The Silence of the Lambs

After her time in Memphis, Starling flies black to Virginia, where she visits Crawford in his home. Shortly after she arrives, she hears Crawford on the phone. He asks Starling if she gave Lecter anything he could use to loosen his handcuffs. Starling says she did not, and Crawford says as much to the person on the phone.

When Crawford gets off the phone, he reveals he was speaking to Chilton. He tells Starling about Lecter’s incredible escape. Evidently, he wore part of Pembry’s face, which he removed with a pocketknife, to fool the Tennessee authorities into placing him in the ambulance without question. For the moment, Starling forces herself to put Lecter in the back of her mind. She knows he has better things to do than come after her, and she still thinks the information he gave her is valuable. 

Crawford tells Starling that he is now on compassionate leave, although he did not have a choice in the matter. He also warns Starling that Krendler wants her expelled, though he promises to do everything he can to ensure that does not happen. However, to avoid more trouble, he orders Starling to return to class tomorrow so she does not miss any more of her education.

Before she returns to everyday life, Crawford gives Starling one last task; he wants her to go to the Smithsonian to see if anyone has made progress on Klaus’s head. As Starling speaks with Crawford, the Tennessee police find the ambulance Lecter stole at the Memphis airport. Inside are the bodies of the ambulance workers, who have become Lecter’s latest victims.