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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

The boy’s head whipped round. It was the new kid, the one who a week earlier Alan had caught skulking in the cupboard where they stored the art supplies. He’d read him the riot act, told him it was out of bounds to pupils, but he didn’t report it because the cupboard shouldn’t have been unlocked in the first place. He was still trying to get to the bottom of whose fault that was.

The girl said something but Alan didn’t catch it because his focus was on the boy who had started moving away from the ladder, pulling her with him.

‘Come back here,’ he shouted, too pissed off now to mind his volume. ‘I’ll have you excluded for this.’

They both ignored him.

Alan knew he had to act, and fast. The teachers who liked to start early would be arriving soon, not to mention the construction workers. He had to get the kids down from that wall. He started to climb the ladder, muttering all the swear words he wished he could say out loud but would get him sacked if he did.

A noise from above made him stop. The children were lurching ominously from side to side, holding hands, as though they were performing a dance.

‘Stop that now!’ he hollered. ‘You’ll fall if you’re not careful.’

They stopped. The girl panted, her cheeks inflamed, but the boy was calm, his mouth curled into a lopsided grin.

‘Right, let’s stop this nonsense,’ said Alan croakily as he scaled the rest of the ladder until his feet were only a few rungs from the top. He grabbed the rough-hewn ridge of the wall, hands shaking and legs like jelly.

‘Walk towards me and I’ll help you down,’ he ordered. ‘You’ll have to let go of each other first.’

‘Don’t do that!’ the girl suddenly screamed at the boy.

Alan shot out his right arm, stretching as far as he could, but his fingertips grasped only thin air and the ladder tilted violently under his shifting weight. Sights and sounds came at him like rapid gunfire and he cried out.

A lopsided grin . . . a blur of red gingham . . . a hand reaching out . . . streaming blonde hair . . . a high-pitched scream . . . a thud.

Then, silence.

2

Maggie didn’t want the day to begin. She wanted to stay perched on the sill of the open window, her face, neck and exposed forearms warmed by the early-morning sun and the promise of another hot day. Tilting her chin up and closing her eyes, she imagined she was on holiday, on a balcony somewhere exotic, until the sharp blast of a guard’s whistle below jolted her from her daydream.