Page 122 of The Impossible Fortune

‘Done,’ says Danny. ‘But I’m never going to prison again. Too smart for all that.’

‘And last of all,’ says Ron, ‘you call off the hit on Suzi, Kendrick, Jason. All rid of you for good.’

‘Sure,’ says Danny. ‘For the Bitcoin.’

‘And I can trust you?’ says Ron.

Ron sees that even Danny’s palms are sweaty. One slip on that trigger and he’s dead.

‘You can trust me,’ says Danny.

Ron nods. ‘Prove it.’

‘Uh?’ says Danny.

Ron remembers the two of them lying on the floor, helping Kendrick build a Lego fire station. ‘Firemen are all right,’ Danny had said to his young son. ‘They might look like cops, but they’re not.’

‘Who did you hire to kill Jason?’ Ron asks.

‘Ron, we don’t grass,’ says Danny.

Grassing. The greatest crime of all.

‘Then ring him for me,’ says Ron. ‘Ring him now, tell him the hit’s off. You give me Jason’s life back, and you can take mine.’

‘I could be ringing anyone,’ says Danny.

Ron thinks about this for a few moments. Long enough to come up with the plan at least.

‘Stick it on speaker,’ says Ron. ‘Let me listen. If I’m convinced it’s the man you hired to kill Jason, you’ve got the Bitcoin.’

Danny likes this trade-off. Ron wonders what Elizabeth would make of all this. He saw exactly what she did for Stephen. Exactly how far she would go for her own loved ones. She of all people would understand.

Danny is scrolling through his phone but coming up blank. He takes a different phone from his pocket and starts scrolling through that instead.

Joyce? What would Joyce think? Ron remembers the time a swan had chased after Alan. Poor little dog was terrified. To this day, whenever Joyce goes to feed the swans, she makes absolutely certain the swan who chased Alan gets nothing. Ron asked her how she could tell the swans apart and Joyce said it was easy, just look for the evil one.

So, yeah, Joyce would get it too.

Danny has found the number, and his phone is now on speaker. One hand is on the phone, the other still pointing the gun at Ron. Ron hears a metallic ring through the speaker.

Ibrahim? If they found Ron dead, what would Ibrahim think? Ron can’t find an easy way through that one. No Stephen, no swan. Just his best mate, lonely. Would Ibrahim forgive him? It doesn’t really matter, because Ron is not sure he could ever forgive himself. If he gets through this, he’s going to tell Ibrahim exactly what he means to him. Neither of them will enjoy it, but he’ll do it anyway.

If he gets through this. Danny’s call is answered.

‘Bobby.’

‘Bobby, it’s Alpha 4.’

‘I’m working on it. It’ll be done.’

‘Mission off. Release target.’

At this the voice on the other end starts to drop the forced military tone.

‘What about my twenty grand, Danny? You said ten upfront and twenty when Ritchie was dead?’

Danny looks at Ron. Ron gives him a firm nod.