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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

‘Breakfast!’ he yowled. ‘Now!’ so I ran down the stairs to sort him out before he woke Grace.

I was still waiting at the kitchen table with a coffee at nine o’clock when the doorbell rang. I stiffened. Nobody ever came to the door, unexpectedly: no friends, no neighbours, only deliveries, and I expected those. I waited, but it rang again, so I crept to the door, keeping myself below the level of the windows and peered through the peephole Rohan had installed for me. The tiny circle was filled with the unmistakeable bounce of my mother-in-law’s hair. My heart beat hard in my chest – did I open the door, or not? – but then the letterbox burst open and Meena’s voice shouted through:

‘Abigail! Yoo-hoo! It’s me! Oh! There you are!’ This as her hand thrust through the letterbox and jabbed me in the hip.

Shit. I arranged a smile on my face and opened the door halfway.

‘Hello,’ I said, and I waited as Meena straightened herself out. She patted at her hair even though it was, as ever, perfect. She was wrapped up in a black coat that served only to make her look more glamorous.

‘Hello, Abigail,’ she said, and I noticed she was holding a paper bag. ‘I just dropped by to see how you are. Now that you’re alone.’

‘I’m fine, thanks.’

But Meena smiled and tilted her head sideways as she got to the main purpose of her visit: ‘So, have you heard from Rohan?’

‘No,’ I said, ‘but I wasn’t expecting to. Not so early on.’ I waited but she didn’t go. ‘I’ll let you know when I do?’ I said.

Meena took a step towards the door so I opened it wider and closed it behind her. We stood awkwardly in the hallway.

‘I brought chocolate brioche,’ she said, offering me the paper bag. ‘It’s still warm. Maybe we could have breakfast and call him together? You look like you could do with a nice hot chai.’

I looked nervously up the stairs, as if Grace might appear at any moment. Meena’s gaze followed mine.

‘I don’t think that’s a good idea,’ I said, my voice a loud whisper. ‘With the time difference…’

‘But I’m sure you could so with some company, anyway,’ Meena said. ‘Alone in this house.’ She shuddered theatrically and edged toward the kitchen.

‘I’m fine,’ I said. ‘I’m painting. Anyway, I’m not alone.’