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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
  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

Even as drunk as he was, Alan still managed to summon up outrage.

‘Me? What about you?’ He wobbled to his feet. ‘The police think there’s a dead woman at the school.’

Gus seized hold of Alan’s shoulders and shoved him back down onto the chair.

‘There is a dead woman – and it’s Ruby.’

Alan stared up at him, confused.

‘She hasn’t been seen for days, no one can get hold of her,’ said Gus. ‘You know what that means, don’t you?’

‘That you’ll be going down for murder, most likely,’ said Alan. He wouldn’t normally dare speak to Gus like that, but the Scotch was making him braver. ‘You and your foul, disgusting mates.’

To his surprise, Gus laughed.

‘Me? I didn’t kill her and nor did anyone I know. But you were definitely the last person to see her alive.’

It took a few seconds for Alan to register what Gus was insinuating.

‘No way, it wasn’t anything to do with me,’ he slurred. ‘I saw Ruby on – wait, what day is it now?’ He counted backwards on his fingers. ‘That’s it, Wednesday. I saw her on Wednesday, although I still don’t remember that I did.’

Gus bent down so his face was level with Alan’s.

‘That was the last day the other girls remember seeing her, which makes you the last person to talk to her, when you went round to her house, called her a whore and she scratched you.’

Alan fumbled his cheek and felt the line that was still there, scored into his skin.

‘It wasn’t me,’ he said, suddenly panicking. ‘I didn’t do anything to her.’

Gus straightened up and smiled, then held his arms out as though offering Alan an embrace.

‘Let’s think logically about this,’ he said. ‘Neither of us wants the police at our door, so I’m prepared to give you an alibi for Wednesday evening – I’ll say you came round to mine after the pub and that you went nowhere near Ruby’s house. In return, you continue to keep quiet about the Pavilion.’

The thought of being accused of murder terrified Alan into agreeing. Who wouldn’t believe an alibi from the school’s chair of governors? It was only after Gus left, when he was trying to take everything in, that Alan realized something crucial, something he had overlooked himself until that point.

He didn’t actually know where Ruby lived. How could he have gone round to see her, let alone have harmed her in any way, when he didn’t actually possess her address? Why had Gus lied to him about her scratching him, when it was obvious now that he must’ve caught his cheek on a bush, as he originally assumed?

The answer that came to him was horrifyingly simple: Gus was setting him up.

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