Inquires of The Truth

Will Graham and Jack Crawford stood in Crawford's office being listened in (unknown by Crawford but knowingly and constantly by Will) with a spell by Stiles Stiliski as Crawford explained the case," All of them abducted on a Friday so they wouldn't have to be reported missing until Monday. Now, however, he's covering his tracks, he needs a weekend to do it."

Will asked the head of the BSU," Number eight?"

"Elise Nichols. St Cloud State, on the Mississippi. Disappeared on Friday. Was supposed to house sit for her parents over the weekend, feed the cat. She never made it home." 

Will sighed as he looked at the photo as Elise and pointed out," One through seven are dead. He's not keeping them around, not when he's got himself a new one."

"So we focus on Elise Nichols," Crawford stated. Will hummed as he glanced at the other victims and called out," They're all, very... um, Mall of America. A lot of wind-chafed skin. Very outdoorsy girls?"

Crawford agreed," Same hair colour, same eye colour, Roughly the same age, height and weight. So what is it about all these girls?"

Shaking his head Will sighed," It's not about all of them. It's just about one of them," He continued to explain," He's like Willy Wonka. Every girl he takes is a candy bar and hidden amongst all of these candy bars is the one true intended victim, which, if we are following our metaphor, is your golden ticket." 

For the head of the BSU, Jack Crawford was slow on the uptake as he asked Will," So, is he warming up for his golden ticket, or just reliving whatever it is he did to her?"

"The 'golden ticket' wouldn't be the first or last taken. He... would tried to uh... hide how special she is or was. It could be that he's taking out some sort of feeling out on these girls," Will explained as he walked out of the room. Crawford commanded him," I want you to get closer to this." 

Will paused as he played the part of unwilling sniffer dog in his game and told Crawford," No. You have Heimlich at Harvard and Bloom at Georgetown. They practically do the same thing I do."

"Practically, but you have a very specific way of thinking about these things," Jack cut in. Will frowned as he mentioned," There has been some discussion about the specific way I think..."

The Agent agreed," You make jumps you can't explain."

"I am not the only one who douse so, and the evidence explains them if you look close enough, Jack," Will pointed out, making mention of a certain detective in London while he was at it. Jack Crawford countered him," Then help me find some evidence." 

Will sighed as he said," Very well, but Stiliski comes with. 

Stiles listed to the parents of the girl but frowned as he smelled the decay of a body( hanging out with werewolves and being a druid helped his sense of smell more than most) He frowned as he asked the two grievers," How's your cat? Elise was supposed to feed them, right?"

Crawford looked at him as he shrugged," Sorry, I am a bit of an animal lover," then turned back to the Nichols and inquired from them," Were they weird when you came home?"

"I... I didn't notice..." Mr Nichols replied. Crawford turned to them and said," Umm, Could you give us a moment, please?"

The three walked out into the living room and Crawford stared at him as Will whispered," He took her from here. She got on a train, came home, fed the cat then he took her." 

"And you know this how?"

Stiles hummed," The cat... if they were hungry, it would have made that noticed or they would have found mice or rat bodies around the house. Simple really."

Crawford nodded as he called his team and Mr Nichols asked them," Why is it now a crime scene?"

Will's nose twitched as the smell of decay grew stronger and he asked him," Can I see your daughter's room?"

Stiles watched as Mr Nichols lead Will upstairs then turned to Mrs Nichols and nodded to Crawford.

Will followed his nose more so then Mr Nichols but as the man went to grab the door Will stopped him and said," Mr Nichols... why don't you go back downstairs with your wife and please put your hand in your pockets and avoid touching anything near here." 

"But we've been in and out of here all day," He told him. Will nodded as he said," alright... but I can't promise that it will be the same as it had been."

Will opened the door and the cat jumped onto the decaying corpus of Elise Nichols. Mr Nichols gasped out a whispered," Elise..." as Will held him back and told him," I need you to go back downstairs with your wife, Mr Nichols."

A pendulum swung as Will watched the killer take Elis Nichols and kill her. He watched him redeposit the body and frowned as the pendulum swung back into place. Stiles frowned as he and Bev walked in. He looked at Will who nodded at Bev and she, Brian and Jimmy walked. Bev poked around at the body and before look said," I found antler velvet in two of the wounds, almost like she was gored."

Brian frowned as he said," Hold on, look deer and elk pin their prey..."

Stiles coughed as he went on," They put all there wait into their antlers and try and suffocate a victam that's how they would kill, like, a fox, wolf or a coyote."

Stiles looked at Will as Crawford pointed out," Elise Nichols was strangled and suffocated, her ribs are broken."

Will nodded to the druid who added," Antler velvet is rich in nutrients, in some cultures, it's used as a healing additive. It might have been placed there on purpose."

Jack looked at him and asked," You think he was trying to heal her?"

"He wanted to undo as much as he could given that he'd already killed her," Will told them then said," He put her back where he found her. Whatever he has done to the others, he could do to her." 

