The café emptied out and refilled, and the kiosk showed no sign of easing up either. Annie rushed off her feet was becoming a recurring theme. The chocolate pumpkin cupcakes she’d made last night were selling like, well, like hotcakes; people were buying them in boxes of four or six to take home for Halloween after the school run. Two empty pumpkin shells sat sadly on the shelf below the counter, waiting to be carved.

When John breezed back into the café with three large boxes piled one on top of the other, Annie was so busy she couldn’t think straight. The fine weather had brought with it an army of wanderers, aiming to enjoy the watery sun while it lasted. She saw John looking around for somewhere to sit to go through the boxes, but every space was taken.

“You might have to sit on the stairs,” she called to him over the noise of the coffee grinder. Four more people walked into the café and joined the queue.

“All right to sit outside?” a man in a gray hoodie shouted over.

“If you can find a space!” Annie shouted back as she handed out two large paper cups through the kiosk window and turned to the counter to take the next order from inside the café. “Thank you all for your patience, I will get to you all as fast as I can!”

There were nods and waves and noises of goodwill. She was going to have to seriously think about hiring someone; it was becoming impossible to serve the takeaway customers at the kiosk and the drink-ins inside at the same time. As she handed over the change to a woman in a wax jacket, she felt herself being gently shoved to the side. She looked up to see John looking down at her.

“If I’m here I might as well help,” he said.

Annie gawped.

“Shift!” said John. And she did.

John took over the till with only minor queries and left Annie to make the drinks. His presence caused much delight as locals chatted with him about Mari and Celeste. It was, Annie thought, rather like working with a minor celebrity. His smile was warm and genuine, and his low, gravelly laugh seemed to rumble around the tiny café. He was good at front of house too, Annie noted. Before long, he was dishing out cold drinks and serving up cakes on china plates with little cake forks, even running coffees out to customers outside.

“You’re a natural,” said Annie.

“I used to help Aunty when I was in my teens,” he answered. “Every summer. This was my summer job.”

“You spent every summer down here?”