hannibal scowled. "I thought we made an agreement on the other session of speaking out, but I believe it didn't work." He got up from his chair, Alice's eyes widened at him. "I must tell FBI that this is a waste of time, Will Graham is my next patient, so I shall inform him soon."

He was heading towards the door, was he...kicking her out?!

"Wait." Alice standed her arm in the air, Hannibal turned to her, like a bratty diva who knew how exactly what to do tobget what he wants. "I'm sorry... I guess I was immature." She looked down embarrassed. "Can we start again?" She requested. He then gave a creepy, completely satisfied smile, knewing thatbhe had won, h eliked that, obedience. He sat back gain on his chair. "It's just that...I'm not used to speak about him." She tried to explain.

"How was he, Ms.Mallory?" Hannibal questioned.

"How he is." Alice corrected. "He is still very much alive, we just don't keep contact."

"Why not?"

"The last time we saw each other made me get kicked out of college, so..." she rest her back on the armchair, looking up at the high ceiling above, the one in her apartment was so close to their heads, so small, completely different from Dr.Lecter's office's.

"You didn't have a good relationship?"

"That is a bit of an eufemism. He's awful." She grumbled. "I don't remember much about how he was before my mother's death, maybe I prefer to think that back then he was a better man..." A movie passed through her mind. "But I remember clearly how he became after her death."

"Do you believe it was caused by her loss?"

"Maybe, but it still isn't an excuse to treat his daughters the way he treated us." She crossed her arms, frustated. A lomg sigh followed before she could land her eyes at Hannibal again. "He was terrible, used to fight and hit with us many times." She shaked her head disapprobing the attitude. "But I was always there for Bree, using my body as a shield when he was drunk and wanted to harm us...which was most of the time... Or I'd lie to her, saying that we were playing a game and tell her to hide under the bed so he wouldn't find us."

Hannibal observed the wrinkles that formed on her face by by the memories that stabbed her wounds and kept them open, bleeding, dripping. Her strentgh to overcome it all and yet be that ambiable ans optimistic was truly impressive.

"For how long did that situation keep going?" He asked, keeping a neutral expression.

"Until we moved to the USA, to live with an aunt. " she replied. Didn't show much affection towards the aunt either. "He couldn't take care of us since he was always at bars. Also had an incredible vice in bets and alcohool that would take all our finances to sustain it" She continued. "So, this aunt would be our safety... we believed."

"And what happened?"

"She was sick, after we moved she died 2 years later of cancer." Something in her tone indicatee deep frustration and irritation. " He already knew that previously, we just moved there so he could inherit her money and house. Which wasn't much." The hands above her lap clenched in apprehension, swallowing dry the words. "His manners didn't change."

"What about your brother?"

"Colin was born later, when he remarried with another woman." She didn't seem pleased to speak about the marriage.

"How was she?"

"As bad as him, manipulative, drunk, and abusive as well." A contained rage was visible in her tone, for a moment he believed she would spit on the floor to show her disaffection towards her. "It's almost unbelivable that she gave birth to Colin." She shaked her head. "Such a good kid. A blessing." She furrowed her eyebrows. "And she still chose to leave him."

"She abandoned him?"

"Yes." Alice said. "She abandoned him when he was just 1 year old. So, Bree and I raised him. Our father couldn't care less, like always."

"And how did you feel about it?"

"I..." she thought for a moment. "I was angry, at first, I think. I mean, who could ever do that to their child? But maybe she couldn't continue living with our father any longer, and I understand if that was her reason. It was her opportunity to leave for good and she took it."

"So you don't hold any bad feelings against her?"

"I've had some grudges at first, after all,  Bree and I pratically had a child back then, a human being to raise, which made things harder." She thought for a moment, playing with a strand of her hair "...but Colin was a way to escape our reality, bring some happiness to our lives. The opportunity to give him a better childhood than ours... it was just priceless."

He observed how she seemed simply realized by raising that kid as her own. She loved Colin as her own. And somehow, the kindness in her soul gave her a bright aurea, something beautiful and magical. A woman with her own dark past and twisted conlflicts, that still decided to not give up and move foward. It was indeed admirable.

