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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

‘Her family wasn’t irrevocably broken,’ said Imogen, annoyed. ‘Mine was.’

‘I can understand why you were upset,’ said Maggie carefully. ‘What I’m struggling with is why neither of you told us about this.’

‘It’s what I said – if you thought I’d bullied Julia, you might have been on their side and not ours,’ said Imogen.

‘Did Benji know about the relationship between his grandfather and Poppy’s grandmother?’

‘No,’ said Grace sharply.

Maggie regarded Imogen for a moment, an idea percolating in her mind.

‘Given how you felt about Julia and her family, why befriend Ewan?’ she asked.

Imogen twisted nervously in her seat. ‘I didn’t know who he was at first. By the time I found out, the kids were already friends and it would’ve been too complicated to explain to Benji why I didn’t want Poppy coming round.’

Maggie wasn’t sure whether she believed her.

‘Did you discuss the past with Ewan?’

Another fidget.

‘No.’

Maggie took a breath, aware how incendiary her next question was.

‘Imogen, have you been having an affair with Ewan Hepworth?’

Grace gasped and reeled round in her seat to confront her daughter.

‘Don’t you dare say yes!’

‘Mum, I’m not having, nor have I had, an affair with him.’ She eyeballed Maggie. ‘I was tempted, though, and it would’ve served Julia right if I had.’

‘Why?’ asked Maggie.

‘So she’d know what it feels like when your family goes to shit because of another woman.’

Talk about keeping your enemies close.

‘What stopped you then?’ Maggie wanted to know.

Imogen looked embarrassed and fiddled with the rings on her right hand.

‘Ewan wasn’t interested in me like that. He’d been texting me stuff that made me think something could happen between us, but when the opportunity presented itself, well – Ewan was very sweet and polite about it, but he didn’t want to reciprocate.’ Imogen shrugged but it was a poor attempt to appear nonchalant. The rejection had obviously stung. ‘It was probably a good thing nothing happened,’ she added airily. ‘Benji wasn’t very keen on Ewan and he would’ve hated it if I’d got involved with him.’

‘Why didn’t Benji like him?’ Carmichael pressed.

‘It wasn’t anything he said explicitly. I could tell from how he’d behave when Ewan came round to collect Poppy. If Ewan stayed for a drink Benji would get really huffy and moody and refuse to talk to him.’ Imogen cocked her head, as though she was thinking. ‘Actually, he did once say Ewan wasn’t very nice to women and didn’t treat them well, but that’s never been my experience of him. Really Benji was jealous I was giving Ewan attention.’

‘Are you sure that’s all it was?’ asked Maggie.