It wasn't often that someone moved into the quiet neighborhood the Chesapeake Ripper chose to occupy. He had chosen it that way on purpose. A constant flow of people makes it hard to find a solid time when he would be able to operate without being seen by someone or other. The street was mostly dominated by older couples or young adults with children who would soon need a bigger house and leave their homes empty for months or years.

When a new person did move in, Hannibal quickly learned their routines. Their license plate numbers. The combinations to their security systems, should he ever need them. The usual things a careful man ought to do when he wanted to ensure he was moving with privacy. He often woke early on and got his morning paper before anyone had even stirred, let alone seen him pick it up.

And then a new person moved in, and to boot, you had moved into the home right next to his that had stood empty for two years prior. It was how he chose his home in the first place. And you were... an interesting character. Young, exactly twenty-four years old. (You'd dropped your license early on. He'd picked it up and memorized the information, giving it back to you the same day.) Single, which made you an outlier in the neighborhood. And outliers were very much so not welcome.

And then you had a nasty habit of partying. Well. Key word, had. You'd had a loud one in the middle of the week... and he'd written a note designed to make you feel scolded without a name.

All your interactions made you feel vaguely unsettled. He was so cool and calm that it was almost uncomfortable or embarrassed to show any kind of extreme emotion around him.

You knew the note came from him. It was impossible not to. So you baked some treats and reluctantly made the short walk over to knock on his front door. Hannibal, of course, had watched you do all of this. He was far from impressed.

When he opened the door, he looked down at the backed goods in your hands and then at you, his eyes almost saying aloud really? This is what you brought me? An insult. His mouth, of course, was as polite as always. "What a surprise. It's not every day you visit me." You'd never visited him. You were too afraid.