"Raising a child sometimes is a way to heal our interior one." Hannibal pointed out. "Perphaps even after the difficulties that is why you still raised him"

"Because...I see myself in him?" She widened her eyes confused. "No...I don't think so." She shaked her head, giving a warm smile. "It's more like...I don't know how to explain, do you have kids?"

"No."

"Don't even think about having one?" She said surprised.

"I never thought about the idea." He said.

"It's just..." she gave a joyful expression "magical. The fact that you can raise a little human, and watch them grow..." she smiled brightly, Hannibal didn't follow her excitement, seemed intrigued though.

"Like a plant?"

Alice bursted laughing, he looked at her confused, in awe for the sudden reaction. She thought it was joke of his, a bad one, and he had no idea why that sounded so funny.

"I mean, sort of, I don't know, some people love plants as kids I guess." Alice chuckled, pulling a strand of her hair behind her ear. "But raising a kid is way more expensive and complicated than a plant though."

"And yet you still enjoy it."

"It's stressful, but also lovely, it's..." she tried to gesture with her hands in the air, there was a sparkle in her eyes, something quite hypnotic to him. "...the idea that you can actually help someone grow and develop their own feelings and ideas it's... amazing." She sighed "I don't know how to describe it."

Hannibal nodded slowly, he couldn't understand her excitement, but it was interesting. She was interesting.

"Did you feel that way about Bree Mallory?" Hannibal questioning. "About raising her?"

Alice thought for a moment, circled the armchair's velvet with her indicator inger until she could find an adequate answer. "I did raise Bree, not as Colin, since things were way more complicated back then...I wouldn't consider her as a child but..."

"You feel as you've failed to protect her." Hannibal suggested, Alice looked at him speechless, a small gap between her lips was formed, astonished. "You do realize you can't protect your family forever, don't you Ms.Mallory?"

She sniffed, the mask of happiness covered her emotions again. "Of course!" She commented, avoiding his eyes "yeah, Bree was...an adult. I wouldn't be ablento protect her from this cruel world, even if I wanted to."

Hannibal adjusted himself at his seat. Alice had a forced smile, pretending to be honest and comfortable with the question. "Would you like anything, Miss Mallory? Tea, coffee?" He suggested to ease her tension.

"I'm good, thanks." She refused quickly.

"Then, let's continue." He cleared his throat, relying his back at the armchair. "After Colin was born, and his mother left, what happened?"

"Bree and I ran away with Colin." She said it naturally, like it was the most common thing in the world.

"Where did you move to?" Hannibal leaned foward, showing clear interest in her sudden decision.

"Anywhere." Aluce lifted her shoulders indifferent. "We just wanted to get far away from our father. I gathered enough money for tickets for us three and that was it. We never looked back." She gazed at him determined"Best decision I've ever made."

"How did your father feel about it?"

"I would only get news from him years later. Until then, we knew nothing about him after it." She explained. "When we realized, we were in Washington." There was no fear in her tone.

"I believe this is when you meet Will Graham." He suggested, finally getting to the part where he was interested about.

"1 year later, to be exact, but yes, yeah, that's when I met Will." She said. "We both joined forensic science at Washingtin University. Had the same classes."

"And you became friends?"

"Yeah, well not immediatly, of course, I had some hard work there." She chortled "but eventually we got along very well."

"So you maintained contact all these years?"

Hannibal did that question on purpose, he knew that Will was a lonely person that didn't share what he felt or thought with anyone. Something went bad along the way of their friendship, and that's what he wanted to know. What might've triggered Will Graham's mind to leave Alice Mallory so suddenly.

What flaw he could use in order to keep that unhealthy obssession to study his mind.

"Not really...you know, we followed different paths." She said without putting too much details into it.

"Did something happen between you both?" He asked.

"Hm..." Alice tried to decide wether or not to talk about it. "We had different opinions about a certain subject, in the end, Will won and we parted ways." She described without telling him the whole story.

"May I know what subject?"

She bit her lower lip, looked around the room until her eyes landed on some papers on his desk. "Are those drawings?" She avoided the subject.

Hannibal looked back, meeting her gaze's target. "Some of my sketches." He said without putting much importance into it. He knew she was changing the conversation's path on purpose, a clever move, yet annoying one.

