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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

‘Poppy, we’ve asked you to come in because we still need to know what happened yesterday morning at school. You haven’t been arrested, just so you’re clear about that,’ said DS Renshaw.

Despite the assurance, Julia couldn’t shake off the feeling that the police had already decided Poppy was to blame and it worried her that they hadn’t sought legal advice. She had tried to, but Ewan went ballistic when he found her on her laptop looking up the names of local solicitors who dealt with juvenile crime just before they were due to leave for the station. He accused her of thinking that Poppy was guilty and said she should be ashamed of herself. She’d tried to argue that it was folly to face the police for a second time without any legal advice but he wouldn’t back down. So in the end she did.

When Poppy didn’t respond, Renshaw nodded to Burton, who took a swig of water from one of the bottles, then set it down by his feet. He leaned forward and rested his elbows on his knees.

‘Do you like school, Poppy?’ he asked.

‘Well, she’s in the top—’ Julia began, but Renshaw held a hand up to stop her.

‘Please, Mrs Hepworth. We need Poppy to answer.’

Julia sank back in her seat, cheeks burning at the rebuke.

‘I wasn’t a fan of it myself. I hated being stuck inside a classroom,’ Burton added. ‘I was only happy when it was break time and I could be outside playing with my mates.’

Julia felt Poppy stir beside her.

‘The only subject I liked was PE,’ he went on. ‘What’s your favourite?’

‘Science,’ came the reply, so quietly that Julia had to strain to hear it. ‘I like it when we do experiments.’

Ewan caught Julia’s eye. She thought, like her, he’d be relieved that Poppy was talking – the sooner they cleared this up and went home the better – but he looked anxious.

‘What sort of experiments?’

With some gentle coaxing, Burton got Poppy to talk about her favourite science test, which involved Fairy Liquid, a balloon and a sewing needle.

‘You mean you stuck a pin right through the balloon and it didn’t burst?’ Burton blurted out. ‘That’s impossible!’

‘It’s not,’ said Poppy, smiling. ‘The washing-up liquid you coat on top is what stops it popping.’