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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

After leaving the station he marched the three of them straight round the corner to a street that was lined with legal practices, not far from the magistrates’ court. They went into the first to be told there was no one free to see them, so Ewan huffily told the receptionist to forget it and went two doors along to the next one, where a solicitor who specialized in criminal law was happy to squeeze them in.

The solicitor’s name was Darren and Julia wasn’t sure she liked him much: he spoke flippantly and aggressively and his manner was as oily as whatever it was he’d rubbed in his hair that morning to slick it down. She also found his approach baffling – Darren didn’t ask Poppy any questions directly and didn’t seem concerned with knowing the details of what had happened. But Ewan clearly liked him and Julia knew it was a done deal when the solicitor took the names of the detectives investigating the case and said he would make them aware he was now Poppy’s legal representative.

Afterwards they drove directly to Cath’s house to collect Dylan; Ewan turned the radio up so loud that conversation in the car was impossible. Cath invited them to stay for a coffee, which Ewan eagerly said yes to, so Poppy plonked herself down on the sofa next to her brother to watch TV and the adults retreated to the kitchen so the kids couldn’t hear them talking.

‘She did really well,’ said Ewan, ‘right up until the police got nasty.’

‘In what way?’ asked Cath.

‘They tried to imply it was all her idea to break into the school.’

As Ewan filled Cath in, Julia sipped her coffee in the hope it would settle the gnawing in her stomach. Had they made things worse by pulling Poppy out of the interview? To her horror, Cath seemed to think they had.

‘I understand why you walked out, but refusing to cooperate might force the police’s hand to arrest and interview her under caution,’ she said. ‘Rather than go in all guns blazing with a lawyer, try to smooth it over.’

Ewan’s face darkened but he didn’t retaliate straight away as he would with most people. Cath was one of the few people he held in high regard and in return she was one of the few people who thought nothing of putting him in his place when he was being out of line.