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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

They needed to find her before he did.

88

Driving back to the station, Maggie called Umpire and put him on loudspeaker so Belmar could hear too.

‘Ewan’s not here and Julia says she doesn’t know where he is,’ said Maggie. ‘Any sightings of Poppy yet?’

‘No, but Donnelly’s been brought in and he’s admitted being the last person to see her at school. They had words, then she ran off and he doesn’t know where she might’ve gone. But that’s not all – he’s about to give a statement confirming he did witness her push Benji off the wall to his death.’

‘What he said during his 999 call was correct then?’

‘Yes.’

‘So why’s he been lying?’ asked Belmar.

‘Donnelly’s been covering up for the people running the prostitution ring that Ruby was part of, and presumably Lila still is. You know the Pavilion building in Rushbrooke’s grounds, the one that burned down? That was where the girls took their punters – Donnelly claims he was forced to open up the building for them to use. He thought that if we wrote Benji’s death off as an accident we wouldn’t find out.’

‘Bloody hell,’ remarked Belmar. ‘I can’t believe he’d let prostitutes use a primary school for meeting johns. I damn well hope we’re throwing the book at him.’

‘He’s asking for a deal. He says he’ll give us the names of the people behind the racket in return for immunity. He’s implied that some of Mansell’s best-known public figures are involved.’

‘You can’t let him off the hook,’ said Maggie angrily. ‘What about Imogen? He should be punished for her sake, for telling lies and holding up the investigation.’

‘But, Maggie, if more senior officers like ACC Bailey are involved, we need to put a stop to it and that means cutting a deal with Donnelly to get the information. For all we know some of the girls involved could’ve been trafficked and let’s not forget one of them was murdered.’

‘The thought of Donnelly walking scot-free makes me sick,’ said Maggie.

‘We’ll still go after him for perverting the course of justice by giving a false statement about Poppy,’ said Umpire. ‘But, no, it’s very likely he won’t be implicated in the racket.’

‘Does this mean we should be arresting Poppy too now?’ asked Belmar.

‘Yes. And before you say anything, Maggie, I know there are mitigating circumstances. But those are for a court to hear, not us.’

‘I know, I just hate the thought of having to arrest her.’

‘You need to find her first. Where could she have gone?’

Maggie wracked her brains but she was stumped. ‘She could be anywhere in Mansell.’

‘All right, let’s try a different approach,’ said Umpire, ‘and assume she’s with her dad then. Where would he take her?’

Belmar suddenly clicked his fingers.