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 wake up to the sound of my 'Harry Potter' alarm from my phone and head to the bathroom. I shower, brush my teeth, dry my hair, put on my makeup, and finally get dressed. I then went to my closet and picked out what purse I would use, and I decided on a red handbag. It goes with my lipstick anyway. I head downstairs and see that Mom and Dad have left already, and I decided to make an iced coffee and head out. As I leave, my phone goes off; it's Will Graham. I answer it:
Hello?
It's Will. Your dad had mentioned that you were supposed to go to college today to meet with your professor, but he needs you at the hospital.
Which one?
The Baltimore State Hospital for the Criminally Insane. Do you know where that is?
Yeah, I do. Who's the physician in charge?
Frederick Chilton.
Ugh, gag me with a spoon. It'll take me 20 or 30 minutes to get there.
Alright, see you soon.
See you.
I hang up with Will. I can't believe that I have to meet Chilton. I've heard stories from my professors and fellow students who studied under his mentorship. Not only is he a pervert, but an egotistical one as well. What is it with the men I meet who selfish jackasses are? I digress; I must put aside my pride and work up the nerve to meet him.
20 Minutes Later
I park my car at the State Hospital. As I walked to the entrance, I saw my Dad and Will waiting for me. Dad hands me a pass, and we walk through the hospital. Throughout the halls, I can hear screaming and taunts. One part of the hospital had to walk through where some prisoners were allowed to roam. I wasn't scared, but it was a frightening image. We finally arrive at the crime scene. A nurse was brutally killed in the same manner that the Chesapeake Ripper had done before. She had been placed on top of privacy poles sticking through her body. Ordinary people would have gagged or thrown up but not me. I was never shaken by anything grotesque. I was staring at the dead body until I heard a man's voice.
"You're not supposed to be here, miss." I turn around and see a man with a brown pinstripe suit, slick brown hair, and a well-trimmed beard.
I walk toward the man and reply,
"I'm working alongside Jack Crawford and Will Graham from the FBI."
The man walks closer to me and asks for an ID. I handed him the intern ID given to me by the agency. He quickly glances at it and looks up towards me.
"Crawford. Any relation to Jack?" The man asks me.
"Yes, he's my father," I reply with a polite smile.
The man laughs and asks,
"You're joking?"
"What makes you think I'm joking?" I ask him in a severe tone.
His smile disappeared when he saw my father walking from behind me. "Dr. Chilton, meet my daughter Elizabeth Belle Crawford." So this is Frederick Chilton.
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This is the arrogant bastard that looks at a person's race instead of emotion and gratefulness. No wonder no one likes him. Chilton starts stammering and has no choice but to shake my hand and acknowledge my existence.
"I-I-I didn't know that you were...related."
I was ready to say something when my father placed his hand on my shoulder. Dr. Chilton adjusted his tie and looked at me. His eyes are piercing and loud, his stature tall and built. He's somewhat handsome but not tempting enough for me. Chilton leads us to his office, where Will is waiting for us.
"His name is Abel Gideon. He was arrested for the death of his wife and her family. Killed them in cold blood." Will says and hands us a picture of Abel.
I know nothing of him except what was said, but he doesn't look like a killer. I then walk around Chilton's office and look at the books on his shelf. They range from the female anatomy and serial killers of the world. I feel sick already thinking about what he thinks about when reading the anatomy book.
"Find anything interesting?" Chilton asks me. I jump upwards and start breathing a little heavily. He scared me so badly.
"No, your book collection is boring," I state blatantly.
Chilton laughs and walks closer to me. "About earlier, I am sorry that I offended you. I didn't know that Jack had adopted you, and since you look nothing like him-"
I raise my voice to overpower him, and I say, "Chilton! I will not listen to you discriminate against my family and me. Now, if you don't need me here, I'll be outside in the hall. See you later, Dad. See you, Will."
I grab my messenger bag and head to the hallway. Dad tries to talk to me, but I leave. I hate making a scene, but Chilton was discriminatory towards me, and Dad likes to see the best in people by excusing Chilton. I walk further away from Chilton's office and into a patient hallway. I continue strolling the hallway, and suddenly, I hear someone whistle a tune. It sounded like Symphony No. 41 in C major by Mozart. Not caring for my safety, I follow the melody. It leads me to a room where a man sits in a chair with shackles on his legs and handcuffs on his hands. I gasp when I see his silhouette.
"There's no need to be frightened. As you can see, I'm harmless." He says while shaking his shackles. The man gets up from the chair and walks over to the cell bars. His face comes into view. It's Abel Gideon.
"You're lovely. What's your name, my pretty?" Abel asks me.
I gulp softly. My breath begins to shudder. I've never been in the presence of a psychopath, so this is new and a good learning experience.
"Don't try to come up with a fake name. I'll know. Tell me your name, please."
I sigh and give him my full name. "Elizabeth Belle Crawford." Abel groans sensually. "Elizabeth. What a lovely name. How I wish I were out of this torture cell, Elizabeth. To be near you."
I step back from the cell and say,
"The last woman that trusted you ended up dead, along with her family, so, no thank you."
Abel chuckles and smirks. "Oh, my joy. How witty you are. Since it's so quiet in this hall, I could hear everything. I could hear your yelling in Chilton's office. It's such a shame that Chilton doesn't take you seriously. He's misogynistic, you know. And he's perverted. Check his bookcase. You'll know what I mean." Abel winks at me in the process.
"I've seen his collection, and I know of him from other acquaintances. He's not one to associate with, so I genuinely don't care for him at all." I reply.
Abel smiles at me and says, "Clever girl. I have an interview with my new therapist. If you're not busy, will you wait for me? I have a lot to talk about with you, and maybe, I can get to know you more intimately. Maybe, I can sneak you into my cell and see what happens." Abel stated while he winked at me.
I chuckle and say, "I wouldn't sleep with you if you were the last man on Earth. Goodbye, Mr. Gideon."
As I turn to walk away, Abel says one last comment. "One day, I'll escape from this hellhole and track you down. Let's see you than trying to escape from my grasp as I pin you to the floor. Goodbye, my darling Elizabeth. I'll dream of you tonight and always!"
By the time he said goodbye, I had left that cell block. I place my back against the wall and slide down to the floor. My fingers were running through my hair, trying to understand why I wanted this kind of job and how I was letting this man get in my head. No one had ever threatened me in that way. He's locked up like a caged animal: what the hell is he going to do? Little did I know that my method of thinking would get me into trouble.
