A NATURAL CAUSE

"I had a feeling that bitch was going to be trouble the moment I saw her with all that heavy makeup," Emilie muttered, his tone tinged with a mix of annoyance and frustration.

Adrian, sharing Emilie's exasperation, added, "Yeah, and now it seems like she's up to something more sinister than we thought." The unease in his voice was palpable as he contemplated the unsettling turn of events.

As Adrian and Emilie exchanged remarks about Katharine, Adrian's phone rang, prompting an abrupt hush between them. The atmosphere grew tense, and their concerns appeared entirely justified when the caller ID displayed "Katharine." Adrian's voice quivered as he asked, "What should I do?"

"What do you mean? Answer it. Let's hear what she's up to now. She doesn't know that you're aware of the coincidences. We can't avoid it because we don't know if this is a one-time occurrence," Emilie reasoned, recognizing the necessity to confront the situation head-on.

Adrian, swayed by Emilie's composed reasoning, found himself in agreement. With a nod to Emilie, he answered the call.

"Adrian?" Katharine's voice resonated from the other end of the phone.

"Yes, hello. Adrian speaking. What do I owe the pleasure of receiving your call twice in a single day already?" Adrian's natural sarcasm was evident in his response.

"Can we meet? I have something to discuss with you." Her voice carried an undertone of genuine worry and hurt, which made Adrian's unease palpable as he involuntarily broke into a sweat.

Adrian glanced at Emilia, seeking guidance. In a quick improvisation, she chimed in, saying, "Adrian, you promised we'd spend time outside today. Why are you still working?" It was a subtle suggestion to decline Katharine's invitation.

On the other end of the line, Katharine could hear Emilia's voice. "Are you busy, Adrian? If you can't come to me, I'd be more than willing to meet you wherever you prefer," she pleaded with an undertone of desperation that left Adrian uneasy.

'This woman is definitely far from simple,' Adrian thought to himself, growing more suspicious with each interaction.

"No, Katharine, I'm quite busy today, and I'm pretty sure you don't need me anymore to determine if your husband is cheating on you or not," Adrian responded with a cold and dismissive tone, showing his complete lack of interest in her concerns.

He ended the call, cutting her off. 'Two encounters with her, and without even realizing it, I've been through so much,' Adrian thought to himself, a sense of bewilderment lingering in his mind.

"Do you think it was a bad thing or not?" Emilia inquired, her uncertainty reflected in her words. She pondered whether the abrupt end of their interaction with Katharine would lead to a resolution or further complications.

"I don't know, but she probably did something to me when we met. Perhaps she wanted to see me again because she realized I wasn't under her control." Adrian speculated, his thoughts as uncertain as Emilia's.

"Let's hope we're done with this chapter, as it wasn't a pleasant experience to be manipulated into doing something you don't want," Emilia said, her own memories of such experiences casting a shadow on the conversation.

What these two failed to notice was a person standing just outside their house, holding a phone to their ear with a sly smile on their face. It was Katharine, who had been eavesdropping on their conversation all along.

'Who is this girl, and why is he listening to her? This isn't like him, at least from the last I knew,' Katharine muttered to herself, her worries deepening as she observed the unexpected dynamics in Adrian's life.

'I cant fail this time.'

With these thoughts in mind, Katharine quietly withdrew, realizing that this was not the appropriate moment to address her plans.

Unaware of Katharine's presence or her internal musings, Adrian and Emilie, without any care for anything, delved into a discussion about what to prepare for their upcoming meal.

...

"Have you ever considered the capricious nature of life? You meet someone for the first time, and they can leave such an indelible mark on your soul that you find yourself either wanting to draw them closer or remove them from your path. I never imagined I'd encounter such an individual again, but here I am, still grappling with what to do. I apologize if my musings sound a tad monotonous, but this is simply how I am. Life has imparted these lessons, and I'm confident you can relate to my perspective."

A girl, completely enveloped in white attire from head to toe, concealed her features behind a white mask, making her look otherworldly. Yet, even with her face hidden, one could sense her extraordinary beauty, especially through her enchanting ruby eyes. They glowed with a captivating brilliance, akin to the lustrous sparkle that could lure anyone willingly towards her, much like moths to a flame.

"I hope he comprehends my perspective soon. If not, I might be forced to resort to measures I'd rather avoid, but there are times when one must take resolute action," she mused, a touch of reluctance in her voice.

The lifeless corpse, with wide-open eyes, clearly had no intention of responding to her. And the hundreds of other corpses strewn around showed no signs of life either.

The darkness enveloped her—not the kind of darkness that shrouds the night, but the kind one might embrace, seeking solace. This place was her sanctuary, and as she had spent an unmeasurable amount of time within its depths, she remained oblivious to the gradual consumption by the shadows.

Did she loathe it? Did she relish it? Only that individual would reveal the answer, provided he survived until then.

....

"So, it's concluded that he died of natural causes without any interference from any other factors," Sam announced, concluding the meeting with the other officers.

"Perhaps he died because he became too engrossed in that," Joseph suggested with a sly wink directed at Sam, evoking a few chuckles among their colleagues.

"True, at this stage of his life, why would he even attempt something new?" Sam replied with a hearty laugh, relishing the light-hearted, albeit slightly inappropriate, banter with his partner.

"Men are wolves, as they say. I wouldn't mind going out like that either," Joseph remarked, daydreaming about a dramatic yet romantic demise in the arms of a beautiful woman.

Both couldn't suppress their laughter as they sat in the car on their way home.

"Oh, and did you see how his wife was crying? She really loved him, it seems," Sam commented, reflecting on Katharine's emotional display with her shoulders shaking as she tried to contain her tears. Joseph nodded silently in agreement as he started the car, totally unaware of how she was the one responsible for his death.