The Making of 'The Silence of the Lambs' Page #3

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he took the trouble to weight down,

so actually she was the third girl found.

After her, he got lazy.

OK, let's see.

Circles where the girls were abducted.

Arrows where their bodies were found.

This new one today washed up here.

Elk River, West Virginia.

Look at him, Starling.

Tell me what you see.

He's a white male. Serial killers tend

to hunt within their own ethnic groups.

He's not a drifter. He's got his own

house somewhere, not an apartment.

- Why?

- What he does with them takes privacy.

He's in his thirties or forties.

He's got real physical strength,

combined with

an older man's self-control.

He's cautious, precise...

And he's never impulsive.

He'll never stop.

Why not?

Got a real taste for it now

and he's getting better at his work.

Not bad, Starling. Questions?

Yes, sir. You haven't mentioned anything

about the information in my report

or Dr Lecter's offer, sir.

- I'm considering it.

- That's why you sent me in there, isn't it?

To get his help on Buffalo Bill, sir?

Well, if that was the case, then

I just wish I was in on it, that's all.

If I'd sent you in with an actual agenda,

Lecter would have known it instantly.

He would have toyed with you

then turned to stone.

Excuse me, Sheriff Perkins.

These are the FBI people.

Sheriff Perkins - Jack Crawford, FBI.

Special Agent Terry.

Agent Starling. We appreciate

being invited into your jurisdiction.

I didn't call you. That was

the state attorney's office.

- We'll extend you every courtesy, but...

- Sheriff.

This type of sex crime has certain aspects

I'd just as soon discuss in private.

Know what I mean?

- Oscar, fetch Dr Akins from the chapel.

- Starling, we're back here.

Tell Lamar to come on

when he's finished playing his music.

Yeah, we'll be sending in a minute.

I need a six-way linkup.

Chicago, Detroit...

What?

Excuse me. Excuse me, gentlemen.

You officers and gentlemen,

Listen here now.

There's things we need to do for her.

I know that y'all brought her this far and

her folks would thank you if they could

for your kindness and your sensitivity.

But now please go on now

and let us take care of her.

Go on now.

Thank you.

Thank you.

OK, good.

Yeah, that's right. Elk River.

Stand by for transmission.

Ray.

Doctor, Lamar, let's take a look at her.

OK, Starling.

Bill.

Star-shaped contact entrance wound

over the sternum.

A muzzle stamp at the top.

Wrongful death.

She'll have to go to

the state pathologist at Claxton.

Well, I'd better get back to that service.

Lamar'll help you.

Lord Almighty.

What else do you see, Starling?

Well, she's not local.

Her ears are pierced three times

and there's glitter nail polish.

That looks like town to me.

Two of her fingernails are broken off

and there's dirt or grit under them.

It looks like she's tried

to claw her way through something.

Ray, get pictures of her teeth.

We'll fax 'em for Missing Persons.

Let's do another.

She's got something in her throat.

When a body comes out of the water,

lots of times there's leaves in the mouth.

What is that? Some kind of seed pod?

No, sir. That's a bug cocoon.

There's no way that could

get way down in there.

Not unless somebody shoved it in there.

She'll be easier to print when we turn

her over. Lamar, give me a hand.

Yes, sir. I will.

- Oh, Jack. What do you make of these?

- Different configuration than the others.

- Get close-ups.

- The victim's skin removed,

this time in two large diamond-shaped

sections above the buttocks.

Exit wound level with the second

or the third thoracic vertebrae,

six inches from the right shoulder blade.

Starling, when I told that sheriff

we shouldn't talk in front of a woman,

that really burned you, didn't it?

It was just smoke, Starling.

I had to get rid of him.

It matters, Mr Crawford.

Cops look at you to see how to act.

- It matters.

- Point taken.

Ligature marks found around the wrists,

not around the ankles.

This would indicate that

the skinning was postmortem.

- Time, Pilch. My move.

- You lured him with produce.

Tough noogies. It's still my turn.

Nice and slow, baby.

If the beetle moves one of your men,

does that still count?

Course it counts. How do you play?

Agent Starling?

Where the heck did this come from?

It's practically mush.

It was found behind the soft palate

of a murder victim in the Elk River.

- It's Buffalo Bill, isn't it?

- I can't tell you any more.

- We heard about it on the radio.

- This is a clue from a real murder case?

- Cool.

- Just ignore him. He's not a PhD.

Sphingid ceratomia, maybe.

Boy, he's a big sucker.

OK. Let's check morphology.

What do you do when you're

not detecting, Agent Starling?

I try to be a student, Dr Pilcher.

Ever go out for cheeseburgers and beer?

The amusing house wine?

Are you hitting on me, Doctor?

Yes.

- Gotcha.

- What have you got?

Agent Starling, meet Mr Acherontia styx.

Weird.

Better known to his friends

as the death's-head moth.

- Where does it come from?

- It's strange. They only live in Asia.

Here they'd have to be

raised from imported eggs.

Somebody grew this guy. Fed him honey

and nightshade, kept him warm.

Somebody loved him.

Where are you?

Let me outta here!

Help me!

Please!

Please help me.

Please!

Why won't you answer me? Please!

- Good morning. I'm Donna Feruchi.

- I'm Gene Cassel with sports.

And I'm Tim Langhorn.

Our top story for this morning:

Catherine Martin, the 25-year-old

daughter of Senator Ruth Martin,

listed as missing, is now

believed to have been kidnapped

by the serial killer

known only as Buffalo Bill.

Police indicate that the girl's

blouse has been identified,

sliced up the back, in what has become

a grim, all-too-familiar calling card.

Young Catherine Martin is the only

daughter of Senator Ruth Martin,

the Republican senator from Tennessee.

Her kidnapping is not considered

to be politically motivated,

but it has stirred

the government to its highest levels.

Reached for comment on the ski slopes

of Vermont, the president is said to be,

and I quote, "intensely concerned".

Just moments ago Senator Martin

taped this dramatic personal plea.

I'm speaking now to the person

who is holding my daughter.

Catherine is very gentle and kind.

Talk to her and you'll see.

You have the power. You are in charge.

I know you can feel love and compassion.

You have a wonderful chance

to show the whole world

that you can be merciful

as well as strong,

that you're big enough to treat Catherine

better than the world has treated you.

You have that power.

Please.

My daughter is Catherine.

Boy, that's smart.

Jesus, that's really smart.

She keeps repeating the name.

If he sees Catherine as a person and not

just an object, it's harder to tear her up.

Release my little girl.

You're coming into my hospital

to conduct an interview

and refusing to share information

with me for the third time.

Sir, I told you, this is just a routine

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