Chapter 70 Summary – The Impossible Fortune
⚠️ Spoiler Warning: This guide contains detailed spoilers for the entire novel. Proceed only if you've finished reading or are comfortable knowing the plot.
Summary
Ron is cornered in his home by Danny Lloyd, who is high on cocaine and pointing a gun at him. Danny demands the Bitcoin worth £350 million, revealing that Connie Johnson double-crossed Ron and hired Danny to both steal the paper and kill Ron. Ron refuses to hand it over until Danny meets three conditions: never see Suzi again, never see Kendrick again, and call off the hits on Suzi, Jason, and Kendrick. Danny agrees and proves his sincerity by calling his hitman, Bobby (code name Alpha 4), on speakerphone and ordering him to abort the missions against Jason and Suzi. During the call, Danny admits to hiring Bobby to kill his own wife and son. Once Ron is satisfied, he walks into the bedroom—where armed police, led by DCI Chris Hudson, have been waiting. They storm out and arrest Danny. Ron reveals that the entire confrontation was a sting: he, Suzi, Jason, and Connie Johnson had planned it with the police, prompted by Kendrick, who overheard the earlier conversation. Ron sacrifices the Bitcoin to protect his family, concluding that there are worse crimes than informing on a criminal.
Key Events
- Danny Lloyd confronts Ron at gunpoint, demanding the Bitcoin.
- Danny reveals Connie Johnson hired him to kill Ron after double‑crossing him.
- Ron negotiates three conditions: Danny must stop seeing Suzi and Kendrick, and call off all hits on the Ritchie family.
- Danny calls his hitman Bobby (Alpha 4) on speakerphone, ordering him to abort the hits and admitting to paying him £50,000 to kill Jason and Suzi.
- Ron signals to the waiting police, who burst from the bedroom and arrest Danny.
- It is disclosed that Ron, the Ritchie family, Connie Johnson, and DCI Chris Hudson orchestrated the trap after Kendrick overheard the original plan.
- Ron gives up the Bitcoin to save his daughter and grandson, reaffirming that loyalty matters more than money.
Character Development
- Ron: Shows extraordinary courage and strategic thinking. He puts his own life at risk to protect his children and grandson, and he ultimately chooses sacrifice over survival, a profound shift driven by love and principle.
- Danny Lloyd: Exposed as a brutal, hollow man. His willingness to have his wife and son killed for money reveals the depth of his cowardice and cruelty, and his arrest removes a major threat from the family’s life.
- Connie Johnson: Initially appears treacherous, but the chapter reveals she was part of the plot to trap Danny, adding complexity to her morally ambiguous character.
- Kendrick: Though not directly present, his eavesdropping and insistence on involving the police catalyze the entire sting, demonstrating his growing maturity and protective instinct.
- DCI Chris Hudson: Returns to help Ron, showing his loyalty and willingness to bend rules for the sake of justice.
Themes, Symbols, or Motifs
- Sacrifice for Family: Ron knowingly risks his life and forfeits £350 million to secure his children’s safety. This mirrors Elizabeth’s earlier sacrifice for Stephen and reinforces the novel’s core value of familial loyalty.
- The Price of Loyalty: The Bitcoin represents the temptation of greed, but Ron’s choice to abandon it for his family shows that true wealth lies in relationships.
- Grassing vs. Justice: Ron rejects the criminal code of silence, concluding that protecting his family justifies informing. The motif of “grassing” is subverted: it becomes a moral act.
- Deception as Protection: Ron’s staged confrontation with Danny uses trickery (the police hiding in the bedroom) to outmaneuver a violent opponent, echoing themes of cunning over brute force.
Why This Chapter Matters
Chapter 70 is a turning point that resolves the immediate threat posed by Danny Lloyd. It ties together the threads of Ron’s involvement with Connie Johnson, the family’s distress over Suzi’s abuse, and the looming danger to Jason. Ron’s choice to sacrifice the Bitcoin redefines his character and underscores the book’s central message: that love for family outweighs any fortune. The police sting also clears the way for the remaining mysteries (such as Holly Lewis’s death) to be addressed in the final chapters, while raising the stakes for whatever final confrontation remains.
Study Questions and Answers
1. Why does Ron insist Danny call the hitman on speakerphone?
Ron needs concrete proof that Danny is calling off the hits on Jason and Suzi. Hearing the conversation reassures Ron that the threat is genuine and that Danny is serious about the deal. It also provides legal evidence for the police arrest.
2. How does Ron’s final line—“There are worse crimes than grassing”—reflect the chapter’s moral stance?
The line rebukes the criminal code that forbids informing. Ron decides that protecting his daughter and grandson from a murderer is more important than upholding that code. It reframes “grassing” as a courageous act of love rather than betrayal.
3. In what way does Kendrick play an unsung role in this chapter’s outcome?
Kendrick overheard Ron and Jason discussing the plan with Chris and Donna. He voiced his opinion, which prompted Ron to call DCI Hudson and set up the police sting. Without Kendrick’s intervention, the family might never have turned to the official authorities, leaving them vulnerable.