‘Yes, yes, of course people forget. But I would have remembered. I would.’

‘Can you be certain? It’s 30 years since he died.’

‘You want me to remember now whether in 1907 I forgot something I didn’t know I had to remember?’

‘Can you be sure?’ Jelly swung herself upright and made for the shelf where Alec kept the family Bible. She slid it out and, grasping it with both hands, extended it towards her sister. ‘Adi, swear to me, hand on this, that there is no chance Onkel Jo ever told you anything about a Schumann concerto.’

The gold-embossed words HOLY BIBLE shone up at Adila. ‘Jelly, are you insane?’

‘Perhaps, but I need you to do this. Go on.’

‘Darling… ’

‘You can’t do it, can you?’

‘It’s more than 30 years ago.’

‘You can’t swear.’

‘How can I? It’s too long ago.’

‘Oh, Adi… so, you can’t be sure?’

Adila breathed. ‘No, Sai. I can’t be sure. I wish I could.’

Jelly lowered the book. ‘Then how will we ever know if the messages were real?’

‘Of course they were real. You saw them come through, with your own eyes.’

‘But how will we ever know if they’re from spirits, or from our subconscious, or some form of both, which is what Donald thinks, or if there’s some completely different explanation… ?’

‘You’ve read Erik’s book. You know every word is true. I took down the messages and I interpreted them. What do you want me to do? Pretend I’ve not experienced anything because it suits the newspapers? Or – ’ A glint of understanding crossed Adila’s face. ‘Is this really about you hating Erik?’

Jelly recoiled. ‘I don’t hate Erik. But I’m not sure how much I trust him.’

‘What is this all about? Jealousy?’

This wasn’t where she’d wanted this talk to go. Now that it had, she must see it through. ‘Adi, what is it with Erik, really? Are you in love with him?’

Her sister kept her cool – as if, Jelly thought, she had worked out her response long ago for just such an eventuality. ‘We are friends. Colleagues. We share this project; he depends on me for it. You of all people know what it’s like when you work with someone who is on the same wavelength.’

‘I think you’re in love with him and you can’t admit it. I think the whole project – the messages, the book, the concerto – it’s so you could have something to do together, something to work on that was yours and his.’

Adila, her eyes wide, surveyed Jelly, then began to laugh. ‘Oh, Sai… What do you want me to do? Give him up?’

‘I don’t know.’