Dark Keys of Uncomplacency

Chapter 17: Samodivas

"Why the hell is this written in German?", Chris said as he scrolled through the rest of the message.

"Because of the piece. It's written by two German composers", Allison said, scratching her wrist. "Maybe the killer just adopts whatever language the composers used. That's a little masochistic in my view".

"Massa-what?"

"It means he got pleasure from giving himself more tedious work than he had to", Connor said, half wanting to fact check himself.

"Makes sense, writing in different languages—on top of a double encryption", Chris nodded. "Nothing google translate can't fix".

It had been way more than 30 minutes at that point, but Connor persisted to tease Chris for wanting to leave. "C'mon man, scared of a little spanking? No one hit harder than my grandmother—back in her golden years. Just stay a little longer and help figure this shit out".

Chris sucked his teeth in defiance. "You obviously haven't received an ass whoopin' from a mad black woman. Let me tell ya man, my mom probably makes that Tyler Perry movie—and your grandma's whoopin'—look like child's play".

"Oh shit, you mean she let's Chuckie loose on you?"

"What?", Allison asked, lost in their back-and-forth.

"Nice I see what you did there", Chris grinned. "Alright man, you better hope my moms is on a late shift. Matter fact, what am I gettin' for all this intel? What about the weed you promised me the other week?".

Connor scrambled for the small shoebox underneath his bed and retrieved the dry buds that Allison had brought over two days ago. "Here you go man, all the weed you need to numb any ass whoopin' that lies in your near-future".

Allison looked on, as she struggled to hold in her laughter. That weed had been in her possession for over a year. She didn't have to be a pothead to know that the mere morsel in the ziplock bag had most likely lost its potency by now. Yet Chris was ogling the bag like Jennifer Lopez had just working through the door.

"Oh shit man, where'd you get that?", Chris asked, snatching the bag from Connor.

"That's all the way from Florida. I had to switch suppliers, you know how it is. But never mind that man—you staying or not?".

Chris looked at Allison, sitting in the computer chair with her legs crossed and shifted his gaze back towards the weed. "Let's figure out who this dude is so I can go home already".

"I'll go up and talk to him. The kid's a joker but I've never seen him take it so far as to call a guest possessed". Collin wrapped a strand of his wife's hair behind her ear with his finger. "The good news is we don't have a lawsuit on our hands".

Diane pulled her head away brushing his face with her dark blonde hair. "I haven't been that embarrassed in a long time. That unfiltered, scenile old lady—possessed?"

"Whoa, tell me how you really feel".

"It's just that she talks to me as if I'm some useless housewife, refusing to take charge of the household".

They both plopped down onto the couch, one on top of the other like a pair of mannequins. "I'm sure she didn't mean what she said, hon. I'd take it with a grain of salt. Besides, she's from a much rougher time—they couldn't do this with a click of a button—"

The living room dimmed slowly until only the couch they were laying on was visible. "Life is easy these days. With the right guidance, kids practically raise themselves". He nuzzled her neck and caressed her thighs, but Diane did not react. At that moment she could not help but think how reserved Allison was at dinner, right after Julian's outlandish claim. She wasn't ignoring her brother, it was more like she was determined to keep the attention off of her. But why? "You think Allison has gotten over almost running that woman over?"