"Sketeches?" Her eyes glistened genuily excited this time. "May I see them?"

He thought for a moment, realizing that she was indeed being honest by her body language. "Of course." He got up from his chair and grabbed (some) of the drawings, the appropriate ones to show her (no the ones with the Chesapeak Ripper's victims). Alice grabbed the pages and analyzed them with carefulness, but also impressed by them.

"Wow...these are fantastic!" She grinned. Lecter realized he has never seen someone smile so brightly to something he has done, nit without second intentions. "The proportions are very precisive..."

"Do you fancy art?" He asked, already knowing her answer.

"I've got to say that I'm quite obssessed with it." She replied, showing a comfortable mannerism. "I do paint, used to work for a gallery, but stopped since..." her sentence ended. "Well, after what happened."

"Art can be a therapeutic process as well. Might help you express your feelings" he suggested.

"Yeah, Colin found that online once, said that I should try but...I just can't..." her eyes landed at a single dot on the page. "Um... do accept a quick feedback? A constructive one, of course." She clenched her teeth nervous.

"Go ahead."

"Do you see this part of the building?" She pointed to the paper but he couldn't see it from where he was, Alice made a sign for him to come closer. Hannibal approached her slowly, as a hunter surrounding their prey, standing behind her, leaning and watching over her shoulder, their cheeks almost touching. "The lightning comes from this direction, right?"

"Indeed." He answered, his breath next to her ear gave her chills for a second.

"So... um.... the lightning should be this way..." She made a diagonal line with her fingers "from the left to the right, do you see how dark this is?" She asked, he hummed in agreement "It's not completely wrong, just needs a bit of brightness, nothing an erasor can't solve." She humbly said, attempting not to sound nosy or bossy. "It will give the wall more dimension."

"That is actually a very helpful critcism, Ms.Mallory." he looked at her, her shimery eyes still stucl n the paper, as he watched every trace pf her pale skin but rosed cheeks, seemed smooth, clear,  probably tasteful. "I appreciate it."

"Oh, it's..." she turned to face him, meeting his gaze, freezing by realizing  how their faces were incredibly close, just inches apart. He didn't smell like any cheap cologne, it was something different, sophisticated and natural like oil or fresh and light lavanda. "...nothing."  she whispered softly, feeling his eyes burn at her skin, her cheeks becoming a bright red on the surface.

"I GOTTA A FEELIN'! THAT TONIGHT'S GONNA BE A GOOD NIGHT! THAT TONIGHT'S GONNA BE A GOOD NIGHT!" A song exploded suddenly, Alice almost jumped, awaken from the trance of his incandescent sight. It was her phone ringing.

"I'm sorry, I need to take this." She stammered, almost letting the phone fall.

"No problem." He stepped away, and at this moment she finally could breathe again.

"Hello?" Alice spoke on the phone."Yes, this is her." Hannibal put the drawings back on his desk but listened carefully to the conversation that procceeded. "Oh my God, is he okay?!" She widened her eyes schocked. "Where is he?" She exclaimed a bit louder. It was clear that something had happened. "Okay, okay, just a minute." She put the phone on her shoulder. "Dr.Lecter do you have a pen, please?" She asked.

"Here." He lent her a dark pen with inumerous details in gold, probably more expensive than her cheap thin necklace from the local mall she wore.

"Thank you." Alice said and put the phone back to her ear. "I'm sorry, could you repeat, please? Uh-huh...okay...okay..." she started to take notes fastly on her hand. "Right, okay, I think I got it. I'll be there soon, thank you, really. Ok, bye." She hung up the device.

Alice got up from her chair, quickly grabbing her purse. "Is something wrong, Ms.Mallory?" Hannibal asked.

"I'm so sorry Doctor, but I need to go as fast as I can, my brother just broke his leg while skating, that loony!" Alice explained to him, frowning her eybrows "His friends took him to the hospital so I need to go there, he needs a responsible."

She seemed very stressed, a complete mess after that call, apologized a few more times for leaving the session and walked until the door. "Is it too far?" Hannibal asked before she left. "The hospital."

"I'm not really sure...I've never been to this one before." She looked at her hand with the address written on it.

