Cover of The Impossible Fortune

The Impossible Fortune

by Richard Osman


Genre
Mystery, Crime, Suspense
Year
2025
Pages
369
Contents

Chapter 64

Overview

Reviewing wedding-day CCTV, Joanna discovers that Holly Lewis secretly met Davey Noakes at the Compound, giving the investigation a strong new line of suspicion and raising fresh questions about Holly's final moves. Instead of calling Elizabeth first, Joanna reaches out to Joyce, showing a quiet change in how Joanna sees her mother and their relationship. Joanna and Paul then confirm that Ron and Connie left the safe willingly after recovering the key, which suggests cooperation rather than kidnapping and sends the group toward confronting Davey next.

Summary

Joanna reviews the Compound CCTV from 24 July, the day of her wedding. In the early-morning footage, Joanna sees Bill Benson arrive at the lodge and, about twenty minutes later, Frank East leave in the opposite direction. As Joanna scrolls through the recording, the date makes Joanna reflect on how she ignored Joyce's early-morning messages that day and on how much of her life has been spent resisting Joyce's unconditional love; Joanna realizes that Paul has helped Joanna understand she should accept that love instead of testing it.

Later in the wedding-day footage, Joanna spots Holly Lewis walking down the avenue of trees beside an older man. Joanna quickly checks Instagram and identifies the man as Davey Noakes. Because Holly had said she missed the wedding because of work, and because Holly and Nick Silver had already met Davey together the previous week, Joanna concludes that Holly's private meeting with Davey at the Compound is highly suspicious, especially if Nick was already out of circulation by then.

Joanna first thinks of calling Elizabeth, but changes her mind and calls Joyce instead. Their conversation begins with the familiar friction of mother and daughter, including a minor argument about Joyce's television remote, yet Joanna consciously tries to be kinder. Joanna tells Joyce about the CCTV showing Holly with Davey, and Joyce says Davey had previously been ruled out because Davey already knew about the missing money, though Joyce agrees the private meeting makes Davey worth revisiting as a suspect.

Joyce then asks Joanna to check today's CCTV because Ron Ritchie went to open the safe with Connie Johnson and neither has returned. Joanna and Paul search the more recent footage and see Ron and Connie leave the lodge at about three o'clock, embrace, and then head off in different directions. Because Ron does not appear to be under duress and Paul says Ron and Connie look to be "in cahoots," the mystery shifts from a possible abduction to a deliberate plan. Joanna decides to drive down at once with Paul, Joyce promises to update Elizabeth, and the group prepares to go and see Davey Noakes.

Who Appears

  • Joanna Meadowcroft
    Reviews CCTV, identifies Davey with Holly, reconnects with Joyce, and decides to confront Davey.
  • Joyce Meadowcroft
    Takes Joanna's call, discusses Davey's new relevance, and asks for help tracing Ron.
  • Paul
    Helps Joanna review footage, spots Ron and Connie's apparent cooperation, and joins the trip.
  • Davey Noakes
    Seen secretly meeting Holly at the Compound, making him a renewed suspect.
  • Holly Lewis
    Appears on wedding-day CCTV in a private meeting with Davey Noakes.
  • Ron Ritchie
    Leaves the lodge after opening the safe, embraces Connie, and disappears by choice.
  • Connie Johnson
    Accompanies Ron from the safe, hugs him outside, and heads off separately.
  • Elizabeth
    Offstage investigator Joanna nearly calls; Joyce is asked to update her.
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