The Silence Of The Lambs

Gustav Bimmel, the father of Buffalo Bill’s first victim Frederica, leads Clarice through his house and introduces Clarice to his new wife. Gustav becomes angry at Clarice’s question about Fredrica’s mother and leaves her when they reach Fredrica’s door. Clarice focuses her train of thought before entering the bedroom. The room, stale from disuse, is full of budget decor. The yearbook lists Fredrica’s various clubs, and Clarice notices the girl’s size and plain appearance.

Putting herself in Fredrica’s mind, Clarice looks at the diet books and magazines that litter the room. Buffalo Bill could have used Fredrica’s loneliness and low self-esteem against her but couldn’t have done the same for Catherine. Fredrica made all her clothes except for pants from the same plus-size brand as Catherine’s pants. Clarice hypothesizes that Buffalo Bill stakes out specialty size clothing stores in drag, waiting for the right-sized girl.

Intrusive images of Kimberly at the Potter’s Funeral Home fill Clarice’s mind. Staring blankly into the closet, Clarice comes to the realization that the triangles from Kimberly’s back are sewing pattern pieces. She guesses that Buffalo Bill is using the girls’ skin as fabric, just like Lecter said. She leaves the room to call Crawford, but she receives a phone call herself.