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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

‘What did you mean about your family winning this time, Grace? What happened previously when you “lost”?’ Mother and daughter shared a loaded look, then Imogen took a deep breath.

‘Well, it’s more about Julia’s mum. She was a horrible, horrible woman and she ruined our lives – mine, Mum’s and Ed’s.’

‘How?’

Grace cleared her throat. ‘She stole my husband, that’s how.’

79

Alan stumbled after Poppy but his legs were weak with shock and by the time he got into the playground she’d vanished. Thinking she was hiding, he looked in the obvious places but she wasn’t in any of them. She must’ve left the school grounds.

He held his head in despair. Benji hadn’t died because he and Poppy had been mucking about on the wall – it was because of Gus and the Pavilion. And he had made it happen. That boy’s blood was on his hands.

He pulled his phone out of his pocket and called Gus. It went straight to voicemail so he left a message.

‘It’s me. It’s as bad as it gets. The kids knew.’

He didn’t want to say anything more damning and hoped Gus would be able to decipher the meaning behind his message. If anyone else heard it, he’d explain it away by saying he was talking about his kids.

Hanging up, he had no idea what to do next. Telling the police what Poppy had said would mean admitting everything. He wasn’t ready to do that, but it was only a matter of time before Poppy mentioned ‘the bad men’ to the police. Whichever way he looked at it, he was in serious shit.

He wished he could talk to Gayle about it. Before their split, before the damage had set in like dry rot, they’d talked about everything and anything. She was great at dispensing advice and always knew the right thing to say. Alan was the worrier, she the pragmatist.

God, he missed her.

Before he could talk himself out of it, he called her number. His heart skipped a beat as she picked up after only two rings.

‘What do you want, Alan?’

She didn’t sound angry, though, more resigned. The sound of her voice made his own stall in his throat.

‘Alan?’

‘I’m here,’ he managed to say.

‘What’s going on? Aren’t you at work?’

‘I am.’

Shit, he wished he’d planned what he was going to say before he called. He sounded like an idiot.

‘Okay, so why the call?’

He gazed across the playing field, where the charred remains of the Pavilion taunted him.

‘Have you ever done something you regretted so much you’d do anything to put it right?’ he asked her softly.

‘You’re asking me that?’

‘I didn’t mean about us,’ he said quickly. ‘This is about something else.’