a week before she disappeared, Arlene Fraser, the missing Elgin woman, told her sister during a telephone conversation that one of the men accused of murdering her was ''hanging about'' outside her house, the High Court in Edinburgh was told yesterday.

The jury was also told the same man, Hector Dick, 46, of Hillside Farm, Mostowie, Elgin, bought an old car the night before Mrs Fraser's disappearance ''because he wanted to put something in the boot and he didn't want anyone to see it''.

He said he had been somewhere the week before and someone had recognised his car. He was in a hurry to get another car and the next day would be too late.

Mr Dick, Nat Fraser, 43, the missing woman's husband, and Glenn Lucas, 51, of Station Road, Surfleet, Spalding, deny murdering Mrs Fraser, dismembering her body and concealing it at an unknown place in Scotland.

Kevin Ritchie, 36, a car mechanic, of Duthil Cottage, North Street, Cummingston, told how in the first week of April 1998, he went to Hillside Farm, where Mr Dick asked him if a car with no number plates could be traced.

He said: ''I told him the engine numbers and the chassis numbers could identify the car.''

Mr Ritchie said he was subsequently called by Mr Dick at 5.46pm on April 27, 1998, and drove to the farm.

He told Alan Turnbull, QC, advocate-depute: ''He said he was looking for a cheap car and was in a hurry to get it. He wanted a car with a boot.''

Mr Ritchie said his brother had a car for sale and he called him but was told that it was in a local garage and he could not get it until the next day.

''He didn't want to wait until the next day,'' he said. ''He wanted it that night.''

While he was there, Mr Fraser arrived and he was introduced, Mr Ritchie then drove to Elgin, where he found two possible cars, a Volvo estate and a Ford Fiesta, and he called Mr Dick who told him: ''Get the first one you can get.''

He bought the beige Fiesta, registration B231 PDY for (pounds) 400 and, after removing the stereo, drove it to Mr Dick's farm.

Mr Ritchie told the court: ''He (Mr Dick) appeared and he jumped into the car with me. He told me to drive to the bottom of the path. He drove it into the shed and parked it up. I think the keys were left in it. He closed the door (of the shed) and locked it.'' He said Mr Dick did not examine the car but paid him the (pounds) 400.

''He handed me an extra (pounds) 50 and said 'That's to keep quiet about the car'.''

Asked if Mr Dick had given any explanation as to why he needed a car when he already had a Ford Sierra, he said: ''He said he had been some place the week before and someone had recognised his car.''

Cross examined by Donald Findlay, QC, for Mr Dick, Mr Ritchie said Mr Dick had told him he ''wanted to put something in the back and he didn't want anyone to see it''.

Mr Ritchie said Mr Dick said he wanted to put a few cases of bootleg drink in the boot, and admitted that he himself was involved in bootleg drink sale.

Carol Gillies, 40, Mrs Fraser's sister, of Erskine, Renfrewshire, said she phoned her sister on the morning of April 21 - for what turned out to be her last conversation with her.

Mrs Fraser told her sister: ''Hector Dick has been hanging about outside for ages.''

Mrs Gillies said: ''My immediate thought was Hector Dick and Nat were friends, so I said, 'Is Nat coming round today?'

''She said 'No, he's not in Elgin today.'

''There was a sigh of relief and she said, 'That's him away.'

''I said, 'What was that about?' and Arlene said 'I don't know'.''

Mrs Gillies said her sister had thought Mr Dick had been outside her house for about 20 minutes.

Hector McInnes, Mrs Fraser's father, was involved in a clash with Paul McBride, QC, who is defending Mr Fraser, over an alleged ''callous'' remark.

Mr McInnes, 62, from Bonnyrigg, Midlothian, told of a conversation in the kitchen of his missing daughter's home in Smith Street, New Elgin, as the search continued for her.

''He (Mr Fraser) said the children will eventually forget their mother,'' said Mr McInnes.

He told the court that at the time of the conversation police had said nothing about a body being found or that there was no chance of Mrs Fraser coming back.

In cross examination, Mr McBride suggested that his client had not said that.

''What was said, in the general context of inquiring about the family and their general wellbeing, was 'The kids will be missing their mother, Hector', and not the callous remark you attribute to him today.''

Mr McInnes said: ''No, I attribute the callous remark and stick by it.''

The trial continues.