Karl and Dora took their cocktails down to the water’s edge and found a comfortable rock from which to survey the idyllic surroundings. ‘I must say, Moira’s much more fun now she’s fallen off the wagon. I used to duck behind the potted palm when I saw her coming at parties. But where did she get all the booze?’

‘From Takis,’ Dora replied. ‘He’s got some dodgy Albanian supplier who gets it all cheap, no questions asked, and very probably nicked from a cruise ship. That man could wangle contraband out of God Almighty. Look at that.’ She pointed. ‘One of the boat trips seems to be coming this way.’

A largish motor vessel from the neighbouring island, pop music blaring, stuffed full of girls in tiny bikinis and well-oiled men with embarrassing spray tans who looked as though they’d already had a few, was heading straight for the beach, where it deposited about forty enthusiastic revellers.

Soon they were all knocking back Moira’s exotic cocktails. Neither Ariadne nor Dora had ever seen a tenth as many customers at the beach bar before.

‘How did you manage it?’ Dora enquired when she went up for a refill.

Moira grinned. ‘Don’t tell Takis, but I offered them the first one free as long as they had a second. Then I adjusted the price to cover them both, so everybody’s happy. The boat captain’s promised to make us a permanent stopover!’

At the top of the cliff they suddenly glimpsed a furious Xan Georgiades arguing heatedly with a delighted-looking Takis, who almost skipped down the path towards them.

‘Kyria Moira, your name means fate in Greek, and it was a good fate for me when you came! Thank you, thank you, good lady. At last my little bar might make me some money!’

Moira smiled back. This probably wasn’t the moment to remind him of the small fortune he’d shelled out on the liquor in the first place.

Later that afternoon, Penny and Nell were waiting on the quayside for their boathouse guests to arrive. ‘Right, here comes the ferry. Do you think it’s a bit OTT of us to be waiting here rather than at the boathouse?’ Penny asked anxiously.

‘Not at all,’ Nell reassured. ‘We’re the equivalent of those little old Greek ladies who used to meet every boat. Besides, it’s quite complicated to get to the boathouses, and we can make it seem easier.’

The huge ferry drew in and started to lower its stern ramp onto the quay for cars and trucks to come on and off. Foot passengers were already filing down the gangway at the side.

Penny held out a sign saying ‘Mrs Williams’, the name in which the booking had been made.