Page 109 of The Impossible Fortune

‘Could you?’ he asks.

Is this what it comes to? Every day a new indignity. Every day a man who has never asked for help suddenly relying on kindness. What must Pauline have thought, tying up his laces? Ron thinks back to the man in the pub, having his food cut up for him. Bit by bit you return to childhood.

‘Bit nervous, fingers shaking.’

Bill rests a hand on his elbow. ‘Same.’

Ron looks down and sees that Bill is also wearing slip-ons.

Connie, in what appear to be jewel-encrusted stilettos, takes the piece of paper from Ron. ‘So this is the order?’

‘Holly first, then Nick,’ says Ron. ‘It’s always been that way round. Business cards, legal papers, all that. Ibrahim spotted it.’

‘Did he?’ says Connie, looking at the numbers again. ‘It’s definitely logical.’

‘Definitely logical,’ agrees Ron. ‘Stands to reason. You know Ibrahim.’

‘But …’ starts Connie, shaking her head. ‘If you’re going to go to all the trouble of having a code …’

Ron stops to think. ‘Why not add one little twist?’

Connie looks at him and nods. ‘Don’t you think?’

‘Ibrahim was sure though,’ says Ron.

‘He’s always sure,’ says Connie. She’s right about that. ‘But what would you do, if you were Holly and Nick?’

‘Me? I’d swap them round,’ says Ron.

‘So would I,’ says Connie.

‘Either way,’ says Bill, ‘I’d rather not get stuck down here. It’d be a hell of a job to get us out. Fire service, probablypolice, maybe even TV when the word got out we were trapped. Lot of questions about what we’re doing.’

‘Is there food down here?’ Ron asks.

‘I’ve got a KitKat,’ says Bill. ‘I’ve had my lunch already.’

Connie and Ron look at each other. Ron gives a little nod.

‘Nick, then Holly,’ says Connie. ‘If we’re right, we’ve got three hundred and fifty million. If we’re wrong, we’re those Chilean miners.’

‘Good lads, those Chilean miners,’ says Bill.

Connie steps up to the safe. She says each number out loud as she presses the buttons. ‘Two, one, seven, four, nine, five …’

‘In fact, I think I ate the KitKat too,’ says Bill.

‘Four, one, six, six, one, seven.’

For a moment nothing happens. Deep, deep underground, in a place where no outside sound or light has ever reached, the ex-miner, the drug dealer and the man with the shaking fingers hold their breath. Ron looks at Bill; Connie looks at Ron. They all look at the safe door.

Ron shakes his head. ‘I think we’re –’

There are three quick beeps, and the safe springs open. Ron puts his hands on his knees in relief, as Connie reaches in and takes out a piece of paper. Ron rights himself, and she hands it to him.

‘That’s it?’ he asks.

Connie runs her finger along the paper. ‘See all those numbers and letters? That’s the key, it’s a sort of account number. Proves the Bitcoin’s yours.’