BooksBarbecue
Back False Witness
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

‘So she had Benji at, what, twenty-eight? That’s younger than we are now,’ said Renshaw. ‘Christ, I’d best get a move on. You too, Maggie.’

Maggie shifted awkwardly in her seat. Renshaw made no secret about wanting children now she was in a serious relationship; her partner, who she lived with, was also a higher rank in their force – Assistant Chief Constable Marcus Bailey. But having children was not a topic Maggie and Umpire had addressed. For all she knew he might not even want more.

She didn’t need reminding how old she was either – in three days she would be turning thirty. Maggie hadn’t told anyone at work it was her birthday and she planned to mark the milestone with a low-key dinner with Umpire on the day, then at the weekend nipping off to a hotel in Brighton overnight, just the two of them. She didn’t want anything more elaborate: it would be the first birthday she’d ever spent without seeing Lou at some point during the day or evening, and without her and the kids, what was the point of a big celebration?

‘Right, let’s reconvene in the morning,’ said Renshaw. ‘Hopefully we can get something out of Poppy when she comes in.’

‘For argument’s sake, what happens if we get her to admit she pushed him on purpose, knowing he’d most likely be killed?’ asked Nathan.

Renshaw grimaced. ‘Then tomorrow we’ll be charging an eleven-year-old with murder.’

13

Dinner was beans on toast washed down with a glass of rosé and accompanied by the latest period-drama. Even with every window flung open the flat was uncomfortably hot and Maggie lay stretched out on the sofa in a futile bid to stay cool.

Her mobile was cradled in her lap, ostensibly in case Imogen called. But part of her hoped, as it did every evening, that Lou might ring or text. Maggie knew her sister had changed her number because the last time she tried to call there was a message saying the old one was unobtainable. Now every time an unknown number came up on the screen her heart leapt into her mouth.

She tried to concentrate but the TV couldn’t hold her interest. She sat up and opened her laptop, moving her phone aside to make way for it. Opening Facebook, she went straight to the search box and typed in Lou’s name. Her sister’s profile came up but there was nothing to see apart from her profile picture: the rest of the page had been blocked from Maggie’s view since Lou unfriended her.