As far as colour-based nicknames go, Green Boots was easier to understand than the Black Tongue. It was the colloquial name given to a man who’d died hiking Everest; because it was too dangerous to retrieve the body, it remained just off the path, his neon green boots serving as a landmark for climbers. While this morning’s body hadn’t been wearing green boots – I’d know, I carried the left foot – they’d clearly settled on the name as shorthand for our frozen mystery guest.

‘I have reason to believe his death could be suspicious.’

‘Why? Because of her?’ Katherine’s pitch lilted, both in incredulity and possibly the altitude, as she pointed across at Sofia. ‘You’d get a better medical opinion from a shaman. What did you tell him? How long until the actual detectives get here?’

‘I am a doctor,’ Sofia assured Crawford.

‘Are we ignoring the fact that, even if this death is suspicious, Michael has an alibi?’

‘Dad. Let me—’

‘I’ll handle it, Michael. Are you sure you want to go down this road, Officer? Your suspicions are based on some rap sheet that you dug up, maybe a bit of family history, and your loyalty to your badge, because blood bleeds blue and all that. Your bias is not only showing, it’s making you look like an idiot. You tell me how Michael can be involved when he just got out of prison this morning, for heaven’s sake?’

Marcelo’s outburst sucked the breath out of everyone. Crawford looked between all of us; I assumed he was trying to scope any shred of remaining support. I avoided his gaze. Even Sofia looked at her toes: her belief in Black Tongues and Green Boots aside, she knew when someone was Red Faced.

‘Come on,’ Marcelo said, taking Audrey’s hand and starting to move towards the guesthouse.

But Michael didn’t move. He swapped a nervous grimace with Erin.

I’m not embellishing to report that there was, at last, a thunderclap.

‘I thought so,’ Crawford said. ‘Do you want to tell them, or should I?’

‘I didn’t hurt anyone.’ Michael put his hands up and took a few steps towards Crawford. ‘But I’m happy to cooperate to help you find out who did.’ He was looking at me when he said this.

‘Michael! Stop! Officer, he doesn’t know his ri—’

‘He is not my lawyer.’

‘What are you doing?’ Audrey walked back over and put a hand on his shoulder. ‘You were in Cooma last night. It’s okay, you just tell him.’

‘It’s cold, Mum. Go inside.’