Chapter 54 Chapter Fifty-Three

After Mrs. Baimel handed the phone to Starling, she picked up the troublesome toddler.She didn't leave the living room. "I'm Clarice Starling." "I'm Jerry Burroughs, Starling—" "Very well, Jerry, look I think Buffalo Bill can sew. He cuts that triangle of hide Wait a minute - Mrs. Bemer, would you please take the little one to the kitchen? I need a phone call here .Thanks. . . . Jerry, he can sew. He takes—” "Starling—" "He took those two triangles of skin off Kimberly Emberger and made the pleats, the pleats for clothes, you know what I'm saying? He's skilled, not just for caveman wear That kind of thing. The ID department can look for the tailors, sailmakers, cloth retailers and upholsterers among the 'known criminals' - chip the threads on those teeth in the 'distinctive features' section The tailor who came to find out—”

"Okay, okay, okay, I'm going to type a line on my computer to notify the ID department. Now you listen--I might have to hang up while I'm here. Jack wants me to brief you on the situation. We've been given a name and a location, and it's looking good. The 'hostage rescue team' are paratroopers from Andrews, and Jack is briefing them on a secure phone." "Where are you going?" "Calumet, on the edge of Chicago. Subject's name is James, like 'Nanle', 'N' changed to 'J'; surname is Garm; aka John Grant, Caucasian male, three Eleven, one hundred and ninety pounds, brown-haired, blue-eyed Jack got a call from Johns Hopkins Hospital. Your stuff—your share of how he differs from Yi Profile of Kinks - Leads them to what they were looking for at Johns Hopkins Hospital. Kid applied for transsexual three years ago and then groped a doctor after being rejected. Hopkins finds Grant The pseudonym and the address of one of his residences in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. The cops got a gas ticket receipt with his driver's license number on it, and we went down from there. Had him in California as a teenager A thick volume of files Killed his grandparents at twelve and spent six years in the Tulare Mental Asylum. The state let him out when the asylum closed sixteen years ago. He was missing for a long time. His kid was gay. Got into a few fights in Harrisburg and then disappeared."

"You mentioned Chicago just now, how do you know you are in Chicago?" "Provided by Customs. They have some papers under the pseudonym John Grant. Customs intercepted a suitcase in Los Angeles a few years ago from a sea shipment from Suriname containing live 'chrysalis'—you Is that what it's called?—Insects, moths, anyway. Addressed to John Grant, forwarded by a business in Calumet called—you noticed—Mr. Fur man, maybe the sewing thing can be connected with that; I'll be sending the word about sewing to Chicago and Calumet right now. Grant, or Gumm's home address, haven't got it yet--the business It's closed, but we're close to results."

"Are there any pictures?" "So far only the Sacramento Police Department has provided a photo of him as a teenager, not very useful - he was twelve years old and looked like a 'wave splitting beaver'. Anyway, the comm room is still sending pictures everywhere .” "Can I go?" "No. Jack said you'd ask. They've got two policewomen and a nurse from Chicago to look after Martin if they can get her. You can't make it anyway, Starling." "What if he puts up a barrier? That might take—" "There won't be any standoffs. They'll jump on him when they find him—Crawford has given permission to storm in. Special trouble with this kid, Starling, he's had hostage situations before. That's his boy. They got into an impasse with him in Sacramento when it was time to kill, and he took his grandmother hostage--grandfather he'd already killed, but let's say luck, let's say he had a lot on his mind, One after another hasn't turned on it yet. If he sees us coming, he'll fuck her viciously in front of us, and it won't cost him anything, will he? So as soon as they find He just—boom!—the door slammed down."

The room was so fucking hot, and it smelled like the ammonia of a baby. Burroughs was still saying, "We're looking for those two names on entomological journal subscription lists, Knifemakers' Unions, known criminals, and everything else—no one can let go of this until the matter is over." Yes. You are investigating Baimer's acquaintances, aren't you?" "right." "The Department of Justice says it's a case if we don't get the other guy's loot. What we need is; either get him and get Martin, or get him something that's discernible—frankly. He said it was teeth or fingers or something. It goes without saying that if he had dumped Martin's body, we would need evidence that would link him to the victim before the facts. We can use your The things obtained from Baimel, don't care about him... Starling, I really hope that this matter will be settled yesterday, and it's not just for Martin's child, but Kundi won't ask you to intervene in this work?"

"I guess so. They put in some other guy who was waiting for the reheat to be over—that's what they told me." "If we got him in Chicago, you'd be a big part of it. At Quindy they're tough, they're like that, but they've got to see that. Wait a minute." Starling heard Burroughs yelling away from the phone, then back again. "It's all right—they'll be in Karyu in forty to fifty-five minutes. The deployment of Matt City depends on the wind conditions in the sky.The Chicago special police acted as a substitute representative, fearing that they would find him in advance.The Calumet Optoelectronics Agency provided four possible addresses.Starling, keep an eye out for anything they can use to narrow it down.As soon as you find out anything about Chicago or Calumet, pass it on to me. "

"Row." "Now you listen - I've got to go after this. If this thing goes through, if we catch him in Calumet, then you'll be wearing your shiny dress at eight o'clock tomorrow morning Mary-Jane women's shoes on Quindy can report. Jack will go to the committee about your situation, and the shooting coach Bram will go to them. Just ask." "One more thing, Jerry: Frederica Bemer has some warm-up tracksuits made by 'Juno', a brand of clothes worn by obese people. Whether it's true or not, Catherine- Martin has a few, too. He's probably keeping his eyes on the fat clothing stores for big victims. We could ask in Memphis, Akron, and elsewhere."

