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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

“Bonnie. Her name is Bonnie. She’s seventeen years old. Is she . . . did she survive?”

“Ma’am—”

“Is she alive? Tell me!”

“She’s alive,” the cop says eventually. “And she’ll live. The bullet hit her arm, but it seems she was struck unconscious by the fall to the ground. Broke her nose something awful. Lost a lot of blood, too.”

It’s only then that I can breathe a sigh of relief and refuse to speak on principle. Firstly, because I’m not about to talk to the cops now that it’s all over. More importantly, I guess I’m still in shock. Bonnie is alive, but Lynn is still as dead as she was when I found her in the cabin.

Edison Lam has sent me a legal representative. I’m not one to look a gift attorney in the mouth, so I let her do all the talking. Kristof does some speaking as well, though I don’t know what exactly he says; I just observe him, how calm and cool he is. How unsurprised.

The lawyer gets me out of the interview quickly. I’m in shock, she says. The trauma of finding my daughter near death and her adoptive mother murdered—this is after fearing for my life and going into hiding. Why wasn’t I taken to a hospital first? She hints at racial bias. This could be grounds for a suit. There must have been a fresh batch of sensitivity training, because these are the magic words. They let me go. I go to the hospital to look for my daughter, where I’m told by a nurse who must have once been an army general, with her rigid back and impassive face, that Bonnie has been transferred to a private hospital. The nurse won’t tell me which one.

“Ma’am, if you don’t leave, I’ll be forced to call security.”

In fact, she already has. Two security guards approach from behind me and escort me out to the parking lot where I stand, confused and cold, wondering what to do now. I call Leo and ask him to bring Whisper over to Simone’s place.

Edison Lam is waiting for me when I get there. Simone pulls me into a hug while I stand with my eyes empty and my arms by my side.

“You sent Kristof to finish the job if I didn’t,” I say to him. “You heard what I said through the intercom? The address I gave?”

“I’m sorry for your troubles,” says Mr. Lam. “But what does any of that matter anymore?”