‘Yes, he did. His name is Grant Fuller.’

‘Then please arrange for him to show us all of his photos from the moment he started taking them. I’m hoping that along with the CCTV footage they’ll help us to track Rachel Elliott’s movements.’

James then spotted Dale Thomas, a uniformed sergeant he’d worked with on many occasions. He called him over and told him in a hushed voice that the missing woman might well have been brutally attacked.

‘We’re dealing with a logistical nightmare here because there are so many people and some of them are likely to have consumed a fair amount of alcohol,’ he said. ‘It means that there’s a strong chance that mistakes will be made and clues will be overlooked. So, make sure our people are fully alert to the possibility that if Rachel was the victim of an assault, then her attacker could be walking around in plain sight. I want them to pounce on anyone behaving suspiciously, whether it be a guest or a member of staff.

‘I’m going to speak to Rachel’s immediate family and afterwards I intend to call a team briefing. We have to be on top of this before we’re forced to allow people to leave the hotel and go home,’ he added.

‘Leave it with me,’ the sergeant responded. ‘I’ll spread the word and get things organised.’

James turned back to Karen Cornwall and apologised for keeping her waiting.

‘Before we go up to the suite there are a couple of questions that I need to ask you. First, do you have any staff members who have a beard and could be Italian?’

She gave an emphatic shake of the head. ‘No, we don’t. We have one with a moustache but he’s not in today.’

‘Okay, now a second question. Do you happen to know the names of Rachel’s parents?’

She nodded. ‘Fraser and Denise Elliott.’

‘Thank you. Let’s go.’

CHAPTER SIX

James did his best to mentally prepare himself as he approached the hotel’s bridal suite on the top floor, but he wasn’t able to stop his stomach from churning with dread.

He felt so sorry for Rachel Elliott’s sister and parents. This was supposed to have been one of the happiest days of their lives but instead they were bracing themselves for news that would break their hearts.

There was a smartly dressed man standing in the corridor outside the suite and Miss Cornwall introduced him as George Ross, the assistant manager.

‘Mr Murphy asked me to remain here until he returns,’ he explained. ‘He wants someone to be on hand to get them anything they might need.’

‘Is it just the three of them?’ James asked.

‘No. About ten minutes ago they were joined by an elderly lady who’s a close family friend.’

‘Aren’t there any police officers with them?’

‘There was to begin with, but they insisted he go and take part in the search.’

James told Miss Cornwall that he’d catch up with her when he was back downstairs and then knocked lightly on the door rather than ringing the bell. A voice from inside told him it wasn’t locked.