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Back False Witness Save as PDF
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

‘She’s lovely to me. I really like her,’ said Poppy nonchalantly.

The statement was so unexpected it punched the breath from Julia’s lungs. On seeing her reaction, Malcolm took Dylan by the hand.

‘Let’s wait outside while these two sort out the boat hire.’ When Dylan protested he said, ‘Don’t worry, you’ll get your dragon.’

Julia barely noticed them leaving as she stared at her daughter.

‘You think Imogen is lovely?’

Poppy gave a shrug. ‘Yes.’

Julia was shocked by how betrayed she felt.

‘Nicer than me?’

When Poppy didn’t answer, Julia burned with fury. That bitch smarming over her child, pretending to be nice. The thought made her skin crawl.

‘Has she said something to you about me?’ said Julia, raising her voice.

‘No.’

‘Go on, what has she said?’

Poppy looked uncomfortable and shuffled awkwardly on the spot. ‘Nothing.’

‘I don’t believe you,’ Julia scoffed. ‘What the hell has Imogen been saying?’

Poppy threw her mum a look of defiance, then started walking away. Without thinking, Julia grabbed her by the upper arm and pulled her back.

‘Ouch!’ Poppy yelped.

‘Tell me what she said.’

‘Let go, you’re hurting me!’

But Julia held on, determined to get an answer out of her. Then she heard a voice behind her.

‘Madam, I think you should let her go,’ said a heavily accented voice.

She turned to be confronted by the white-haired Italian man who’d been serving behind the counter. His face was veiled with disapproval and immediately Julia relaxed her grip.

‘I wasn’t –’ she stuttered, aware of how bad it looked and horrified the owner had come over to stop her.

‘You were hurting her,’ he said.

Only then did Julia notice the cafe had come to a standstill and everyone was staring at her. Her gaze immediately fell on the two mums, who were both looking at her as if she’d suddenly grown another head.

One turned to the other.

‘See, it’s like I said – like mother, like daughter.’

39

Maggie went in search of Renshaw and found her in the ladies’ toilet washing her hands.

‘Hey, are you okay?’

Renshaw was looking ahead into the mirror so it was her reflection that answered.

‘Sure. Why wouldn’t I be?’

‘Byford should never have spoken to you like that,’ said Maggie. ‘We all told him so.’

‘I don’t need you defending me.’

There it was, a flash of the old Renshaw, the one that used to make their working environment so combative and fraught that Maggie couldn’t stand her. With a start Maggie knew she would do anything for them not to regress to that.

‘I know you don’t,’ she said. ‘But if I think someone’s being a prick to the SIO I’m not going to sit back and say nothing.’

Renshaw’s reflection grinned.

‘Thanks. Where is he now?’