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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

His breaths grew shorter as he picked up his pace and he reached into his pocket for his inhaler. He’d been using it a lot these past four days, since the heatwave baking Mansell and the rest of Buckinghamshire and much of the south-east had begun. He hated it, couldn’t breathe it was so hot. Yesterday the temperature had hit twenty-eight degrees and today was meant to be even higher.

The building site was separated from the playground by two-metre-high interlocking panels, but the door cut into the centre panel was ajar, its padlock swinging loose. Alan couldn’t remember seeing it fastened when he did his rounds the previous evening but if anyone asked he would say it was and the kids must’ve forced it open.

He stepped through the doorway and his heart skipped a beat. Both children were on the top of the wall, backs to him. The girl was staring down into the hollowed guts of the new classroom but the boy was crouched low with his arms splayed out, as if struggling to keep his balance. Alan guessed the breeze blocks could take their weight but it wasn’t a wide wall, not even for feet as small as theirs. One misstep was all it would take.

‘What do you think you’re doing?’ he called up, loudly enough for them to hear but not so loud it would give them a fright and make them stumble.

The boy rose slowly to his feet, then reached out and grabbed the girl’s hand. He whispered something and she angled her head towards him just enough for Alan to see her face. He didn’t know her name but she was in Miss Felix’s class, Year 6. Had a bit of a gob on her like most girls her age seemed to these days, but she wasn’t one of the kids who usually warmed the row of chairs outside the head’s office as they waited for a telling-off.

‘You need to get down now,’ he said.

The boy’s shoulders began to heave as though he was laughing and that made Alan see red. If there was one thing guaranteed to wind him up it was being mocked by cocky little shits. He gripped the ladder and dragged it along the wall so it was closer to where they were.

‘You first,’ he said firmly to the girl. ‘Take it steady though.’

‘I can’t,’ she said, her voice cracking. ‘He won’t let me.’