Clarice (Jodie Foster)’s Timeline and Summary

Clarice is assigned by Jack Crawford to interview serial-killer Hannibal Lecter.
She interviews Dr. Lecter at the Baltimore State Forensic Hospital, earning his respect with her candor, but then losing it by giving him a questionnaire.
He likes her anyway, and gives her a clue to Buffalo Bill's identity.
Clarice investigates a storage unit and finds a severed head belonging to one of Lecter's patients. Yikes. At least its makeup is nice.
Crawford brings Clarice to the autopsy of Buffalo Bill's most recent victim. A bug cocoon is found in her throat.
When Catherine Martin is kidnapped by Buffalo Bill, Clarice makes a fake offer of transfer to Lecter to get more information from him.
He wants information about her, though, and convinces her to tell him her life story. Her dad died and she was orphaned. How sad.
Dr. Chilton spoils the plan by telling Lecter that Clarice's offer is fake. He makes a real offer, and Lecter is transferred to Memphis.
Clarice follows, tells Lecter the rest of her story, and gets more cryptic clues from him. Lecter soon escapes.
After searching the first victim's home, Clarice inadvertently stumbles right into Buffalo Bill's lair.
Bill chases her through a dark basement, but she manages to shoot him and kill him, saving Catherine.
Clarice graduates from the FBI Academy and gets a phone call from Hannibal Lecter, just checking in like the proud papa he is.