Nick Silver has spent eight and a half weeks hiding in a roadside Travelodge. He believes Davey Noakes most likely planted the bomb in his office, so Nick has stayed offline, off cameras and out of sight while waiting for Elizabeth Best to find him once it is safe. When Elizabeth does not appear, Nick starts to worry either that the danger has not passed or that Davey may have killed Elizabeth too.

Nick passes the time with vending-machine food, the radio and the local news, hoping for any clue about what has happened outside. He tells himself that Elizabeth knows enough tradecraft to find him eventually, so the only explanation is that she has not judged the moment right. His isolation leaves him trapped between fear of being found by Davey and frustration at remaining hidden.

While he waits, Nick thinks about the Bitcoin fortune and how it poisoned his friendship with Holly Lewis. Nick had wanted to cash out when the money first became substantial, but Holly kept holding out for more, and their relationship deteriorated further after her split from Paul and Nick’s wedding. Nick realizes that enormous wealth no longer appeals to him; what he truly wants is an ordinary, purposeful life like Paul’s, and if the money still exists he would keep only a small amount and give the rest away.

On Friday night, while listening to Pete Tong’s Club Classics and remembering happier times with Paul and Holly, Nick hears a message on air from Paul asking for a song for “old mate Nick Silver.” Recognizing it as a signal, Nick inserts his SIM card into a burner phone and calls Paul immediately. Paul confirms that it is now safe, then shocks Nick by telling him that Holly is dead and that there is both good news and bad news about the money.