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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

‘On Tuesday, when I left Mrs Pullman’s office to get some air, something happened. You looked shocked. Poppy, what did you tell Daddy?’

Poppy stonewalled her.

‘Daddy, can I have some ice cream?’

‘Of course.’

‘No, she can’t, we haven’t had tea yet,’ Julia snapped. ‘Poppy, I asked you a question.’

‘Why are you getting cross with me?’ her daughter answered, growing tearful.

‘See, now look what you’ve done,’ said Ewan. For once Julia ignored him.

‘Honey, did you tell Daddy what really happened when Benji fell?’

Poppy’s expression slowly morphed as her eyes flickered from her mother’s face to her father’s and it pinned Julia to the spot with shame. For the first time she saw her daughter was every bit as intimidated by Ewan as she was.

55

The discovery of Donnelly’s 999 transcript had triggered a witch-hunt to find out whose fault it was that it had been mislaid in the first place. The admin assistants, led by the irrepressible Pearl, were refusing to take responsibility, saying it had been delivered to the team as procedure demanded, while Renshaw was arguing that it hadn’t and their sloppiness had thwarted the investigation.

The stand-off between the two women was taking place in the middle of the CID department, in the full view of everyone, and Maggie admired Pearl for not backing down in the face of Renshaw’s fury.

‘I don’t know how it ended up mixed up with those other statements but I know it wasn’t my girls who put it there,’ she said.

‘So who did, the fucking Tooth Fairy?’ Renshaw shouted back, her anger fuelled by Donnelly’s own refusal to back down from his statement that Benji’s fall was accidental. He was currently downstairs in an interview room, cooling his heels until Renshaw had another crack at him.

‘I gave it to one of your detectives like he asked me to,’ Omana piped up.

Maggie, who was standing behind Renshaw, froze.

‘Who asked you to?’ Renshaw demanded to know.

‘I think I know,’ said Maggie. ‘It was Byford.’

Renshaw spun round.

‘Why the hell would he need the transcript first?’

‘I don’t know, but I think there’s something else he’s got that he shouldn’t have.’

Leaving Pearl simmering about wanting an apology, Renshaw followed Maggie back into the incident room.

‘We need to get into his bottom drawer,’ said Maggie. ‘But he keeps it locked.’

Renshaw tried it anyway but it was firmly shut. ‘Anyone know how to jimmy this open?’

‘This might do it,’ said Burton, holding up a lock pick.

‘I won’t ask where you got that from,’ said Renshaw wryly.

She and Maggie stood aside as Burton got to work. In less than ten seconds the drawer was open.