Readers Guide to The Impossible Fortune

My Questions About The Impossible Fortune:

• Is Nick Silver dead, kidnapped, or hiding?
• Who planted the bomb on Nick Silver’s car?
• Who then proceeded to plant a bomb in the car of Holly Lewis, killing her?
• Who was after the bitcoin?
• Was Joanna’s new husband involved?

Where was Nick Silver?

After finding the car bomb, Nick went into hiding. We knew that he sent a secret message (via test) to his close friend and investor, Paul Brett. Tia and Kendrick were able to crack the code, which contained Nick’s half of the code needed to access the bitcoin key.

At the end of the book, Paul lets Nick know that the coast is clear (through a song dedication, which I loved!) and breaks some bad news about the bitcoin (more below.)

Who Planted the Bomb on Nick’s Car?

It was Nick’s business partner, Holly Lewis. She was the one after the bitcoin, and wanted it all for herself.

Thankfully, Nick spotted the bomb. He was able to tell Elizabeth that someone was after him (and the bitcoin) and then go into hiding.

Who Planted a Bomb in Holly Lewis’s Car?

Former drug kingpin Davey Noakes. But he didn’t intend to kill her.

He was the one who gave Holly and Nick the bitcoin in the first place, for storage fees in their “cold storage” underground bunker.

Holly came to Davey for help with selling the bitcoin, as she assumed the bomb would kill Nick, leaving her the sole owner.

But I guess there is (sometimes) honor among thieves, as Davey thought this was not right. Davey removed the bomb from Nick’s car and placed it on the seat of Holly’s car with a note that said “play fair.”

Holly got the message, but also lost her life.

Was Joanna’s New Husband Involved?

No. I was pretty convinced that he was, and was glad to be wrong. Paul was the person who could retrieve the key if both Nick and Holly were dead (or missing), so he could have gone after it.

How Did the Thursday Murder Club Get the Bitcoin Key?

First, they cracked Holly’s code. They spent a lot of time tracking down the owner of the last phone number that Holly called, that of a woman named Jill Usher. Finally, Elizabeth realized that Jill was called randomly. Jill’s phone number was Holly’s six digit code, which Holly called right before she died (presumably when she saw the bomb on her passenger seat and knew she was doomed.)

Then Kendrick and Tia figured out that Nick had hidden his code in the texts he sent to Paul. (You might remember that Kendrick also found an important clue in book three.)

With both codes, all the club needed was for a client of the Compound to take them underground. Connie agreed to do it.

Help! I don’t understand the code in the texts!

I read the printed version and didn’t crack the code. If you were listening, I think it would have been even harder to figure it out. So the codes are six numbers and Tia and Kendrick found a number in each of Nick’s texts. Even typing this out I didn’t see them!!!

HERE ARE THE TEXTS WITH THE CLUES HIGHLIGHTED:

• Paul, it’s me. I have to lay how for a while but don’TWOrry, I’m safe (TWO)
• NO NEed mate, just wanted you to know I’m alive. (ONE)
• Can’t ring thiS EVENing Paul. Will explain all soon. (SEVEN)
• Sorry mate what is this. A test oF OUR friendship? I’m letting you know I’m okay and this is what I get? (FOUR)
• Jesus, Paul. WheN I NEed you most you pull this (NINE)
• I’m sorry IF IVE offended you Paul. (FIVE)

So the code is 2-1-7-4-9-5

Did Connie Try to Kill Ron?

Maybe?

Remember, Connie was still angry at Ron for getting her arrested in book three. (Ron had the idea to have the gang tell Connie about a big drug deal happening on the pier and play the part of a dealer. When Connie showed up and shot Frank Andrade, the police arrested her.)

While Connie did help the TMC get the bitcoin key, she also told Danny, Ron’s disgruntled son-in-law, that Ron had a bitcoin key worth millions.

Ron agreed to give Danny the key if Danny called off the hit on Jason and Suzi. Danny agreed but it was all a set-up. The police swooped in and arrested Danny.

It was a big deal for Ron to “grass” and cooperate with the police but he did it to keep his family safe.

What Happened to Lord Towne?

I’m not 100% sure so let’s discuss that.

Lord Towne hoped to save his floundering family estate by collecting a broker’s fee by selling the bitcoin for Holly and Nick. When that fell apart, he took his boat out, seemingly to take his own life. (Joyce also tells us that he is the main suspect in Holly’s murder.)

But as Towne is poised shoot himself, he saw a galleon sailing toward him. Was he imagining it? Did he signal it and sail off with it?

I am not 100% sure what happened to him. If you have theories, leave them in the comments.

So Who Ended Up with The Bitcoin?

No one. Or I guess Davey did, in a manner of speaking.

Way back when he gave the bitcoin to Holly and Nick, he actually gave them a fake bitcoin key and kept the bitcoin for himself, selling it off over the years. So after all that, there was never any bitcoin.

Perhaps that was why he took offense at Holly trying to kill Nick for something that he knew was worthless.

I got an email from Larry, who has an alternate Bitcoin theory (he also explains Davey’s confession in more detail):

Larry wrote: “Davey Noakes “confesses” (if you will) that he substituted the twelve digit bitcoin key, split in half, with fabricated random digits, selling the original £20K over time, as the bitcoin market rose in value.”

Larry was surprised that Elizabeth (or Ibrahim) did not challenge that unsubstantiated assertion.

Larry says: “How are they (or we) to know whether Noakes quietly is not sitting on the £350M he swindled from Holly and Nick (always “Holly and Nick,” except when it is not)? “Impossible”?