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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

Ewan was at work, the kids downstairs with her dad, by now on their third film of the morning. She should care that they had already exceeded their daily screen time by half but she didn’t have it in her to go downstairs and deal with them whining at her when she switched the TV off.

Up here, on her own, she could pretend everything was normal. Her manager had granted her a week’s leave of absence ‘to deal with things’, informing her by email over the weekend. Julia hoped it was borne of kindness and a desire to lessen what her family was going through, but she suspected the offer was really a ruse to put some distance between her and the council. No one wanted to be tainted by association.

She checked the Echo website again. Benji’s death had been eclipsed by the discovery of the body at Rushbrooke. There was lots of speculation about how it got there but little in the way of detail. The police were saying nothing and the identity of the woman – they had at least confirmed it was a she – wasn’t being made public until next of kin had been informed.

Julia’s visits to the Echo website that morning already numbered in the dozens. But when events shifted like sand and could be updated every second, let alone every hour, she didn’t want to miss anything. So she sat and she read, and refreshed, and read, and refreshed, over and over, until her eyes started to smart and her neck and shoulders throbbed in protest at being kept still for so long.

At midday Malcolm came up with a cup of tea and a cheese sandwich. He’d cut the crusts off, the way her mum used to do when she was little.

‘Thought you might be hungry,’ he said.

He tiptoed into the room as though he didn’t want to disturb her and set the plate and mug down on her bedside table.

‘Shall I open the curtains, let some sunshine in?’

She was about to say no and ask that he leave her alone, but something stopped her.

‘Yes, please.’

She squinted, her eyes adjusting to the flood of daylight as he pulled back the lined drapes.

‘Why don’t you come downstairs for a bit after you’ve eaten? If you feel up to it?’

‘I’m not ill, Dad,’ she said, chewing a mouthful of sandwich. It was white bread, which wasn’t their usual, and it felt spongy and alien against the roof of her mouth.

‘That’s the only bread the shop on the corner had left,’ said Malcolm as she laid the rest back on the plate, uneaten. ‘I didn’t want to leave the kids for too long to go to one of the bigger supermarkets. But we are running out of food.’

Julia picked up her tablet again. ‘I’ll order an online shop.’