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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

I caught his nod in the rearview mirror. “Yes, well. I wanted to see how it played out. Thought maybe David Tao would show up, but I realized the house was empty. There are cameras, but they’re not hooked up, and though there’s a security company sign on the lawn, there was no alarm.”

“Yes,” I said. “This is a property Nguyen owns, but he doesn’t live here.” Then I asked him about what’s been on my mind since I got taken. “What happened to Brazuca?”

“My colleague stayed behind to make sure he got to the hospital. He did. He’ll make it.” He glanced at me in the mirror. “There’s a bottle of water beside you.”

I drank the whole thing. The bodyguard who was now so obviously more than a bodyguard said nothing. We were on what appeared to be a dark country road with houses scattered at intervals. “I guess we’re going to see your boss,” I said.

Looking back, I’m not sure if a smile crossed his face or if I simply imagined it.

We didn’t go see his boss, Edison Lam. We went to the building where Leo was crashing, but he wasn’t there. So he took me to Simone’s place. In that car ride I told him everything I knew about Dao. He explained that Brazuca tipped him to the biker connection and that since the video of Bernard Lam’s murder had surfaced, Mr. Lam had been cooperating with the authorities.

“But they don’t know about your private investigation,” I said.

He shook his head.

I must have told him what I did because I was too tired to raise my normal defenses. There was no need to keep up with the innocent girlfriend act, which didn’t come naturally to me anyway. Plus, it’s easier to share your secrets with a stranger. I never asked him what his name was and he didn’t bother to tell me.

“Do you know where Dao is?” I asked.

“David Tao is likely in British Columbia, but we don’t know where. Van Nguyen is a new angle.”

“Is it safe to assume that Mr. Lam is continuing to investigate this privately? He’s not going to sit back and let the authorities in on this, is he?”

He didn’t answer, which was answer enough. “We’ll be in touch,” he said, before I got out of the car.

I’m guessing he wasn’t using the royal we. He’s not the queen. He was letting me know that he and Edison Lam will be wanting answers to their questions, but not that day. Out of deference to the time of night, my obvious state of distress, or for some other mysterious reason of his own.

60

I’m left standing on the promenade with my hood pulled close, watching the harbor. There are no stars out tonight, no moon.