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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

Immediately Julia wished she’d kept her mouth shut. Ewan didn’t like being questioned on his movements – she’d learned that the hard way when she queried his going out three nights a week to play squash with a friend she’d never heard of, someone called Gus. Ewan hadn’t taken kindly to her challenging it and had raged so loudly at her that Dylan had come into their bedroom crying for him to stop.

‘Why do you do it, Julia? Do you get a kick out of winding me up?’

She shrank away from him.

‘You don’t have to know every fucking thing that I do.’

He grabbed his keys from the table.

‘If the police call or come round, you don’t tell them anything, especially if they ask where I am.’

‘Why would they ask about you?’ she asked, alarmed.

‘For fuck’s sake, Julia, will you just back off—’

‘But—’

His hand was a blur as he struck her swiftly across the side of the head.

Winded from the shock and her temple throbbing in pain, Julia staggered across the kitchen to clutch the counter for support. Ewan had never hit her before and she couldn’t believe he had just done so.

‘I don’t think you should be here right now,’ she said hoarsely.

‘Come on, Jules.’

He took a step towards her but she shook her head. He looked sorry for what he’d done, his face veiled with concern, but for once she wasn’t falling for it.

‘Please go.’

When he reached the doorway to the hall he turned back, as if he’d changed his mind. She flinched, certain he was going to hit her again.

‘You’re really scared of me, aren’t you?’ His tone was devoid of any emotion; it was like a stranger standing there in the guise of her once-loving husband. ‘It’s really pathetic and unbecoming, Julia.’

She gazed up at him, too frightened to speak.

‘I suppose you’ll tell your dad and Cath that I hit you. Well, be sure to tell them you pushed me to it, because you know you did. Don’t try to deny it. I wouldn’t have done half the things I’ve done if you weren’t such a crap wife. So remember that, when people try to tell you things I’ve done. It’s all down to you.’ He looked her up and down, contempt stamped all over his face. ‘I could’ve done so much better.’

As the front door clicked shut behind him Julia slid to the floor and cried.

82

Maggie raced into the incident room and flung herself down in front of her computer, ignoring the startled looks from others. She spied Belmar across the room and hollered to him.

‘I need your help. Yours too, Nath.’

Curiosity piqued, the pair of them crowded behind her as she began frantically tapping out words on her keyboard.