BooksBarbecue
Back The House of Whispers Save as PDF
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

‘By the way,’ Grace said as she peered out of the window for the cab, ‘I did a bit of research and found out that the accident – you know…’ she nodded upstairs, as if the dead girl was up in her room, ‘happened quite close to the first property we’re seeing.’ She named a small village. ‘Do you know it? I think I remember it from my own holidays in Kent. I thought we could take down one of her toys and lay it there. What do you think?’ She rummaged in her bag and pulled out the pink-and-white dog. ‘I just thought it might… mean something. I don’t know. Reunite her with it – not that she’s there. But put something right in the universe.’ She shrugged. ‘It’s better than chucking them in the bin, don’t you think?’

Before I had a chance to formulate a reply, she shoved the dog back in her bag and tapped her phone. ‘Anyway, the traffic’s clear apart from the Dartford Crossing. We should be there in a couple of hours, which is great as our first appointment’s at eleven thirty.’

‘There’s a weather warning for the South East. Did you see that?’ I said.

‘We’re not going all the way down to the coast. And, anyway, it’s been downgraded to yellow.’ Grace craned her head once more. ‘Right. Cab’s here.’

I climbed in and the driver headed toward the M25. It was true what Grace had said about the accident. I remembered the estate agent telling me that the girl had been on holiday when it happened. I remembered her mentioning Kent and wondering if I’d ever met her. As we turned onto Albert Road and made our way toward the M25, I put myself in the girl’s shoes: how would she have felt pulling away from the house in a car with her family at the start of the long summer holidays? Making this exact drive? I remembered from my own childhood that feeling of freedom and excitement that used to buzz in my stomach at the start of the holidays. Had it been the same for her?

Grace was right: the traffic was clear and, as we joined the motorway, she got a folder out of her bag.