BooksBarbecue
Back False Witness
Chapters (100)
  1. Cover
  2. Title page
  3. Dedication page
  4. 1
  5. 2
  6. 3
  7. 4
  8. 5
  9. 6
  10. 7
  11. 8
  12. 9
  13. 10
  14. 11
  15. 12
  16. 13
  17. 14
  18. 15
  19. 16
  20. 17
  21. 18
  22. 19
  23. 20
  24. 21
  25. 22
  26. 23
  27. 24
  28. 25
  29. 26
  30. 27
  31. 28
  32. 29
  33. 30
  34. 31
  35. 32
  36. 33
  37. 34
  38. 35
  39. 36
  40. 37
  41. 38
  42. 39
  43. 40
  44. 41
  45. 42
  46. 43
  47. 44
  48. 45
  49. 46
  50. 47
  51. 48
  52. 49
  53. 50
  54. 51
  55. 52
  56. 53
  57. 54
  58. 55
  59. 56
  60. 57
  61. 58
  62. 59
  63. 60
  64. 61
  65. 62
  66. 63
  67. 64
  68. 65
  69. 66
  70. 67
  71. 68
  72. 69
  73. 70
  74. 71
  75. 72
  76. 73
  77. 74
  78. 75
  79. 76
  80. 77
  81. 78
  82. 79
  83. 80
  84. 81
  85. 82
  86. 83
  87. 84
  88. 85
  89. 86
  90. 87
  91. 88
  92. 89
  93. 90
  94. 91
  95. 92
  96. Acknowledgements
  97. DEAD GUILTY
  98. 1
  99. FALSE WITNESS
  100. Also by Michelle Davies

The boats were hired from a cafe next to The Puddle, which, despite its nickname, was in fact a large, man-made lake. As they stepped inside the cafe, Julia was overwhelmed with apprehension that they might run into someone they knew and as they joined the queue at the counter her fears were realized: two mums she recognized from Rushbrooke’s PTA were chatting animatedly at one of the tables, two half-drunk lattes in front of them. One made eye contact with Julia and her expression changed from friendly to hostile in a heartbeat as she dug an elbow into her friend’s ribs and cocked her head in their group’s direction.

Julia smiled feebly but both women shot her a look of disgust. Malcolm must’ve seen it because he squeezed Julia’s arm.

‘Don’t say anything, love,’ he whispered. ‘They want you to react and if you do you’ll make things worse.’

Her heart swelled with gratitude that he was there to support her. It hadn’t been until she was an adult that she’d grasped how similar she and her dad were. Despite how overbearing he could be, he always walked away at the first sign of conflict too. It was probably what infuriated her mum so much about their marriage – Malcolm always got the last word because he walked away before she’d had the chance to say it.

‘You know what they say,’ said one of the mums in a loud voice to her companion. ‘Liars breed liars. Like mother, like daughter.’

‘Is she talking about you, Mummy?’ Dylan asked, his little face pinched with worry. ‘Why is she saying that?’

‘Probably because of what Benji’s mum’s been saying,’ said Poppy with a matter-of-factness that left Julia stunned.

‘What do you mean?’ she croaked.

‘Samira told me that Lucie’s mum had messaged Benji’s mum and she said she never bullied you at school and you’re making it up.’

Julia burned with anger. Lucie’s mum was Tess, the playground gossip – trust her to wheedle her way in with Imogen.

‘When did you speak to Samira?’ she asked, trying to keep her temper in check.

‘We FaceTimed last night.’

It hadn’t occurred to Julia that Poppy might’ve been in touch with her friends while all this was going on. She was usually strict about how much screen time the children had and monitored their online communication, but amid all the stress and upset she hadn’t been as vigilant in the past couple of days.

‘It’s probably not a good idea to be chatting to your friends about Benji or his mum while the police are still investigating his death,’ Malcolm said.

‘Did you make it up?’ asked Dylan curiously.

Julia stared at her son, flabbergasted.

‘No, I did not. It’s not often I say this about someone, but she is not a nice person.’