Mma Ramotswe hunts for Mrs Curtin's son

Mrs Curtin, a wealthy African-American widow, arrives in Botswana to find her son, Michael, who moved to Botswana to live in a commune on the edge of the Kalahari Desert. But one night, 10 years ago, Michael disappeared and hasn't been seen since. Desperate to know if her son is dead or alive, Mrs Curtin asks Mma Ramotswe to reopen the case and, together, they head to the now-derelict commune looking for clues.

At the run-down site, Mma Potsane remembers Michael and she and Mma Ramotswe sense a presence believed to be a restless spirit – although Mma Potsane fears Michael was sucked up by the Kalahari winds. When Mma Ramotswe finds a picture of Michael and a woman, Clara Sidebe, she suspects the pair were romantically involved. Could Clara be the key to the case?

Meanwhile, Mma Makutsi locates some of the commune's other members and Mma Ramotswe goes to meet commune nurse Rebecca Soloi. Rebecca confirms that Michael and Clara were dating and says she believes he is still alive – giving hope to Mma Ramotswe and Mrs Curtin.

But when a desert tracker who initially helped search for Michael turns up at Mma Ramotswe's office, she's not convinced that this story will have a happy ending...