With Bedelia securing her alibi, Hannibal prepares to leave Florence just as Jack and Will begin to track him down. With Pazzi murdered, Mason and his cohorts consider a different course of action. However, Chiyoh has arrived in Florence with her own agenda.

Carvings symbolizing the Great Red Dragon, retrieved from crime scenes, help Will Graham and the FBI shed light on Francis Dolarhyde's disturbing psychology. Meanwhile, Dolarhyde finds ways to communicate directly with Hannibal Lecter regarding his "becoming." Will feels his bond with Hannibal growing uncomfortably stronger, and seeks out Bedelia Du Maurier, the only other person who fully understands the complexities of such a relationship.