While Ashby was back in his office and Grant and Thanakis had adjourned to the Bligh & Bounty pub, at the same moment, on the other side of Europe, a ship was going through its final preparations before sailing.
Patra in the west Peloponnese of Greece is a busy port. Ships sail there from around the Mediterranean. Merchant vessels carry passengers and vehicles from Patra across the Adriatic to the cities and ports along the east coast of Italy.
One of these ships, a roll-on, roll-off ferry, was getting ready for departure, early on a Tuesday evening.
On the bridge, the Captain was pacing up and down because the first mate hadn’t returned from shore leave. Only half an hour remained before the ship was to sail and by now, the mate should’ve been working on a list of things as long as your arm.
“He asked me to give him a job as a special favour,” thought the Captain to himself, “but I knew it would be trouble from the start. Where the hell is he ?”
The Captain needn’t have worried as the mate was at that moment in a telephone booth on the quay. He could see the open stern of his ship in front of him as the crew were checking the loading of cars and lorries, bound for Bari in Italy. The mate was angry, yelling down the phone to someone on the other end and was growing angrier by the minute.
“Look, I’ve got to go. I’m sick of ringing you about this. You said the money would be paid almost three years ago and my brother’s family has been suffering all that time. They haven’t had anything from you. I told you to pay them my share. What did you say ? You think that I should keep them going ? And what about the others ? They contact me often. They’re just the same too. They all want to know when you’re going to pay them. What ? The line is bad, I can’t hear you. London ? You’re still waiting for them to pay up ? I don’t care if the court case is next week. Listen, Vratsis, I’ve been hearing the same story from you for a long time now and I’m telling you straight, if we don’t get the money due to us in the next few days, we’re coming to your office and we’re going to get you. You’ve got one week and if you don’t have it by then, you’d better say your prayers.” And then he slammed the receiver down.