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Back False Witness
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

‘Make sure you keep it that way,’ Grace ordered. ‘If I think that you’re not fully committed to solving my grandson’s case there will be severe consequences. It will not end well for you, DC Neville.’

Grace stalked from the room and went upstairs. Maggie did her best to reassure Imogen.

‘Our focus is still on finding out what caused Benji to fall.’

‘Mum’s upset because we thought there would be more progress by now. Are you going to arrest Poppy?’

Maggie sat down beside her.

‘It’s not that simple. We have an eyewitness who is corroborating her story that it was an accident.’

Imogen went pale. ‘You mean he might’ve fallen by himself? No, I don’t believe it. I won’t accept that. The witness is lying too.’

‘That’s what we’re trying to establish. The results of the digital autopsy might give us a clearer idea of whether Benji was pushed or not, but at the moment we don’t know when we’ll be getting those.’

‘What about the notebooks Jamie took? Did they help?’

Maggie’s insides fluttered with consternation as she tried to think on her feet.

‘I’m not sure where we’re at with them. These were the ones he found in Benji’s room the other day?’

‘Yes, in his treasure box. One was his, the other I hadn’t seen before.’

A flashback to the office, to Byford’s bottom drawer: one notebook patterned with footballs, the other with flowers.

Maggie took a punt. ‘The football one was a diary, wasn’t it?’

‘No, Benji used it for writing short stories. Jamie seemed to think there was something in it that might be useful.’

‘I think he’s still checking through it,’ said Maggie, angry at being forced to cover for him. What the hell was Byford playing at? Why hadn’t he submitted the notebooks for evidence and told the rest of the team about them?

‘Have you seen the other one? I told Jamie it was going to take him ages to ring all those phone numbers. Pages and pages of them.’

‘You still haven’t remembered where Benji got it from?’ Again, another punt.

Imogen shrugged. ‘I thought at first it might be his because of all the code alongside the numbers, but it wasn’t his handwriting. He must’ve found it somewhere and decided to keep it to see if he could crack the code. Pretending to be a spy was a favourite game of his.’