MARK McLAUGHLIN
Edinburgh Evening News
12 May 2010
Last known movements
POLICE today repeated their appeal for information about missing Suzanne Pilley despite a "positive" response to screening her last movements on a big screen in the city centre.
The police hunt for her has intensified with forensics squads probing her workplace and appeals for help from her family and colleagues.
Miss Pilley, 38, was last seen on 4 May, the first Tuesday after the May Day bank holiday, heading for work on what appeared to be a normal day.
Detectives say they are "gravely concerned" she may have fallen victim to "a criminal act".
Forensics teams are carrying out a painstaking examination of the offices of financial services firm Infrastructure Managers Limited (IML) where she worked on Thistle Street, and a secluded lane at the rear.
Miss Pilley, who has been employed for around two years as a bookkeeper at the firm, was last seen disembarking from a No 4 bus and visiting Sainsbury's on Rose Street at around 8:50am on the day she disappeared.
She sent a text message to her mother about 20 minutes before she was last seen reportedly saying she was fine and on her way to work. Her office is less than five minutes' walk from the supermarket but police have been unable to ascertain whether she ever arrived.
A police spokeswoman said: "The forensics squad was carrying out a routine search of her office for any sign that she had been there on the day of her disappearance."
IML managing director Alan Jessop appealed for information and said: "We're all obviously very concerned about Suzanne's disappearance and we hope police appeals will lead to a successful and happy conclusion. Suzanne is just a lovely lady. She is a very valued member of staff and we are all very shocked by her disappearance."
Mr Jessop said Miss Pilley had never missed a day of work without checking in with her bosses, and that there was nothing in her demeanour in the days leading up to her disappearance to indicate she was thinking of running away.
A team of 60 officers has been drafted in to hunt for Miss Pilley, and many are currently scouring CCTV recordings of the area.
Police erected a giant television screen in St Andrew Square yesterday showing CCTV footage of her bus journey on the morning of her disappearance.
Police also distributed thousands of leaflets and took hundreds of statements from pedestrians which generated "a very positive response".
Police said Miss Pilley had recently entered into a romantic relationship and neighbours confirmed that they had seen a man apparently living with her at her home on Whitson Drive, in Saughton, for around six months.
Neighbour Scott Campbell said: "She's only been here for about a year. You see her coming and going in the stairway, and she seemed like a fairly normal person. Quite quiet, though.
"She had a boyfriend who appeared on the scene about six months ago.
"His car, a Vauxhall Vectra, was parked outside every night and left every morning so I assumed they were living together. I last saw him about six to eight weeks ago."
The door at Miss Pilley's home has now been replaced with a heavy steel security screen.
Another neighbour, who asked not to be named, said Miss Pilley had recently redecorated her flat in time for spring, adding:
"I used to chat to her in the back green when she was hanging her washing out.
"She was the same as she always was, although I think she had just had her hair cut."
Detective Chief Inspector Gary Flannigan, leading the investigation, said:
"We have very grave - and I must underline the word grave - concerns for the wellbeing of Suzanne.
"We are desperate to speak to anyone who saw her walking with her shoulder bag and large water bottle last Tuesday."
PARENTS MAKE APPEAL FOR HELP
POLICE were alerted to Miss Pilley's disappearance when her parents, Robert and Sylvia, called them in the evening after their daughter failed to show up for work.
Speaking from their home in Stenhouse, father Robert, 67, said: "The family is very upset. We would have heard from her by now.
"It's right out of character for her.
"She's always texting and calling her mum and we have not heard anything from her at all since she went missing.
"We just hope somebody gets in touch with the police. It is in the hands of the police now. There's not much else we can say."
Sylvia, 67, added: "We just hope somebody has seen something.
"Suzanne is a very proud Scot - she loves the great outdoors and is always cycling, walking and loves keep fit.
"She is a great fundraiser for charity, even abseiling off the Forth Road Bridge recently. We miss her terribly as we were in touch with her daily. The past week has just been like our worst nightmare - we almost cannot believe it is actually happening.
"We are asking anyone who might have any information, however trivial, to get in touch with police and put our minds to rest. We would also like to thank the police for all their help and assistance."
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