BooksBarbecue
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

Vidal was right in front of me, and I could have found some way to confront him about Three Phoenix, about where Jimmy Fang went. Where Dao could be right now. There are so many could haves in this, but I don’t have it in me to be angry about the loss of opportunity.

At the marina, I look over at the boats. Vidal’s is docked in the same place it had been the last time. But there’s no one in it. I wait for an hour in the cold. Nothing. No sounds of bodies slapping together, no knock-kneed women limping up the path in tears. No men who exude power and disdain.

No Vidal.

Not even Lam, whom I’d met once and has decided, very inconveniently, to remember me.

I’m out here alone, just me and the night, lit up by a crescent moon shining over the calm sea. Thinking of Lam and his timing, which I’d initially thought was very poor. But it only was terrible for me.

For him, though, maybe it was great. And maybe that wasn’t an accident.

Bernard Lam is a man full of surprises.

20

Brazuca is waiting for me in the office the next morning, and he’s furious.

“You lied to me,” he says. “When I showed up at the club, you weren’t there and Joe Nolan wasn’t on the door.”

I don’t deny it. “I was worried Nolan wouldn’t talk to you. Turns out it was for nothing because he didn’t even show up.”

“Is that your idea of an apology?”

We both know it’s not. I’m not in the habit of apologizing, especially to Brazuca. There is too much between us to be sorry for. We could be here for days. I heat up some stale coffee and hand him a mug instead. “This client of yours who may know something more . . . is it Bernard Lam?”

He sits up straighter in his chair. I’ve got his full attention now. There’s a shift in his expression, like admitting Lam is his client is his dirty little secret. “What happened?”

“Lam was there last night, with Vidal. All nice and cozy. What does he know?”

“He knows,” says Lam, from behind us, “that before the Devi Group, Peter Vidal worked for the law firm Jimmy Fang used for his legal defense when he got busted. And he also knows that you and I, Nora, seem to have a mutual interest in Three Phoenix.”