A text message was sent from the phone of a missing Irish woman who is feared murdered in Wales after she was last seen alive, her employer has revealed.
Catherine Gowing's mobile sent half a message to a nurse who worked with her at the Evans Veterinary Practice in the town of Mold.
David Evans, owner of the practice where Ms Gowing had been based for 18 months, said staff became worried after receiving the text at the weekend.
"One of the nurses was concerned about her on Saturday or Sunday because she had half a message from her, from her mobile phone anyway," Mr Evans said.
"We thought, since her car was missing, we thought maybe she had gone somewhere for the weekend or got into some difficulty or something like that."
Ms Gowing, from Clonlee, Co Offaly is known to have missed a weekend appointment. The alarm was not raised until Monday morning when she failed to arrive at work.
"We informed the police as soon as she did not turn up for work at 9 o'clock on Monday morning. Then we left it to the police," Mr Evans said.
The sister of missing Ms Gowing today appealed for help in finding her sibling. Emma Gowing asked the public for help in tracking down her "beautiful sister", whom she described as the "light of my life".
A 46-year-old man from Gwynedd remains in police custody on suspicion of murder following the 37-year-old's disappearance, police said.
Magistrates in Prestatyn this morning granted officers a 36-hour extension to question the suspect. The man in custody is known to frequent the New Brighton area and is known to Ms Gowing.
North Wales Police revealed that detectives have established a further sighting of Ms Gowing at a supermarket after she left the veterinary surgery in Clayton Road, Mold, at about 7pm.
She was last seen at Asda in Queensferry at 8.06pm on Friday and left at 8.39pm.
She was wearing blue jeans, a light brown/khaki zip-up fleece top with white sleeves and white side panels, and plain black flat shoes. Her brown hair was tied up.
Ms Gowing was also carrying a bright brown saddle bag over her shoulder and across her body and was carrying an Asda plastic bag and a pizza-type box.
Detective Superintendent John Hanson said: "Our priority is to trace Catherine and we would urge anyone who has seen her or her Renault Clio, bearing the Irish registration plates 00D 99970, to contact the North Wales Police incident room on 101.
"This is totally out of character for Catherine and the public's assistance in the search cannot be emphasised enough."