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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 slipped into the kitchen while Imogen went upstairs. Grace had gone to sit outside on the terrace but Ed was leaning against the sink unit, his face desolate.

‘I don’t know how Im’s going to cope without Benji,’ he said, choking back tears.

‘I know it’ll be harder because she’s on her own, having already lost her husband so young, but there’s so much help out there for her,’ Maggie reassured him. ‘We’ll make sure she gets it.’

Ed’s eyes narrowed. ‘I’m not sure “lost” is the right word.’

‘Sorry, I didn’t mean to sound insensitive. I meant him dying.’

‘Dying? Stephen isn’t dead,’ Ed exclaimed. ‘When I said “lost” wasn’t the right word it’s because “abandoned” would be more accurate. He walked out on my sister when Benji was two months old.’ He clocked the expression of surprise on Maggie’s face. ‘Ah, I get it. She told you he was dead. She prefers telling people that rather than saying he left.’

‘What she did tell Benji?’

‘The same: that Stephen died just after he was born. I didn’t agree at all – I felt Benji deserved to know the truth – but Im thought it would be too confusing for him and that he wouldn’t understand why Stephen didn’t want to see him.’

‘Bit of a risky strategy – what if Stephen turned up one day asking to see him?’

‘True, but by the time Im told Benji it was pretty clear Stephen was long gone. He hasn’t been in touch since the day he left and none of us have a clue where he is.’

Maggie started to wonder what else Imogen might’ve revised for the sake of appearances. What if Benji wasn’t quite the little angel she was painting him to be? She said he was too timid to dare climb the wall by his own volition, but he did sneak out of the house to get there . . . Then again, she of all people could sympathize with Imogen wanting to spin a different story about her ex-husband – she’d spent the past decade revising her own past to cover up her affair with Lou’s fiancé.

‘So where do you stand on the theory of Julia Hepworth taking revenge?’ she asked.

She expected Ed to dismiss it as Imogen had done out of Grace’s earshot, but to her surprise he said he thought there might be something in it.

‘There’s got to be a reason why my nephew fell off that wall and you and your colleagues haven’t come up with anything else to explain it.’

‘We deal in facts and evidence and proof, not wild supposition,’ said Maggie.

‘Fine. Then prove to us that Mum’s theory isn’t true.’

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