She said she lived above the shop and Stella’s gaze drifted to the two small windows above the supermarket. She found herself wondering how everyone fitted in.
April must have read her mind.
‘It’s a bit of a squeeze, but it’s home to us. We’ve got two Bernese Mountain Dogs. They’re quite big and hairy. They sleep on the balcony in summer but in winter, they insist on kipping on our bed, along with the cats!’
Georgios had finished putting out the display stands and customers were already going in and out of the supermarket, but April seemed in no rush to leave. Perhaps she was a little homesick, as she talked a lot about the UK.
‘I love it here but I do miss cheese and onion crisps!’ she said mournfully.
She was so chatty, Stella feared they’d never get away, but when Louise told April where they were staying in Porto Liakáda, she fell silent.
‘It’s a big old place,’ she said at last. ‘Do you like it?’
Stella was surprised. How could anyonenotlike such a stunning house with two pools and breathtaking views?
‘It’s really lovely,’ she replied, meaning it.
April nodded, but her grey eyes were clouded with doubt. ‘It’s so big, I should think it’s a bit like a maze in there. I’d get lost.’
Stella hoped she’d be able to tell them who owned the place, but April said she couldn’t help.
‘They might be an older couple, I don’t know. I think they’re Greek, but no one from round here’s ever met them, as far as I can tell. A few years back, they brought in a team of builders from Athens to do the place up. Some of the workers used to come to the village, but even they didn’t know a lot. They were happy because they got free housing and were well paid. That’s all they cared about. Some people round here say it’s weird to buy a place like that and never visit.’
Her hand shot up and she fiddled with the clip in her hair, catching a few loose strands.
‘Even old Mrs Papadakis, the housekeeper, never talks about them,’ she added, before clearing her throat. ‘To tell you the truth, I sometimes wonder if they exist at all.’
