Page 9 of The Impossible Fortune

‘Locked in a solicitor’s office hundreds of miles away,’ says Nick. ‘If Holly or I die, the other one gets their code. But not even the solicitor knows what he’s got. The only place anyone could find it is up here.’

Nick indicates his head.

‘So someone wants to kill you for a code that exists only in your head? And a code that exists only in Holly’s head?’

‘Yes,’ says Nick. ‘I don’t know who else can help. I can’t have police near The Compound.’

‘The Compound?’ Elizabeth asks. The tale gets wilder. And yet.

‘Oh, Christ,’ says Nick. ‘It sounds so stupid when I sayit out loud. You really have to let me start from the beginning. I own a company. A security company.’

‘A security company, I see,’ says Elizabeth. Well, this is interesting. There is very little in this world as dangerous as security.

‘We specialize in cold storage,’ says Nick. ‘Do you know what that is?’

Elizabeth does not, but she has to admit she likes the sound of it. ‘I’m guessing it’s not fridge-freezers?’

‘It’s not,’ says Nick. ‘Holly and I have something very valuable there, and earlier this week we told two people about it.’

‘I see,’ says Elizabeth.

‘And suddenly,’ says Nick, ‘there’s a bomb under my Lexus.’

‘The names of these two people?’ says Elizabeth.

‘Have you heard of Davey Noakes?’

‘I don’t think I’ve ever heard of anyone called Davey,’ replies Elizabeth.

‘Ravey Davey, they called him. If you’d bought Ecstasy in the nineties, you’d have heard of him.’

‘I’ll ask Ron,’ says Elizabeth.

‘Then that game got more dangerous,’ says Nick. ‘And Davey turned his hand to high-end tech stuff instead.’

‘Legal high-end tech stuff?’ asks Elizabeth.

‘No,’ says Nick.

Good, thinks Elizabeth. ‘And the other name?’

‘Lord Townes,’ says Nick. ‘He’s a banker; we told him too.’

‘So you think one of those men planted a bomb under your car this morning?’

‘Has to be,’ says Nick. ‘They’re the only people who know what we’re hiding.’

The doors onto the terrace open once more, a blast of music escaping the party. Paul, Joanna’s new husband, steps out.

‘Nico, we thought you must be lying drunk under a hedge! Come on, we’re cutting the cake.’

Nick looks at Elizabeth. Elizabeth tilts her head in the direction of the door. ‘My friend Joyce ordered the cake. We’d best see it cut, or she’ll kill me before someone kills you.’

‘Can you come and see me though?’ Nick asks. ‘Tomorrow? Please. I’ll tell you exactly why one of those two wants to kill me.’

‘One of those three,’ says Elizabeth.

‘Three?’ asks Nick Silver.