Page 37 of The Impossible Fortune

‘So who would get the codes?’ Elizabeth asks.

‘I honestly don’t know,’ says Holly, who seems to be regaining some composure. ‘No idea.’

If you were to ask Ibrahim, who likes nothing better than cracking the codes of the mind, he would say she’s lying. Quite why, though, he couldn’t tell you.

‘Well, if you really don’t know,’ says Elizabeth, ‘the two of you should start to think about writing your codes down somewhere safe and sound, so someone you trust could find them if you do die.’

‘Might be too late for Nick,’ says Ron. ‘You could just tell me your code if you like though?’

‘No one is going to die,’ says Holly. ‘And, if you’ll excuse me, I might call it a night. I’ve told you everything I can. You’ve got my number if Nick gets in touch.’

‘Of course,’ says Ibrahim. ‘You’ve been very kind indeed to come to see us.’

Holly stands and swings her bag over her shoulder. Ibrahim sees that Joyce feels guilty about the weight of the brownies. That’s what happens when you bake hungover, Joyce.

Holly gives stiff handshakes to Elizabeth and Ibrahim, and then refuses hugs from Joyce and Ron. She walks towards the exit, listing under the weight of the bag. The gang watch her go, waiting for her to be out of earshot.

‘I knew that’s what cold storage was,’ says Ibrahim.

‘Somebody is after that Bitcoin,’ says Elizabeth.

‘And is willing to kill for it,’ says Ibrahim.

‘But Holly was right,’ says Joyce.

‘Right about what, Joyce?’ Elizabeth doesn’t like her train of thought being broken.

‘Why try to kill Nick if you don’t know his code? Why plant a bomb under his car? If it was me, I’d kidnap him and then torture him.’

‘You used to be such an innocent woman, Joyce,’ says Ibrahim.

‘No, she didn’t,’ says Ron, and raises his wine glass to her.

‘If you wanted to steal the money,’ says Joyce, ‘you wouldn’t try to kill him. You’d try to get his code.’

‘Unless killing him was a way to get his code,’ says Elizabeth.

Exactly what Ibrahim had been thinking. They are all on the same page.

‘The solicitor,’ says Ron, taking his jacket from the back of his chair. ‘That’s clever. It’s always the solicitors, isn’t it? I bet it’s the same guy who did my first divorce.’

Okay, so maybe Ron isn’t on the same page.

‘I’d better head home,’ says Ron. ‘Pauline’s looking after Kendrick. I’ll leave you to catch the solicitor.’

‘Ron, not all solicitors are evil,’ says Joyce. ‘If Holly kills Nick, Holly has Nick’s code handed to her.’

‘Worth three hundred and fifty million pounds,’ says Ibrahim. ‘That’s quite the motive.’

‘Wait, Holly planted the car bomb?’ says Ron, struggling with his jacket, then realizing the sleeve is inside-out. ‘The morning of the wedding?’

‘I did wonder why she wasn’t there,’ says Joyce. ‘They’re all supposed to be friends. But you wouldn’t come to a wedding if you’d just planted a car bomb under the best man’s Volvo?’

‘Lexus, Joyce,’ says Ibrahim. ‘But precisely.’

‘And now,’ says Elizabeth, ‘having failed, Holly is asking our help in finding Nick Silver.’

‘Or delivering him to her,’ says Ibrahim.