Hannibal - Thomas Harris [127]
Crawford got to his feet. “Director Noonan, may I say-”
“You may leave, is what you may do,” Krendler said..Noonan got to his feet. “Hold it please, it's my meeting, Mr. Krendler, until I turn it over to you. Jack, you and I go way back. The gentleman from Justice is too recently appointed to understand that. You'll get to say your piece. Now leave us and let Starling talk for herself,” Noonan said. He leaned to Krendler and said something in his ear that made his face turn red.
Crawford looked at Starling. All he could do was bitch himself up.
“Thank you for coming, sir,” she said.
The marshal let Crawford out.
Hearing the door click shut behind her, Starling straightened her spine and faced the men alone.
From there the proceeding went forward with the dispatch of an eighteenth- century amputation.
Noonan was the highest FBI authority in the room, but the Inspector General could overrule him, and the inspector apparently had sent Krendler as his plenipotentiary.
Noonan picked up the file before him. “Would you identify yourself, please, for the record?”
“Special Agent Clarice Starling. Is there a record, Director Noonan? I'd be glad if there was.”
When he did not answer, she said, “Do you mind if I tape the proceedings?”
She took a tough little Nagra tape recorder from her purse.
Krendler spoke up. “Ordinarily this sort of preliminary meeting would be in the Inspector General's office at Justice. We're doing it here because it's to everybody's convenience with the ceremony today, but the IG rules apply. This is a matter of some diplomatic sensitivity. No tape.”
“Tell her the charges, Mr. Krendler,” Noonan said. “Agent Starling, you stand accused of unlawful disclosure of sensitive material to a fugitive felon,” Krendler said, his face under careful control. “Specifically you are accused of placing this advertisement in two Italian newspapers warning the fugitive Hannibal Lecter that he was in danger of being captured.”
The marshal brought Starling a page of smudged newsprint from La Nazione. She turned it to the window to read the circled material: A. A. AaronTurn yourself in to the nearest authorities, enemies are close. Hannah.
“How do you respond?”
“I didn't do it. I never saw this before.”
“How do you account for the fact that the letter uses code name `Hannah' known only to Dr Hannibal Lecter and this Bureau? The code name Lecter asked you to use?”
“I don't know. Who found this?”
“The Document Service at Langley happened to see it in the course of translating La Nazione's coverage on Lecter. ” “If the code is a secret within.the Bureau, how did Document Service at Langley recognize it in the paper? CIA runs Document Service. Let's ask them who brought `Hannah' to their attention.”
“I'm sure the translator was familiar with the case file.”
“That familiar? I doubt it. Let's ask him who suggested he watch out for it. How would I have known Dr Lecter was in Florence?”
“You're the one who found the computer query from the Questura in Florence to the Lecter VICAP file,” Krendler said. “The query came several days prior to the Pazzi murder. We don't know when you discovered it. Why else would the Questura in Florence be asking about Lecter?”
“What possible reason would I have to warn him? Director Noonan, why is this a matter for the IG? I'm prepared to take a polygraph examination anytime. Wheel it in here.”
“The Italians registered a diplomatic protest over the attempted warning of a known felon in their country,” Noonan said. He indicated the redhaired man beside him. “This is Mr. Montenegro from the Italian Embassy.”
“Good morning, sir. And the Italians found out how?”
Starling said. “Not from Langley.”
“The diplomatic beef puts the ball in our court,” Krendler said before Montenegro could open his mouth. “We want this cleaned up to the satisfaction of the Italian authorities, and to my satisfaction and that of the IG, and we want it PDQ. It's better for everybody if we look at all the facts together. What is it with you and Dr Lecter,