“Keep it coming.”

Nikki could hear his keys jangling.

“In it they’re talking about Yamimoto buying out Inspiritus and making it a subsidiary of his publishing house, VisionScope, which is located in Canada.”

“What does this have to do with the murders, Sands?”

“Just listen. I’m getting there. The first meeting goes nice and everything is kosher between them, kind of setting the stage for things to come. Then about three months later, Higgins is back in Yamimoto’s office. In this one, Higgins is raising the bar on how much he wants Iwao to pay for the company, and Iwao is saying that he wants Higgins to convince Alan Sansi to do worldwide major events. And to promote VisionScope. Higgins tells him that Alan would never do that. He’s not into commercialism at all. Mind you that Hayden and Higgins have been engaged at this point for a few months. I asked Hayden on the hike the other day how long they’d been engaged. She said almost a year. All of this took place last year. Higgins then tells Iwao he wants out. He says he can’t sell because of pressure the family will put on him and the loyalty Alan felt toward his mother. He tells him that he’s had second thoughts. So, Iwao ups the ante and offers him another three million dollars on top of the twenty million he’d already offered him.”

Robinson let out a low whistle, his car engine running in the background.

“Right. It looked like the deal was back on. But then, in a third and final meeting only two weeks ago, Rich tells Iwao he can’t go through with it. His new wife alone will be worth that kind of money and more, so he’ll have no need to sell his publishing company. Iwao still tries to convince him and insists they go to his home for dinner. No hard feelings if he doesn’t want to change his mind. Iwao even says those exact words on the tape, but apparently that wasn’t the case. Because get this, there’s not just a meeting on there. Iwao takes him to his home and there’s a little party that goes on.”

“Let me guess. It’s Higgins and a private party with a girl.”

“Not just any girl. A party with Mizuki and several friends. But Rich Higgins told me the other night that he’d never met Iwao until this weekend.”

“I have to ask, how do you think Iwao got all of that on tape?” Robinson asked.

“He must have had cameras all over his offices and his home, and then transferred the footage onto DVD with hopes of showing Alan what a scumbag his future son-in-law is. He figured that once Alan knew the truth about Higgins, he would jump ship and go with VisionScope. Why would he continue to do business with a man who was going to sell the publishing house he’d help grow right under his feet? Not to mention marry his daughter when he wasn’t exactly showing how devoted and faithful he would be.”

“Why didn’t Iwao tell him what was on that DVD?”

“I asked myself the same thing and the only answer I can come up with is that Alan didn’t want to hear it. When I saw them arguing the other day, Alan was adamant about not wanting to get involved with any situation surrounding his daughter.”

“Where did you find the DVD?”

“It was in the safe this entire time. The hotel safe. You have to see it. I’m telling you that Higgins killed Iwao and Mizuki. He had to have known about the DVD somehow.”

“I’ll be there in fifteen.”

Nikki flipped shut the phone. Rich Higgins. How stupid. Here he was about to marry a beautiful, sweet woman from a decent family, and running a productive publishing house. His mother had to be turning over in her grave. The man must have wanted more, just as Iwao Yamimoto wanted more. Iwao’s desires dug him a grave, whereas Rich’s would see him behind bars. But what about yesterday’s alibi? Robinson told her that everyone but Ruben and Juan could prove their whereabouts during the attack. Did that mean Hayden had been covering for Rich? Why would she do that?

Higgins knew if he sold off Inspiritus to Iwao that his engagement to Hayden would be broken. The Sansi kids were loyal to their family, and Hayden would not marry someone deceitful like Higgins. And Rich Higgins had probably started thinking this thing through. The Sansi family was worth way more money as a family and a business than Inspiritus. In the long run, and after a kid or two, Higgins would be entrenched in a family that had all the perks of the good life and a guaranteed inheritance. Who knew what Higgins had planned for the future? Nikki got the feeling this guy would kill again if he needed to-if he thought he would gain something from it. By murdering Iwao, Rich gained his silence. The DVD proved his initial attempt to sell off Inspiritus behind the Sansis’ backs. He’d murdered Mizuki because he was afraid that if Iwao had told anyone about Rich Higgins, it would likely have been her.

But why had he attempted to kill Nikki? Because she had been asking questions. She’d tipped her hand by asking Hayden in front of him for those applications and saying that she occasionally helped out the police. How stupid she’d been!

Nikki couldn’t wait for Robinson to arrive. She busied herself with folding the clothes and placing them in the basket. She started to head back through the garage door when she heard the click and felt what she knew to be the barrel of a gun in her back.

Thirty-five

“I’VE been waiting all morning, trying to figure out how to get you alone.”

Nikki closed her eyes for a second and shook her head. It was Rich Higgins.

“But all morning you’ve been inside with that killer dog of yours and I couldn’t take that chance. Plus, I know you have that kid in there.”

Nikki shuddered at the reference to Petie. She could hear Ollie at the door, scratching and whining to get out. He had to smell her fear because his whining and agitation increased. She prayed Higgins wouldn’t open the door and hurt her dog. Worse yet, if he got inside the house, would he harm Petie? Robinson better have the gas pedal to the floor.

“I need that DVD.”

“What? I don’t know what you’re talking about. I’m sorry.”

“Liar!” He spun her around so she faced him.

His face was contorted and filled with rage. He didn’t look like the charmer and handsome man that she was sure Hayden Sansi loved. “I don’t have it.”

“Yes, you do. I saw you this morning with the girl at the front desk. You don’t think that I haven’t been watching you? I told you that already. You’re a problem. A real problem. You ask way too many questions. I couldn’t believe you when you asked for those applications. I knew I had a problem then. Too bad for me that your buddies showed up and saved you yesterday. And then this morning I’ve had to cover my butt with Hayden and her family to follow you and track you down. I’ve been trying to get ahold of that DVD ever since Yamimoto told me he had proof of my cheating on Hayden and being willing to sell out under Sansi’s feet.” He cringed. “I can’t believe he taped all that, otherwise I never would have killed him. Ever! It would have been Yamimoto’s word against mine.” He started laughing.

The guy was insane.

“You don’t think Alan would have believed him?” Buy time, buy time. Robinson was on the way. That fifteen minutes was down to ten. Drive, Jonah, drive.

“You’re kidding, right? I’m practically family. Alan is hands-off. Remember, he believes that everyone needs to follow their own journey. His children’s journeys are not his to live.”

“Then why would he care if you had a party with some Japanese women that was a wee bit X-rated? Or that you wanted to sell a company he helped grow?”

“Sarcastic bitch, aren’t you!”

Ollie scratched violently at the door. Nikki’s side ached. She needed to set down the laundry basket and see what kind of leverage she could get on Higgins. Could she defend herself at all?