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Tales from the Crypt Episode 44: What’s Cookin’?

Will Graham was going out of business. 

 He sighed, staring at the night’s receipts and small stack of money in front of him. 

 Apparently, no one wanted to eat an all squid menu. 

 He sighed again, putting hands over his face. 

 "Is it very bad?“

 Will moved his fingers, smiling sadly at Hannibal who was taking off his apron. 

 "Sixty one dollars and fourteen cents. Most of that was from coffee at breakfast.”

Hannibal frowned, folding his apron as he said, “Your breakfast squid sandwich is not as enticing as you had imagined.”

Will tried not to let emotion take over him but failed, leaning against the counter as he said, “Mr. Verger is gonna kill me.”

Hannibal’s eyes narrowed, “He has…”

“I owe two months rent and in a week it’ll be three,” Will sighed again, “And I haven’t even been able to pay you.”

Hannibal smiled, reaching out to take his hand, “I can wait, Will, all that matters is your vision. Your design.”

Will smiled, tears in his eyes, “Thank you but…”

Hannibal patted his hand before he let go. “No arguments.”

Will remembered three months prior when he had first opened the restaurant that no one wanted to work at despite countless replies to his ad. Squid seemed to bother people but all it did was remind Will of a happier time on the fishing boat with his father. He just wanted to make something of his father’s favorite meal. 

Something beautiful. 

Then Hannibal had come in, scuffed slacks and a threadbare shirt but walking with the air of a man who was used to more. He’d taken one look at Will’s recipe book, smiling up from it to ask, “When can I begin helping you see your vision?”

It had taken him weeks to realize Hannibal was a drifter, sleeping in halfway houses and shelters, and immediately offered the other bedroom of his home for the other man’s use. 

They had lived together since. 

Hannibal began wiping down the counters as Will went to clean the tables, both looking up when there was a knock. 

Will groaned, “It’s Mr. Verger, shit, I guess I better get this over with.”

He walked to the door and unlocked it as Mason Verger his landlord walked inside. Mason was a shark, Will couldn’t help but be intimidated by him but tried not to show it. 

“Hello Mister…”

“Mr. Graham, did we or did we not agree that yesterday you would get me my money?”

Will stepped back, nearly stumbling.

“I, yes we did but see I…”

Mason poked him in the chest, “But you don’t have it. Do you?”

Will swallowed, “No sir.”

Will could see Hannibal heading for them and turned to shake his head, surprised when the other man stopped just staring. 

“Well, I’m gonna have to evict the fuck out of you and your shitty restaurant, you’ll see me…” Mason hissed, “…tomorrow with a court order and the fucking police.”

Mason tried to leave and Will ran at him, grabbing his arm and pushing him against the wall. “You can’t do that! This is…”

Mason’s eyes widened and he growled, “Let me go.”

Will dug his nails in and he yelled, “This is my LIFE! You don’t know….”

Will felt a hand on his arm, turning to attack but stopping when he saw it was Hannibal.

“Will, let go.”

He did, Mason spitting, “YOU’RE CRAZY! I’M CALLING THE COPS!”

Will watched him go, panting as he felt tears on his face.

“I just…I just wanted to…”

Hannibal rubbed his arm, his touch moving down to his hand, “I know, Will, but getting yourself arrested will not help you in any way. You need to calm yourself.”

Will wiped his face, gently pushing Hannibal back as he closed the door and locked it again. “I think I’m done for the night, can you…?”

He handed Hannibal the keys just as Hannibal said, “Of course,” and left feeling worse than before. When he got to their apartment he fed Winston, who begged for attention that Will was in no mood to provide, before falling asleep on the couch almost immediately.

Will woke with a kink in his neck, groaning as the alarm went off.

He almost considered not waking up at all, leaving the restaurant closed since more than likely Mason had called the police and put up an eviction notice over his door but instead he sighed and headed for the kitchen.

Where Hannibal was awake, making what smelled like the best thing Will had ever eaten.

“Is that steak and eggs?” he asked, sitting at their kitchen table.

Hannibal smiled, “Yes, I…I hope you do not mind, you were distraught and I took the liberty of contacting this meat supplier I know…”

Will frowned, “How do you know a meat supplier?”

