Chapter 24 As Mrs. Allison opened the door for her guests, she stared down at Talya. “My Dear God, Ms Kartz, what on earth happened to you? Please, come in…, both of you. Dr. Hendrix, good to see you again. But tell me... I really don’t know what to say...” She couldn’t keep her eyes from Talya’s frail-looking body, the chair, the blanket... It was all too much for the old woman. Amid this babbling, incoherent welcome, Aziz and Talya tried to put a word in, to no avail. They went through an archway to a large room, the former parlour of the house, where Aziz sat down across from the woman and Talya, depositing the two shoulder bags to the floor. The handsomely furnished room reflected the décor of the entire house. The walls lined with bookshelves, entertainment centre, and a couple of