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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

Now I’m back to the zip ties, rubbing at them until my wrists are bloody and raw. I’m still working away at those when the door opens again and someone comes down the stairs, armed with a small but powerful flashlight. I blink as the light catches me.

“Hello again,” says a voice I vaguely recognize but can’t quite place. “You really did a number on those wrists, didn’t you?”

I shut my eyes tight against the glare and then slit them open again, only a sliver this time. It doesn’t help. I still can’t see a damn thing. “Who are you?”

And the voice laughs.

57

Brazuca goes to a meeting for the first time in a long, long while. The scratches on his face are mostly healed, but people still flinch at his appearance and his shuttered expression. There’s a hard edge to him now that nobody likes. Tough. He doesn’t like it, either, but he’s not going to change for these losers. Sitting and listening to his fellow alcoholics repeat their sad stories and their limp motivations, he feels nothing but distaste.

Simone slips in toward the end of the meeting. He catches her stealing glances at him throughout the meeting. With her electric blue hair and violently green nails and lipstick, she’s easy to spot. Especially when she tries to make a quick exit.

He catches up to her in the parking lot. It’s a cold and blustery night, but even so he thought she’d be less annoyed to see him. “What?” she asks when he puts his hand on her arm.

“Nora . . . have you heard anything?”

“No,” she says, looking inexplicably angry.

“If you hear from her—”

“Nora’s gone! Okay?”

“That seems cold.”

“Yeah, well, fuck you very much. What do you think must have happened to her by now, Jon? She’s dead! You see that, right?”

He does see it. But he doesn’t want to. What he wants is Nora back.

Simone can tell, and she pities him. “Don’t you want your life back, Jon? Don’t you want to be happy? There are signs, and then there are signs. Don’t let her take any more of your life. Don’t let her jeopardize your sobriety and your mental health.”

She spins on her sky-high platformed heel and walks away.

There’s nothing for him to do after that but go home. He thinks about calling Bonnie, but Strauss had warned him that, due to the high-profile nature of the case, they’re not revealing details about Nora’s disappearance until they figure out whose remains were in the pickup. If she’s still alive, Nora is in the hands of the people who want her dead. There’s no use reaching out to her daughter without answers.