Erik and Ann Shepherd, who've run a bar in Crete for the past seven years, have an uneasy marriage. When two new arrivals come to the bar, the couple seem to have opportunities to stray from the marital nest. But Ann's visitor isn't what he seems...

David Clive has set up a new life with his girlfriend Jennifer. When his ex-wife Lorna announces her arrival, his head starts spinning, and the Shepherds are caught in the crossfire.

A mysterious note with ambiguous wording arrives for Erik, strongly encouraging him to meet in the bar at 4pm. He and Ann speculate whether the note could be used as blackmail for Erik's indiscretions or Ann's murky past. The situation worsens as the Woolleys and Mervishes also receive matching anonymous notes and arrive at the appointed time to face their accuser as a sudden storm rages outside.

Patrons at the bar note increasing tension between Maj. Woolley and his wife. There's speculation that meek, obsequious Miriam in fact harbors hostility toward the Major, while the Mervishes mock the couple's staid, perfunctory habits. Meanwhile, the Major becomes obsessed with the idea that a parcel dispatched from home is being intentionally withheld, and Miriam grows more paranoid about garden intruders. The Shepherds intercede but are unable to halt a series of events that culminate in a shocking act of violence.