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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
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  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
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  80. 77
  81. 78
  82. 79
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  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

‘I imagine it has been a very difficult experience for you,’ said Renshaw frostily. ‘But here’s the thing. I’ve got an eleven-year-old boy lying dead on a mortuary slab and his mum is beside herself wanting to know how he ended up there. You swore blind it was an accident but then I’m given this transcript and suddenly it appears that you’re lying. So I’ll ask you again, Mr Donnelly, why did you give us a different account to the one you told the dispatcher?’

Alan could feel the sweat beading on his forehead but didn’t dare wipe it away. He knew every movement, every gesture, was being scrutinized.

‘I told you. I was confused and upset.’

‘Did you or did you not see Poppy Hepworth push Benji Tyler off the wall to his death? Hang on, what does it say here?’ Renshaw picked up the transcript and began to read as though she was rehearsing for a play. ‘Oh, yes, here we go – “I saw her do it – she put her hands on his chest and she pushed him with all her might.”’ She put the paper down on the table and stared at him. ‘Well?’

‘That’s what I thought I saw, but when I calmed down I realized I’d got it wrong. There was no way she could’ve pushed him from where she was standing – they were too far apart. It might’ve looked like she had, but what I saw was her reaching out to try to grab him to stop him falling.’

The lie was convincing enough to send a flicker of doubt across Renshaw’s face. Her colleague looked equally uncertain and Alan experienced a surge of confidence. He might actually pull this off.

‘That’s what you believe now, that she tried to help, to stop him falling?’

‘Yes. They were too far apart for it to be anything else.’

Renshaw looked far from happy.

‘Listen, I’m not going to get a little girl into trouble for something she didn’t do,’ Alan continued, sensing he was on the home stretch. ‘I couldn’t live with myself if I did. I’m very sorry the boy died, I wish I could’ve saved him myself. For as long as I live I will never be able to wipe the memory of him lying on the ground bleeding like that. But I know what I saw and I’m sorry, but I can’t change that.’

54

Julia had managed to force down a couple of slices of dry toast when they got home and was now napping on the sofa. The rest of the house was as quiet: Malcolm had spirited Dylan to the cinema, Poppy had shut herself in her room and Ewan was working at the kitchen table.