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Chapters (82)
  1. Cover
  2. Praise for The House of Whispers
  3. Title Page
  4. Note to Readers
  5. Transcript of interview with Mr Rohan Allerton, husband of Abigail Allerton: 20 December 2019
  6. One
  7. Two
  8. Three
  9. Four
  10. Five
  11. Six
  12. Transcript of interview with Mr Rohan Allerton, husband of Abigail Allerton: 20 December 2019
  13. Seven
  14. Eight
  15. Nine
  16. Ten
  17. Eleven
  18. Transcript of interview with Mr Rohan Allerton, husband of Abigail Allerton: 20 December 2019
  19. Twelve
  20. Transcript of interview with Mr Rohan Allerton, husband of Abigail Allerton: 20 December 2019
  21. Thirteen
  22. Fourteen
  23. Fifteen
  24. Transcript of interview with Mr Rohan Allerton, husband of Abigail Allerton: 20 December 2019
  25. Sixteen
  26. Seventeen
  27. Transcript of interview with Mr Rohan Allerton, husband of Abigail Allerton: 20 December 2019
  28. Eighteen
  29. Nineteen
  30. Twenty
  31. Transcript of interview with Mr Rohan Allerton, husband of Abigail Allerton: 20 December 2019
  32. Twenty-One
  33. Twenty-Two
  34. Twenty-Three
  35. Twenty-Four
  36. Transcript of interview with Mr Rohan Allerton, husband of Abigail Allerton: 20 December 2019
  37. Twenty-Five
  38. Transcript of interview with Mr Rohan Allerton, husband of Abigail Allerton: 20 December 2019
  39. Twenty-Six
  40. Twenty-Seven
  41. Twenty-Eight
  42. Twenty-Nine
  43. Thirty
  44. Thirty-One
  45. Thirty-Two
  46. Thirty-Three
  47. Transcript of interview with Mr Rohan Allerton, husband of Abigail Allerton: 20 December 2019
  48. Thirty-Four
  49. Thirty-Five
  50. Thirty-Six
  51. Thirty-Seven
  52. Thirty-Eight
  53. Transcript of interview with Mr Rohan Allerton, husband of Abigail Allerton: 20 December 2019
  54. Thirty-Nine
  55. Forty
  56. Forty-One
  57. Transcript of interview with Mr Rohan Allerton, husband of Abigail Allerton: 20 December 2019
  58. Forty-Two
  59. Transcript of interview with Mr Rohan Allerton, husband of Abigail Allerton: 20 December 2019
  60. Forty-Three
  61. Forty-Four
  62. Forty-Five
  63. Forty-Six
  64. Forty-Seven
  65. Transcript of interview with Mr Rohan Allerton, husband of Abigail Allerton: 20 December 2019
  66. Forty-Eight
  67. Transcript of interview with Mr Rohan Allerton, husband of Abigail Allerton: 20 December 2019
  68. Forty-Nine
  69. Fifty
  70. Fifty-One
  71. Fifty-Two
  72. Fifty-Three
  73. Fifty-Four
  74. Fifty-Five
  75. Fifty-Six
  76. Fifty-Seven
  77. Fifty-Eight
  78. Fifty-Nine
  79. Sixty
  80. Priory Hospital North London: 20 December 2019
  81. Acknowledgements
  82. About the Publisher

She shoved her chair back, the legs scraping across the kitchen floor. I followed her to her bedroom door and watched as her arms windmilled things into a bag, grabbing wildly at anything within reach – my things included – then she stalked through the flat without looking back, and slammed the door behind her, leaving me standing, stunned, in the sudden silence. That was the last time I saw her until she came back from Australia.

I saw the Allertons leave as I looked down on the street from the attic window. Their family goodbyes took at least twenty minutes. It was something I never understood. Say goodbye, then go. But no. If you were an Allerton you said goodbye inside the house, then you all trooped outside together, weather permitting, and you had another chat, then you said goodbye again, had a hug, chatted a bit more, had another hug, then stood there waving the car off. Mili was the first to go, in a cab, while Clive waited in the driver’s seat for Meena to let go of Rohan. As the blue Mercedes drove off, I turned back to my easel and it was only then I was able to start painting once more.

The light was fading when I finally put down my brush. I was almost finished with the sixth portrait and I knew in my bones that it was good – the best thing I’d painted so far. After I cleaned my brushes, I stepped back to take in the full horror of it and shuddered. It was perfect.

Forty-Four

There was a spring in my step as I locked the attic door and went down in search of Rohan. All in all, I was pleased with the way I’d handled myself today. The lunch could so easily have gone wrong, especially with Meena seemingly hellbent on getting a rise from me. I was sure she didn’t mean it maliciously – sure she didn’t deliberately rile me – but even so…

I stopped on the landing. The door to Grace’s room was ajar when I was sure it had been left closed. I was barefoot and made no sound as I approached, which is presumably why Rohan had no time to stop what he was doing. I stood in the doorway and watched in disbelief as he rifled through Grace’s wardrobe, touching and feeling the garments. His hand passed over the musty children’s clothes but stopped on one of Grace’s new blouses. He pulled it out, examined it, brought it to his nose and sniffed it.

‘What the hell are you doing?’

Rohan turned as if he’d been scalded, his face a picture of guilt as he froze, still holding the blouse.

‘It’s not what it looks like!’ he said quickly. ‘I’m not being a perv, I swear. It’s just…’