Ron visits Ibrahim, and their conversation begins with playful disagreement about which actor was the best James Bond. The joking tone quickly gives way to reflection on Ron’s recent deception. Ibrahim makes clear that he has forgiven Ron for lying, because Ron used what turned out to be a worthless piece of paper to help put a violent man in jail, even if Ron had not known at the time that the paper was fake.

They discuss the fallout from the case. Ron says Suzi is physically all right, though her emotional state is less certain, and he notes that she is glad to have Kendrick back. Ibrahim says he was proud of Connie, and Ron explains that he was never worried Connie would steal the money because Connie had told Ron she wanted to help in order to make Ibrahim proud and prove that she was not worthless.

Ron then tells Ibrahim something he believes Ibrahim does not understand: that he is loved. Ron says Connie, Joyce, Elizabeth, Kendrick, and Ron himself all love Ibrahim in different ways, and that Ibrahim is a special man. Ibrahim resists the label of love, but admits that people are happy to see him, that he values his conversations with Ron, and that he recognizes the deep friendship and care between them. He also reflects that he was able to help with the code connected to Holly and Nick, and Ron credits him for a crucial part of the investigation.

When Ibrahim asks whether Ron needs to hear the words back, Ron says not now, but perhaps one day, because time is limited and feelings should be spoken. Ibrahim then acknowledges that Ron’s actions were dangerous but understandable because Ron needed to protect his family and prove he still could. Ibrahim adds that if anyone threatened Joyce, Elizabeth, or Ron, he would do everything possible to protect them, showing how deeply he cares even while refusing to name it love. At the end of the conversation, Ron asks about Tia and learns that Elizabeth has taken her out for lunch, before the chapter closes on a return to their teasing argument about Timothy Dalton.