"May I?" He asked for her hand. She nodded. He held her hand in his, which were twice the size of hers. Read her rushed letters within the lines between her skin, as she could feel hid salty veins. "It is on the other side of the city, a bit far from here. Did you come driving?"

"Really?" She asked frustrated. "I came here by feet, God... when I find Colin, I swear-"

"I can drive you." He suggested. Alice blinked twice surprised.

"Oh, no, doctor, it's fine, I'll just take a taxi."

"Your brother needs you, and techincally we are still in a session, the least I could do is help you with your problem." He explained formally.

Remind yourselves that even considering himself as a generous person, Hannibal wasn't. He had intentions behind his actions, and, earning Alice's trust in order for her to speak out secrets was one that he could gain by little, small attitudes as this one.

He had no empathy or pity for her, it was just for mere exchange of information.

Alice was a person who didn't like to ask much of others. Receiving Will's help was already an insult to her pride, and now the doctor she had just met...she wanted to die at that moment, her body shivered in embarrassment, but Colin needed her.

And now, without Bree, she was the only one he could count on. She had that weight, that huge responsability on her shoulders as never before, and Alice Mallory is someone who never breaks promises.

"I'm so sorry, I promise I'll retribute it, Dr.Lecter, and thank you." She replied desperate but also feeling humiliated.

"Don't mention it. Now, shall we?"

▫️

"I'm going to kill you!" Alice threatned to punch her brother.

"Wait, wait, calm down!!" Colin lifted his arms in the air, his back relied on the white and warm hospital bed. "I'm sorry, okay? It was an accident!"

"What were you doing? This could've been dangerous. You also scratched your head. Where was your helmet??"

"I lended it to Stacy-"

"Colin I swear to God, someday you'll give me a heart attack." She sighed, sitting by his side on the hospital bed.

"Sorry, Ali..."

Her expression softned, at least he was alive, and that's what mattered. Her motherly side took over again, while she pet his hair, observing his brown nut eyes shimmering through the artificial room's lightning.

"Alright, forget it...how's your leg? Does it hurt a lot?" She asked after taking a deep breath.

"It's better now." He replied as they both looked at his leg inside the white cast standed over the bed.

"Good." She vocalized a bit more relaxed. "Just take care of yourself okay? I don't know what I would do if..." she paused her sentence, couldn't even imagine it.

Colin squeezed her hand, he knew Alice was overwhelmed and fragilized. Anything would schock her at that moment, she needed help, support. And the worst he could do was worry her now. That's the least he wanted.

"It's fine now." He assured her in a whisper. "We'll be alright" She nodded, he continued "You know what Bree would say in a moment like this?"

"Some stupid leg pun." Alice smiled.

"And you'd complain about it, then she would say something like... 'you can't stand my jokes, just like Colin's leg!' " he replied, imitating the middle sister's voice. Alice finally laughed.

She looked at corner of the room, and the illusion of Bree seemed to find it funny as well. For a minute she wished that was real. For a moment she could pretend they were the same again.

"Excuse me." A nurse knocked on the door, returnung them back to reality. "Mr.Mallory needs some rest now, and we'll check the machines. Could you please excuse us for a second?"

"Oh, of course." Alice got up.

"Mr.Mallory, did you hear that?" Colin said convinced.

"Please don't flatter him so much, he can be a pain worse than any leg injury when treated that way." Alice said, the nurse smiled. "Behave." She warned him.

"When didn't I?" He mocked. Alice gave him a deadly glance. "Okay, got it."

Once Alice left the room, she spot a familiar face at the hallway.

"Dr.Lecter? You're still here." She told him, rhe elegant man's figure got up from one of the hallway benches.

"Just wanted to make sure everything went well." He replied politely.

"He is already making jokes and laughing at my face, pretty normal." She gave a half smile. "Thank you so much for driving me here."

"It was no issue." He nodded, adjusting the tie of his suit.

"I would say that I could bake a brownie or something, but that didn't go very well last time." She chuckled. Hannibal held a contained smile. "I'll retribute the favor, I promise."

"Do not worry yourself about it."

"Alice?" A voice came from the beginning of the aisle.

When she turned around, she could those familoar puppy but also wild wolf's eyes, the curly angelic hair strands, and the innocent yet dangerous figure across that hallway. It was Will Graham, and he ran towards them, deeply concerned like never before.

