Crime of Passion (Marcus Douglas 1)

“There were no records in the files. I talked to the detective assigned to the case and even the notes he made were gone from his desk. When he asked his lieutenant about it, he got a polite, 'I'll look into it'. I can follow up with him, see if he got curious enough to find the file own his own,” Garrett said as his cell phone rang. “Garrett Mason.” While he talked on the phone, Marcus and Carmen sat quietly looking at one another until Garrett got off the phone. “I gotta go people. That was Jamara. She's got something to show me.”

“Jamara Deneè, that's a pretty name,” Marcus said smiling. Carmen rolled her eyes and looked away. “I'm looking forward to meeting her one day.”

“I'll be sure to tell her. Anything else you need me to do?”

“I know you got something else going on, but see what you can dig up on Rasheed Damali.” Marcus glanced at Carmen. “Start looking into his relationship with Desireé.”

“I'm on it,” Garrett said, standing up to leave.

“We'll walk out with you,” Marcus said following Garrett out of the office. “Carmen are you ready?” Carmen gathered her things and followed them out to the parking lot.

“Goodbye, Ms. Taylor, I hope I get the chance to see you again,” he said and once again kissed her hand.

“Bye, Garrett, I'm sure I'll see you again.” Carmen smiled. Garrett got in his truck on drove off. Marcus opened the car door for Carmen; she thanked him, and got in. Once Marcus put on his seat belt, Carmen said, “So, here we are again.”

“Seems that way,” Marcus nodded.

“I guess you'll be going to take care of your unfinished business now?”

“I guess, but I'm hungry,” Marcus replied and Carmen smiled in anticipation of an invitation. “I haven't had a thing to eat all day. I guess I'll stop and pick something up on the way.”

“Hmm,” Carmen mumbled. She was hoping for an invitation to have dinner with him and the disappointment was apparent in her voice. “You don't cook?”

“Not at all. Best I can do is boil water for hotdogs. What about you, can you cook?”

“I love to cook, I just don't get a chance to cook as often as I'd like to,” Carmen said.

“Maybe you'll cook something for me before you leave.”

“Maybe.”

“What are you gonna do now?”

“You can take me back to my hotel; I'll find something to do.”

Marcus picked up on the tone of her voice. “Would you,—maybe you could have dinner with me?”

“Well?” Carmen played it. “I haven't eaten since early this morning either. But I don't want to get in the way of you taking care of your unfinished business.”

“Believe me, Carmen, I would much rather spend that time with you.”

“Are you sure, because I don't wanna be a bother. I mean, you've been very nice to me and I know you said you were going to take a vacation.”

“Carmen, really. I want to.”

“Okay.” Carmen's eyes lit up. “You talked me into it. Where do you wanna go?”

“I don't know. Where do you wanna go?”

“You know where I haven't been in years?” Carmen paused. “The Sundial. It used to be one of my favorite places.”

“That's one of my favorite places, too.”

So it was set. Marcus drove to The Plaza hotel on Peachtree and International boulevard. They valet parked his car and went inside of the hotel. “Wait a minute.” Marcus stopped to button the top button on his shirt and straighten his tie.

“Here let me do that,” Carmen said and proceeded to her task. Marcus tried to stand completely still while he looked at Carmen as she buttoned his shirt and straighten his tie. “There; pretty as a picture.”

“Thank you, Carmen.” Marcus stepped away nervously and headed for the glass elevator to The Sundial restaurant and lounge is located on the seventy-second floor. The building is round and the floor revolves slowly around so you can see the entire city from there. The hostess escorted them to a table and shortly thereafter their server arrived, took their drink and food orders and blended discreetly into the background. Carmen turned immediately to Marcus.