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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

‘Isn’t it enough that we’ve got the police investigation hanging over us?’ His voice was low so it couldn’t be heard in the next room where Malcolm and the kids were watching TV, but anger sharpened its tone. ‘I can’t believe you manhandled Poppy in public.’

‘I lost my temper. It won’t happen again.’

‘That’s what you said the last time.’

Julia stood motionless but her heart was racing.

‘Why are you bringing that up now?’ she said quietly. ‘That was years ago. It’s not the same.’

‘Isn’t it?’

‘I wasn’t well then, you know that.’

‘And now?’

‘I’m fine.’

He scoffed. ‘I think I’ll be the judge of that. You’re definitely not helping the situation, that’s for sure. Getting hysterical doesn’t help Poppy – and nor does abusing her in public.’

Julia was horrified. ‘It wasn’t like that! I only grabbed her arm.’

‘It’s always “only” something with you, Julia. I’m so tired of you trying to excuse your behaviour.’

The words were out of her mouth before she could stop them.

‘What about your behaviour? Why is it always me in the wrong?’

Ewan appraised her coolly. ‘My behaviour?’

‘Sneaking around with Imogen behind my back!’

He threw back his head and laughed.

‘Oh my God, is that what this is about? Because I’ve been talking to some woman you don’t like?’

Julia was shaking now. ‘You know how awful she was to me, how she made my life hell. I can’t believe you’ve been arranging for Poppy to go to her house behind my back.’

‘Oh, but she keeps a very nice house, as my nan used to say.’ As Ewan said this, his gaze flitted around the kitchen. ‘I wish we could get rid of some of this clutter,’ he sighed.

Julia burned with humiliation. There was a pile of clean laundry on the side she hadn’t got round to taking upstairs and some empty glasses that needed to go in the dishwasher once the current load had been put away, but apart from that the kitchen was spotless.

‘Please don’t compare me to her.’

Ewan gave a sigh of exasperation. ‘Come on, Julia, it’s thirty years since you were at Rushbrooke with Imogen and yet you’re behaving like it all happened yesterday. She’s a grown woman now, as are you. But frankly she’s the only one acting like it.’

‘That’s a horrible thing to say,’ said Julia, close to tears now.

‘Well, I don’t see her bleating about a girl not liking her at school. It’s pathetic.’

His words landed on her like slaps.

‘How can you say that? You know how much it affected me.’