BooksBarbecue
Back False Witness
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

‘Benji told her about the body,’ said Maggie, trembling from the adrenaline spike Poppy’s outburst had triggered. ‘He told her and she didn’t believe him.’ She took a breath. ‘I think she pushed him. I think she was telling him to shut up on the wall because she didn’t believe him. Kids shove each other when they’re annoyed. He’d got her out of bed early in the morning but when they got on the wall there was nothing to see and she thought he’d lied and so she shoved him. She didn’t mean to kill him, but she did, I’m certain of it.’

‘I think the same. So what do we do? Talk to Umpire about bringing charges?’

This, Maggie knew, was her first test as Acting DS. If they went to Umpire now Poppy’s fate would be sealed, because there was cause for the CPS to recommend charging her with manslaughter on the grounds of gross negligence. Once the CPS was involved, Poppy was in the system.

Maggie stared up at her friend as she tried to think. However angry she’d been with him earlier, now she was grateful he was there. Belmar was the best partner she’d ever worked with and she trusted him to back her.

‘Let’s see if we can get her to admit it first,’ she finally said.

‘You mean give her a chance?’

‘Yes. She’s eleven years old and she’s no Mary Bell. I want to make sure we’ve got this right.’

Belmar pulled a face at her mention of Bell, one of Britain’s most notorious juvenile killers. Bell was the same age as Poppy when she was convicted in 1968 for murdering two boys, one three years old, the other four.

‘No, Poppy’s not. Bell’s actions were far more savage,’ he said. ‘But . . .’

Maggie groaned. ‘I know I’m not going to like this “but”.’

‘Mary Bell was also convicted of manslaughter and not murder. She successfully pleaded diminished responsibility because her mother was an alcoholic prostitute who tried to kill Bell as a baby, then let clients sexually abuse her for money from the age of four.’

‘What are you getting at?’

‘The jury believed the psychiatrist who testified in the trial that Bell had developed a psychopathic personality that impaired her mental responsibility. I’m not saying Julia’s been exposing Poppy to similar depravity, but the social services file is very revealing about that episode on the viaduct. I went through it earlier,’ he added.

‘That happened when Poppy was two,’ Maggie pointed out. ‘There’s no way she’d remember it and, besides, what Julia did wasn’t an act of violence but of desperation, brought on by PND.’

‘What about since? The Facebook post said Poppy was most likely violent because of what was going on at home. For all we know the viaduct was the catalyst.’