The Therapist

Alice wakes up in the bedroom, certain that someone is in the room. She turns on the light, but no one is there. After searching the house armed with a kitchen knife, Alice stays awake until morning, when she feels safe to sleep. Later, she finds loose blond hair on the kitchen worktops. Alopecia is a fear of Alice’s due to her having experienced significant hair loss following the death of her parents and sister.

Alice notes a bottle of champagne in the fridge and assumes Leo left it there. On her way to meet Ginny for lunch, she sees Edward in the garden. Edward has learned about Alice’s bereavement from his wife and offers his condolences. Alice tells him an inexperienced young driver was responsible for the car accident.

Alice tells Ginny that she fears she and Leo did not know each other before moving in together. She mentions how Leo nervously dropped his wine glass at the mention of Nina Maxwell’s affair. Ginny jokes that perhaps Leo was Nina’s lover, but Alice takes the suggestion seriously.

After lunch, Alice checks if the address on Thomas Grainger’s card exists. She finds his offices, which are marked by a plaque confirming his name and occupation. Not wanting to be seen, Alice turns her back when she hears a woman leaving the premises and a man seeing her out. Back at home, she calls the private investigator, offering to speak to him the next day.

That night, Alice stays awake until the early hours of the morning, looking out her window at the Circle. She realizes that she will never feel comfortable living there.

The next day, Thomas Grainger arrives, pointing out that the gate’s security code has still not been changed. He says that Helen’s health is declining, but she is grateful for Alice’s help. Alice suggests that, on the night of the murder, Oliver may have arrived home to hear Nina ending her affair with her lover and went to sit in the square. The lover could then have killed Nina. Thomas suggests an alternative—Lorna saw Oliver’s car return and mistook the man she saw enter the house for Oliver. He shares Alice’s suspicion that the residents readily accepted Oliver as the murderer to protect someone else. Thomas leaves, promising he will not contact Alice again. Alice feels disappointed at this prospect.

Alice calls Leo, asking why the revelation of Nina’s affair unnerved him. She does not tell Leo about her meeting with Thomas Grainger. Leo explains that he heard Nina was very friendly with several men from the Circle. For example, she helped Will to learn his lines and Connor to select whiskies. He suggests that by asking questions about Nina’s affair, Alice may upset many of the residents. Leo asks if Alice is invested in the case because of her dead sister. Alice hangs up, not wanting to be reminded of her therapist’s advice to let the past go.

Alice wakes, certain that Nina Maxwell’s ghost is in the room. She thinks she hears the word “Stay!” Alice silently assures the spirit that she will not leave until she finds out who murdered her.

Alice calls Thomas, informing him about Nina’s friendships with several of the male residents of the Circle. She also tells him about her conviction that Lorna whispered “Don’t trust anyone” (180).

Eve visits Alice, asking if she has been in contact with the reporter who told her about Nina’s murder. Eve explains that before Oliver was arrested, several of the Circle’s wives suspected their husbands of having an affair with Nina. She admits that she briefly suspected Will, and Tamsin and Maria went through the same emotions. She reveals that Nina was also close to Tim and encouraged him to specialize in psychotherapy. However, Eve insists that, when Nina was alive, they all trusted her, as she was just as friendly with the female residents. They were all shocked but also relieved when Oliver was arrested.

Preparing to go to Tamsin’s house for coffee, Alice sees Eve heading there earlier than expected and quickly follows. From Tamsin’s porch, Alice overhears the women’s conversation. Tamsin asserts that Oliver did not murder Nina, pointing out that Oliver frequently sat in the square to de-stress upon returning from work. As the conversation becomes muffled, Tamsin says something about Connor having an affair with Nina, while Eve mentions Will and the missing fence panel. Tamsin declares that, if threatened, “everyone is capable of murder” (188).

Alice waits a few moments before knocking on the door, pretending she has just arrived. Tamsin looks relieved when Alice claims she has not spoken to the journalist since she first made contact. In the immaculately tidy house, Alice notices an old photograph of Tamsin and remarks on the length of her hair. Tamsin explains she had it cut shorter after Nina’s murder as she was worried the killer was attracted by long hair. She also reveals that in the early days of her relationship with Connor, he pretended to share her interest in going to the theater, classical music, and reading. Tamsin complains that as soon as they married, he lost interest in all these activities.

Returning home, Alice wonders if Tamsin withheld information from the police to protect Connor. Thinking it is possible that Connor, Tamsin, Eve, or Will could have killed Nina, she decides to invite them all to supper the next evening. 

Alice senses Nina Maxwell’s presence in the night. She assures Nina that she will find her murderer. The next day, she receives a letter from Oliver’s sister, Helen, thanking her for her help and support. Helen’s shaky handwriting reflects her poor state of health.

