BooksBarbecue
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

To anyone watching they were an ordinary family having lunch together, albeit without Dylan, who was being looked after by their neighbour, Cath. Julia went through the pretence of trying to be excited about the chicken salad she’d ordered – she was sure she’d read somewhere that the McDonald’s version had more calories than a bowl of carbonara pasta – when really she wanted to rail against the awfulness of the situation they were in. But if she did that, Poppy might think she was blaming her and as she watched her daughter and husband banter over their lunch and pretend to steal each other’s fries, she didn’t want to be the one to spoil the mood.

But she needed someone to blame and as she picked at her salad her thoughts returned to Imogen again.

Julia still bore a scar from one of her attacks – a thin, silvery line running vertically down her shin from where Imogen had pushed her over in the playground. When she went to tell the teacher what had happened, Imogen persuaded her friends to say they all saw Julia trip and the teacher had once again believed the chorus of voices over Julia’s lone protest.

Given how devious and manipulative Imogen herself had been at that age, it wasn’t a stretch to assume her son might’ve been the same. Poppy wouldn’t have risked being punished for sneaking out of the house unless she was more fearful of what might happen if she didn’t. Julia was becoming more and more convinced that Imogen’s son must’ve threatened her in order for her to meet him.

She pulsed with anger as more memories of the cruel treatment Imogen doled out came flooding back. One of the worst occasions was the Christmas when Julia was given the part of Archangel Gabriel in the school nativity. She was minutes from going on stage, wearing the costume her mum had lovingly handmade, when Imogen threw red paint down her front. The costume was in such a state and her face so drenched in paint that there was no way she could go on, so their teacher ripped off Julia’s halo and promoted one of the angels from the chorus into the role. When Imogen was quizzed about it, she claimed Julia poured the paint over herself and blamed her because she didn’t want to perform in front of an audience. Everyone believed Imogen because, well, Julia was so timid that of course she had stage fright.

Ultimately her time at Rushbrooke was one long cycle of humiliation and distress because of Imogen. Complaining made no difference: the school’s stance was that she should make an effort to get along with her and their classmates, as though it was Julia’s fault for not being more likeable.