Leaving empty-handed

Two brothers who travelled from China to help search for their sister will leave tomorrow without the closure they desperately wanted - barring a miracle.

North Shore woman Bin "Cissy" Chen's brothers Philip and Peter have twice extended their stay since arriving on November 13.

Philip, 48, remains hopeful someone will give police more clues as to Cissy's whereabouts. "Every day when we wake up, we don't want to believe it's true we have already lost our sister. Her face, her voice and her smile are still so close to us."

Cissy, 44, has been missing since November 5. Police believe she was murdered.

Philip and Peter, 40, live in Guangzhou, a frantic boomtown near Hong Kong. For Peter, who cannot speak English, this first visit to Cissy's adopted country is not just a time of pain, but of culture shock.

The Chens have followed police advice not to speculate on who might have killed Cissy.

More than 30 police officers have worked on the case. Police dogs, a helicopter and dive teams have all been drafted in, to no avail.

Detective Senior Sergeant Megan Goldie has led the investigation. "The fact she hasn't been located yet is a concern and makes our investigation a lot harder, Goldie says"

The brothers face another dilemma when they arrive home. They have still not told their 77-year-old father about Cissy's disappearance. They fear the news would be too much for him to bear.

Anyone with information should call 08000 CISSY (08000 24779) or Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.