A BRITISH publishing executive telephoned her mother to say life was perfect before flying to New York, where she died in the attack on the World Trade Centre.
Melanie de Vere, 30, had been promoted to a new job that meant she would spend two weeks a month in America. She arrived at a conference on the 106th floor of the north tower about 15 minutes before the jet hit.
Miss de Vere's mother, Margaret Owen, 53, of Hayling Island, Hants, said that in her last call she had "sounded like the happiest girl alive".
She was excited about her promotion at Risk Waters, the financial magazine publishers, and had also recently moved into a flat with Ian Roberts, with whom she wanted to spend the rest of her life.
"The last time I spoke to her she told me how perfect life was for her," Mrs Owen said. She had no idea that her daughter was in the building as she sat waiting for the phone to ring.
She said: "I didn't want anyone else phoning because I was waiting for Melanie's voice saying, `Hi mum, it's me'. But then you look at the shots from New York and you have to be realistic."
Miss de Vere was one of 16 Risk Waters employees meeting executives from leading financial companies. All 16, and a further 65 delegates, are missing. Among them is her colleague Michele Beale, 37, from Billericay, Essex.
Her husband Stuart, 36, was comforting their son Joe, seven, and daughter Lizzy, five. A friend said: "She was a loving mother. Stuart is trying to keep the children's lives as normal as possible."
Michael Lomax, 37, another Briton originally from Stockport, Greater Manchester, is also missing. His sister, Elaine Smith, 34, said that the actuary and vice-president of an insurance company had called his wife, Erica, from his south tower office.
She said: "He phoned from the 84th floor saying he was stuck. Colleagues have phoned Erica since and said, 'Where's Mike? He was right behind me'.
"I suppose there's a tiny grain of hope, you read about earthquakes and people coming out after three weeks. But we've also got to realise that you are going to be lucky to find one person, and damn lucky if it's your one."
Relatives of Simon Maddison, 40, who worked on the 102nd floor of the north tower for Cantor Fitzgerald, flew to New York yesterday.
His father Peter, 73, of Harlow, Essex, said his son had been "besotted" with his three children, aged seven, four and one, going to work at 7.30am so he could see them before bed. He said: "That was one of the reasons he was in the building at the time."
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