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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

Her happiness at returning to Rushbrooke seemed genuine enough and this was the most upbeat she’d been in days. Julia had taken on board her dad’s criticism of her behaviour towards Poppy and had made a huge effort to hug and kiss her as normal. His other comments were buried at the back of her mind to deal with another day; she had too much going on to dwell on her mum’s affair right now.

‘I’m pleased to hear it,’ said Julia, although it wasn’t strictly true. If Poppy had protested about going back she’d have kept her at home in a heartbeat.

They chatted for a minute about the book Poppy was reading, then, as Julia got to her feet, the doorbell went.

‘I’d better see who that is,’ she said, planting a kiss on her daughter’s crown.

Passing Dylan’s bedroom, she could hear the noise of him pretending to be a dragon tamer. Oh, to be nine and able to switch off to the horrors that surround you.

She still had a smile on her face when she yanked open the door. It dropped the second she saw the warrant card being held up.

‘Mrs Hepworth, I’m Acting DS Maggie Neville. I’m here for your daughter.’

67

Alan turned down the offer of a duty solicitor, fearing it might make him appear guilty if he accepted. It was already bad enough that the police had misconstrued the panic attack he’d experienced on arriving at the station as him being deliberately obstructive. He tried to explain it was because of his asthma that he was getting anxious and that he felt better after using his inhaler, but they’d still put him in a cell to ‘cool down’.

Half an hour into his confinement, it dawned on Alan that his only option was to stick to his story and brazen out the text message to Gus if they asked him about it.

He wasn’t worried about the police finding any other incriminating messages on his phone, because the arrangement with Gus to use the Pavilion was done through the school email system. It was genius when he thought about it – who’d query messages from the chairman of the school governors to the site manager asking for a building in the grounds to be unlocked? More specific messages had been passed on in person, like the request for Alan to source the sofa beds.