But just then they glimpsed the tourist boat on the horizon, with its cargo of half-cut hedonists heading steadily in their direction, and there was no more time to talk.

Even though it was only the seven of them meeting that evening, Dora had risen to the occasion with chilled white wine from the downstairs bar, olives with feta, mini spanakopita and home-made hummus spread on pitta bread. She stood at the door as if she were greeting guests at a Sloane Square cocktail party.

‘Hello, darling people.’ Dora embraced Nell, then Stelios. ‘How was it? I couldn’t sleep thinking about you!’

Moira, who was in the next room and had heard Dora’s snoring, could have disputed this, but just grinned.

‘Tricky!’ Nell and Stelios chorused together.

‘I never want to do anything like that again in my life!’ Nell added with feeling. ‘That garden centre man is cleverer than he looks. Stelios was great – sounding like a real expert in buying antiquities.’

‘I am a real expert in buying and selling antiquities!’ Stelios pointed out with dignity.

‘Not for ten million euros!’

‘We bargained him down to eight,’ Nell said.

‘Oh, that’s OK then,’ Penny joked, looking anxious all the same. ‘I just hope this isn’t too risky, that’s all.’

‘I think these people are stupid rather than dangerous,’ Nikos tried to reassure her.

‘But Xan Georgiades is rich. He’s got a lot to lose. Couldn’t that make him dangerous? Takis thinks so. He was terrified of Ariadne getting involved. What do you think, Karl?’

Karl had been quietly listening. ‘I think Penny has a point. Besides, you can’t keep this game up much longer.’

‘Too right,’ Nell agreed. ‘They want us to show them the money. Then they’ll give us proof of the statue being genuine.’

‘The hand!’ Moira blurted. ‘I bet they’ll show you the hand!’

‘We’ve got to find the statue,’ Penny insisted. ‘That’s the only answer!’

Moira suddenly remembered that morning’s incident. ‘One of the old men, the one in the beret who’s always sitting in the square right by the harbour. This morning he said we should ask them if we want to find our Aphrodite!’

‘The old men!’ Stelios repeated, looking angry with himself. ‘Why didn’t I think of that? They sit there all day and night watching everything that’s going on, and nobody notices them! They’re invisible, just part of the scenery. I’ll go and talk to them now!’

‘No,’ counselled Nikos. ‘The square is full now. We should wait till Georgiades goes out tomorrow, and then go down and talk to them.’

‘Nikos is right,’ Karl agreed. ‘You don’t want him seeing you out of the window.’

‘Tomorrow it is,’ said Stelios. ‘In which case, Dora, I think I’ll have another drink.’