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Back No Going Back: a Novel Save as PDF
Chapters (84)
  1. Cover
  2. Dedication
  3. Part 1
  4. 1
  5. 2
  6. 3
  7. 4
  8. 5
  9. 6
  10. 7
  11. 8
  12. 9
  13. 10
  14. 11
  15. 12
  16. 13
  17. 14
  18. Part 2
  19. 15
  20. 16
  21. 17
  22. 18
  23. 19
  24. 20
  25. 21
  26. 22
  27. 23
  28. 24
  29. 25
  30. 26
  31. 27
  32. 28
  33. 29
  34. 30
  35. 31
  36. 32
  37. Part 3
  38. 33
  39. 34
  40. 35
  41. 36
  42. 37
  43. 38
  44. 39
  45. 40
  46. 41
  47. 42
  48. Part 4
  49. 43
  50. 44
  51. 45
  52. 46
  53. 47
  54. 48
  55. 49
  56. 50
  57. 51
  58. 52
  59. Part 5
  60. 53
  61. 54
  62. 55
  63. 56
  64. 57
  65. 58
  66. Part 6
  67. 59
  68. 60
  69. 61
  70. 62
  71. 63
  72. 64
  73. 65
  74. 66
  75. 67
  76. 68
  77. 69
  78. 70
  79. 71
  80. 72
  81. Acknowledgments
  82. About the Author
  83. Also by Sheena Kamal
  84. About the Publisher

Bonnie doesn’t take this well. She’s quieter when she speaks next. “I can’t. There was a van and a man tried to grab me . . .”

“No.”

There’s a moment of silence. “You don’t think it happened?”

This . . . this is exactly what I was afraid of. “I know it did.” All I can think of is that she’s here, right where she shouldn’t be. Close to me.

And the film reel keeps spinning.

45

Things have changed between Bonnie’s adoptive parents, Lynn and Everett. When I first met them two years ago, their marriage was a cautionary tale in getting married. Now divorced, they’re at ease with each other in the kitchen of Everett’s rented apartment in a way I would not have expected of them. There’s even a hint of warmth underlying the concerned looks they shoot each other when they think Bonnie and I aren’t looking.

It’s the first time I’ve seen the three of them together like this, Bonnie and her parents. Back when she’d gone missing and they reached out to me to see if I knew anything about her disappearance, everything about their relationship with each other seemed strained.

But now, through the miracle of divorce, they finally seem like a cohesive family unit.

“Whoever tried to take her, the vehicle was stolen and later dumped,” Lynn says. “There was some CCTV footage, but they couldn’t identify anyone. Only the driver was visible, but his face wasn’t clear.”

I look at Bonnie. “And you said it was likely two people?”

“One guy tried to grab me, and seconds later the car pulled away. I think there were two of them.”

It’s difficult to find a trusted accomplice for your sexual predation, if that’s what it was. Which makes me think it wasn’t about sexual predation at all. That it was targeted. Lynn and Everett think so, too.

It’s time to come clean. “There was a man who worked for the Zhang family—”

“Dao?” Bonnie asks.

“Yes. He’s alive. He remembers me, and you, too. Two years ago, when I went looking for you on Vancouver Island, in Ucluelet, I shot him. I think . . . I think he’s holding a grudge.”

“You mean he was trying to kidnap me again?”

“Not him personally. He’s been hiding out overseas. But he might have had people watching you. And his grudge isn’t with you. It’s with me. He knows if you go missing, I’ll come looking.”

“We’re going to the police,” Everett says.

Lynn puts a hand on his arm. A friendly gesture. They’ve come a long way, these two. “We’ve already been to the police in Toronto. There wasn’t much they could do. What are we supposed to say? This whole thing is beyond me, Nora.”