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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

Julia’s eyes pricked with tears. ‘Don’t start, Cath, please. I just need to find him.’

‘No, you don’t, you need to find your daughter. Now, think – where could she have gone?’

‘I don’t know. All her friends are still at school so she can’t have gone round to one of their houses—’

There was a sudden hammering on the front door. Cath opened it to find Malcolm bent double on her doorstep, hand propped against the wall to support himself.

‘Are you okay, Malcolm?’

‘Julia . . . needs to come . . . police,’ he panted between breaths. ‘I . . . ran here.’

‘Julia!’ Cath yelled down the hallway. She came running.

‘Dad, what’s going on?’

Malcolm gulped down some deep breaths. ‘The police are at yours. They want you to go with them. Ewan’s taken Poppy to Hawley Ridge.’

90

Hawley Ridge railway viaduct was taken out of commission in the mid-sixties and passed over to Railway Paths Ltd, who turned the old line into one of the county’s most popular tourist attractions. At weekends the wide, grassy footpath where trains once passed bustled with families, dog walkers and abseilers taking in the spectacular view of the Chilterns it afforded them. Today it was empty except for three people: Ewan, Poppy – and DS Anna Renshaw.

‘What the hell is she doing here?’ huffed Belmar as he and Maggie reached the summit of the steps leading from the car park to the viaduct footpath. The arches were fifty metres high and it was a steep climb.

‘No idea, but I don’t like it,’ Maggie panted back.

Ewan and Poppy were standing by the edge of the footpath and there was a sheer drop on the other side of the brick-and-flint wall they were leaning against. Ewan had his arm clamped around her shoulders and the way Poppy was leaning in to him meant her face was hidden from view. Renshaw was standing a few metres back from them, towards the middle of the footpath. She was in casual clothes – jeans, T-shirt, flip-flops – and her usually groomed hair hung limp about her face. When she saw Maggie and Belmar approaching, she held up her hand to stop them.

‘Leave this to me,’ she ordered.

‘Anna, you need to step down. You’re not meant to be here,’ said Maggie firmly.

‘This is my case,’ she shot back.

‘No, it isn’t.’

Ewan suddenly shouted.

‘All of you leave us alone!’

‘Mr Hepworth, I need you to step away from the wall with Poppy,’ said Maggie. ‘We can sort this out.’

Renshaw clenched her fists. ‘I said leave it, Maggie.’ She took a step forward. ‘Poppy,’ she hollered to the girl, ‘why did you push Benji Tyler to his death?’

‘Call Umpire,’ said Maggie in an undertone to Belmar. ‘Find out how long he’s going to be. Then stay here while I try to get Renshaw away from them.’

‘How are you going to do that?’

‘God knows.’