North American detective: From scoundrel to god among men

Chapter 16 Violent Cycles, Childhood Trauma, and Transvestism

The moment Titus pushed open the door to Crawford's office, in that instant, he immediately realized that his beautiful day was about to end.

Crawford asked the two to sit down, looking extremely tired.

Starling thought Crawford had that kind of charm. A man who relied on cigarettes and coffee to investigate cases, flying from one place to another and rushing back, and still having to go home to take care of his bedridden wife, silent and unsmiling, yet always silently persevering and bearing it all alone, was very rare.

In Titus's view, they were just poor, lowly laborers.

Crawford began:

"I received the forensic report; Klaus also had insect eggs in his mouth—eggs of the Ghast Swan."

Starling said:

"You mean Klaus was also injured by Buffalo Bill, and the two cases are being investigated together? The Klaus lead was provided by Dr. Lecter, who is specifically said to know something."

"What did Lecter say to you back then?"

"He said Raspel told him, 'He killed Klaus.' But Lecter himself didn't seem to agree with that."

Crawford said:

"That's why I asked you to come. Follow this line of inquiry and ask Dr. Lecter."

"But you have to be careful, Dr. Lecter likes to play games. If you give him all the information, he will pretend not to remember and watch you get anxious. Once the dust settles, he will remember it."

Titus said:

"This sounds like a child being coaxed into analyzing a case so that he can show off his intelligence."

Crawford nodded approvingly:

"That's right, this is one of his few weaknesses: he has to appear smarter than others."

"Remember, you went to him because you remembered that Bill would scalp people. You can tell him what promises the congressman made to him, such as a better shelter."

"But you have to let him know that if Catherine dies, he won't get a penny of what the congressman promised, and that the reason for this is that he failed to analyze Buffalo Bill's clues, not that he's stubbornly opposing us."

"Finally, and most importantly, never reveal your personal information; it could lead you into a deep abyss."

The conversation ended there, and Crawford hurriedly left; he couldn't rely solely on Dr. Lecter as a lead.

Meanwhile, Titus and Starling once again arrived at the mental hospital's "dungeon".

After the dungeon was opened, Chilton asked:

"Are you carrying any eavesdropping devices, Mr. Titus?"

"no."

Chilton took out a pocket recorder and handed it to him.

"Then please take this with you, I will make a copy for you later."

Titus shook his head and said:

"No, this is just a follow-up interview to the Klaus case."

Chilton said:

"I understand, but why doesn't it work?"

Before coming, Crawford had mentioned that Chilton must not be aware of anything, because Dr. Lecter could see through this idiot just like CAT.

Starling interjected:

"Because we can't let Lecter know we're carrying listening devices; this is an informal interview, otherwise the nature of the interview would change."

Chilton said:

"He is my patient, and I have the right to know this."

Titus replied:

"You can talk to the prosecutor's office and the FBI about that. We're just following orders."

Chilton said angrily:

"What do you take me for? Why would you open the door just for me? I still have a movie ticket to see!"

He quickly realized that he had said "one," which left him with nowhere to hide.

Titus noticed the dilapidated refrigerator behind Chilton, a plate with a light meal, a pile of toilet paper, a stack of untouched groceries that had been lying on the floor for a month, and his yellow teeth when he smiled.

This clearly shows what kind of life Chilton is living.

Titus smiled slightly, ignored him, and pulled Starling toward the dungeon.

As they passed each other, he noticed Chilton's flushed cheeks.

The two approached Hannibal again, marking their third conversation.

"Good morning, Dr. Lecter."

"Good morning, Officer Gallagher."

"As you predicted, the sixth victim was scalped."

"That's obvious, what other characteristics are there?"

"The skin was peeled off in a diamond pattern along the back, and then peeled off from the breasts down to the knees. An insect egg was inserted into the opening."

Titus passed part of the Buffalo Bill case file through the food conveyor.

"There are some details here that I think you'd like to know."

Lecter didn't open it, and continued to ask:

"An insect egg, or a moth?"

"That's right, a butterfly about to transform into a butterfly."

"A butterfly symbolizes metamorphosis, breaking free from the cocoon to become a butterfly. Officer Gallagher, I have a feeling that you will also undergo a metamorphosis."

"Transformation...you mean Buffalo Bill is undergoing a transformation, and he wants to change what?"

"The principle of equivalent exchange, officer."

Titus pushed forward a prepared proposal.

"This is Congressman Martin's promise, the Plum Island Medical Research Center, where you can see forests, read books, and most importantly, you have a week each quarter to go for a walk on nearby Plum Island and enjoy the scenery of the four seasons."

"Not bad, right?"

Lecter smiled slightly, then pushed the proposal forward with a 'snap'.

"That's not what I want to exchange; it's your problem."

Titus gasped and said:

"No problem, go ahead and ask."

Lecter asked:

What is your most painful childhood memory?

Titus said:

"When I was eight years old, it was a very cold winter."

"Frank dumped us in a truck and we slept there overnight. The next morning, the truck driver kicked us out."

"My youngest brother, Lim, had a high fever, and my two younger brothers and two younger sisters looked at me helplessly."

Lecter asked

"Poor child, and then what?"

Titus replied:

"I took them to the welfare home to ask for help, but they said they needed to have procedures, such as adoption, proof that they needed assistance, and community certificates."

"There was no other way, so I took my younger siblings to the bar Frank frequented, and sure enough, he was there."

"I grabbed a stick and hit him on the back of the head, then took the remaining money for the drinks and left."

Lecter said:

"Well done, child. Have you ever thought about ending it all and cutting ties, or—"

He paused, then continued:

"Just kill him."

Titus shook his head:

"I don't consider him my father, so there's no question of severing ties. Besides, murder is illegal, and I don't want to become someone like you."

"Your turn, Dr. Lecter."

Lake nodded and said:

"Buffalo Bill is a transvestite. He had a tragic childhood, which is the root cause of his current appearance."

"You mean, the brute-force loop theory?"

(The cycle of violence theory suggests that individuals who experience prolonged violence in childhood or witness severe domestic violence have a significantly increased risk of becoming perpetrators or criminals in adulthood.)

"You could say that. Since he's a transvestite, do you think he might have applied to the hospital for sex reassignment surgery?"

"Hospitals won't serve a criminal or an unidentified person, so...find the list of people turned away by hospitals in the city and look for adult men who have sought advice on related issues!"