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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 intuitively knew it was Talbot’s first body and sympathy tugged at her. She could remember seeing her first corpse as vividly as if it’d happened yesterday. Her sister’s fiancé, Jerome, run over and killed in front of her. His death was the reason she’d joined the police and trained as a FLO. She had wanted to help alleviate families’ grief in the same way the liaison assigned to Lou and to Jerome’s parents helped them.

‘The first one’s always the hardest,’ she said, gently taking the clipboard from Talbot’s clenched, white-knuckled hands.

‘Mr Matheson asked me to describe what I saw when we arrived but my mind went blank. I couldn’t remember anything. He must think I’m an idiot.’

‘He won’t,’ Maggie reassured him. ‘Mal understands more than anyone how awful it can be.’

Mal Matheson was the Chief Crime Scene Examiner for their force, a popular, grandfatherly figure known for his willingness to go the extra mile. His presence meant their young victim was in the best of hands now.

‘I’ve been going over it and I’ve remembered what the eyewitness said to me the second we arrived. I know it’s important, but I can’t leave my post to tell Mr Matheson,’ said Talbot anxiously.

‘Anything to do with witness statements you should tell the SIO, not Mal. What did they say?’

‘There was another kid on the wall, a girl, and the witness said he saw her push the victim on purpose. He was adamant.’

The idea of a child deliberately shoving another to their death brought Maggie up cold. The oldest kids at Rushbrooke were only eleven years old.

‘You’re right, that is important. I’ll tell the SIO when I get to the crime scene. Make sure you record it word for word in your notes,’ she said.

Talbot nodded as he took the clipboard and pen back. He pointed to his left.

‘From here you need to go round the side of the main building, then across to the other side of the playground. You’ll see an area where they’re building new classrooms and that’s where the boy died. You can’t miss it.’

Maggie declined to mention that she already knew her way around the school. Numerous mornings she had dropped Scotty off in the very same spot and she’d also attended plays and assemblies and even a couple of parents’ evenings when Lou was unable to go herself. Stung by the memories, Maggie nodded at Talbot, then strode purposefully into the school grounds, her focus on the scene that awaited her.