Two Years Later…

Special Agent Peter Burke glanced across the busy street. It had taken him the past two years to trace Starling. He had kept his search a secret. If anyone had found out he would have been fired. A week after the announcement of Lecter's death the tape from Starling had disappeared. It was removed from the evidence log as was the letter. There was no proof that Starling had sent anything. Agent Burke suspected Crawford had taken them, maybe by the director's orders, maybe not. Agent Burke had mentioned the disappearance to Crawford.

"What tape?" he asked.

"The tape and letter from Starling. I was packing up the Lecter files and they're gone."

"Starling couldn't have sent a letter or a tape. She's dead." the section chief had responded.

Agent Burke had been dumbfounded. He had gone to the director and received the same response. For a while he had let it go but then things went downhill.

After the Lecter case was closed he was transferred several times. None of the assignments were as prestigious as the Lecter case. Starling's name was in the paper for nearly a month, first, from the announcement of Lecter's death then for the memorial. Agent Burke had gone because it was expected. He collected every article about Lecter and Starling. He scanned them for mention of his name. He had been lead on the case when it closed after all but there was no mention of his name. Often over the first few months he had heard colleagues discussing the case. He would listen closely but never heard mention of his name. They all talked about what she must have suffered. They speculated how he killed her, where she could be buried, whether she had been made a meal or not. Agent Burke had pushed this all aside for nearly four months then he had been injured. While on sick leave he decided to clear out some old papers. He came across all the articles that didn't mention him and remembered all the conversation about her. In the oppressive quiet of his apartment he began to wonder what his colleagues would think if they knew the truth about the great Clarice Starling. If they knew she had ran off instead of coming back. If they knew she was raising the monster's child.

From that point on Agent Burke seemed no different to any of his colleagues. He still came to work and went home. They met him occasionally for drinks on Saturday nights. If they could see inside his mind they would have been very surprised and, possibly, even frightened at times. The pleasant easy going Peter Burke had become obsessed with the mother and her young child. In his mind she had stolen his victory. She had killed Lecter when he couldn't even get close. Now he was close he knew he was. He had lost her after France. He assumed she had changed names there. He had scoured flight lists and spent hours on the phone. It wasn't until he made an unexpected discovery that changed everything. He had been in a local bar having drinks with a few friends. It was a chance encounter. Ardelia Mapp was sitting at the bar talking to a woman. Agent Burke knew she was a friend of Starling's. He had spent some time watching her whenever she came in. He got up and moved to the bar. He sat on the right side of Ardelia's friend. The two women didn't pay him any attention. Ardelia opened her wallet to pay for their drinks.

"Who's that cutie?" her friend asked pointing to the picture in her wallet.

"That's Anthony. He's my godson."

Agent Burke looked over. The picture was of a smiling baby boy.

"Whose kid is that, Mapp?" Agent Burke asked. He was a bit drunk. Mapp didn't like him and he knew it. He had a feeling Mapp knew where Starling was but legally he couldn't question her about it. He had tried once to talk to her about Starling but she brushed him off saying it was to difficult to talk about.

"A friend of mine."

"Which friend?" he asked. He knew shouldn't have confronted her. He had expected her to brush him off.

"My friend Marie." Ardelia said with a smile.

"Where does she live?"

"Texas."

He nodded and glanced at the picture.

"Cute kid." he said then got up and left.

He called in sick the next day and broke into Ardelia Mapp's apartment.

