Amanda looked at Sweeney and shrugged, offering no suggestion for how the creature’s visit had occurred, or why.

“Do you think Stephanie’s covering for someone?” Sweeney asked, watching the insect on Amanda’s hand.

“Dunno,” Amanda replied with another shrug. “If she’s just confused, trying to question her further on why she’s confessed would be a waste of time. You’ll only tangle her mind into impossible knots. Leave it to the shrink.”

A taxi pulled up to the curb before the police station and a man and a woman exited, immediately presenting themselves as outsiders to the Cairns region. The woman was far too heavily dressed—long sleeves, and impractically formal in a silk shirt and slacks, dark patches emerging beneath her arms and at the center of her chest from the humidity. As the man got out of the taxi, the fronds of a short palm tree at the edge of the lawn brushed the back of his neck. He swiped irritably at the plant.

“Keema’s parents,” Sweeney said.

Amanda saw that Keema’s mother had the same immaculate, caramel skin and slightly upturned eyes. Sweeney swallowed hard, took a couple of steps down to intercept the parents on their march toward the door.

“Brian, Sefina,” Sweeney said, cringing slightly. “I’m Detective Inspector Pip Sweeney. I didn’t think you’d be here until tomorrow.”

They shook hands. Sweeney shared her commiserations. Amanda leaned on the concrete banister nearby and tried to keep a straight face as the butterfly walked up the back of her arm and onto her shoulder, where she lost sight of it, barely able to feel its tiny, hairy legs as it traversed the side of her neck.

“The leads we have thus far are very promising,” Sweeney lied. “I’ll take you inside and we can sit down with my chief for an overview.”

“I have to tell you at the outset that I’m distressed that we’ve had to come here,” Sefina said. Received Pronunciation. Amanda liked the sound of it. Felt a strong desire to burst into an impression. “Could we possibly organize an extended meeting at the hotel where it’s more comfortable?”

“Oh, ah,” Sweeney struggled for words and glanced at Amanda, almost looking for assistance. “I could … It’s possible we could—”

“When Keema said she was going to tour Australia, I envisioned Sydney,” Sefina said. “Melbourne. I’ve been to Melbourne. Really lovely, some of the best coffee I’ve ever had in my life. Here? Here, I mean.” The woman gestured helplessly to the road, the distant mountains. “Our taxi was delayed on the way from the airport because a gigantic bird was dashing all over the road. Some prehistoric man-eating thing. I didn’t see it, but the whole bloody road had been shut down. I was terrified.”

“A cassowary.” Sweeney blushed. “Yes, sometimes they get themselves trapped inside the road barriers. It’s best not to try to carry on when that happens. If you hit them it’s … They’re quite large. An endangered species, actually.”