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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

‘Look at the state of you,’ he said through clenched teeth. ‘What the hell are you thinking turning up here drunk?’ He swung round to vent his wrath at Cath. ‘You said it was just a couple. My wife is fucking hammered while my daughter is through there having to walk around the place where she watched another child die.’

Cath was remarkably calm in replying. Julia, meanwhile, was fighting the feeling that the playground was tilting and was trying not to be sick again.

‘I’m sorry you’re upset but this is not the time to have a pop at Julia or me. We’re here now, that’s what matters.’

‘But it’s not even the afternoon and she’s drunk,’ said Ewan. ‘What message does that send to the police?’

The officer near the cordon was trying and failing to pretend he wasn’t listening.

‘It tells them your poor wife is under a huge amount of strain at the moment. Why aren’t you with Poppy anyway?’

‘They wouldn’t let me be. Something about avoiding contamination of the scene.’

Julia burst into noisy tears.

‘I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to make things worse.’

‘Take her home,’ Ewan snapped at Cath. ‘I don’t want Poppy to see her like this.’

‘I want to see my daughter!’ wailed Julia. ‘Where’s my baby?’

She lurched forward to duck under the police tape but the combination of poorly fitting shoes and drunken incapacity proved too much and she went flying, knees and palms bearing the brunt of the heavy landing. As she yelped in pain DS Renshaw chose that moment to come back through the doorway with Poppy in tow.

‘Mum, what are you doing?’

Julia was relieved to see Poppy hadn’t been crying. She struggled to her feet.

‘I can’t believe you made her go in there without one of us,’ she bawled at DS Renshaw. ‘She’s just a kid.’

‘I’m very well aware of Poppy’s age,’ said the officer, unmoved. ‘You can take her home now.’

‘Oh, we can, can we?’ Julia responded tartly. ‘That’s big of you.’

Ewan intervened, taking Julia’s hand.

‘Let’s get Poppy home,’ he said. It was an order rather than a request.

‘Hang on,’ said Julia, shrugging her hand out of his. ‘I want to know what happens next. How long are you going to keep us in limbo?’

‘We’re still making inquiries,’ said Renshaw.

Julia flung her hands skywards. ‘If I hear that one more time I’ll scream. What you’re doing is barbaric. She’s a kid and you’re letting everyone think she’s guilty.’