Page 54 of The Impossible Fortune

‘A miner?’ says Ron. ‘I doubt it.’

‘Who got murdered?’ Kendrick asks.

‘No one, Kenny,’ says Ron.

‘A lady called Holly who’d hidden three hundred and fifty million pounds,’ says Pauline. ‘Honestly, Ronnie, he’s nine, not three.’

‘Where has she hidden it?’ Kendrick asks.

‘Ain’t that the question,’ says Ron. ‘In a safe somewhere. They reckon there’s codes.’

‘I like codes,’ says Kendrick.

‘You surprise me, Kenny,’ says Ron.

‘So, Ron,’ says Elizabeth, ‘Bill Benson will know where The Compound is. And I want him to tell you. Understand?’

‘Yes, boss,’ says Ron. I mean, it’s nice to see Elizabeth back at her fighting weight, but Ron had forgotten how rude she could be to him. He’d negotiated in some of Britain’s largest ever industrial disputes. And while, if he really thinks about it, he had almost always been unsuccessful, he knows he can handle an interview with a miner about a murder. And, besides, maybe Ibrahim will come with him?

‘And the other name?’ Ibrahim asks. ‘Did you find out anything about Davey Noakes or Lord Townes?’

‘Nothing,’ says Elizabeth. ‘The SIM card was almost a write-off, so nothing on either of them. But we may have found someone much more interesting.’

‘Holly made a phone call immediately after leaving us,’ says Joyce.

‘Just before she died?’ Ibrahim asks.

‘Seconds before,’ says Elizabeth.

‘To a woman called Jill Usher,’ says Joyce. ‘In Manchester. She’s a teacher, like you, Paul …’

Joyce nods towards Paul. Ron knows she’s keen to include him.

‘I mean, I’m a professor of sociology, but, yes,’ agrees Paul.

‘A nursery-school teacher, thirty-five years old, three children. She looks very nice on Facebook. She did a walk for Alzheimer’s.’

‘So Joyce and I will be travelling to Manchester,’ says Elizabeth. ‘And in the meantime we need to redouble our efforts to find Nick Silver. I’ve had people looking into everything he does and everything he owns, and they can’t find a trace of him. Paul, you really need to get your thinking cap on. Where might he go?’

‘Ibiza?’ Paul suggests.

Elizabeth shakes her head. ‘I’ve had all the ports and airports watched.’

‘Face it,’ says Pauline, ‘he’s probably dead.’

‘Who’s Nick Silver?’ Kendrick asks. ‘And is he really dead?’

‘Dead, God, no, he’s …’ Ron stops himself. ‘He’s also hidden all that money, and, yeah, he might be dead too.’

‘If he’s alive, he’ll be heading for the money sooner rather than later,’ says Elizabeth. ‘Hopefully Bill Benson will take care of that for us. Paul, you’re absolutely sure you don’t know?’

‘Not a clue,’ says Paul. ‘Somewhere secure, that’s all I know. Nick said if he ever told me, he’d have to kill me. Which, at the time, you know, I thought was a joke.’

‘Maybe it’s underground,’ says Kendrick. ‘That’s where I’d hide something.’

Everyone begins tucking into their food.

Ron looks around the table. It’s been a strange year, all in all. They’ve been waiting for Elizabeth to come back to them. It’s a funny old gang he finds himself surrounded by, and the force of Elizabeth’s personality is the glue that binds that gang together.