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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

‘That’s great,’ said Maggie warmly. She wanted Poppy to feel as though the interview was in her control, that she wasn’t being strong-armed into talking. It was a strategy she and Belmar had agreed beforehand, as well as their line of questioning.

‘We’ve been told you had a big fight with Benji at school two weeks ago. Is that right?’

Poppy hesitated for a moment, her gaze flitting to the door that separated her and her mum.

‘We did.’

‘What was the fight about?’

‘Benji kept shoving me really hard and it hurt. When I told him to stop he started saying stuff and I got cross, so I whacked him. It wasn’t hard.’

‘Why was he shoving you in the first place?’

‘He wanted me to listen to him but I was talking to someone else.’

‘Listen about what?’ asked Belmar.

Poppy shuffled awkwardly in her seat. ‘I don’t know.’

Maggie appraised the girl carefully and decided she did know: she just wasn’t saying.

‘Was it about something he’d seen in the school grounds, something that might’ve been shocking or scary?’

The head shake was too quick, too eager.

‘No.’

‘Poppy, on Saturday we found a body buried in the school grounds, close to where Benji fell. We’re pretty certain he knew it was there. Did he say anything to you about it?’

Any pretence at playing it cool was lost as Poppy’s mouth gaped open.

‘He wasn’t lying?’

‘Benji had said something then?’

Poppy looked around wildly.

‘I want my mum.’

‘You can see her in a minute.’

‘No, I want to see her now.’

She leapt to her feet and began screaming for Julia. Ayse tried to calm her but Poppy shrugged her off and ran to the door.

‘Mum! Mum!’

Maggie went after her.

‘Poppy, please sit down,’ she urged, gently holding her shoulders. ‘I’ll go and get your mum now.’

Ayse took over and led a sobbing Poppy back to the sofa. Maggie darted out of the room where she found Julia almost hysterical with worry.

‘What have you said to her? Why is she screaming like that?’

‘Please, come in, she needs you.’

Julia elbowed past Maggie and raced across the ABE suite to Poppy, who wailed even louder as she fell into her mum’s arms.

‘Honey, what is it? What’s upset you?’

Poppy was crying so hard that none of what she said made any sense. Julia kept shushing her and eventually her words became clearer. She was saying the same thing over and over, like a mantra.

‘He wasn’t lying. He wasn’t lying. He wasn’t lying . . .’

69

Maggie and Belmar went outside to give Julia and Poppy some space. Ayse stayed with them, a silent but comforting presence.

‘Bloody hell,’ said Belmar, clearly rattled. ‘That was some scream.’