"Got it. Stay positive." Starling walked out from this untidy compound in Belvedere, Ohio, three hundred and eighty miles from where the operation was in Chicago.The cold wind hit her face, which made her feel comfortable.She threw a small fist into the air, and she was giving the hostage rescue team a hard boost.At the same time, she felt her jaw and cheeks quiver slightly.What the hell is going on here?What on earth would she do if she found something?She would call the highly mechanized ground unit, the Cleveland precinct, the Columbus SWAT, and the Belvedere Police Department.

Save that young woman, save your goddamn Senator Martin's daughter and whoever might come after--that's what matters, honestly.If they make it, everyone is fine. In case they don't make it in time, in case things get messed up by the time they find it, God please let them catch Ye-Catch Jaime Gumm or Mr. Peep or whatever they call that goddamn thing ! In other words, I was so close to success, but I could only help with the last insignificant matter. It took a day to figure it out. It all tastes like failure to get the school kicked out.Starling had already noticed uncomfortably that the Starling family had been out of luck for hundreds of years. Through the fog of time, she noticed that all members of the Starling family had been wandering around, frustrated and confused.She realized that if she could find the life trajectory of the first member of the Starling family, the trajectory would be a circle.This is a typical loser's thinking, and she would never accept it.

If they had caught Dr. Lecter because of the summary she gave him, it would certainly help her at the DOJ.It was something Starling would have to think about for a while; the hope of her career was like an amputated limb, amputated, but still felt violently throbbing. Whatever happened, the moment the cutout pattern flashed through my mind, the feeling in my heart was almost as comforting as any good thing ever had.Here's something to treasure.Thinking of her mother and father gave her courage.She earned and never failed to live up to Crawford's trust.These things are worthy of her preservation in her own "White Owl" brand snow front cigarette case.

Her job, her task, was to consider how Frederica and Jamm might have gotten her, to file a criminal case against Buffalo Bill, all the facts needed. Think of Frederica, the whole youth is bored here.Where would she go to find her way out?Did her desire resonate with Buffalo Bill's?Had the same longing drawn them both together?It was uncomfortable to think about, his understanding of her may have been based on his own experience, or even strengthened, but he still skinned her as he wanted. Starling stood by the water. Almost everywhere there is a moment of beauty where one angle or intensity of light seems to feel best.When you're stuck somewhere, you know when the moment will come and you look forward to it.The scene around three o'clock in the afternoon is probably the most beautiful moment for Li Jinhe at the back of Fair Street.Is this the moment when Miss Baimel has a good dream?The pale sun shone on the water, and rising steam blurred the image of an old refrigerator and stove abandoned in the grove beyond the stagnant water.The northeast wind blows from the direction of the backlight, blowing the cattails towards the sun. A length of white PVC pipe stretched from Mr. Bamer's shed to the river.There was a sound of gujilu, and a small stream of blood gushed out, staining Can Xue.Baimer walked out of the house into the sunshine.The front of his trousers was stained with blood, and there were a few pink and gray things in a plastic grocery bag. "It's pigeons," he explained, seeing Starling watching. "Ever eaten pigeons?" "No." Starling said and turned to face the river again, "I've only eaten pigeons." "You don't have to worry about biting lead sand bombs when you eat this." "Mr. Baimer, does Frederica know anyone in Calumet or the Chicago area?" He shrugged and shook his head. "As far as you know, has she ever been to Chicago?" "What do you mean by what you know? You think my girl is going to Chicago and I don't know? I don't know if she ever went to Columbus." "Does she know any sewing men, seamstresses or sailmakers?" "She sews for everyone. She makes clothes as well as her mother does. I don't know what a man is and isn't a man. She makes clothes for the ladies in the shop, I don't know who." "Who's her best friend, Mr. Bamer? Who does she hang out with?" Didn't mean "to hang out."Fortunately, it didn't hurt him - he was really tired of it. "She didn't hang out like a bum. She always had work to do. God didn't make her pretty, but she was busy." "Who do you think is her best friend?" "Stacy-Hubka, I guess. They've been together since they were little. Frederica's mother used to say that Stacy stayed with Frederica all the time just so she could have someone to take care of her, I have no idea." "Do you know where I can get in touch with her?" "Stasi used to work for an insurance company, and I guess still does. Franklin Insurance." Starling walked across the rutted yard toward her car, her head bowed, her hands deep in her pockets.Frederica's cat watched her from the high window.