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Krendler frowned at the sight of Jack Crawford at Starling’s side.

“Mr. Crawford, I don’t think your attendance is required for this procedure.”

“I’m Special Agent Starling’s immediate supervisor. My place is here.”

“I don’t think so,” Krendler said. He turned to Noonan. “Clint Pearsall is her boss of record, she’s just TDY with Crawford. I think Agent Starling should be questioned privately,” he said. “If we need additional information, we can ask Section Chief Crawford to stand by where we can reach him.”

Noonan nodded. “We certainly would welcome your input, Jack, after we’ve heard independent testimony by the—by Special Agent Starling. Jack, I want you to stand by. If you want to make it the reading room of the library, make yourself comfortable, I’ll call you.”

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. Aaron—Turn 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 a 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?”