Red Dragon [Part Ll]

The second section of my independent novel Red Dragon by author Thomas Harris, is again 113 pages in length and covers parts of the story up to page 226. The summary for chapters 11 through 22 are as follows.

This part of the story starts off, as we take a look at the life of Francis Dolarhyde. I first found out about this new character in the last few pages of section 1. He's a middle-aged man, quiet and sort of shy, but strong and very physically built. He works at a Film Laboratory in St. Louis and is having a dating relationship with a fellow employee there. This mysterious character quickly became the center of focus in the upcoming events through out this section's chapters.

Chapter twelve begins as FBI Special Agent Will Graham is talking to Attorney Bryon Metcalf, the Jacobi's family lawyer. They discussed possible enemies Mr. Jacobi could have had, perhaps someone he was in serious dept with. They came up with nothing. Graham then pursued a young adult named Niles Jacobi, Mr. Jacobi's son. The two had been on the outs for a while after Niles spent a little time in prison. Will tracked the kid down at a bar called "The Hateful Snake". They chatted for a while but the son didn't really keep in touch with his father going on a couple years now. The estranged son finished this chapter by taking Agent Will Graham back to his dorm at University and giving him his only framed family picture he had.

FBI headquarters was under pressure to find more evidence on the subject before the next multiple homicide takes place. This evidential break through came only three nights later with a simple telephone call. Dr. Frederick Chilton of the Baltimore State Forensic Hospital called up Jack Crawford, head of the Forensic Science Unit at Quantico, with urgent information. While cleaning out Dr. Hannibal Lecter's cell during a routine check, a letter was found written on toilet paper. It was fan mail from the serial killer they're tracking down. A love letter in other words to Lecter from the Red Dragon himself. Crawford called Will and in under a half-hour they were there on the roof at the state asylum.

The note read simply that the killer had been an avid fan of Hannibal Lecter for quite some time, keeping article clippings of his work and such. He had decided to finally write after finding out Lecter was helping Will out with his case. A main part of the letter had been ripped out by Hannibal but, Brian at headquarters managed to put it under light and highlight the ink flares from the top of letters. Soon it was apparent that what was torn from the letter was instructions of how Hannibal can reply to him. Hair, fiber and latent prints were then taken off the letter and shortly after was carried back to the laboratory, the letter being put back in the cell before Hannibal became suspicious from being in the holding cell so long. The entire process only took just a little over one hour.

The test results were in at Washington that night, with just enough new evidence to keep them going for a little while. Teeth indents were found on the roll from the serial killer, one partial hair and the letter tops were placed into a full sentence stating The National Tattler, Chicago edition. The trash tabloid magazine Freddie Louds wrote for. Freddie Lounds was the reporter who did the Hannibal Lecter and Will Graham story seven years back. Will was never too fond of him after he sneaked in the hospital and photographed Will during his intensive care. Lecter had replied to the Dragon through a personal add in the magazine hitting newspaper stands the very next night. Crawford and Graham had The National Tattler hold their press release until the next afternoon.

Lloyd Bowman from the Asian Studies department at Langley University, was in charge of cracking Lecter's code. It was written in numbers such as John 3:16 and other forms. Though not from the bible, he knew Hannibal had to have had a book to come up with a code in the first place in order to reply, so he had pictures of Lecter's library case inside the cell sent to him. The following afternoon, the magazine was on sale at stands and the FBI didn't have much time. As midnight approached Crawford received Bowman's telephone call, he said he cracked the code and Will would have to know what it says urgently. The letter Lecter sent to the killer read, "Graham home, Marathon Florida. Save yourself. Kill them all".

Within an hour Will Graham's family, wife Molly and eight year old son Willy were at the National Airport all the way up to Washington DC in the middle of the night. The next morning, Crawford set Will's family up at his brother's house along the Chesapeake Bay for safety. There is exactly where they will remain until Graham puts an end to this serial killer.

A telephone call for Will Graham came in at his office. He called himself "The Tooth Fairy". That was the name given to the serial killer of these murders they have been hunting. Will, not sure if this was just a practical joke or not took the call. The team was behind him on speakerphone, the voice sounded muffled. The talker clearly knew information about the case because he continued to interest Graham. Will kept him on the phone long enough to collect a location trace. Chicago, 57th street's phone booth. The telephone was dropped and in the background they heard, "Chicago Police Department, turn around sir". After the man's identification card was found it turned out to be non- other than Freddie Lounds just messing around with Will. Graham hung up and headed out back to his hotel, without saying a word to anyone.

In return for what Lounds did, Crawford and Will came up with the idea to create a totally false article about their serial killer in the next weeks edition of The Tattler. The story stated how horrible this killer really is compared to others in history. How he's a wannabe for fifteen minutes of fame. The insults ended with a picture of Freddie Lounds and Will Graham shaking hands. They made sure the background of Will's hotel was clearly noticeable to the viewer's eye. Graham believed this was a good idea. Have the killer come after him instead of his family.

Young Willy was curious and deserved an explanation for all that has happened. He told his father what other boys at school knew from reading the newspapers and their parents just generally talking. Will talked to him about what had taken place before he retired. Graham had been looking for a serial killer that chose university girls as his victims. Eight months into the case, him and his partner were walking up the apartment of what would soon change their lives. With no swat team or local