North American detective: From scoundrel to god among men

Chapter 36 Encounter at the Platform

Titus replied:

"There is definitely a problem; the church's cold storage facility will probably have to be sealed off."

The priest paused for a moment, then murmured:

"But... how could that be?"

He recalled the ten most wanted criminals who had been causing a stir in the city lately—Hannibal Lecter, the cannibal.

Could this have something to do with that criminal? Could it be...?

Just as the priest was about to ask further questions, a believer suddenly ran up and whispered something in his ear.

After a moment, the priest slowly said:

"Mark is missing. He's the chef who makes the delicious Holy Communion. I can't get through to him on the phone, and he's not home."

Titus asked:

"If he doesn't go to work today, is it possible he'll go to a bar or a friend's house?"

The priest shook his head.

"I know Mark. He has no hobbies other than cooking. He's a complete homebody and is usually at home."

"We contacted his only friend, Goyle, who told us that Mark hadn't been in contact with him for the past month."

Starling asked:

"Could he have gone to visit a relative? Have you contacted them about that?"

"No, I'll go right now—"

Titus called to the priest who was about to get up.

He had a terrible thought in his mind: perhaps Mark was already dead!

"Wait, Father!"

When was the last time you saw Mark?

The priest pondered for a moment and replied:

"It was probably... the night before the delicious communion."

"Yes! I remember now, that night he knocked on my door and offered to perform Holy Communion himself."

"He'll personally prepare Holy Communion; isn't he the chef?"

"That's right, the head chef rarely cooks, but for that communion he called all the chefs away. From cutting to preparing the food, he did it all by himself, which was unprecedented."

Titus asked:

"Has he been acting strangely lately? Has he said anything unusual to you?"

The priest nodded in reply:

"On one occasion, he invited me to have dinner alone at the church."

"This surprised me greatly, because Mark had never invited anyone to dinner alone before; he was the kind of person who kept strangers at a distance."

Titus gasped and asked:

"What did he give you to eat?"

The priest replied:

"It was rabbit meat. I remember it very clearly; it was Bordeaux roasted rabbit."

"The plating was exquisite, very ceremonial, with plenty of spices, and champagne was specially prepared to accompany the meal."

"This is completely different from his previous style. In the past, he only cared about whether the food was delicious and whether there was enough food."

"How does it taste? Does it have any strange taste?"

"Strange...not really, but the texture is very delicate. I think it's the best rabbit meat I've ever eaten."

"That rabbit should have run faster..."

Titus asked again:

Do you have a picture of Mark?

"Yes, it was taken when I joined the company. I've gained a little weight now, but I look about the same."

The priest brought him a photograph; it showed an ordinary-looking middle-aged man, about the same height and build as Lecter.

At present, Titus is basically certain that Mark is Hannibal Lecter, but how did he transform from a notorious cannibal into a Catholic church cook when he was wanted by many?

These are clearly two completely different faces.

unless……

Titus was startled, recalling Lecter's previous escape.

He immediately said:

"Mike, immediately check if there are any passengers registered under the name Mark at the local train station and airport!"

Mike nodded in agreement.

"Father, thank you for your cooperation, Amen."

Titus glanced pityingly at the belatedly realizing priest, then led the three away from the Catholic church.

After the four left, the priest fell into deep thought. The large clock in the bell tower slowly struck, each chime stirring up a tidal wave in his heart. For a moment, he felt like Quasimodo trapped in Notre Dame Cathedral.

With the help of the police department's intranet, the three quickly found that a middle-aged man named Mark had booked a train ticket to leave Florence at 7 a.m.

The lockdown imposed by the FBI and police lasted only half a day and has now been eased.

Police have set up verification procedures at major entrances and exits, and every tourist entering or leaving Florence will be subject to strict checks, especially comparing their profiles with those of the criminals on the wanted posters.

They can't possibly keep tourists from leaving until they catch Lecter; that would get them a lot of flak.

Frankly speaking, many people are already criticizing their unreasonable behavior.

The current time is 6:37. The train station opens for boarding 15 minutes in advance, so Lecter's boarding time is 6:45.

They had eight minutes to make the arrest, or they would have to wait until the next stop.

Mike didn't announce the lockdown of the train station; he simply used the police channel to alert the men.

Because if we block access, there will be a lot of complicated procedures to go through, but if we ignore the procedures and block access directly, we will inevitably be held accountable afterwards.

Most importantly, once the blockade is lifted, Lecter will definitely notice; his sense of the FBI and the police is sharper than a dog's!

Now that Titus and his team have finally figured out Lecter's fake identity without him noticing, this is a golden opportunity!

So the three of them rushed to the train station.

Titus hurried down the escalator to the platform, and the crowd of people surprised him greatly. He wondered subconsciously if there were so many oxen and horses driving carts at only six in the morning.

The three decided to split up and search, and would report the location as soon as they found it.

Titus changed into a plain denim shirt, gray casual pants, and a black hat without embroidery on his head, the brim pulled low, casting a mysterious shadow over the upper half of his face.

A gentle morning breeze wafted from the sunlit railway tracks in the distance, carrying the scents of perfume, breakfast, and earth that lingered among the crowd. With each swirling motion, the aromas became more complex, and upon reaching Titus, one couldn't help but furrow one's brow.

"Ladies and gentlemen, please wait in the designated areas. The train is arriving soon..."

The sweet voice of the fan site administrator echoed throughout the platform.

He strode into the crowd, first walking past like a passenger in a hurry, then subtly glancing around and finding the seat Lecter had reserved.

However, the seats were empty!

Is Lecter waiting to get on the bus at the last minute?

Or was the deduction wrong? Martin's identity was just a smokescreen; he was using a diversionary tactic.

Or perhaps Lecter is also observing from the platform, wondering who will approach his seat?

Titus clicked his tongue in annoyance, and at the same time Mike and Starling reported in their earpieces that they had not found Lecter.

"Train AC485 bound for XXXX is about to depart. Passengers, please board as soon as possible..."

Titus thought, the most chaotic moment is coming.

Similarly, if Lecter does indeed take this train, this might be his last chance to capture him.

Once Lecter successfully boards the train, there will be too much uncertainty.

The crowd erupted into chaos, the sunlight seemed to slant, and the noise was deafening.

Suddenly, he saw a familiar figure.

At the same time, that person also saw him.

In the surging crowd, Titus and Lecter stared at each other from seven or eight meters apart...