Nell grinned. ‘And it’s all down to you for organizing it.’

‘No time for loneliness here,’ Penny grinned back, and they headed for their bikes.

As they crossed the cobbled space between the supermarket and the harbour’s edge, Xan Georgiades emerged from the hotel, looked around him and walked quickly round the corner. A few minutes later Dora emerged from reception, dressed entirely in black: a black polo neck, black leggings, black plimsolls and sunglasses.

It took all Penny and Nell’s strength of will not to start giggling, especially when she headed off in the wrong direction. ‘I see Dora’s got into the role,’ Nell whispered.

‘Oh dear.’ Penny suppressed a giggle. ‘She looks like she’s going on a Vanity Fair photo shoot.’

‘We ought not to laugh.’ Nell shook her head. ‘It’ll be our turn next.’

‘Do you think we ought to follow him?’

‘What, and fell him with a pack of Andrex? I suppose we could just stroll round that way and meet the path from behind the hotel.’

They were quite grateful when there was absolutely no sign of the man in the road behind the hotel, or the one going up the hill to Plaka.

‘What about the underground garage?’ suggested Penny.

They were still discussing it when a grey Mercedes streaked past them at high speed.

‘Could you fit a six-foot statue in that car?’ Nell queried.

‘Only if you chopped her up,’ replied Penny, and they both stared at the speeding Merc.

Feeling like James Bond, Nell rang Dora and told her the news.

‘Damn bloody hell!’ was Dora’s reaction. ‘Well done, though, girls. See you later.’

They carried on to the boathouses and began their work. There was something very relaxing, Penny found, about putting soap into soap dishes. Was her problem that she was too domestic? Was that why Colin had lost interest in her – and maybe Nikos would too?

‘Hey, what are you thinking about?’ Nell interrupted her thoughts. ‘Your face went suddenly sad.’

‘I was wondering if I’m too much of a housewife. Is that why Colin doesn’t value me?’

Nell stopped dead and looked her in the eye. ‘He doesn’t value you because he’s a prat. We’re your friends and we know you’re brilliant. Talented and lovable. So sod Colin!’

‘But where the hell is he, Nell?’ Penny sat down on a newly made bed. ‘I don’t know where he’s gone. Wendy went and checked, and he’s just disappeared off the face of the earth. He isn’t even at his club. That’s the first place I looked. Nell . . .’

‘Yes?’ Nell stopped folding towels and arranging soap and gave Penny her full attention.

‘You don’t think he could have committed suicide?’ Penny suddenly blurted.