Showing just how much he didn't deserve his title and job Jack Crawford asked," Is this his golden ticket?"

It wasn't Will who spoke, but Stiles," This is an apology." 

Later that night; Dorms in Quantico.

Stiles sighed as he flicked on his laptop and pulled up skype and called Derek. Who answered on the third ring.

"Hey, Der-bear," Stiles greeted. Derek huffed," That bad of a day uh?"

"No... not really. Just wanted to see how far out you are," Stiles answered. Then thew his notebook on his desk," There is a difference here. This one's doing this for the same reasons as Graham, but without the need to." 

"So he's a cannibal?" 

"That's the theory anyway..." Stiles answered as he sat down before asking," I was serious, Derek... How far out are you all?"

"We'll be there tomorrow night at the latest. With the cubs, things are slightly slower than our usual pace," the Alpha replied. Stiles smiled as he asked," How are Isabella and Rays doing?"

Cata's face popped on screen. The She-wolf looked tired and worn out as she replied," Isabell can't wait to see her favourite uncle. All me and Cora hear really, 'where Sti-sty, where Sti-sty.' I think you got a shadow... Stiles." 

Stiles smiled at her," Tell her we'll see each other soon for me... hows Rays?"

An answering cry came from somewhere in the RV the Hale-McCall pack had been using to drive over to Virginia. A yawn came as Stiles watched Vixien patter across the screen to clam down his cub. Stiles's smiled grew as he asked," Who's driving?"

"That would be Theo... Still can't believe Scott allowed him this," Derek mumbled. Cata flicked his forehead and told Stiles," He and Liam finally found out their mates, and well, with the whole thing that happened with Allison and all."

Stiles nodded before asking," Has our mutual friends heard anything about that?"

Cata sighed and said," Both Tenebris and Harry said that she's not in Heaven or Hell. Hela's confirmed that she's not in Nelfilam which could mean she might be either be with the other Hunters or in Vahlaia." 

Stiles nodded and changed topics.

The next day; Morge.

Watching Jimmy Price, Brain and Bev patter around the victim's body. Jimmy sighed," Ok, tried her skin for print, of course, nothing. We did get a hand spread off her neck."

Bev looked at him and asked," The report say anything about nails?"

"Fingernails were smudged when we took the scrapings, those wher from her own palms when she scratched them. She never scratched him," Brian answered the mystic. She nodded," Piece of metal is all we got."

Wil hummed thoughtfully," We should be looking at plumbers, steamfitters or tool workers."

As Brian and Jimmy went over the wounds with Bev, Will took a deep breath then twitched as Jimmy asked," Why would he cut it out he's just gonna sew it back in?"

Will froze as he answered," There's something wrong with it... douse she has a cancer of any kind?"

"Liver cancer..." Brain answered. Will nodded then said," He's um... eating them."

The rest of the team looked at him but said nothing more about it.

Baltimore, Marland; Dr Lecter's Phycoligy practice. 

Eurus sat in the waiting room of Doctor Hannibal Lecter with X. The move to Baltimore was only as temporary as they wished it to be, even if X moved back and forth from London perodoticaly. 

Eurus got along with Dr Lecter more than she had with Kay, so that was a plus from them as well. Next to them sat "Special" Agent Jack Crawford. Easily read, for an FBI agent, both women thought and shared the opinion of. An opinion that strengthened tenfold when the office door opened. 

"Dr Lecter, I'm special agent Jack Crawford, FBI. May I come in?"

Eurus eyed the man as Dr Lecter answered," I hate to be discourteous, but I am afraid I have an appointment already. Miss Holmes."

Eurus nodded, got up and followed the good doctor into his office as X stared at Crawford and said," For a special agent you sure seem to think the world bows to your will."

"And you are?"

"Karmen Rosewood, Consulting Scientist in Great Britain," X replied shortly before smirking," Honorary member of UNIT, Torchwood and others... and you are Jack Crawford, head of BSU division of the FBI. I know all about you." 

He frowned as he said," And I haven't heard anything of you."

"That's the way I like it, Mr Crawford."

Inside the office, the Lutheran Count asked the half-timelord," Eurus, correct?"

"It is... my mother and father always like the stranger names. I suppose it has something to do with her home life. Never asked," Eurus answered as she looked around the room before she sat down across from the ravenstag. Hannibal nodded as he asked," Did you ever wish to?"

"Not really. I knew enough of it from her stories and adventures. Father died when I was young, a conflict between an old enemy of my mother's and an old friend of hers. At least from what my older brother told me."

"And where were you at the time?" Hannibal asked. Eurus sighed," Sherrinford... it's a pycirattic facility in the North sea. Or was, I am not sure if it's still there or not." 

Hannibal nodded, having heard of the place in his long life and let her led the conversation. 

A little more than an Hour Later

When Eurus was led out X was waiting for her. The two-headed out to the cabbie that X had called and to their flat in downtown Baltimore( one they were borrowing from Lucifer, not that it matter in the long run really), Hannibal turned back to Jack Crawford and greeted him," Place come, in. May I ask what this about?"

