During a crowded dinner of a family recipe of spicy green chile stew that originated from back when Spain still held the reins and fresh corn on the cob slathered in butter and cayenne pepper, he imagined how the atmosphere changed after the lively energy of the temporary tenants withdrew back south, leaving the pale trio to endure the brutal winter. If the Johansens repossessed the main floor and huddled with blankets and hot chocolate around the fire, counting the days when they could again go their separate ways or perhaps stare past the flames and tip over to thoughts of gothic horror during the too-long dark nights, wielding an ax and spraying the sitting room with the blood of their relations. Such fantasies played fancifully in his head during and after dinner, leading up to what wa
