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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

Renshaw rolled her eyes. ‘Exactly. I’ve asked Facebook to hand over the account details so we’ll see if we get a proper name from that. So, what did you both make of Poppy’s version of events?’

‘I think she was lying about Benji’s last words,’ said Maggie. ‘That Superman comment sounded contrived.’

‘That’s what I thought,’ said Burton.

‘But, I have to say, I did believe her when she said it was all Benji’s idea,’ Maggie went on. ‘Obviously that doesn’t tally with what Imogen’s been saying about Benji being scared of his own shadow, but I think she wants us to believe he was too timid to instigate it because she’s worried it reflects badly on her.’

‘Because she let him play out in the evenings?’ Renshaw retorted. ‘It’s hardly child neglect.’

‘No, it’s not, but if he spent the time breaking into private property and trespassing, then that’s not good,’ said Burton.

‘Talk to Imogen again,’ Renshaw said to Maggie. ‘Make it clear Poppy’s blaming it all on Benji, see how she reacts.’ Her phone began to ring. ‘It’s the mortuary.’

She got up and went to the other side of the room to take the call. One-sided though it was, Maggie could tell it wasn’t good news being delivered and when Renshaw hung up she was enraged.

‘I could quite happily kill someone right now,’ she said. ‘Imogen got hysterical after seeing Benji’s body and started saying that she wouldn’t allow the post-mortem. So to calm her down some bright spark told her about digital autopsies and what a great alternative they are because they don’t involve scalpels and now she’s demanding one.’

‘Can she do that?’ asked Maggie.

‘Evidently, yes. And it looks like the coroner is going to agree to it.’

‘How does a DA work exactly?’ asked Burton. ‘I’ve never been present for one.’

‘Me neither, but it’s like an MRI scan,’ said Renshaw. ‘They’re being used all the time now for routine coronial deaths, which is why I’m pissed off because this case is anything but routine. We need evidence of Benji being pushed but I don’t know how good DAs are at picking up internal bruising.’

‘If the coroner says yes, where will it be done?’ asked Burton.

‘There’s a place in West Bromwich that’s going to do it. But the coroner said it could take a day or so to sort the paperwork for the body to be shipped up there, and I can’t see us getting the results until Monday at the earliest. We’re in sodding limbo until then.’