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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

The head made it sound as though he was the reason the police had been swarming all over the place and not the kid who fell, and he was stung by the rebuke. He was also scared. Why did they want to question him again? Had they found out he started the fire? Did they know about the Pavilion?

The scratch on his face suddenly itched like mad but he kept his hands clenched at his sides, not wanting to draw any more attention to it. He could say with some conviction that he had no idea how he did it – whatever Gus insisted otherwise, he still had no recollection of going to talk to Ruby. And even if he had approached her, what would her response have been anyway? He might not use her and her friends the way others did, but he was as bad in many respects. He was the enabler and coward who turned his back and ignored what was going on to save his own skin.

It bothered him that he couldn’t lock his office door as the police marched him outside, but if he insisted they might become suspicious, as might Mrs Pullman. Instead he unfastened the bundle of keys he carried on a loop on his belt and handed it to her. Some of the keys were labelled and for the ones that weren’t he explained their function as quickly as he could. The look on the head’s face suggested she’d forgotten which key fitted which lock the moment he’d told her, but she said she’d work it out.

Alan was grateful there were no children around to see his walk of shame across the playground to the staff car park, where the officers had left their car. He was also grateful their vehicle was unmarked, its plain, dark navy bodywork making it indistinguishable from any other car on the road.

They made the drive into the centre of Mansell in silence, the two of them up front and Alan sitting in the back. He debated asking if he needed a solicitor but feared doing so was tantamount to admitting he was in trouble.

Renshaw didn’t bother with preamble: she simply slipped a piece of paper across the table and asked him to read it aloud.

As his own words leapt off the page at him, Alan swallowed hard. So this wasn’t about the fire.

Shit, shit, shit.

‘That’s a very different account to what you told us on Tuesday, Mr Donnelly.’

He pushed the piece of paper back towards her.

‘I was in shock. I made a mistake.’

‘Your statement on Tuesday was a mistake?’

‘No, when I dialled 999. I didn’t know whether I was coming or going. What happened . . . it was horrible. I still can’t get that kid’s face out of my mind.’