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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

There was a drawn-out pause.

‘Gus? You still there?’

‘Yes, I’m thinking.’

‘You need to get me out of here now. Ask that police officer you know to help.’

‘I can’t. He’s been suspended.’

Alan’s heart sank.

‘But there is someone else I can try. Leave it with me.’

Twenty minutes later the duty officer was back at his cell door. Alan was free to go.

68

Maggie took Poppy and Julia straight to the ABE suite, where Belmar and another woman were already waiting for them. Her name was Ayse and, Belmar explained, she was a social worker who was going to be sitting in on the interview as an appropriate adult instead of her parents.

‘No, I’m not having that,’ said Julia. ‘I should be with her.’

‘I’m sorry, but we don’t need your permission for this,’ said Maggie firmly. ‘You can wait outside until we’re done.’

Julia tried to protest, but Maggie wouldn’t budge. ‘DC Small will show you where you can wait.’

As Julia left the room Poppy started crying as though her life depended on it.

‘You think I’m guilty! That’s why she’s here,’ she sobbed, pointing at Ayse.

Maggie handed the girl a tissue and tried to assuage her anxiety.

‘Ayse is simply here to make sure you’re okay while we have our chat with you.’

The child still looked terrified. ‘Why can’t my mum stay with me?’

Ayse answered before Maggie could. She knelt down next to Poppy’s chair so they were on the same level. She had the kind of face you trusted immediately, with beguiling, deep-set brown eyes, and a wide, kind smile. Poppy seemed calmed by her friendliness, wiping her tears with the tissue as she listened.

‘You know how sometimes you don’t always want to say stuff in front of your parents, because they might not understand or get the wrong end of the stick? Well, that’s why I’m here instead today,’ Ayse explained. ‘So you can talk freely without worrying about what they’ll say. Your mum is just outside the room waiting for you. Answer the questions as quick and as fully as you can and then you can go and see her.’

Belmar returned and settled down on the sofa next to Maggie. He was more casually attired than normal, his preferred three-piece suit dispensed of presumably in deference to the warm weather.

Ayse sat with Poppy.

‘We want to talk to you a bit more about how you got along with Benji, because I’m a little confused about it,’ said Maggie. ‘Are you okay to do that?’

Poppy looked to Ayse for reassurance and received an encouraging nod in return.

‘I am,’ she replied.