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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

‘Of course,’ said Renshaw.

‘It’s not my fault Benji died.’ Her voice splintered with grief. ‘I’m really, really sorry for what happened but it wasn’t my fault. I said it was too high but he wouldn’t listen.’ She rubbed at her eyes, now wet with tears. ‘I wanted to get down but he wouldn’t let me. When his foot slipped I tried to grab hold of him but it happened too fast and I thought I was going to fall too and I was so scared. But it was an accident, I swear.’

20

Imogen was confused by Byford’s sudden appointment as another FLO when Maggie called ahead to say he was coming round to meet her. She had tried to explain it would be better for Imogen to have both of them as a point of contact – if one wasn’t available, the other would be – but it raised an awkward question.

‘Which one of you is in charge though?’ Imogen asked.

It was a good point and Maggie decided to raise it with Byford on the drive over, politely expressing her belief that liaison ran more smoothly when one FLO took their cue from the other. It had worked well for her and Belmar on the Rosie Kinnock case with her leading, and as Imogen already trusted her it made sense for her to lead again on this investigation.

Byford disagreed.

‘What, you should be in charge just because you’ve had a twenty-four-hour head start?’ he’d scoffed. ‘I don’t think so.’

‘This is your first case as a FLO,’ Maggie shot back. ‘You need to learn to walk before you can run.’

‘You make it sound like I’m a total novice when in fact I know I’ve been in CID longer than you have, because I checked.’

They agreed, after arguing back and forth, that neither of them was the lead officer and they’d work together. Maggie then spent the rest of the journey inwardly cursing Gant for pairing her with someone so evidently competitive. No wonder he hadn’t rung himself to tell her about Byford.

When they arrived at Imogen’s, Maggie made a point of explaining that neither of them was in charge, so everyone was clear on where they stood. By that point Imogen seemed unbothered by Byford’s presence – as she was waiting for them to arrive she’d turned on the TV for the first time since yesterday morning and it went straight to Benji’s favourite channel and one of his favourite programmes, prompting a fresh tidal wave of sorrow.