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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

This she’d announced in a hastily arranged meeting in the staffroom before the children arrived, when she’d also relayed the news that the police investigation was, for the time being, focusing away from the school and on the construction firm behind the new classrooms. Alan caught Mr Lincoln’s eye and they traded grim but relieved smiles.

Alan left the meeting already thinking about the next thing on his to-do list, which was to check a faulty water fountain in the playground, and as a consequence he almost didn’t notice her until they were level.

Poppy Hepworth.

He pressed his back against the wall as the class streamed past, hoping she wouldn’t notice him. Why hadn’t anyone warned him she’d be back at school today? Yet her appearance pulled him up short: she looked miserable, her head bent low so her hair fell over her face to partly obscure it. She wasn’t walking with her friends either, but was tailing them at the back of the queue.

Alan’s chest tightened. Had something happened? Their fates were intrinsically linked and if she’d had bad news, should he be braced for the same?

She was about to pass him when she suddenly looked up and her eyes locked on his. In that moment it was as though everyone and everything around them had melted away, the clamour of excited children and their clumping footsteps quieting to nothing. Alan tried to back away, but it was as though her stare was sucking him in, welding him to the secret they shared.

Then she smiled and said hello.

77

She hung back as her friends headed towards their classroom, until it was only the two of them left in the corridor.

‘You’ll be late for the register,’ said Alan feebly.

Poppy shrugged, but didn’t say anything. She hitched her rucksack from one shoulder to the other and rage burned through him. How could she stand there pretending like nothing was wrong?

‘What do you want?’ he snarled.

She blinked and to his surprise he saw she was close to tears. Suddenly he imagined Gayle’s voice in his head, chiding him. She’s only eleven, Alan, he heard his ex-wife say. Remember when Lacey was that age? Full of bravado and pre-adolescent arrogance when really she was still just a scared little girl. But he shook his head to dispel the voice. This wasn’t the same: Lacey would never do what Poppy had done.

‘I don’t know what to do,’ she said, her voice small and tight.

‘How’s that any concern of mine?’

‘Because I know you saw what I did.’

Alan held his breath, stunned.

‘Why haven’t you said?’ she asked.

He couldn’t answer. The shock of her confessing had rendered him mute.

Poppy bit down hard on her bottom lip. He could see the skin was already scabbed and swollen as she drew fresh blood.