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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’ve been a cop, Nora. There’s some information you only get from close sources. I’ve been over the case time and again, looking through Three Phoenix associates. I narrowed it down to one guy.”

In the waning daylight Brazuca talks about what he’s unearthed on the Jimmy Fang case, which may give me a lead on Dao’s network. Maybe even a way to find him before he finds me. Brazuca tells us about his police source and the criminology reports he’s read. The countless articles and interviews.

Rain patters against the windowpanes, turning the little yard behind the kitchen into a pit of sludge. Brazuca and Leo are both animated, both so earnest. I’ve never been good at reading Brazuca, but, for what it’s worth, he seems invested in this. Maybe I’m growing as a person, because I don’t immediately discount the instinct to trust him. Even though there still may be a betrayal or two up his sleeve. I fall into the circle forming around us, but carefully. Like a woman with something to lose. Inch by inch, bit by bit.

Finally, Brazuca turns to me. “One last thing, Nora. You can’t stay here. The people who’ve been watching you know this address.”

“You can use my apartment in Chinatown,” Leo offers. “Whisper will be better off here, though.” An argument ensues. There’s no way I’m leaving her behind. Finally, Leo agrees to hand his keys over.

After Brazuca leaves, we sit in the kitchen for a long time.

To fill the silence Leo puts on Chopin’s nocturnes, which he believes Seb loved as much as he did. He thought Chopin was “their” composer when in fact the nocturnes were only special to Seb because Leo couldn’t get enough of them. Even in this, they didn’t understand each other. Or the love they shared. The Chopin is endless, playing from the laptop in Seb’s old study on a loop, our own personal dirge.

The rain outside turns to snow, and I am riveted by the sight as it hits me that this is actually happening. Snow in Vancouver and, in order to find the man who’s threatened my life, we are going to look for a snitch.

6

“You’ve never really told me about your daughter,” Leo says to me, from the foot of the stairs.

I pause midway up. “We’re not close.”

“But she’s the reason you won’t get out of town for a while. You’re worried about her.”