Laura's brother, Paul, had been missing for 48 hours - he and his erstwhile girlfriend, Melissa.

So when he was found, dripping wet and on his own, many people leaped to a natural, unflattering, and very wrong conclusion.

But the correct story was so unlikely, and ran counter to so many long-held pre-conceptions, that there is no chance that anyone will believe it.

Abducted by aliens? The boy must be hallucinating! Can he pull himself together enough, in his exhausted and shocked state, to delude the police and doctors, and not get arrested for murdering Melissa?

His only chance is if Melissa is found safe and well - but he is sure that she elected to stay with the aliens, and not return at all.

Can Melissa triumph over her essentially selfish nature, and do the honourable thing?