Whispers

Bruno Clavel, the man Hilary previously interviewed, begins stalking her in Manhattan after his repeated break-ins into her apartment. He taunts her at each visit, often calling her 'Catherine' and hinting at more torment to come. Detective Tony Clemenza is assigned to oversee the case and grows involved as the threat escalates.

During one break-in, Clavel is fatally injured and is found dead several blocks from Hilary's apartment. Hilary is brought to the morgue to positively identify his body, confirming his death for now. Clavel's corpse is then sent to his Massachusetts hometown, where his stepfather Jonathan Rinehart buries him quickly.

Hilary and Tony grow closer as they investigate the case, developing a romantic relationship. Their professional collaboration becomes personal as danger surrounds them.

After a night of sex, Tony leaves to fetch dinner, and Hilary is alone in the apartment when Clavel reappears. He taunts her by calling her a vampire and threatening to stab her through the heart before vanishing. Tony returns moments later, none the wiser.

Hilary and Tony go to a funeral home to confirm Clavel's death, where the mortician reveals Clavel was buried unembalmed at the insistence of his stepfather. The revelation raises questions about whether the death record is genuine.

Investigators uncover financial irregularities: Clavel withdrew funds two days after his supposed death and was seen by a bank teller. His check register shows payments to only a few people, including a local bookseller and Mrs. Yancey.

Police exhumation efforts uncover a shocking twist: the grave casket is empty aside from several bags of concrete. This suggests someone orchestrated a cover-up to fake Clavel's death.

Clavel targets Hilary's literary agent Kayla, stalking her and ultimately stabbing her to death in her own home. The murder demonstrates the killer's escalating willingness to remove anyone close to Hilary.

Hilary and Tony consult Clavel's psychologist, who describes Clavel's disturbed mind and his belief that his mother Catherine damns him. He explains Catherine's alleged ability to possess others after death to continue her influence.

Clavel returns to his childhood home, where he kills his stepfather Jonathan. Hilary and Tony also visit a bookstore, where the owner, a Satanist, suggests Clavel may be possessed.

Mrs. Yancey explains Catherine's long-running deception involving twins and an incestuous arrangement. She reveals that Catherine kept one son secret and paid her to maintain the lie.

Armed with new information, Hilary and Tony go to the Clavel mansion to confront him. They realize there are two identical Clavel brothers: the one who stalked Hilary and the kept twin who sees Hilary as a vessel for his mother.

In the ensuing confrontation, Tony is attacked by the living Clavel upstairs while Hilary discovers Jonathan's corpse impaled on a fence. Hilary pursues Clavel into the cellar, where he is fatally stabbed by her after she pushes him down the stairs, and a swarm of beetles covers his body as he writhes. Tony finishes him with a gunshot, ending the haunting threat.