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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

‘Did he hit you, Mrs Hepworth?’ asked Belmar, sitting down next to her. ‘That looks nasty.’

Julia began to cry. ‘It’s my fault, not his. I was nagging him to tell me something and I should’ve stopped.’

‘Don’t blame yourself for his actions,’ said Belmar gently.

‘But I goaded him! He wouldn’t have hit me otherwise. He’s never done it before.’

Maggie took a breath. ‘I’m sorry to have to tell you this, but we think your husband has been violent towards other women he’s come into contact with. We believe him to be dangerous and it’s vital we find him before he hurts anyone else. Do you have any idea where he might be?’

‘Sorry, you’re not making sense. What other women?’

In the phone call with Umpire before they left Lila’s bedsit, Maggie had asked how much they should tell Julia about her husband. Umpire said he would leave it to her discretion, but what they must avoid at all costs was Julia tipping Ewan off. Now, watching her reaction, Maggie knew they couldn’t trust Julia not to warn him. The bit she’d seized on wasn’t him being violent or considered dangerous, but that there were other women involved – put a different way, possible replacements for her. Despite how appallingly he treated her, Julia would put Ewan first and always believe the best of him; it was the classic, desperate mentality of a woman indoctrinated by an emotionally abusive spouse.

‘Julia, we need to find your husband,’ said Maggie, shooting Belmar a look so he understood not to say anything else. ‘If he was with Poppy, where would he have taken her?’ Julia wiped her tears as she tried to think. ‘Maybe swimming? They like going to the Lido.’

‘I don’t think your husband will have taken her to do an activity.’

Julia’s confusion turned to alarm. ‘Wait, you said Ewan’s dangerous – you think he would hurt our daughter? That’s the most ridiculous thing I’ve ever heard.’

‘Poppy didn’t want to go home with him yesterday. She seemed scared.’

‘Not of him. It was the situation and all those questions you were asking her. That’s why she was upset . . .’ She tailed off. ‘Ewan said people would try to tell me things about him and that it was my fault.’ She got to her feet. ‘I think you need to go now. I want you to leave.’

Belmar got to his feet too. ‘What about Poppy? Don’t you want to help us to find your daughter?’

‘Of course I do,’ she said. ‘But if Ewan comes back and finds you here he’ll be really upset.’

Maggie could see they were getting nowhere and they couldn’t afford to waste any more time. Poppy was the one person who could implicate Ewan in Ruby’s death because of what Benji had told her.