“The police?” Marcus said inquisitively.
“She told the police that he was having sex with minors. Which they wasn't. James didn't play that kiddie shit. Anyway, the cops bust in the room and the photographer got Hudson on film doing both of them. She took him for damn near everything he had. He had to fight to keep from selling off his company.”
“When was this?” Marcus asked, already knowing the answer.
“Let's see,” Patty took a drag. “Had to be in the late eighties. Now I ain't got no proof or nothin', but I think Hudson had two of our girls killed.”
“Why do you think that?”
“Because they was the same two girls he always requested for his little freak parties. So when they both turn up dead on the same day, it kinda makes you wonder, don't it?”
“When did this happen?”
“About a month before James was killed.”
“Carmen, I think we've taken up enough of Ms. Morgan's time,” Marcus said as he stood up.
“Ms. Morgan, thank you very much for talking to us,” Carmen said.
“Please, call me Patty.”
“You've been a big help to us, Patty,” Marcus said moving toward the door. “Don't forget to call Janise about a job.”
“Don't worry, Mr. Douglas, I'll call her first thing in the morning,” Patty exclaimed happily as she opened the door. She watched as Marcus and Carmen walked to their car, “And thank you, you know, for the hook up on the car and everything.”
Once they were in the car and away. Marcus looked over at Carmen. She smiled back at him. “Do you think Martin killed them?” Carmen asked.
“I doubt it. If he did find them, why wouldn't he just get the money from Desireé? Guy like that just wants his money. And it wasn't like Desireé couldn't or wouldn't pay him. She was in love with Rasheed.” Carmen didn't say anything. She just turned away and looked out the window. “You all right?”
“Yeah, I'm all right. Some of this is a hard to stomach, but I'm all right. I just can't believe that Dez could be in love with somebody like Rasheed and not know what he was doing.”
“Maybe she did. Didn't you say that she knew what Porsche Temple was doing, even though Porsche was sure that she didn't? Give Desireé some credit.”
“Maybe you're right.”
The light turned red and Marcus looked over at Carmen. “Besides, sometimes you can't help who you fall in love with.” He said softly. Carmen looked in Marcus's eyes. She could feel the emotion pouring out of them.
Is he saying that he loves me?
She started to ask him was there some hidden meaning for her in his statement, but she decided if there was, and I've got a feeling there is, she would wait for him to say, I love you, Carmen, in his own time. The light changed and Marcus drove on. “So, let's look at what we got.”
Carmen smiled and resettled in her seat. “Okay, let's.”
“Desireé's friend, Suzanne Collins is found dead in her office under questionable circumstances. Desireé had a feeling that she was murdered because of something Frank was involved in. We know that Frank used to work for Ferguson before he came to Hudson Financial. Then he commits suicide. Mondrya Foster says she found out something that would interest me, but before she can tell me what it is, she gets killed in a robbery. Rasheed owed James Martin money, but we can't ask him anything, because he's dead, too.”
“It is kind of strange that everybody who's involved in this; who might be able to tell us something, is dead,” Carmen laughed. “Because dead men tell no tails.”
“But there's something else.”
“What's that?”
“A common thread that seemed to bind them all together.”
“I'm gonna ask you one more time. What's that?”
“Bill Hudson.”
COCKTAILS FOR TWO