Nikki wasn’t surprised to hear that Alan was ending the event early; he had done his best to plow through, but with the occurrence of two murders, he couldn’t very well be expected to continue. Apparently enlightenment could take one only so far. Even Alan. Nikki had certainly done her best, though. And it seemed that she had done her best with Alyssa as well, since her friend was noticeably gazing at the handsome detective.

Jonah nodded his head toward Alan. “That should be fine. But I’d like to be here when everyone is getting ready to go. I need to be sure I have all the information I need. If anything changes by the morning, I’ll let you know.”

Alyssa glanced at Nikki and smiled and winked back. Nikki leaned into Simon. “I may not be smooth but I think I do a good job at matchmaking.”

Petie started to get restless toward the end of the dinner and so everyone moved into the family room to let him run around while Nikki served strawberry tarts. Luckily for her, she had frozen a dozen of them the last time she made them, and therefore, she didn’t have to prep them today like she had the rest of the meal. From the kitchen, she could see Robinson playing on the floor with Petie and Alyssa. Alan was over by the fireplace, talking to Rich and Hayden. Jen and Sierra were outside in the backyard, and Eli and Lulu were visiting with Simon and Marco.

Eli was different. Nikki had failed to get to know him this weekend. He never said much. Even over dinner, he almost seemed like wallpaper rather than a person sitting there. Marco was right-Eli appeared to be walking in his father’s shadow but it overshadowed him so much that he really had no apparent identity of his own. But that didn’t give him a motive to murder Iwao Yamimoto and Mizuki. Nikki mentally crossed him off her list.

She took a good look at the rest of the Sansi family. Lulu, like Eli, kind of hung back in the shadows, but she wasn’t the wallflower her son was. She seemed to play the supporting role to her husband-the good and devoted wife and mother. Nikki could find no motive for her to want to murder anyone either.

What about Hayden? She was practical, in control of much of her father’s business. But Nikki also could not figure Hayden into this murder business. Her arms were wrapped around Rich, who was another elusive one in this crowd of suspects. Had Rich Higgins been flying under the radar? Could he have wanted Iwao dead? Iwao had been trying to get Alan to change publishing houses. Would that make Rich angry enough to murder him? But then why kill Mizuki? No. He didn’t seem to be a likely candidate either.

Then there were Sierra and Jen. Why had Jen left Sierra and why had he returned? Yes, because of his uncle’s murder, but was there something even more sinister there? She didn’t know. Nikki opened up the sliders to take Jen and Sierra their desserts.

“Oh, my gosh, this is wonderful. Thank you,” Sierra said, eyeing the strawberry treat. The light had come back into her cornflower blue eyes. She’d fixed herself up for the evening and was wearing a turquoise sweater and a long denim skirt.

“You’re welcome.”

“Thanks for having me,” Jen said. “Your home is lovely and your food is delicious.”

“I’m pleased you could come. How are you doing with everything? With your uncle’s death and his…”

“Mistress?” Jen asked. Nikki didn’t respond. “Of course Mizuki was his mistress. She had been for many years. I’m fine, I think. There are things, plans that I have to make. My auntie is incapable of that. She’s been hospitalized for years.”

“I’m sorry to hear that,” Nikki replied.

“It has been hard. I love her very much. I go to visit her often.”

“You’re living in Japan then?”

“Yes.”

“Not for long, though.” Sierra held out her hand and showed off a beautiful antique-looking ring. There was an emerald diamond in the middle of the sterling setting, surrounded by small emeralds. “This had been his mother’s ring.” She looked up at Jen and smiled.

He put an arm around her, kissing her on the cheek. “We’ve missed so much time together,” he said.

Nikki cleared her throat. “Not to pry…” Yeah, right. “But I’m curious. Sierra told me about your breakup while in Hawaii a couple of years ago. I know it’s not my business, but why? What happened?”

Jen and Sierra looked at each other. “My uncle. That’s why. He said if I married Sierra, he would no longer pay for my auntie’s care. I couldn’t afford it and I could not put that on Sierra’s family. I left her and I’ve hated myself for it. But my uncle controlled everything in my life and in the lives of those around him. I’m sad he’s gone, but now I won’t be controlled by him any longer.”

“Why would he do that? Want to keep you two apart?” Nikki asked.

“Control. And for this.” He held out Sierra’s hand. “The ring. It has been in my family for over two hundred years and my uncle is a traditionalist. Or he was, anyway. He did not want me to give this to a white woman. He had an arranged marriage already planned for me, and the woman I was supposed to marry already had the ring. When the police called and told me what had happened, I went to her and she gave it back. I think she may have been as relieved as I was. I know there’s another man she’s in love with and now she’s free to be with him. And”-he beamed at Sierra-“I’m free to be with the woman I love.”

Sounded like a decent motive right there. “Do they still have arranged marriages in Japan?” Nikki asked.

“Some. Old families. Old money. A lot of tradition,” he replied.

“Sounds to me as if your uncle was a complicated man.”

Jen smiled. “To say the least.”

“We are together now and that’s what counts. I hope they find this killer and we can put everything behind us and move on with our lives,” Sierra said.

“Me, too,” Nikki replied. “I better get back inside and see if anyone else needs anything. Do you?”

They didn’t. Nikki closed the sliders behind her, full of questions about Jen and Sierra.

Her mind was racing with these questions, along with questions about Kurt Kensington. His strange behavior and what she’d learned about him on his application still made him look like the number one suspect in her book. She wished she could get Robinson to see eye to eye with her on that. There was also this Gonzales-Pearlman angle, and she knew that Robinson felt the answers were snarled up in that web.

She shook her head. Wherever the answers lay as to who had committed the murders, they weren’t going to be found tonight.

Dessert went over as well as dinner, and before long everyone was getting ready to leave. Everyone except for Alyssa and Robinson. Petie had fallen asleep with his head in his mother’s lap on the couch.

Nikki said good night to the guests who were leaving. Marco kissed her on the cheeks as usual. “Beautiful, Bellissima. Lovely party. Thank you.” She kissed him back.

Simon wrapped an arm around her and leaned a head on her shoulder. He glanced at Alyssa and Robinson. “You are good. I’m impressed, Snow White.”

Nikki didn’t bother the couple, who continued to talk while she did most of the dishes. It was after ten when they told her good night and Robinson carried Petie out to the car for her.

Alyssa walked ahead with Petie’s bag. Robinson thanked her.

“Learn anything?” she asked.

“Not a damn thing about the investigation.” He smiled. “But I did discover you sure can cook. I had a great time, Nikki.”

She closed the door behind Robinson. She wanted to tell him what she’d discovered about Kensington, her thoughts on Jen and Sierra, and give him the note. But at that moment, after seeing him with Alyssa and Petie, she decided to wait until the morning. Maybe tonight she hadn’t been able to tie this mystery together, but at least she was making people happy.