Jade walked Ruby and Mitch to the reception area of the station and went back to find Debra.

“This doesn’t sound good,” Debra said.

“Nope. Not any side of it,” Jade said. “Should we start with the mother?”

“Yes, but honestly, how does a mother not know her thirteen-year-old daughter is missing for nearly four days?”

“I guess we’ll soon find out,” Jade said.

They found Karma Beauty Salon in a strip mall almost at the edge of town. The entire place looked forgotten. There was a bottle store, something that might be a games room, a takeaway that Jade could smell before she even opened the car door, and the beauty salon. Karma advertised that it gave, “the full package”. According to the sign it offered manicures, pedicures, haircuts for men and women, and massage. Inside it smelled of antiseptic and hair spray and had last been redecorated sometime in the early 1990s. Pink was the theme colour.

At the reception desk a tired looking woman with too much make-up greeted them. “Can I help you?”

Debra flashed her badge. “I’m Detective Debra Botha and this is my partner Detective Jade Khan. We want to talk to Clara Fourie.”

Jade noticed a quite large, slash-mouthed, smock-covered woman come out of the room at the back. The mirror along that wall obviously acted as a one-way window into the salon. Jade assumed the woman was the owner and from her face she was not in a very good mood. From the set look of her wrinkles she likely hadn’t been for a fair bit of time.

“What’s this all about?” the woman demanded.

“Benita, they’re detectives. They want to talk to me,” the receptionist said nervously. “I can take my break now if that’s okay, so I can talk to them.”

“I don’t want no trouble brought in here, Clara. I told you that when I gave you the job.”

“I understand. There’s no trouble; just let me go outside and talk to them,” Clara said.

“Yeah, you go on outside. Fifteen minutes. I’m running a business here, Clara, not some damn charity.”

Clara grabbed her handbag and ushered them outside. She walked ahead and rounded the end of the mall. Under a tree near the back there was a cement table with benches and an overflowing rubbish bin. Clara sat down and took a lighter and a cigarette from her bag.

“You mind if I smoke?” The detectives shook their heads. Clara’s hand trembled as she lit the cigarette. “You here about Lana then? You find her?”

“Yes, we’re here about your daughter, but we haven’t found her. We were hoping you could give us some information,” Jade said.

“I told Ruby to wait a bit; you know teen girls. It’s just a bit of child’s play is all. They run off. She’ll be back soon.”

“When did you last see Lana, Clara?” Debra said.

“It must have been Thursday morning. I dropped her at school on my way here. Thursday night I was tending bar until late. Friday was my off day here, so I sleep late. Lana has a taxi that collects her on Fridays. And then … I thought she said she was spending the weekend at Mindy’s. I must of got that wrong or something.”

“Where do you think she might have gone? Does she have a boyfriend?” Jade asked.

“Lana? No. Not Lana. She’s only thirteen. But then … I don’t know, kids keep things secret. Ruby might know better … or Mindy. Her and Mindy are good friends, for a long time. Mindy would know. But if she has one, I bet she’s with him. Teen girls nowadays are like that. Like running off with boys no matter what you say as a mother.”

***

Tell us: What’s your impression of Lana’s mother?