Agent Mapp's apartment was neat but lived in. Agent Burke let himself in the back. He walked into the living room. There were several pictures of Mapp and Starling on the wall, pictures of their graduation from college and the F.B.I., pictures taken at parties and clubs, and even one of the two at the beach. These were intermingled with pictures of other friends and family. It took Agent Burke a little time to pick out the ones with Starling in them. On the mantel there were a few photos and knickknacks. One photo was of Ardelia with an older couple, Agent Burks assumed to be her parents. Another was of her standing along side several people in front of a Christmas tree. The third was of Ardelia and Clarice with several other women at a club. A fourth frame held several photos of children. The one in the upper right corner is the one that interested Agent Burke. He stood out among the rest by the color of his skin. Agent Burke pulled out in his cell phone and took a couple of pictures. He moved to the desk. A day planner was open on the desk. Agent Burke flipped through it but found nothing of use. He opened the drawers and eventually found and address book. Going page by page he scanned the names looking for a Marie in Texas. After a few minutes he found the object of his search. The address showed Marie Sanders located in Dallas, Texas. He wrote down the address quickly, returned everything to its proper place then left. Back at his apartment he searched the address and was surprised to find it in the business district. After a little longer he discovered the address belonged to a remailer service. This meant he'd have to go back to Agent Mapp's apartment. It was too late in the day to go back now.

Early the next morning he followed the same procedure. He scanned the address book but found no other Marie's. He also found no addresses outside of the United States. He searched for letters but found none in the living room. Moving to the bedroom he searched longer but found nothing. Walking back to the living room he noticed the picture on the mantel seemed to have been moved. He walked closer. The picture of the children was slightly turned. Agent Burke picked it up. He turned it over. The cover on the back was loose. He removed it, careful not to disturb any of the pictures. There on the back of the picture of the baby boy was an address. Agent Burke grinned. He quickly wrote down the address. He replaced the backing and put the frame back on the mantel.

That had been a mere two months ago. He had put in a request for vacation time. He'd checked the location. It was a postal drop box. He knew it would take a couple of days to stake out the box which is why he now sat in a small café across the street. It had been nearly three days. Now he watched carefully as a dark haired woman pushed a stroller toward the building. He had never met Starling personally so he moved closer. There was no way she could recognize him. He had spent the past two years studying her face. He reached the building just as she was opening the box. She placed the mail into a bag hanging from the stroller then turned toward the door. Agent Burke opened the door for her. The woman looked him straight in the eyes and thanked him in Spanish. He nodded and she smiled. She headed down the street and he stepped inside. He waited fifteen seconds, watching her through the window, then stepped back out and followed her. He knew it was her. Clarice Starling alive and well with her demon child. She meandered down the street stopping now and then at different stalls set up along the roadway.

About three blocks down she stopped at a fruit stall. She picked up various fruits and showed them to the child in the stroller. Clarice spoke and the child responded. She smiled and tickled him. He giggled. Agent Burke scowled.

"How could she keep such a creature?" he asked himself. He couldn't understand what she said, both from the distance and the lack of knowledge. He knew very little Spanish. Buenos Aires was a popular tourist stop so many of the locals spoke English. When he had put in his leave he had told colleagues he was going to visit an old friend in Texas. He had flown to Texas then flown to Brazil under an assumed name. If the lead didn't work out he didn't want his supervisors to find out he had been looking. If the lead did pan out he most definitely didn't want anyone to know Peter Burke was anywhere near Brazil. He had disposed of everything that he had used in his research. If Jack Crawford found out he had found Starling and her child and what he planned to do Agent Burke knew he would see him get the needle.

"Justice will be done." he told himself.

He watched as the she moved on down the street. He stayed behind her. She showed no inclination that she knew he was following her. The crowds thinned out and he allowed her to get further ahead to avoid suspicion. The street was mostly clear now. The birds could be heard singing in the trees overhead. In the semi-quiet a tune could be heard. Ahead of him Starling stopped. She took out her cell phone and answered it. The conversation was brief. She bid the caller goodbye then continued on her way.

They reached an open gate along the street. Clarice pushed the stroller through and walked up the drive. She reached the door as Agent Burke walked past. He saw her take the child out of the stroller. She gave him a quick kiss before letting him through the door. She followed laughing. He walked on, at the corner he crossed the street and headed around the block. He cut through an alleyway between the buildings. It brought him back in front of the house Clarice had entered. Now he waited.