BooksBarbecue
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

“Yes, but there are fools all around us.” I wonder if he’s talking about anyone in this room particularly, but he continues before I can dwell on it further. “I know this man Dao. I have seen him at various events with the Zhang family, but I did not pay him much attention because he was just a bodyguard. I think he deserves some of my attention now, don’t you?”

“He might be able to answer your questions about Bernard’s last moments better than we can,” Brazuca says, careful not to glance my way.

“I think you might be right. Do you know where I can find him?”

“No.”

“I suppose I’ll have to look.”

“If he does turn up, please let us know,” says Brazuca. “I have a few questions for him, too. I worked for Bernard, but he was also a friend.”

Mr. Lam hides his disbelief well.

When he leaves with his bodyguard, I let Whisper out of the bathroom. She walks through the apartment, sniffing the surfaces the two men touched. She’s agitated, but then again, so am I.

“If he finds Dao, he won’t tell us,” I say.

“Not a chance. But if anyone can locate him, it’s that man.”

“It would have helped if we could tell him that we saw Dao kill his son.”

“Yes, but then we’d have to tell him that we were there when it happened. Which would mean we lied to the police in Indonesia. We’d lose his trust.”

“I’m not sure we have his trust, but I think you’re right.” I think of Bernard Lam and how he’d wanted to use me. I’m not sure I can allow myself to be used that way again. I trust Bernard Lam’s father as much as I trusted Lam himself.

“I need some air,” says Brazuca.

“Will you take Whisper for a walk?”

“I really need to be alone right now.”

He doesn’t look well, so I don’t push it. It’s the first time he’s asked for space. Perhaps it’s the first time he’s recognized he needs it.

47

The car is idling down the block, just like Brazuca knew it would be. Even someone like Edison Lam couldn’t find decent parking on this street.

Brazuca casts a glance behind him, but he doesn’t see Nora in front of the apartment. Doesn’t see her up in the window, either. Her sight line from the window doesn’t extend far enough to see where he’s going, so if she’s not on the street, he’s safe.

He knocks on the glass of the black-tinted SUV. The door opens, and the bodyguard steps out. “I have some information,” Brazuca says, before the bodyguard has a chance to tell him to get lost.

“Let him in,” says Edison.