Roxy meets me, having looped around from the garden on the villa side of the property. ‘He’s not in her garden or in your villa, but the side gate was open.’
‘OK, maybe he’s just taken himself off for a walk.’ Zeus knows the route; he walks it every single day with Gran.
‘Gran, you mind the bookshop and Roxy and I will go down the path and look for him.’
Her face is pale with worry. ‘OK, take your phone and call me as soon as you find him. I can’t shake the worry someone has taken him.’
I give her a quick squeeze. ‘He would have barked, Gran. All the dogs would have alerted us if that was the case.’
Gran’s worry increases my own. He’s a clever dog who knows his way around, but he wouldn’t usually stray far from Gran. Maybe it’s the thought of the cliffs and the fear that even a smart dog like him might get distracted sniffing away and take a tumble, not sensing the danger. Tears spring to my eyes so I turn away to hide them from Gran.
‘We’ve got our phones. We’ll bring him back soon,’ Roxy says and we dash out into the bright day calling for him.
‘Zeus!’
We shout his name over and again as we make our way down the path to the beach. ‘Have you seen a fluffy dog about thigh-height?’ I ask walkers as we pass. They shake their heads no. ‘If you do see him, he belongs to Floretta at the bookshop on the cliff.’
‘We’ll keep an eye out.’
Roxy speaks to Greek locals and points to the bookshop.
We search back and forth, to no avail.
‘Where can he be?’
She shakes her head. ‘I don’t know. Do you think someonemighthave taken him?’
It’s a distressing thought. ‘No, surely not.’
‘What about Zorba’s place? Maybe he tried to follow Floretta there and got lost.’
Zeus might have tried to follow her on her bike wondering why he wasn’t invited along. ‘Do you think he’d make it all that way after his big walk with Gran this morning?’
‘Let’s walk the way she cycles, and we might find him resting along the way.’
‘Good plan.’ It’s a hot day and I’m concerned he’s without water if he’s trekking from one side of the island to the other.
We head to Zorba’s place, my voice going hoarse calling out for Zeus. We go up and down hills. My calves are burning and I wish we’d thought to bring some water for ourselves. Gran’s stricken expression springs to mind and I push myself to walk faster.
We get to Zorba’s sprawling pig farm but the gate is locked up tight. There are no cars in the driveway and no sign of Zeus.
‘Shall we split up on the walk back,’ Roxy asks. ‘You go the beach route and I’ll circle back from the main road?’
‘OK, be careful on that road though.’ So many cars whizz by at lightning speeds along those perilous bends. I really hope Zeus didn’t head out that way, as it could be deadly for him and any car speeding along. While he’s street smart he only walks along the quiet paths near the bookshop, not roads.
‘Will do. Call me if you find him.’
‘You too.’ We hug and go our separate ways.
An hour and a half later I arrive back at the bookshop without Zeus. ‘Is Roxy back?’ I ask Gran whose hugs herself tight as if expecting the worst.
‘No, she’s not. No sign of him?’ she says, her voice catching.
I shake my head. ‘Not yet. Roxy took the other way back so maybe she’ll have good news.’
‘What if we don’t find him?’ Her eyes well up with tears. Gran’s usually so stoic; I can’t count on one hand the times I’ve seen her cry. It’s gut-wrenching to witness and there’s no way to fix it without producing Zeus for her.
I pull her in for a long hug. ‘We’ll find him, Gran. He knows his way home so he’ll probably totter in when he gets hungry and has had enough adventure for the day. Sit down,’ I say releasing her from my arms. ‘I’ll make you a cold drink.’
