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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

‘It was your fault,’ wailed Poppy. ‘If Benji hadn’t seen you and told me, it wouldn’t have happened!’ She tried to pull away again and shrieked as her dad held her even tighter.

Maggie cautiously stepped forward.

‘Mr Hepworth, please move away from the wall.’ To her side she heard voices and from the corner of her eye saw that Umpire had arrived with backup. She held a finger up to show him she wanted them all to stay where they were. Ewan might freak out even more if they crowded him.

‘I can’t help if you don’t listen to me,’ she added.

‘Help us? You want to lock us both up!’ Ewan retorted.

Maggie had been trained to deal with hostile witnesses but this situation was something else. Her back and underarms were drenched with sweat that had nothing whatsoever to do with the warm weather and she daren’t move a muscle in case Ewan took it as a sign of aggression.

‘I just want to talk to you,’ she said.

‘Please help me,’ Poppy wailed. ‘I want to go home.’

‘I’m trying to, but I need your dad to calm down first.’

‘He’s not going to. He’s a bad, bad man,’ she sobbed. ‘He did bad things with the dead woman. Benji told me.’

Maggie felt wretched for the girl. She’d killed her friend not realizing he was simply trying to help her understand the kind of man her father was.

‘Don’t you dare call me that,’ Ewan shouted at her. ‘I am your father and you will respect me!’

To Maggie’s horror, he swung his leg astride the wall so he was straddling it and jerked Poppy upwards so she was next to him. She cried out in pain as the jagged flint scraped her back through her thin cotton school dress.

Maggie stepped forward. Barely three metres separated her from them.

‘I understand you’re upset, Ewan, but this is not the answer.’

‘POPPY!’

The agonizing scream splitting the still air came from Julia, who had arrived on top of the viaduct with an older woman in tow. Umpire held her back to stop her from getting any closer.

‘I want my daughter,’ she sobbed.

‘Maggie knows what she’s doing,’ he reassured her.

Maggie wished she shared his belief in her. She was starting to feel out of her depth as Ewan continued to ignore her entreaties to let Poppy go and move off the wall. Then she hit on a brainwave.

‘Do you remember when your mum brought you here, Poppy?’

‘She was too little,’ snarled her dad.