Shopping for supper, Alice sees Tamsin in the window of a café. Tamsin is uncharacteristically cheerful and invites Alice to join her. Tamsin reveals that her good mood was prompted by finding out why Nina avoided her before she died. Connor has admitted that he tried to kiss Nina, but she rejected him. Nina was furious with Connor and avoided Tamsin out of embarrassment. Tamsin says she assumed Nina was angry with her for asking for the details of her therapist. Becoming distant soon after, Nina never gave her the information. Tamsin claims it is easier for her to accept Connor’s betrayal than the idea of Nina turning against her.

On Saturday, Leo leaves a message for Alice saying he is spending the weekend with Mark and Ginny. However, on the way home, Alice sees a face in their bedroom window. She searches the house, noticing that a photograph of herself and Leo has been placed face down. She also smells aftershave in the bedroom. Alice concludes that Leo left via the French windows at the back of the house to avoid her.

Alice takes Lorna some flowers, but Edward claims his wife is napping. Supper with her neighbors goes well, and Alice begins to think that none of them can be murderers. Nevertheless, she still feels uneasy in Connor’s company. When Tim asks about the gatecrasher at the drinks party, Alice claims she never discovered his identity.

Unnerved by Leo’s secretive visit, Alice wakes in the night. Remembering Leo’s suspicious encounter with a blond woman in Harlestone, she wonders if it was Nina Maxwell.

When Leo calls, Alice asks if he had an affair with Nina Maxwell. He assures her he never met Nina and admits that the woman who accosted him was a former unhappy client. Leo claims he needs to come over and fetch something from his study.

Leo arrives, going upstairs with his wallet, and Alice hears him open the filing cabinet. She realizes he must keep the cabinet key in his wallet. When Leo reappears with files in his hand, Alice asks why he didn’t fetch them on Saturday. Leo denies coming to the house, claiming he spent the entire weekend with Mark and Ginny. He changes his story about the woman in Harlestone, claiming she was a journalist who wanted to write an article about him. Leo asks if he can return to the house permanently, but Alice says she is not ready. While he is upstairs, Alice takes the filing cabinet key from his wallet.

After Leo’s departure, Alice calls Ginny. Ginny confirms that Leo stayed with them all weekend and spent Saturday working in his bedroom. Alice feels guilty for disbelieving Leo and decides she will not use the stolen key.

Alice dreams that she is searching Leo’s filing cabinet. She finds something horrific in a metal cash box just as someone places a hand across her mouth.

The next day, Alice finds more loose hair in the kitchen and bathroom. Eve calls round and mentions she saw Leo return to the Circle the previous day. Her observation causes Alice to wonder how Nina had an affair without her lover being seen. She remembers the missing fence panel and realizes that Will could have visited unnoticed.

Alice opens Leo’s filing cabinet with the stolen key and finds a black metal cash box. Inside is an old passport bearing Leo’s photograph. However, the passport is in the name of Leo Carter, not Leo Curtis. When the doorbell rings, she expects it to be Leo looking for his missing key.

The unexpected caller is Thomas Grainger. He apologizes to Alice, saying he has just found out that Helen wrote to her and fears she may have overstepped the mark. Alice confides in Thomas about Leo’s passport, and he searches the internet for the name Leo Carter. An online article reveals that, in 2005, Leo was convicted of fraud and sentenced to two years in prison.

Determined to confront Leo face-to-face, Alice asks him to come back to the Circle. She then calls Ginny, asking her to come over as backup when she speaks to Leo.

When Leo arrives, his hair is shorter, and he has grown a beard. When Alice confronts Leo with his passport, he admits that he committed fraud when he worked at an asset-management company. However, he tries to minimize the incident, falsely claiming he only went to prison for a few months. Leo confesses that the woman in Harlestone was a journalist who intended to undermine his career by exposing his former crime. Leo explains that he did not tell Alice because he was afraid she would reject him. Alice declares their relationship is over, as she cannot forgive Leo’s lies and omissions. Ginny arrives, and Alice goes to sit in the square, leaving Leo to tell Ginny what has happened.

Ginny is shocked that Leo has been in prison but points out that he has paid for the crime. Alice cannot explain why she is unable to forgive him. She asks if Leo could stay with Ginny and Mark for two weeks, giving her time in the house alone. Alice claims she wants a chance to say goodbye to the other residents.

Alice tells Leo that she would not have left him if he had revealed his criminal record at the start of their relationship. He admits that he is not estranged from his parents, as he formerly claimed, but could not risk introducing them. Leo agrees to allow Alice two weeks in the house alone.