Hannibal put the steak and eggs in front of him, Will moaning when he bit into it.

“I have had many different jobs, Will, and worked in more than restaurant kitchen,” he said slyly, sitting across from Will and digging in, “I took the meat and used an old family recipe that I have not had the chance to use in quite a long time. I’m glad you enjoy it.”

Will nodded, closing his eyes at every bite, “Enjoy it? God, this is the best thing I’ve ever tasted.”

Hannibal smiled.

They ate breakfast in companionable silence, both savoring the meat as Will asked, “You have more of this?”

Hannibal frowned, looking uncomfortable as he confessed, “I hope you don’t mind, I took the initiative and put the rest of the supply he gave me in the freezer at the restaurant.”

Will smiled, licking his mouth as he finished, “If all of his meat tastes this good, I’d change the menu immediately. I wish you’d taken initiative sooner.”

Hannibal seemed pleased, “I will continue to do so then, at your request.”

They headed for the restaurant and to Will’s surprise there was no eviction notice on the door as he started to unlock it, “Maybe Mr. Verger had a change of heart after all? I doubt it, but…hell it’s something good for once I won’t question it.”

Hannibal was at his back as they entered, putting down all the seats and setting things up for the day. When the first costumer came in asking for coffee Will told them they were going to try something new and would they like a sample taste?

The woman, red haired and skeptical, frowned, “For free?”

Will nodded, “Complimentary with your coffee.”

She shrugged, “Sure.”

As soon as Hannibal put the steak and eggs on, one costumer turned into two, then three, and by lunch the entire restaurant was full for the first time since Will had opened.

Will was walking around refilling drinks and taking orders, smiling and rushing back to Hannibal whose smile was just as bright as his own. “Rich, Hannibal, we’re going to be rich,” he grinned.

Hannibal corrected, “You mean, YOU will be rich Will. Not me.”

Will laughed, “You think I’m not going to make you a partner in this? After your brilliant meat supplier and your fantastic recipe? Hell a steak house isn’t the most inventive but you’re amazing! No one can cook things this fantastic!”

Hannibal preened under the praise, his cheeks slightly tinged with red, “Thank you, Will, I…I am very grateful.”

He grinned. “No need to thank me, I should be thanking you! You saved my restaurant!”

Will turned to see one of his best customers, Officer Crawford, walk in and startle in surprise. He went towards him just as Jack headed right for him. “What the hell, Graham? I’m gone for less than a day and you actually get a real place going here?”

Will laughed, “Jack, I saved you the best seat right at the counter.”

Jack sat down and took a deep breath, “No more squid sandwiches for my lunchtime? Damn. That steak smells great.”

Will nodded, “It tastes even better, I’ll have Hannibal put one on for you.”

He called out, “One number 4!” and saw Hannibal nod before Will turned to Jack again.

“How goes criminal life in the big city, Jack?”

Jack sighed, “You didn’t hear?”

Will frowned. “About…?”

“Your landlord, Mason Verger. He’s missing. They found his car abandoned about a mile from here, blood all over the seat.”

Will’s eyes widened, “They think he’s dead?”

Jack winced, “That much blood, if he’s walking around he’s a superhero.”

Will sighed, “Wow, I…he was just here last night.”

Jack paused, “Was he?”

Will swallowed, filling Jack’s coffee, “Yeah I, probably said goodbye to him around 9? I’m not sure.”

Jack seemed odd to him as Will went to put back the coffee, heading for Hannibal who tinged the bell that meant food was done. He seemed to notice Will’s face because he asked, sweat faced and panting, “What’s happened?”

“Mr. Verger is missing, Jack…I think I said something I shouldn’t and Jack thinks I’m involved.”

Hannibal frowned, “You were with me last night, Will, there is no need to worry I will give you a solid alibi.”

Will nodded, “Yeah I…how’s the meat supply doing?”

Hannibal winced, “I may have to go back in the freezer.”

Will sighed, “All right, I…I could hold the freezer open for you.”

Hannibal seemed to stare deeply at him for almost too long but he said, “No, I…do not believe that to be necessary, at least not yet.”

