“I don’t mean to interrupt, but I was curious about how long a member can be a member before there is any turnover?” This was a question Nikki had forgotten to ask Hayden but had been curious about it.
“There’s kind of an unofficial rule, because my dad doesn’t like rules or really believe in them. He feels that a member should head out on their own when they’re ready, but the unsaid rule is after five years, so I think that either this year or maybe next will be Juan’s fade-out. But some people only come in for one year, or even just one event, and then they’re finished with it. I think some don’t want to pay the annual dues or they feel like they got what they needed, but others stay for a while. Mr. Gonzales is one of those and so is Mr. Pearlman.”
Nikki figured there could be a clue within the length of time that the men had been members. One of those gut feelings. “So, your dad introduced you to Juan because he was involved with movies?”
Sierra nodded. “More than that. Juan had a girlfriend who’d written a screenplay, kind of like a romance version of Kill Bill.”
“Not sure how that would work,” Nikki quipped.
“It didn’t exactly. But my dad told Juan that I was a black belt and that martial arts was my thing, and Juan asked my dad if I would come and do some choreography and stunt work for the movie.”
“I take it that you did?”
“I did and that’s where I met Jen. He was the star of the production, and from the minute I saw him, he took my breath away. Like I said, it was love at first sight.”
Nikki could understand that. It hadn’t necessarily been love at first sight for her, but it had at least been lust. Derek said he’d felt the same way. Too bad it had taken so long for them to get it right. “Did you meet Iwao Yamimoto while doing that movie?”
“Yes. He was one of the financiers on the film and he’d been behind Jen getting involved. I don’t think Jen ever wanted to be any kind of star. In fact, I know he didn’t, but Jen was like a son to Iwao in many ways. Iwao and his wife had never been able to have children and Jen’s parents both died when he was pretty young. Iwao and his wife, who is really Jen’s aunt, raised him. Jen was very close to his aunt. But then when he was a teenager, he said that she started having some emotional problems that escalated until she had to be institutionalized. I know it really affected him because she was like a mother to him. And his uncle was always involved in his life.”
The way Sierra said the word “involved” sounded almost bitter. “Did you think he intruded too much in Jen’s life?”
She sighed heavily. “I think Iwao Yamimoto was not someone who really knew how to love others, including his nephew. Control was how he worked. He saw Jen as a good way to make money. Jen is so good-looking and sweet and funny and I think Iwao always wanted to be the big man. I don’t know how to explain it, but Iwao had these dreams and visions of being, like, a Japanese Donald Trump or something. He was really caught up into the glitz and glamour of the celebrity world and also the world of big business moguls here in America.”
“You didn’t like Iwao, did you?” Nikki reached down and gave Ollie a scratch on the head.
“I won’t lie. No. I didn’t. I thought he used Jen. I thought he used a lot of people and I’m not surprised that he’s dead.”
“What about Mizuki? Did you know her?”
Sierra looked down, her face darkening. “A little bit. I met her once when Jen and I went to Hawaii. His uncle and Mizuki were there. We couldn’t really speak to each other. She was very submissive and didn’t speak English, but she seemed like a nice person. I liked her from what I knew. It made me not like Iwao even more. I know that I shouldn’t say that because he’s dead.”
“What happened with the movie?”
“It went nowhere. Juan Gonzales and Ruben Pearlman, who did the musical score and helped finance the movie, lost a ton of money. And I’m pretty sure that when Iwao put it all together, he inflated everything. Juan brought Ruben in, and the irony is, that’s how Ruben got involved with the S.E.E. members. Then Iwao insisted I help him get in with my dad.”
“I would bet there were some hard feelings between Ruben and Juan toward Iwao.”
She shrugged. “I think so, but my dad is big on forgiveness and preaches it. He knew a little about what had gone on between the three men because I’d told him. My dad is hands-off, though. He doesn’t like to get involved in other people’s problems and he hates gossip. I think part of the reason he let Iwao join is because he wanted the three of them to figure out the lesson behind their journey together.”
“And how about you? You didn’t stay with Jen?”
“No.” She became noticeably emotional again at the mention of this.
“When we were in Hawaii together, I thought Jen was going to propose to me. He wanted to tell his uncle about our plans for the future. We’d talked about marriage. Then I woke up on the last day and Jen was gone. Iwao told me that he’d gone back to Japan and gave me a letter Jen had written for me.”
“What?”
“I know. It didn’t make sense to me then and it still doesn’t. All he wrote was that we weren’t meant to be together and he wanted me to find someone else.”
“That doesn’t make sense. Did he ever contact you again?”
“No. I tried to find out where he was and had no luck. Iwao said that he was back home and had met someone else. He actually told me this when he came here on Thursday. I was shocked to see that he was here. I didn’t think he and Juan and Ruben had ever dealt with their issues. Knowing I would be here after the breakup with Jen… it didn’t make sense that he was here. The only thing I can think of is that he is completely motivated by money and that he desperately wanted to get my dad and Eli to publish their books with his company. He had some big plans to turn my dad into a celebrity motivational speaker. He told my dad that he was going to get him on television here and in Japan and together they would be rich.”
“That’s not your dad’s motivation. The money.”
“No. Not at all. Anyway, that’s my saga… and I do feel better after talking to someone. It’s hard in my family. Even though we’re supposed to be who we are, it isn’t always possible.”
Nikki reached across the table and covered the woman’s hand with her own. “I think who you are, Sierra, is a good person.” She smiled. “And I’m sorry about the way things happened with you and Jen.” Nikki couldn’t imagine if Derek left her without any explanation. And then to find out he’d wound up with someone else? Unbelievable.
Sierra looked up, past Nikki, her lips quivering. Her face paled.
“Sierra, are you okay?”
“Jen,” she replied.
Nikki turned around to see a handsome Japanese man-sculpted cheekbones, dark hair slicked back, brown eyes trained on Sierra’s face. Jen Yamimoto stood between the arches of the café and the hotel lobby.
Twenty-six
NIKKI stood up and walked over to the man. She introduced herself. Sierra hadn’t moved from the table.
“Hello. I’m Jen Yamimoto. I’ve come because I’ve been informed of my uncle’s death.” He looked past Nikki. “Sierra?”
She finally stood and came toward them. “Jen.”
“I didn’t know you would be here. I didn’t know that my uncle had come for a workshop. The police told me when they called me, but oh, wow, it’s so good to see you.”
Sierra stared at him.