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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 else would it have been? Benji was used to having me to himself and suddenly there’s a man on the scene getting in the way.’

‘How would you describe Poppy’s relationship with her dad?’

‘They’re really close, although I did notice her being a bit off with him recently. That was around the time she cried off coming round for tea.’

‘Why did she cancel?’

Imogen shrugged. ‘I asked Benji and he said he didn’t know.’

Maggie leaned back in her chair, troubled by what she was hearing. She had a niggling feeling that Imogen’s association with Ewan was somehow tied to what happened on that wall between their children. Benji didn’t like him and yesterday at the police station Poppy couldn’t have made it clearer that she didn’t want to go with her dad. What was behind—

She stopped, stunned.

The final piece of the puzzle had fallen into place.

81

The interview came up on Julia’s phone as an alert. She did a double-take as she clicked through to the Echo’s website, not believing her eyes as the headline swam in front of them. The blood drained to her lower body and her heartbeat thumped in her ears as it accelerated with shock. How could the police let Imogen get away with it?

Her heart thudded harder at the thought of Poppy seeing the headline, let alone any of her friends and their parents. It didn’t matter that her name was omitted – they’d still know which child Imogen was referring to. Julia thought it was despicable she had been allowed to put her lies across to the public in a way that made it impossible for them to defend Poppy.

She went downstairs in search of Ewan but the front room and kitchen were empty. Malcolm was still out after taking Dylan to school; he’d gone to meet an old neighbour from when he’d lived in Mansell and they weren’t expecting him back until later that afternoon.

The back door in the kitchen was open and standing on the threshold she spied Ewan down the bottom of the garden. He was half shielded from the house by the kids’ trampoline but she could see he was on the phone and was agitated, gesticulating into thin air as he rammed home whatever point he was trying to make.

She assumed it was a work call, although it was unusual for Ewan to be the one doing the shouting. In his self-employed world the client was always king, even if they didn’t warrant it.

She backed into the kitchen. If she brought up the Echo interview Ewan might get even angrier and take it out on her. However upset she was about it, now wasn’t the time to tell him.

Ewan stalked into the kitchen, phone clenched in his hand. White-hot anger leached from every pore.

‘I’m going out.’

‘Where?’