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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

‘It doesn’t feel like it.’

She got up and went over to him. ‘Ewan Hepworth, you are the most gorgeous man I’ve ever laid eyes on and I love you.’

‘Show me.’

‘What?’

‘Show me you love me. Right now, on this bed.’

‘But I – I don’t –’

He went to grab his boxer shorts. ‘Fine, but don’t say I didn’t warn you. I don’t want to live like a bloody monk the rest of my life.’

Julia was torn between wanting him to leave her alone and feeling as though she had no choice but to give him what he wanted. As she watched him pull on his boxers, resignation washed over her.

‘I need the loo first,’ she said.

The boxers were discarded in an instant.

‘No, you don’t,’ he grinned as he pulled her onto the bed.

‘It’ll hurt if I don’t,’ she protested.

But he’d already stopped listening.

36

The day had dragged even more than it did when the children were in school. Alan had tried to keep busy but invariably he found himself checking his watch again, only to be disappointed that so little time had passed since he’d last checked.

Eventually, to his relief, home time for the grown-ups came around. Teachers were expected to stay and work after the bell went at 3.30 but Mrs Pullman was that rare breed of head teacher who wanted her staff to have a work–life balance and insisted everyone go home by 6.30, instructing Alan to turf out any stragglers so he could lock up for the evening.

He walked out with the last teacher to leave and locked the main gates behind them. Heading down the lane, he made a point of waving as she drove past him.

Then he went straight to the pub as usual.

Keeping to his routine was important. Most people never noticed if you did the same thing day in, day out – but they paid attention when you didn’t.

The snug was busier than usual as Thursday night was quiz night and Doug, being the generous sort, always stumped up a decent prize for the winning team: free beer for the rest of the evening. Alan wasn’t one for quizzes, so there was nothing unusual in him declining invites to join in. Instead he stayed in his usual spot, at a table close to the bar, and chatted to a couple of the other regulars who, like him, preferred to be spectators.