‘His name is Douglas Hannigan,’ Fraser told him. ‘You may have heard of him because he got involved in some scandal involving drugs. Rachel was heartbroken when he ended it. And when Libby started dating a local rich guy it was like rubbing salt into her sister’s wounds, especially when she announced they were getting married here.’

‘And what about Rachel’s situation now? Is she dating anyone?’

‘She did tell us a few weeks ago that she’d met someone and it must have been going well because she’s seemed a lot happier lately. And she spent nights away from home so presumably she was staying with him. But, as usual, she kept the details of her love life to herself and she didn’t like us asking questions about it.’

James brought up the subject of the bearded man Abbott had seen coming out of Rachel’s room.

‘The guest who spotted him told me it looked as though the pair of them had argued and he was rushing off,’ James said. ‘Rachel followed him down the stairs but when the same guest saw her in the bar soon after, he wasn’t with her.’

‘Well, that’s news to us,’ Fraser said. ‘We don’t know who the hell he is.’

‘He was heard speaking Italian.’

Alarm suddenly shivered behind Fraser’s eyes. ‘Is it possible that this man went with her to the jetty and then harmed her?’

‘We don’t know, Mr Elliott,’ James said. ‘We’re still trying to find him and I was hoping you’d be able to help us.’

‘I wish we could, but it’s a mystery, just like Rachel’s disappearance.’

James then asked each of them if they could recall when they last saw Rachel.

‘I can remember exactly,’ Fraser said. ‘I took a photo on my phone of my two daughters and Denise standing together. It was about five minutes after the ceremony itself had ended and the reception was about to start.’

‘May I see the picture?’ James asked him.

The photo showed three smiling women and James was surprised to see that Rachel and Libby bore no resemblance to each other. Libby was tall and slim and Rachel was perhaps a foot shorter and carried much more weight. She was wearing her glasses and clutching a small pink purse in her hands, presumably the one found on the jetty.

‘I just hope that’s not the last picture I’ll ever take of our two daughters together,’ Fraser said, tears shimmering in his eyes.

James started to ask another question, but at that moment the door to the bedroom was thrown open and Libby Elliott, still wearing her bridal gown, stepped into the room.

‘I heard voices but I didn’t realise that someone else was here,’ she said, glancing at James. ‘Please tell me that my little sister has turned up.’

CHAPTER SEVEN

James felt his throat thicken as he broke the news to Libby that her sister was still missing. She clamped her top lip between her teeth and shook her head as she walked further into the room.