Will frowned as he left, heading around to check on tables again and feeling almost light headed as he imagined the take at the end of the night.

By the time they closed at nine, Will was exhausted but had never been happier.

He sat at one of the booths, his head on the table as he watched Hannibal cleaning up the tables. “I’m exhausted.”

Hannibal smiled, “It was a very long day.”

Will smiled, not lifting his head. “Tell me about it,” he yawned, “Come and sit down you’ve been working harder than I have. I’m gonna have to hire some wait staff soon at the rate we’re going today.”

Hannibal put grabbed his rag and headed for the table where Will sat, sliding in across from him, “Yes, some extra help would keep you from running through so often, I was quite worried for your stamina.”

Will blushed, lifting his head, ‘I think I have absolutely fantastic stamina.”

Hannibal reached out to touch his face, Will shivering, “I would have no idea of that, now would I?”

Will licked his lips, “Do you…I…”

Hannibal kissed him softly, Will sighing into the touch as he leaned across the table, almost crawling on top to get closer. They pulled apart after a moment, Will pressing his forehead against Hannibal’s as he confessed, “I can’t believe that took us so long.”

Hannibal kissed him again, sighing, “Yes, it…I was unsure of your interest.”

Will laughed, “I didn’t think, god it sounds so dumb now but I didn’t think it was appropriate.”

Hannibal smiled, his fingers grazing over Will’s lips. “You have decided to be inappropriate?”

Will grinned, standing and walking over to the other side of the table, holding his hand out for Hannibal to take, “I guess I have.”

Hannibal stood, letting Will pull him close as they kissed once more. “I…before this goes any further I have a confession to make.”

Will frowned, “I…what is it?”

Hannibal kissed his cheek, “I…please come to the freezer with me.”

“The freezer? What’s…”

Hannibal shook his head, “Will, please.”

Will nodded and they headed towards the back, Will still confused what this had to do with anything. Hannibal unlocked it, staring at Will with a smile, “I hope this does not change your opinion of me.”

Will frowned, “Hannibal, you’re scaring me.”

“I do not mean to, please Will, hold the door open as I go inside.”

Will let him inside first, holding the door and gasping, hand over his mouth as he moaned, “Oh god, Hannibal you…”

Inside the freezer, hanging, was Mason Verger. Hannibal had hung him on a meat hook and Will could see where several slabs of meat had been taken. He turned to Will with a dour look, “Yes, I…your vision, Will, I could not let him steal your restaurant from you. I could…”

Will let go, running towards the garbage as he started to heave. He’d eaten human meat, he’d…god he’d eaten human meat and it was the best thing he’d ever eaten.

When the vomit he expected didn’t come, he held the edges of the bin as he tried to breathe. A hand touched his back and he trembled, even as Hannibal rubbed circles and said, “I know your opinion of me has changed, I…this is not my first time.”

Will slowly stood up straight, looking at him. “What…did…god, are you gonna hurt me? I…”

Hannibal reached out and touched his face, “I would never hurt you, Will, never.”

Will said, “I….I should call the police, I…”

Hannibal’s grip on his back tightened, pulling Will in close. “What motive do I have, Will? I am not yet a partner in this business. You yourself were being evicted, not me. And the cleaver I used to kill him was yours.”

Will pushed him away, “That’s blackmail.”

Hannibal frowned, “I do not want to do it, but if I must, I must.”

Will felt teary eyed when he said, “I…you can sleep in the back tonight, I’d prefer it.”

Hannibal said nothing as Will left, feeling like he’d just lost something amazing even before it had begun.

When Will woke the next morning he almost didn’t want to go to the restaurant. They had gotten a strong crowd the day before but knowing what they were feeding people, he couldn’t in good conscience keep doing it.

He sighed and began dressing for what was going to be his last day as a free man.

The line that was outside the restaurant made him pause as he drove by, having to look for a parking space and settling on one about a half block away and walking from there.

He smiled at the crowd, “I…hello, just give me a minute.”

The door opened, he went inside calling out, “Hannibal?” and getting no reply.

