On Monday evening, Joyce spends her usual quiz night with Ibrahim, who comes over with wine while she heats food and they watch Mastermind, Only Connect, and University Challenge. Joyce enjoys the routine, Ibrahim takes the quizzes very seriously, and their different temperaments come through in the way they react to answers, subjects, and mistakes.

During the evening, Joyce reflects on the investigation. Joanna has left a long message asking for updates, and Paul has heard nothing more from Nick Silver, which makes Joyce think Nick's disappearance is ominous. Joyce also recalls visiting Lord Townes with Elizabeth earlier that day and notes that although he clearly needs money, she found him personally convincing.

As she turns over the evidence, Joyce settles on a straightforward theory. Joyce believes Holly Lewis and Nick Silver went to Davey Noakes for advice about the Bitcoin fortune, that Davey saw a final chance to seize the money, and that Davey then arranged Holly's murder. Joyce extends the theory further, deciding Davey probably learned Holly's code somehow and may now be having Nick tortured for the second code.

Joyce recognizes that Ibrahim and Elizabeth prefer less obvious explanations, while she and Ron are more comfortable trusting ordinary patterns and first impressions. She jokes inwardly about this difference, but it matters to the case because Joyce thinks the simplest answer is most likely correct: a drug dealer behaves like a killer, while a lord may simply look suspicious because he is broke.

By the end of the evening, after a small triumph in correctly identifying the Venezuelan flag, Joyce finally gets Ibrahim to listen to her full theory. Ibrahim disagrees and tells Joyce not to rule out Lord Townes or Nick Silver, insisting they should have learned by now to look beyond the obvious. Joyce remains unconvinced by Ibrahim's caution and ends the chapter certain that, just as with the flag, there is one right answer and Davey Noakes is it.