It was difficult to hear what she was saying above the chatter around them so James suggested they go somewhere quiet.

‘You can put me in the picture and then give me a quick tour of the place,’ he said.

‘I’ve been using the manager’s office,’ Abbott replied. ‘Follow me.’

The office was at the end of a corridor off the reception area. The door was closed and a female staff member was standing outside. She greeted Abbott with a nervous smile and said, ‘Miss Cornwall has gone back out into the garden to be with Mr Murphy. Do you want me to ask her to come back in?’

‘No, it’s fine,’ Abbott told her. ‘This is Detective Inspector Walker. He and I need to use the office for a few minutes. We’ll talk to Miss Cornwall afterwards.’

The office was small and neat but the two detectives didn’t bother wasting time making themselves comfortable. They stood in the middle of the room as Abbott began by explaining that Karen Cornwall was the manager and reported to the hotel owner, Greg Murphy, who also happened to be the groom. She then repeated what she’d told James earlier, that Rachel Elliott had disappeared during the champagne reception in the Garden Room that followed the formal exchange of vows.

‘Everyone was in high spirits as they drank, talked and helped themselves to the snacks that were provided,’ Abbott said. ‘The bride and groom posed for photographs in the various function rooms, and in the garden while it was still light outside. The garden is pretty big and leads down to the lake and the jetty, however, while all this was going on I bore witness to an incident involving Rachel and I think it might be relevant.’

Abbott filled James in on the scene she’d witnessed, starting with the unexpected collision with the bearded man, adding, ‘I haven’t had time yet to find out who he is, but he said sorry to me in Italian.’

‘Really? So, you speak the language?’

‘I spent a couple of years in Italy when I was younger and picked it up there.’

‘I had no idea. So, what happened after he ran into you?’

‘Rachel came out of the room and followed him along the corridor and down the stairs,’ she said. ‘She looked upset and I assumed they’d had an argument but when I saw her at the bar a little while later the man wasn’t with her. I was actually going to ask her if she was all right when her sister turned up. They started talking so I didn’t hang around.’

‘Have you had a chance to ask the sister what they talked about?’

She shook her head. ‘Not yet.’

‘Okay, so how long did the reception last?’

‘About an hour and a half, I reckon, and it was only when it came to the sit-down meal that we noticed that Rachel hadn’t taken her seat at the top table with the rest of the wedding party. It soon became evident that the others were concerned.’