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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

‘Fine. I’ll call you later and let you know the latest here. Good luck. I hope you can sort it out,’ said Maggie.

Her comment seemed to startle him.

‘Right . . . thanks, appreciate it.’

A thought occurred to her. ‘How will you get back to the station to pick up your car? We came in mine.’

‘I’ll walk.’

‘Don’t be daft, I’ll drop you off, then I’ll go round to see Imogen.’ She glanced over at Ewan. ‘I don’t think there’s anything for me to do here. Someone else can chauffeur the Hepworths home.’

As they neared her car, Maggie remembered the file that was being sent to her by social services.

‘You get in,’ she said, unlocking the vehicle. ‘I need to check an email first.’

But Byford waited, watching her intently as she opened the message and scrolled down, her eyes widening as she did.

‘Wow, this is a turn-up,’ she said, explaining who the email was from and why they’d asked for it. ‘The Hepworths came under the social services’ radar in 2009 after Julia had a breakdown triggered by post-natal depression and Poppy was considered at risk. There’s one specific incident that’s mentioned, which you are not going to believe,’ Maggie breathed. ‘Julia disappeared with Poppy one afternoon when the kid was about two and Ewan found them on top of the disused viaduct at Hawley Ridge, the one where they do abseiling now.’

‘I know it,’ said Byford, nodding.

‘According to this, Julia was threatening to jump off it – and she was going to take Poppy with her.’

50

The taxi driver stopped twice on the way to Rushbrooke so Julia could be sick. By the time they arrived at the school she had nothing left in her stomach to expel and felt marginally better for it, but her coordination was still impeded by the alcohol and when she tried to get out of the car she lost her footing and sprawled to the ground.

Cath, no longer finding the state of her amusing, hauled her to her feet.

‘You’ve got to hold it together,’ she said desperately. ‘For Poppy’s sake.’

Julia nodded and together they walked across the playground. Julia was wearing a pair of Cath’s flat-soled sandals that were two sizes too small for her feet and her heels scraped painfully against the tarmac as she walked.

She spotted Ewan first. He was standing with a uniformed officer on the playground side of the police cordon, pensively watching the entrance to the building site. The nearer they got, Julia could see flashes of people walking past the doorway on the other side.

‘Where’s Poppy?’ she asked on reaching him. She had hoped she sounded more sober than she felt but Ewan’s reaction told her she’d failed.