North American detective: From scoundrel to god among men

Chapter 27 Paul Klandler

Titus ultimately failed to kill Vijay.

He suspected that Mason Vijay was behind it. Mr. Vijay had a close relationship with Lecter, but they were by no means friends. Moreover, Mr. Vijay held a very important position, was able to interfere within the FBI, and was eager to find Lecter.

Based on the above criteria, Mason Viger perfectly fits the image of "Lecter's acquaintance" that he envisioned.

But this was just speculation; he needed to confirm it, so he thought of the methods used by psychologists:

By asking questions, observing nonverbal cues, assessing cognitive and emotional states, and forming preliminary judgments, we can make a decision.

Then, by asking questions in a loop, eliminating possibilities, confirming the speculation step by step, forming a closed loop of thought logic, and then integrating it into a psychological profile.

Vijay, that old bastard, didn't try to cover it up at all, and kept talking about the shameful things he did at summer camp. Plus, Titus had done a background check on him beforehand (going through his personal file), so it didn't take much effort for him to figure out the gist of it.

Finally, judging from Vijay's flushed cheeks, it's probably true.

Titus couldn't help but think that he never expected that one day he would also be learning Lecter's ways.

What should we do next? If it were Lecter, what would he do?

Titus had a sudden inspiration and looked directly into Vijay's eyes.

If Dr. Lecter's gaze was an abyss from which one could willingly sink, then Titus's gaze was an unstoppable blade piercing straight to the heart.

He grabbed Vijay by the collar and whispered in his ear:

"I'll remember your life."

He then pushed Kold aside and left Viger Manor with Starling without any hindrance.

After Titus and his companion left, Kold stepped forward and asked:

"Mr. Vijay, should we hire an assassin to take them out? We can go to the High Table."

Vijay sank into the soft down comforter, his face flushed. In his fragmented mind, Titus's threatening words and intimidating gaze replayed over and over again.

After a moment, he murmured:

"Patience is the key to life."

"Kold, pull up every single piece of information about Titus Gallagher, down to the smallest detail!"

……

The two men, Titus and his companion, returned to the FBI and retrieved nearly a month's worth of surveillance footage from the store provided by the perfumer. They are now silently monitoring the footage frame by frame.

The next morning, Starling arrived at the FBI, her mind filled with fragmented and disorganized surveillance footage.

A man blocked her way.

Starling remembered him: Paul Crandler, the Deputy Attorney General.

During the Hester Mofet warehouse controversy, Paul hinted to her that if she was willing to have a drink with him, the Department of Justice would step in and offer the fairest explanation to counter the overwhelming criticism.

Starling's response was "fuck you!" The result was that Paul publicly criticized the Hester Mofet warehouse scandal for its negative impact on the FBI at a meeting, but Crawford stepped in to defend the two at a crucial moment.

The meeting was ultimately decided to be handled quietly until the Buffalo Bill case was solved, at which point the two men's images were reversed.

"Now that damn guy is back again," Starling thought to herself.

"Starling, good morning. What's on your mind?"

"Thinking about clues about Hannibal Lecter, is there anything I can do to help, Mr. Clandler?"

Starling thought to herself, "Don't call me Starling, we're not that close yet."

"Mr. Lecter once hosted a feast with human flesh; I think we should check the missing persons section. Who knows, maybe his appetite has whetted his appetite and he can't resist taking action again!"

"understood."

Starling thought to herself, "Do you know how many people report missing persons in the US every year? Besides, Lecter has probably already fled the US, damn it! You stupid idiot!"

She said no more and quickly walked past Paul, intending to continue watching the frame.

Paul called out to her:

"Starling, report to me immediately on any developments in the case, understand?"

Starling turns around:

"What?"

Paul said:

"I told him to report to me as soon as there is any progress in the case."

"I want you to understand that if we cooperate, I guarantee you'll rise to the top, but—"

He changed the subject, slowly walked forward, and said, word by word:

"If you refuse, I will freeze your career and make sure you can't do anything."

Starling was so angry she laughed. She said:

"Paul."

"What?"

"What exactly do you want? Did I make a mistake when I told you to go back to your wife?"

"Don't be so presumptuous. Of course, I didn't seek cooperation with you for that reason!"

Paul's tone became urgent:

"I could have any country bumpkin like you anywhere I wanted, but—"

Having seen his share of ups and downs, the vice minister quickly softened his tone, intending to take a more measured approach.

What if there's still a chance?

Therefore, Paul earnestly proposed:

"If you'd like, we can do it."

"No problem."

Paul was overjoyed upon hearing this, but his smile vanished the next moment.

"See you at the boxing gym, now, with your protective gear on!"

She was certain that this fat, brainless idiot wouldn't have the guts to actually fight. If he did, it would suit Starling's wishes perfectly. The case was at a standstill, and she could only resort to the clumsy method of watching surveillance footage to find clues. She was just looking for an outlet for her frustration!

However, just as Starling had predicted, Paul backed down.

"You just wait!"

He angrily uttered those words and left, his face flushed.

Starling took a deep breath, thinking, "This is terrible. I've really offended this idiot deputy minister. I wonder what's coming next."

She didn't know why she was so decisive, leaving him no room for maneuver.

For a fleeting moment, she recalled Titus's approach to Vijay. Before going to the manor, Crawford had reminded them that Mason Vijay was undoubtedly a complete bastard, but this bastard stood at the top of the pyramid, and the judiciary, prosecutor's office, and FBI were all powerless against him. Now that they needed his help, they should bow their heads.

But what did that guy Titus do? As soon as he got the clue, he offended the person to death, and before leaving, he didn't forget to humiliate them severely.

I've been deeply influenced by him, but this feeling is surprisingly pleasant...

Starling unconsciously smiled slightly as she pushed open the door to the makeshift operations office.

This was a temporary operations office that Crawford had arranged for them to target Hannibal Lecter. It was full of Lecter-related clues, which were connected by red threads, one after another, hanging in mid-air. Countless events converged and intersected, weaving a large net, a trap to capture Lecter.

Beneath the animal trap, Titus reclined in his armchair, his eyes glued to the monitor. He set the speed to 1.5x and watched four cameras simultaneously.

The light and shadow shifted constantly in Titus's eyes.

Starling smelled a strong coffee aroma. It was already broad daylight, but the lights were still on. She realized that Titus might have been sitting there all night without moving.

She remembered what Dr. Lecter had said:

"He couldn't control his emotions when he first met someone like me. He... has a pair of compassionate eyes."

Starling watched Titus's retreating figure and thought, "He needs to rest. I can grit my teeth and finish watching the rest of the tapes."

Suddenly, Titus's calm voice rang out:

"Starling, we've got him..."