Dr Mark Altree suffers an emotional breakdown and wanders aimlessly from his home at Wynnum, Brisbane. His brain in a fog, and without money and a phone, he accepts a ride from a truck driver. At Caboolture, Altree helps Frances Rideout, a horse trainer, replace a flat tyre. This leads him on a course of self discovery. Frances encourages him to address the cause of his problem. Revitalised, and having found a new challenge, he returns home and explains to his wife and close friends why he experienced mental distress and acted strangely. He then sets out to solve the mysterious disappearance of Frances’s daughter, Eloise.