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Back False Witness
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

‘Good, I’m glad,’ she said. ‘I know you’ve had a rough time and I’m sorry I shouted at you on the phone about that text you sent. I should’ve stopped to think how you must have been feeling after watching that boy die. Did you know him well, before it happened?’

‘Not really. He was pretty new to the school. I think I’d only spoken to him once, and that was to tell him off.’

‘What had he done?’

‘I caught him in the art cupboard one break time. He should’ve been outside and it’s out of bounds to the kids.’

‘Was he nicking stuff?’

‘Nah, I think he was just exploring. He hadn’t been at the school long.’

Alan was suddenly assailed by sadness as he remembered how apologetic Benji had been when he’d caught him in the cupboard. He was a polite lad.

Gayle touched his arm. ‘Al, what is it?’

He stared into her eyes, saw how concerned she was and before he could stop himself everything came tumbling out – what he’d seen on the wall, the Pavilion, Gus, the fire, everything. He didn’t pause, not even when Gayle’s face froze in horror and she shrank away from him – he had to get it all out, he needed to.

When he finally finished, Gayle slumped down on the chair and buried her face in her hands. He was desperate for her to say something but he knew he should wait and let her speak first.

Eventually she sat up, her expression set like granite.

‘Here’s what’s going to happen next. You’re going to go downstairs and tell our children that you’ve got to go out for a bit – tell them you’re needed up at the school. Then you’re going to go straight to the police and tell them everything you just told me.’

He didn’t contradict her, just nodded.

‘Will you still be here when I get back, though?’

‘No, no, you don’t get to put this on me. Because if I say we won’t be, I know you won’t go through with it and that’s not fair, Alan.’

‘I will, I promise. I want to tell them. I want this all to be over. Seeing you, and the kids . . . I want to put things right.’

‘You doing that doesn’t mean we –’ she gestured at both of them – ‘are okay. I need time to think. What you’ve done, the lies you’ve told . . . and you letting them use the school for, for that . . . It’s disgusting.’

‘I know, but Gus found out I had serious debts and threatened me with my job. If I got sacked from Rushbrooke I couldn’t make my repayments and I wouldn’t have got a decent reference to get another position. I’d have gone under and where would that have left you and the kids?’