Will felt a pit in his stomach wondering if he’d gone, but headed for the back only for Hannibal to come out and pause. “Will, I…did not expect you.”

Will swallowed, “There’s a crowd.”

Hannibal’s facial expression did not change. “I am aware, I was just going to inform them that we are not open for business any longer.”

Will said nothing, feeling conflicting emotion as he watched Hannibal head for the door.

“Wait.”

Hannibal stared back at him. “Yes?”

“I…just one more day. Just…I just want to know what it feels like to be successful. I…”

Hannibal walked to him, nodding once as he headed for the kitchen. “As you wish.”

Will opened the door and took in as many customers as he could fit, taking orders though since they had no new menus it was just, steak, steak, steak.

He took orders back and forth to Hannibal all morning, the two of them locking eyes multiple times though neither said a word and by noon when Jack Crawford came inside with a dour look on his face Will was feeling worse than ever.

“Will, looks like business is still booming.”

Will laughed, rubbing the back of his head. “Yeah, I guess I should’ve been doing barbecue all along.”

Jack lifted his coffee cup and Will filled it, “So, there’s been a break in the case about your landlord.”

Will almost dropped the coffee carafe. “Oh? Did you find him?”

Jack sighed, “Nope, though it turns out some people said they saw him stumbling out of his car towards the woods. The animals could’ve got him, who knows? I still think there’s more to it, but my boss says with no evidence there’s not much we can do.”

Will breathed a sigh of relief, “I really hope they find the person who hurt him, or possibly a body?”

“There’s some fancy metal that they found in the blood samples at the scene it’s not made anymore so we’re looking into it. My people should get a hit any day now,” Jack said, staring Will down.

Will froze. “Oh, I…I hope they do.”

Will nearly collapsed as he walked over to share a look at Hannibal, his eyes wide as he mouthed, ‘He knows.’

Hannibal’s eyes went to Jack, who was staring down at the newspaper in his hand.

They spent the rest of the afternoon sharing looks that seemed more comfortable, Will eyeing Jack as he continued to stay even after most of the crowd departed. It was eight p.m., Will saw two couples still left at the tables and Jack had just gone to the bathroom but he would be back.

He walked into the kitchen and Hannibal caught him as he almost fell.

“Will, calm yourself.”

Will grabbed him back, “He knows!” he hissed quietly, shaking, “The way he was looking at me! He…”

Hannibal’s dark gaze deepened as he suggested, “Then perhaps we need to put Officer Crawford on the menu.”

Will stumbled back, “A cop, Hannibal? You don’t think people Will notice a dead cop?”

Hannibal rushed Will, pushing him against the wall as he whispered close this ear, “Tell me which is better, Will? Going to prison and possibly getting the death penalty for murder or murdering someone who means nothing to you?”

Will shook in his arms, staring at him with tears in his eyes, “I’m not a killer,” he whispered.

Hannibal let him go, “I apologize for thinking I saw something in you that you refuse to acknowledge.”

He went back to the stove and Will walked out, wiping his eyes and seeing Jack still sitting at the counter. “Lover’s quarrel?”

Will sighed, smiling. “You can tell?”

Jack smiled. “I’ve been coming here for months, Will, I’ve seen the way you look at him and him at you. It’s been a long time coming, I’m just sorry you’re having…difficulty.”

Will searched Jack’s face for the searching anger he’d seen earlier and saw it lingering just outside the surface. “Me too, I…I really like him.”

Jack sighed, “If I just had one more day with my Bella, I would take it. I suggest apologizing and listening, you never know who the bad guy between you really is.”

Will laughed, “Yeah I…I guess.”

The other two couples left, both complimenting the steak and asking if they were going to be adding more to the menu. Will gave vague answers and smiled as they left.

Then it was just him, Hannibal, and Jack.

Jack asked, “One more for the road.”

Will gave him a refill and lingered there, “So, you have something you want to say?”

Jack looked at him. “Do you?”

Will swallowed, “Jack, I…”

“It’s me.”

Will whipped around, seeing Hannibal as he stood in the doorway, “Hannibal.”

Jack sipped his coffee, “It’s you, or it’s him. I say it’s both, but that’s just a guess.”

