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‘Bowerbirds collect blue things to decorate their nests, to attract a mate.’
    â€˜How sordid,’ said Mrs Knox with a shudder.
    â€˜Not unlike the reasons Mr Knox gave the bracelet to you,’ observed Friday.
    Mrs Knox took out a lace handkerchief and used it to pick up the necklace. ‘I will take this straight to the jeweller to have it cleaned.’
    â€˜Are you going to thank Friday?’ asked Uncle Bernie.
    â€˜What?’ said Mrs Knox. ‘It’s all right,’ said Friday. ‘The reward money will be thanks enough.’
    â€˜You don’t think you’re going to get the reward money just for looking in a bird’s nest, do you?’ asked Mrs Knox.
    â€˜The reward was offered for giving police information that leads to the retrieval of the bracelet,’ said Sergeant Crowley.
    â€˜But it was just a bird that took it,’ protested Mrs Knox.
    â€˜There were no anti-bird clauses in the reward offer,’ countered Sergeant Crowley. Mrs Knox had been rude and mean to him all day. He was enjoying himself now. ‘I suppose you could get a lawyer to help you wriggle out of your commitment, but that wouldn’t look very good in the papers, would it? Wealthy woman too mean to reward an eleven-year-old.’
    â€˜Very well,’ said Mrs Knox, ‘Harold will just have to run up a few more billable hours, I suppose.’
    A few minutes later Friday, Uncle Bernie, Malcolm and Sergeant Crowley were walking back to their car. Friday had a $10,000 cheque in her pocket.
    â€˜Do you need a lift anywhere?’ Sergeant Crowley asked Malcolm.
    â€˜I’d rather part ways now,’ said Malcolm.
    â€˜Here,’ said Friday, holding out the reward cheque, ‘you should take this.’
    â€˜What?’ said Malcolm, looking at the slip in her hand.
    â€˜You need it more than me,’ said Friday. ‘My school fees are paid up to the end of semester already.’
    â€˜I can’t take your money,’ said Malcolm.
    â€˜Sure you can,’ said Friday. ‘I’ve only had it for two minutes. I’m not emotionally attached to it yet.’
    â€˜I said no!’ growled Malcolm before stomping off.
    Sergeant Crowley shook his head. ‘Vagrants are always such complex characters.’

    A short time later Sergeant Crowley, Uncle Bernie and Friday were driving back to the police station.
    â€˜How did you figure it out?’ asked Sergeant Crowley.
    â€˜It was obvious that Malcolm didn’t take it,’ said Friday.
    â€˜It was?’ asked Sergeant Crowley.
    â€˜Yes, because he never said he didn’t,’ said Friday. ‘If he had taken the bracelet and cleverly hidden it, then he would have been loudly protesting his innocence,  demanding a lawyer and causing trouble.  But the fact that he didn’t complain, and just accepted the unfairness of the situation, shows that he saw the accusation as so patently false that it was futile to complain.’
    â€˜Huh?’ said Sergeant Crowley. He was getting confused.
    â€˜If Malcolm didn’t take it, what were the alternatives?’ asked Friday. ‘Who else was in that empty field at 7 o’clock in the morning? Nobody but the birds. Add to that the fact that sapphires are blue and there is a large population of satin bowerbirds in this area. The solution was obvious. I just needed to look for a large acacia bush, the preferred home of bowerbirds.’

Chapter 5

The Prodigal Detective Returns
    When Friday and Uncle Bernie drove up the long swooping driveway towards Highcrest Academy, it was getting dark. Friday checked her watch. ‘Everyone will be having dinner.’
    â€˜Then you’d better hurry along, you haven’t eaten all day,’ said Uncle Bernie.
    â€˜What are you talking about?’ said Friday. ‘I had seven doughnuts at the police station. That is one cliché I rather enjoyed discovering was