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"Simon, there you are," Denise says, extremely elated to see him. "I've been going insane in here." She steps out the room and closes the door softly, then embraces Simon. "Where have you been? We've been waiting on you to start the wedding."
"I was at the clinic," Simon says, his voice almost trailing off. "I need to speak to Felicia."
"I think she's with Aaron right now," Denise answers. "Is there something wrong?"
Simon smiles. "No... I think there's something right. For once."
"There's something I didn't expect to see!"
"What?"
"Someone legitimately happy in Marquette Cove," Denise says. "This wedding, it seems to encapsulate everything that's wrong with love and relationships in this goddamn town. If it weren't for the fact that I'm carrying Sean's child... who knows if I'd still be here."
"I'm glad you are," Simon says. "You're a good person, Denise. We could use more people like us here... things can't be dark forever."
Simon and Denise are interrupted as Felicia stomps toward the door, a weary look fixed on her face. "Simon! There you are."
"Felicia," Simon begins. "Can we... can we talk?"
"No, not now, the wedding is about to start," Felicia snaps. She reaches up to rub her forehead, almost as if she's been onset with a sudden migraine. "We need to... we need to get ready. Go find Aaron."
"But it's important..."
"Go find Aaron!" Felicia says, shouting as she drags Denise back into Rebecca's room with her.
Sighing, Simon shakes his head and turns away from the door. He reminds himself that the wedding will be over soon, and that as he said to Denise... things can't remain dark forever.
"Where are you getting your information from?" Vanessa demands of Ryan. "How can you accuse Marcus of this?"
"Because I was investigating the mob in New Orleans," Ryan says. "And Marcus' name came up on several documents. I would have contacted you earlier, but I started receiving threatening notes that I assumed were from Alexis... that's what brought me back to Marquette Cove."
"But they weren't?"
"I don't know," Ryan answers. "The paper they were written on came from Memorial Hospital, so... who knows."
"Why would Marcus be connected to New Orleans anyway?" Sean asks.
"Because... because I came there a lot," Marcus admits, sliding back into his seat. He doesn't wait for the surprise to settle in on everyone in the room. "I started doing coke and other drugs as a model. I ended up owing a lot of people money, and that coupled with some gambling problems... I then ended up owing the mob here money. And the guy I had to pay was operated in New Orleans. His name was Spade."
Vanessa grimaces. "So when you would leave town working on shows... you were really..."
"Going to pay off my debts," Marcus answers. "Nikki never knew. I wanted to protect her."
"But you didn't!" Vanessa shouts. "Because she was killed! Probably because you owe someone money!"
Marcus sinks his head to the table. "I told you not to come here, Vanessa... nothing good will come from this. I deserve to go to prison."
EMERALD PLAZA HOTEL
Herald Robertson hasn't been in a situation like this since he went by the name of Spade in New Orleans, taking care of messy situations. That was before he rose in the ranks and became one of the leaders of the criminal organizations that ran the city post-Katrina.
But standing before Yolanda Holland, he knows that he will have to revert to his old ways. She has overheard him on the phone... she knows everything. Knows that he wanted to have her kidnapped and killed. Knows that his henchman kidnapped Leslie Moore by accident.
"Call the police?" Herald asks, playing dumb.
"Yes..." Yolanda says, her voice shaking as she speaks. She now realizes the severity of this situation... she should have ran once she heard Herald speaking. Should have rushed back to her room and called the police immediately. But she didn't. "Because there are... children wearing skinny jeans here, and they could get a yeast infection. Or so I saw on the Today show..."
Herald nods. "Of course. Of course that's what you meant."
"Get away from me, you monster!" Yolanda shouts. "Tell me what you did to my sister!"
Quicker than Yolanda is able to turn around, Herald's hand shoots out and grabs her neck. Wrapping his hand around her in a chokehold, Herald slams her body against her hotel suite's door. She hears a thundering echo as her skull cracks against the door, knocking her into near-unconsciousness.
As she slides down the door frame, Herald reaches into her hand and removes the key to her suite. He unlocks the door and drags Yolanda inside, sprawling her body across the carpet.
And as the door swings shut, ever so slowly as most hotel room doors do... there is one last glimpse to the world as Herald begins to stamp Yolanda's face in with his shoe heel... drawing every last bit of breath from her body.
