Elizabeth Crawford, 19, is the adopted daughter of Jack and Phyllis Crawford. She has everything she ever wanted: loving family, a promising education, and her future career. Her world is turned upside down when she meets Hannibal Lecter, a forensic...
I’m jolted awake by the doctor who is tending to my mother. Recently, my mother shared with me that she has Stage 4 Lung Cancer. Her prognosis is severe, and she is less likely to survive. Mom has told me she wants to die alone and not have Jack or me find her dead. She recently tried to take her life in Hannibal’s office, but Hannibal saved her.
“Your mother is doing fine for the moment. I suggest we keep her in the hospital to monitor her vitals. You have a pleasant day.”
The doctor leaves, and I’m left with my mother alone. She’s resting at the moment. I then hold my mother’s hand and speak to her.
“Mom, I know you tried to end your life, and I understand what you are going through. You were scared, and I would’ve been, too, if I was in your shoes. I still need you, but I don’t want to be selfish. I don’t want you to suffer.”
I could hear Mom breathing softly, almost like she wasn’t living. My quiet time was disturbed by a phone call. It was Jack. I ignored it. Then, I get a phone call from Andy.
“Hi, Andy, what’s up?”
“You need to come to the Observatory now. There's something you need to see."
30 Minutes Later
I arrive at the Observatory. There's a lot of police officers and crime scene tape. I exit my car and i walked towards the entryway of the Observatory. Seeing this place reminds me of when I had to come and save Freddie Lounds and Dr. Chilton from Abel Gideon. Which reminds me, I need to visit him again. I then see Andy talking to Jack, Brian, and Jimmy. All of them looked devastated and angered. I then see Andy walking towards me.
"Andy, what's going on? Is Beverly on her way?"
Andy looked at me and says in a shaky voice,
"It's Beverly who's inside. She's been murdered, Elizabeth."
My heart sank. No, there was no way that Beverly was dead. I run past Andy and the rest of the gang. Jimmy runs after yelling for me to stop. I push past the guards and the crime scene tape. There she was. It was Beverly, cut into individual layers, then contained within several vertical glass frames as if she was a museum piece. I let out a piercing scream, which echoed through the Observatory.
"NO!! NO, BEVERLY!!" I screamed desperately.
Jimmy held me back and wrapped his arms around me to shield me from the scene. I began to cry hysterically in Jimmy's chest. Jimmy held me tight as I cried. I couldn’t believe that Beverly was dead. My heart was aching. Why was she killed? My thoughts were interrupted when Andy walked towards me and said,
“We’ve contacted her family. We will process the scene and try our best to determine what occurred. Liz, we need to go.”
I nod in agreement, and I let go of Jimmy. I walk away with Andy, holding my hand while I feel shaky and likely to pass out.
The Following Day
I woke up and felt horrible. I had been crying all through the night, and I was also vomiting. The sight of Beverly’s body was horrific and reminded me that whoever did this to Beverly wouldn’t stop. Aside from being sick, I also called Beverly’s family. Her mother was beside herself and wasn’t ready to bury her oldest daughter. I was asked to speak at the funeral since she and I were close. I called Jimmy to tell him that I didn’t want to go to work and had to prepare for Beverly’s funeral. Jimmy was understanding. I then walked downstairs to see if Chilton was still getting ready for work.
“Good morning, Liz. I heard you last night. Are you okay?”
I rub my eyes softly and reply,
“I’m partially okay, but I need a huge favor from you.”
Chilton sits down.
“I’m listening.”
I gather my thoughts and say,
“I need to speak with both Will and Abel. I need to get their perspective concerning this murder, and I believe they can help me. Can you arrange it?”
“Of course, I can. I will have to warn you. Abel Gideon is still as crazy, and Will is just beside himself with Ms. Katz’s death. I can arrange for something today. Get ready. I’ll wait for you.”
I then head back upstairs and get ready to see Will and Abel. I am not prepared to see either of them, but I know I have no choice. I need to find Beverly’s killer. I need to bring her family peace.
Later That Day
As I walk towards the main therapy room, my heart is racing. The last time I saw Will, he was scared out of his mind, and the last time I saw Abel was when I was in the hospital with him after Will shot him. If I remember correctly, I gave him stitches, and he gave me markings on my body too. I walk inside the main room, where I am met by an orderly.
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“Hello there. My name is Matthew. Matthew Brown. I’ll be escorting you today to see both patients. Did Dr. Chilton go over the rules with you?”
I sigh and say,
“He wouldn’t shut up in the car ride over here.”
Both Matthew and I smile. Matthew then walks me to Will and Abel. As I was approaching what looked like two massive cages, Matthew proceeded to tell me,
“When Abel Gideon told me a girl was visiting him, I never thought he meant a lovely girl.”
My cheeks become warm.
“Mr. Brown, are you trying to flirt with me?”
Matthew immediately replies with,
“Yes, of course.”
Matthew then points to the cages and says,
“Just be careful. I’ll be watching. You’ll do fine.”
With that said, Matthew leaves me and stands to the side. I walk closer to the cages. Will looks at me with relief while Abel Gideon stares at me from head to toe and licks his lips. I can already tell that this day will be a long day. I hope my plan works. God, I hope so.
