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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

But good as isn’t the same as dead. Cold comfort, but it’s all I have.

55

The manhunt is a joint affair. Because of the video showing Bernard Lam’s execution, authorities in Indonesia request assistance through Interpol, which means the Department of Justice becomes involved. Local police work with the elite Fugitive Task Force out of Toronto.

Conservative American pundits howl for Canada to do a better job at policing their borders. Liberal Canadians gently remind everyone that America is not a model they want to emulate. Conservative Canadians shout that maybe they do.

Because tensions are high, nobody in the country is apologizing.

Some souls unfamiliar with the country’s colonial history wonder what is happening in their nice country.

Aspersions are cast all around.

All law enforcement involved are reminded of that time two bike cops in Montreal were responsible for apprehending one of the FBI’s most wanted during a routine stop. If bike cops can do it, why can’t they? There are jokes on the radio about hiring some Montreal bike cops to teach Vancouver PD a lesson.

The weather joins forces with the criminal element against the good men and women in uniform. Also against the bad ones, because weather doesn’t discriminate. There’s snowstorm after snowstorm. Nobody in the city can get their hands on road salt. Between astronomical gas prices and this lack of ability to get out of their own driveways, Vancouverites give up and stay home.

After the first day, Lee starts to assume Nora Watts is dead.

Secretly, so does Brazuca.

The stolen pickup truck is discovered parked on the side of an abandoned logging road in Abbotsford. The truck had been doused with gasoline and lit on fire, so all the police found was a burned-out shell of a vehicle. And human remains that have yet to be identified.

When he’s released from the hospital, Brazuca sits in his apartment, by his telescope, and puts his face in his hands. He hasn’t been taking his antibiotics, so his ulcer has returned. With friends.

He gets a call from IHIT, the Integrated Homicide Investigation Team. They’re investigating the pickup truck death.

Brazuca is asked to come in to go over the Nora story yet again. He does, with the same level of detail that he’d given to Lee and Strauss at the hospital.

“You’re telling me,” says Detective Hiroshi Ito, “that a man who worked private security for a VIP developed some kind of grudge against a local woman, the passenger in your vehicle at the time it was struck, and that he had put a hit on this woman. He used a biker gang to kidnap her.”