eyes. ‘I don’t understand,’ I said. ‘When did she take them? I mean, they were here last night, so when did she take them? Why? We were going on holiday.’
‘Ms Landry, I know it must be very distressing but we see things like this all the time.’
‘Like what? What are you saying?’
‘For some reason Charlotte has gone to stay somewhere else for a while. I’m sure she’ll be back soon.’
‘No.’
‘She’s taken her makeup bag, her night things, her wash-bag, her mobile and maybe her purse.’
‘She was happy. It’s not right, it can’t be. There’s some other explanation. Not this. She wouldn’t.’
‘Your daughter is fifteen years old, two months off sixteen. I’m sure I don’t have to tell you what a difficult age that can be. It sounds as if she’s got a lot on her plate at the moment. Her father has left, you have a new boyfriend, she’s had problems at school.’
I closed my eyes and tried to think rationally. The evidence was there, incontrovertible. At some point, Charlie had come home, taken her things and gone again. I couldn’t argue with that, yet at the same time I remembered that yesterday, before she’d gone out, she had seemed – had been , I was sure – carefree and affectionate with me. We had talked eagerly about Florida. We’d even discussed what clothes she would pack. She’d said she’d have to wax her bikini line. She had even been nice about Christian, kissing my cheek and saying that she supposed he was all right, really. ‘She would have told me if something was wrong. I know she would.’
‘Teenagers have secrets, Ms Landry. My wife often says that – ’
‘So what’s going to happen now?’
‘As soon as you hear from her, get in touch with us.’
‘No, I mean what are you going to do?’
‘We’ll put her on our lists, keep an eye out – you can come down to the police station later and make a statement.’
‘That’s it? That’s all?’
‘She’s probably quite all right, just needs a bit of time to think things through.’
I looked at his pleasant, unconcerned face. ‘I’m afraid I don’t agree with you. If she’s run away, that’s because something happened to make her do so. You may well be correct – she could simply walk in through the door at any moment. But presumably it’s the job of the police to think about the bad scenarios as well as the good ones. That’s why I called you in the first place. We can’t just wait and see. We have to find her now.’
‘I understand your concern, but your daughter is nearly sixteen.’
‘She’s fifteen. She’s a child,’ I said. ‘Please help me find my daughter.’
The phone rang loudly and I started up off the bed.
‘That’s probably her right now,’ said PC Mahoney.
I ran down the stairs two at a time and picked up the receiver, my heart thudding with hope. ‘Yes?’
‘Nina, it’s Rick.’
‘Oh.’
‘I wanted to apologize for the rumpus we caused earlier.’
‘It doesn’t matter,’ I said. ‘I hope Karen’s all right.’
‘Has Charlie turned up?’
‘No,’ I said. ‘She hasn’t.’
‘I’m so sorry. And your holiday … I wish there was something I could do, Nina, but I’m stuck at the hospital. Have you thought of calling the police?’
‘They’re here now. And they think – ’ I broke off.
‘What?’
‘They think she’s run away,’ I continued reluctantly. ‘It doesn’t make sense, Rick. I don’t think Charlie would do that. She seemed absolutely fine yesterday.’
‘I’m sorry I can’t be much help,’ he said. ‘I’m in the middle of things here. All I’d say, as a teacher – as Charlie’s teacher – is that teenagers often don’t behave in the ways you’d expect.’
‘That’s what I’d say, in your position. That’s what the police officer says, too. He doesn’t think there’s anything to worry about.’
‘I’m sure there isn’t.’
‘Thanks, Rick. I’ve got to go now. She might ring and I’ve got
‘Ms Landry, I know it must be very distressing but we see things like this all the time.’
‘Like what? What are you saying?’
‘For some reason Charlotte has gone to stay somewhere else for a while. I’m sure she’ll be back soon.’
‘No.’
‘She’s taken her makeup bag, her night things, her wash-bag, her mobile and maybe her purse.’
‘She was happy. It’s not right, it can’t be. There’s some other explanation. Not this. She wouldn’t.’
‘Your daughter is fifteen years old, two months off sixteen. I’m sure I don’t have to tell you what a difficult age that can be. It sounds as if she’s got a lot on her plate at the moment. Her father has left, you have a new boyfriend, she’s had problems at school.’
I closed my eyes and tried to think rationally. The evidence was there, incontrovertible. At some point, Charlie had come home, taken her things and gone again. I couldn’t argue with that, yet at the same time I remembered that yesterday, before she’d gone out, she had seemed – had been , I was sure – carefree and affectionate with me. We had talked eagerly about Florida. We’d even discussed what clothes she would pack. She’d said she’d have to wax her bikini line. She had even been nice about Christian, kissing my cheek and saying that she supposed he was all right, really. ‘She would have told me if something was wrong. I know she would.’
‘Teenagers have secrets, Ms Landry. My wife often says that – ’
‘So what’s going to happen now?’
‘As soon as you hear from her, get in touch with us.’
‘No, I mean what are you going to do?’
‘We’ll put her on our lists, keep an eye out – you can come down to the police station later and make a statement.’
‘That’s it? That’s all?’
‘She’s probably quite all right, just needs a bit of time to think things through.’
I looked at his pleasant, unconcerned face. ‘I’m afraid I don’t agree with you. If she’s run away, that’s because something happened to make her do so. You may well be correct – she could simply walk in through the door at any moment. But presumably it’s the job of the police to think about the bad scenarios as well as the good ones. That’s why I called you in the first place. We can’t just wait and see. We have to find her now.’
‘I understand your concern, but your daughter is nearly sixteen.’
‘She’s fifteen. She’s a child,’ I said. ‘Please help me find my daughter.’
The phone rang loudly and I started up off the bed.
‘That’s probably her right now,’ said PC Mahoney.
I ran down the stairs two at a time and picked up the receiver, my heart thudding with hope. ‘Yes?’
‘Nina, it’s Rick.’
‘Oh.’
‘I wanted to apologize for the rumpus we caused earlier.’
‘It doesn’t matter,’ I said. ‘I hope Karen’s all right.’
‘Has Charlie turned up?’
‘No,’ I said. ‘She hasn’t.’
‘I’m so sorry. And your holiday … I wish there was something I could do, Nina, but I’m stuck at the hospital. Have you thought of calling the police?’
‘They’re here now. And they think – ’ I broke off.
‘What?’
‘They think she’s run away,’ I continued reluctantly. ‘It doesn’t make sense, Rick. I don’t think Charlie would do that. She seemed absolutely fine yesterday.’
‘I’m sorry I can’t be much help,’ he said. ‘I’m in the middle of things here. All I’d say, as a teacher – as Charlie’s teacher – is that teenagers often don’t behave in the ways you’d expect.’
‘That’s what I’d say, in your position. That’s what the police officer says, too. He doesn’t think there’s anything to worry about.’
‘I’m sure there isn’t.’
‘Thanks, Rick. I’ve got to go now. She might ring and I’ve got
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