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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

‘Is it because you know?’

‘Know what?’ he croaked.

‘About the bad men coming into the school at night.’ Poppy looked quickly up and down the corridor to check no one was coming. ‘Benji knew,’ she whispered. ‘He saw –’ she choked back a sob – ‘there were bad men inside the school and he saw them and he told me.’

‘I don’t know what you’re going on about,’ said Alan, his guts twisting in fear. ‘You need to get to your class now, before we both end up in trouble.’ He began to back away from her but she followed him.

‘I didn’t mean to push him,’ she said, openly crying now. ‘It wasn’t my fault. It was because of the bad men.’

Alan put his hand out to stop her but lost his footing so he ended up slumped halfway down the wall as she loomed over him.

‘Please don’t tell me anything else,’ he said, almost crying too now.

Poppy’s eyebrows knitted and her mouth formed a perfect ‘o’.

‘No!’ she exclaimed, her hand fluttering to her chest. ‘You’re one of them too. You’re one of the bad men.’

Then she turned and ran for the door.

78

Imogen was unrepentant about the Echo piece but Maggie couldn’t tell if she genuinely felt that way or if her show of defiance was down to the towering presence of Grace. She certainly had no regrets about her daughter doing it.

‘She has every right to talk to the press,’ she said snappily. ‘If you were doing your jobs properly she wouldn’t have had to.’

‘The piece accuses Poppy Hepworth of being a killer when we haven’t even charged her or come close to it,’ Maggie admonished, while Carmichael stood beside her in a show of unity. Maggie had assured the FLO it wasn’t her fault the Tylers had gone against advice by doing an interview but she felt responsible nonetheless.

‘They haven’t said it was her,’ Grace huffed.

Maggie ignored her and directed the rest of her rebuke at Imogen.

‘We know how devastated you are about Benji dying and how much you want answers, and we’re all working really hard to get them for you. But you need to understand how difficult this will make things now. Anyone connected with Rushbrooke will know the child referred to in the interview is Poppy and they’ll probably tell everyone they know, who will then pass it on to everyone they know, and so on, until her name is public knowledge. If she is charged with causing Benji’s death, her lawyers may try to argue she won’t get a fair trial because everyone will have pre-judged her.’

Imogen’s eyes flickered away from Maggie’s face to Carmichael’s.

‘Hazel?’

‘I would have cautioned you against proceeding with the interview had I known,’ she said solemnly.

Imogen looked mortified. ‘I’m sorry—’