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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

‘Sure. I’ll do it now while I grab a water. Want one?’

Maggie said no. Byford got up and left the incident room.

The number Burton had texted her was for a social worker called Esther Wicklow.

‘I’m chasing up a subject access request on behalf of my colleague, DC Karl Burton,’ said Maggie, after giving her own credentials.

‘Oh, yes. I have the information he requested. It’s not a big file so I can email you the information if you give me your details.’

Social services weren’t obliged to give the police any information unless served by a court order. But a subsection of the Data Protection Act allowed them to circumvent it as long as the information was necessary to prevent or detect a crime, or facilitate an arrest or prosecution. The police could also argue that social services not sharing the information would hamper their investigation.

Maggie duly recited her email address and thanked the woman for her help. She debated whether to hang around at the station until the information came through, but decided she could look at it on her phone. Byford was back and she could tell he was getting restless from the way he was hovering around her desk.

‘Was Imogen okay about us coming later?’ she asked him.

He stared at her coldly. ‘We didn’t exactly give her a choice, did we?’

43

Julia was hanging washing out in the back garden in an attempt to regain a semblance of normality when Ewan dashed outside holding his phone aloft.

‘The police are on their way,’ he panted. ‘I’ve just had a message.’

Julia stopped. ‘What do they want now?’

‘I don’t know. I’m going to call Darren. He did say they shouldn’t question Poppy again without him present.’

As Ewan rushed back inside to call their solicitor, Julia was overcome with rage. Desperate to vent, she began ripping down the clothes she’d pegged to the line and stamped them into the grass. The angrier she got, the harder her foot landed.

‘Julia! What on earth are you doing?’

Malcolm had appeared at the back door and he looked horrified.

‘Why won’t they leave us alone?’ she screamed at him. ‘Poppy told them it was an accident, why can’t they accept that?’

Malcolm didn’t come any closer, knowing better than to try to comfort her when she was so angry.

‘What’s happened, darling?’

Julia came to a standstill, feet planted on one of Ewan’s work shirts.

‘The police want to interview Poppy again. Ewan’s calling our solicitor.’

‘I imagine they’re simply being thorough in checking her statement,’ said Malcolm.

‘For God’s sake, Dad, don’t be so bloody reasonable.’

Malcolm shrank back from the heat of her temper. ‘There’s no need to be rude.’

She stormed past him into the house. Ewan was nowhere to be seen.