"You can ask, but I may have to ask you a few questions first. Are you expecting another patient?"

"Not today," Hannibal answered then added," We're all alone."

"Oh, good," Crawford said before he asked," No secretary?"

Considering his last one was Kay Pennyworth when she was his intern he shook his head," No, She followed her heart and started her own practice in the United Kingdom."

Jack chuckled softly as Hannibal said," Sad to see her go but it was nearly 15 years ago." 

Crawford looked at Hannibal's drawings and asked him, in awe and wonder," Wow... are these yours, Doctor?"

"Among the first," he answered as he pointed out the one they were looking at," My boarding school in Paris when I was a boy." 

"The amount of detail is incredible."

Hannibal nodded as he told the agent," I learned very early, a scalpel cuts better points than a pencil sharpener." 

Crawford walked away as Hannibal sharpened a pencil with said scalpel and said," Well, now I understand why your drawings earned you an internship at John Hopkins." 

'Among other reasons,' Hannibal thought to himself as he remarked," I'm beginning to suspect you're investigating me, Agent Crawford."

Jack chuckled as he correct," No, no. No, you were referred to me by Alana Bloom in the psychology department of Georgetown."

Hannibal pointed out simply," Most psychology departments are filled with personality deficients, Dr Bloom would be the exception." 

"Yes, she would, yes she would," Jack Crawford agreed before he continued," Well, she told me that you mentored her during her residency at Johns Hopkins."

"I learned as much from her as she did from me."

Crawford continued on," Yes, but she also showed me, uh, your paper. 'Evolutionary' um... 'Evolutionary Origins of Social Exclusion'?

Like anyone, whether they be man or other, Hannibal Lecter found pride in being recognized for his works as he simply said," Yes."

"Very interesting, very interesting, even for a layman."

Now that pulled at Hannibal's ceroustiy as he asked," A layman? So many learned fellows going about in the hall of Behavioural Science, at the FBI and you consider yourself a layman?"

"I do when I'm in your company doctor. Uh, I need you to help me with a psychological profile." 

The Next Day; BSU, Quantico, Virginia 

Stiles frowned as he stood with his back to the walls in the presence of a Dominant Ravenstag and Will Graham. He hid his shudder as Dr Hannibal Lecter asked Crawford," Tell me, then, how many confessions?"

"Twelve dozen, the last time I checked. None of them had any details until this morning. And then they all had details. Some genius in Duluth PD took a photograph of Elise Nichols' body with his cell phone, shared it with his friends, and then," Jack started but Stiles cut in," A Freddy Lounds posted it on Tattlecrime.com. Sorry, to interrupt, Crawford, but her teacher, a Rita Skeeter, wrote some not so kind words about a some friends of mine throughout the years."

Will hissed," Tasteless." 

And the druid shuddered again when Lecter turned his gaze to Will as he asked, implying something else entirely as he did," Do you have trouble with taste?"

Will had felt Lecter's presence the moment he walked on campus. He wasn't even trying to hide himself. So he wasn't too surprised with Stiles reactions, or his own for that matter, but that didn't mean he was going to make courting easy on the other Ravenstag. Far from it actually. So he smirked as he replied," My thoughts are often not tasty, yours?"

Hannibal was slightly taken back by the other as he replied," Nor mine... No effective barriers." 

Will smirked more as he answered, slightly honestly as he was still playing with Crawford," I build forts."

Jack Crawford watched the two talk as Hannibal stated," Associations come quickly."

"So do forts," Will said as he tilted his head down slightly. 

"Not fond of eye contact, are you?"

Smirking even more so Will stated calmly, even though he was fidgeting," Eyes are distracting you see too much, you don't see enough. And-And it's hard to focus when you're thinking, um, 'Oh, those whites are really white', or, 'He must have hepatitis', or, 'Oh, is that a burst 'vein?' So, yeah, I try to avoid eyes whenever possible."

"I imagine what you see and learn touches everything else in your mind. Your values and decency are present yet shocked at your associations, appalled at your dreams. No fort in the bone arena of your skull for things you love."

"Spoken from first-hand experience or second-hand experience?" Will asked him with a laugh building. Stiles chuckled a little before his cell rang. He sighed," I have to take this. My boyfriend is sposto be in town today."

The two ravenstags watched him leave as Will asked," Whose profile are you working on anyway, Dr Lecter." 

Hannibal smiled softly as he replied," I'm sorry about the anlizist, Mr Graham."

Will laughed before he said," If you'll excuse me, I have to give a lecture soon." 

Jack watched Will leave and Said," um.. perhaps a less direct approach?" 

Hannibal simply told him," What Will has is pure empathy, he can assume your point of view, or mine, maby even some other points that scare him. It's an uncomfortable gift. Perception's a tool that pointed on both ends after all."

He paused as he looked at the crime board and smiled softly," This cannibal you have him getting to know, I think I can help good Will see his face." 

'or mine,' was left unsaid.