Hannibal came towards Jack, “I murdered Mason Verger and Will had no prior knowledge.”

Jack stood up, “Is this a confession?”

Hannibal stopped, “I can show you.”

Will let out a breath, “Hannibal, I…you don’t, it’s…”

Jack eyed them both and said, “Show me, then,” grabbing his gun and holding it as he followed Hannibal, waiting for Will to walk ahead of him.

They headed for the kitchen and Hannibal played with the freezer, “I murdered Mason, brought the body here and Will served it to the customers.”

Jack cursed, “Shit, I ate it? It…fuck.”

Hannibal opened the freezer, his back to Will and Jack just as he heard a noise that made him turn around.

Jack was clutching his neck, blood flowing from it as he fought for breath that didn’t come. Will stood holding a knife, panting and covered in his blood. “I couldn’t…I…”

Hannibal grabbed Jack, who started to get out of the kitchen, “Will, you have to finish it.”

Will had tears in his eyes as he shook his head but he walked up to Jack anyway, plunging the knife into his chest. “I’m sorry.”

Hannibal let Jack fall to the floor and held out his hand, “Will…”

Will dropped the knife, chest heaving as he fell to his knees. Hannibal walked calmly to him, touching his face as Will stared up at him. “You know we cannot stay.”

Will nodded, “They saw him here, plenty of witnesses.”

Hannibal slowly went to his knees, shuddering when Will climbed into his arms. “My beautiful Will.”

Will was still fighting for breath, “I couldn’t let him take you, I couldn’t…let him take us. I…god, I think I’m in love with you.”

Hannibal lifted Will’s chin to smile at him. “Those are the most beautiful words I have ever heard spoken before.”

They shared a kiss that soon turned into more, Will trembling with need as he pulled at Hannibal’s shirt pushing him down into the pool of blood that was quickly covering the floor.

He panted into his mouth, “I need, I,” he pushed him down hard and Hannibal growled, pulling at Will’s shirt and kissing back just as greedily.

“Anything, Will, anything.”

They made love like animals, clawing and biting each other till they exhausted every ounce of their passion on the floor beside the body. After, Will laying his head on Hannibal’s chest as he stared at Jack’s body. “You’ve done this before.”

Hannibal’s hand was in his hair, feeling through his curls that Will was sure were now bloody just like the rest of him. “Yes, many times.”

“Why?”

It took Hannibal a moment to answer. “I…you could say it is my design, as yours was ounce squid and is now…”

Will lifted his head and smiled, kissing his chest. “This. My design is now this.”

Hannibal’s smile widened, “I adore you.”

Will climbed on top of him once more and grinned, “Show me how much.”

“I may be a murderer but I am still quite human,” Hannibal teased, pulling Will down to kiss once more.

Will let out a breath, “We need to clean up and…go.”

Hannibal touched Will’s face, the dried blood on his cheek making Hannibal feel an almost feral possessiveness. “We will get Winston and find other places to feed.”

Will looked at him, his eyes soft, “We can take him to a shelter, or…”

Hannibal kissed him again, shaking his head. “I would not make you give up your pet, Will, and I have plenty of places for us to go.”

Will laughed, “You’re a drifter, remember?”

Hannibal smiled. “Am I? Have you ever been to Lithuania?”

Will frowned, “No? Why?”

“You will like it there, as will Winston. Come, let us clean up and I will show you how to clean up a crime scene.”

Later as they were leaving the restaurant, Hannibal throwing the match behind them as it went up in flames, Will asked, “What did you mean earlier, about if you were a drifter?”

Hannibal kissed his cheek, nuzzling into his neck as they went to the car, “Just because I drift, does not make me a drifter. It only means I do not want to be found.”

Will opened his mouth to speak when Hannibal covered it, “Ask me later, Will. For now, we have plans to make.

Will smiled, nodding as they entered the car and drove off towards the house grabbing Winston and taking off towards the airport.

Not long after, sitting together in first class Will asked, “Where is it that we’re going? I probably should’ve asked.”

Hannibal covered him with a blanket and whispered, “Home, Will. We are going home.”