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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

Maggie pulled her notebook from her handbag. ‘I’ll use this to make notes,’ she said. Then her gaze fell upon a copy of a well-known children’s novel lying face down, pages open, on the sofa arm, waiting for Benji to come home and carry on where he’d left off.

‘Let’s start with likes and dislikes. You mentioned Benji loved swimming, and I can see the games console and novel here, so can I assume he was a fan of both?’

Imogen allowed herself a smile.

‘He actually prefers reading to playing that thing. You know how some kids want to watch TV round the clock, or be on an iPad? With Benji it’s always books. He’s never happier than when he’s got a good story to read. I have to bribe him to watch films with me at the weekend.’ Imogen reached forward and gently ran a finger down the spine of the book. ‘He’s only halfway through this.’

Although Imogen was still referring to Benji in the present, Maggie deliberately didn’t. It wouldn’t help Imogen in the long run if the police too spoke as though he was still alive.

‘What sort of films did he like when you managed to get him to watch one?’

They spent the next few minutes chatting about that, then Maggie asked what their usual morning routine involved.

‘I get up around seven, Benji by half past, then we have breakfast together and I go off to work because he walks to school on his own. They’re allowed to in Year Six,’ Imogen explained. ‘But this morning for some reason my alarm clock didn’t go off, so it was gone eight by the time I woke up.’

‘So Benji wasn’t here when you got up?’

‘I thought he was. I was in such a rush because I was running late that on my way into the shower I shouted for him to sort his own breakfast out.’ Imogen’s face crumpled. ‘I could’ve sworn he answered. Then when I got out of the shower I saw the text on my phone saying something bad had happened at the school and that it was shut. I went to tell Benji and that’s when I realized he wasn’t in the house.’

‘He hadn’t said a word to you about needing to go to school early, or arranging to meet Poppy?’

‘No, nothing.’

Spotting an obvious segueway, Maggie decided to deviate from her victimology questions. She knew that Renshaw, as SIO, would want to ask Imogen herself about Poppy, but it wouldn’t hurt to give them a head start.

‘Did Benji and Poppy get on well?’

Imogen’s eyes widened apprehensively.

‘I thought they did.’

‘Did they often meet up outside school?’

‘Not as much as Benji would’ve liked, but occasionally.’

‘What do you mean by that?’