"What are you doing here??" He seemed desperate.

"Colin got injured." She said, noticing his concern. "Why?"

"Abigail Hobbs woke up." This time he directed himself to Hannibal.

They both communicated to each other without words. Alice was confused for a second.

"Is Dr.Bloom with her?" The doctor asked, still witha neutral expression. He was always calm.

"Yes, she said I shouldn't go in there now, but maybe later."

"She's right. It would be a schock for her to see the people involved in the conflict first." Hannibal explained. Will tried to agree.

"Who is Abigail?" Alice asked suddenly.

Hannibal questioned Will with just a glance, the agent avoided replying.

"She is a victim of one of Agent Graham's cases. She was attacked by her father, Garret Jacob-Hobbs. As Will said, she just woke up from her coma." He explained.

"Oh my God...poor thing." Alice felt pity fot the girl. Then started thinking. "Wait, Hobbs, isn't that the man from the news...? The one..."

"The one responsible for 7 disappearing girls. Yes." Hannibal answered fiercely. "He muredered girls similar to his daughter, so he wouldn't kill her."

"It's the same man..." Alice connected the dots, her head was about to explode.

"That was plagiarized by the copycat." Hannibal wanted to set her mind on fire.

"My sister's killer." Alice said horrified, covering her mouth with her hands.

"It's still very soon to conclude so." He replied.

"Why?" Will asked curious.

"Why would we discart Garret Hacob Hobbs as a suspect already?" Hannibal developed a theory, Will didn't seem to buy it. "Bree Mallory was young, brunette, pale, similar to Abigail Hobbs in a certain way. She also had her organs taken." He glanced at Alice who seemed completely disgusted. "I am sorry, I didn't mean to be indelicate."

"It's alright" she shaked her head, trying to breathe "I understand."

"The way he killed Bree was different than Hobbs used to do. It's not..." Will didn't know to put it into words "it doesn't make sense."

"Or maybe you prefer it not make sense." Hannibal suggested.

"Why would I do that?"

"Perphaps because you want to catch a villain who is still alive to punish him for killing Bree Mallory. Unlike Hobbs." The sentence made Will stop for a moment. Alice watched quietly, realizing how Hannibal could read a person in just a matter of seconds.

"I killed Hobbs. That doesn't mean I wanted to." Will replied, feelomg a guilt pressured inside his subconscious" That doesn't mean I'll kill Bree's murderer as well. Justice will be done."

A heavy pause in silence was made when Will realized what he had just said in front of Alice.

"You killed someone?" She looked at him completely paralyzed, her breath suspended.

"Alice-"

"He saved Abigail's life." Hannibal replied first, calming the situation. "It was either her or her father. An easy choice to be made."

"It wasn't easy, I..." Will's word escaped him just by looking at Alice's broken expression at him. That'd the worst thing thag cpuld possibly happen to him, for her to see him as a monster. "Alice..."

"Will?" Dr.Bloom's heels echoed through the floor as she approached the room. "I believe you may take a word with her now." She said, just then noticed the other two. "Ms.Mallory, how are you?" She gave a polite smile, even thoigh finding the trio was quite surprising.

"Just checking on my brother, how are you doing Dr.Bloom?" Alice replied kindly.

"Busy, is your brother alright?" She asked fot mere politeness.

"He is, thank you."

"Great to know." She smiled fastly. She then looked at Hannibal  who had just standed there in silence."Oh, Dr.Lecter, you may come too."

Will glanced at Alice, opening his mouth to speak but clueless of what else to say. Feeling the need to justificate his actions without actually needing to. He just sighed and followed Alana through the aisle.

"I believe I must go as well." Hannibal said, grabbing his large coat that rest on the bench. "I shall see you on wednesday, Ms.Mallory."

"Right. Thanks again, Doctor." She recovered from the schock, and smiled sweetly at him.

"Wish your brother a good recovery for me."

"I will, thanks."

Once he turned his back, Alice fell into the bench at the hallway, her head spinned with thoughts, and a sharp, cold, and haunting whisper blew through her ears:

"You knew he would kill soon or later. It was just a matter of time."