False Witness

by Michelle Davies

  ‘We’re doing everything we can to make sure the investigation progresses as quickly as possible,’ said Maggie. ‘We do understand how difficult this is for everyone involved. Can we come in for a quick chat?’

  ‘I think I should check with my son-in-law first. Wait here.’

  He shut the door on them. Maggie turned to Byford.

  ‘How could they have known we were on our way?’

  ‘The DS must’ve let them know.’

  ‘No, the whole point was she didn’t want them forewarned.’

  ‘She probably changed her mind. She does tend to flip-flop on decisions.’

  Maggie was about to deliver another rebuke when the door opened again and Ewan Hepworth stood before them. His face pinched with anger as his gaze settled first on Maggie, then on Byford.

  ‘What is it?’

  ‘Our SIO asked us to pop round to see if Poppy has any new information for us,’ said Byford, eyeing him squarely back.

  Maggie was annoyed. That wasn’t the script they’d agreed. Byford was making it sound as though they were there to interview Poppy again, which was bound to inflame her father.

  It did.

  ‘I’ve told you, if you want to question my daughter again you’ll have to do it in the presence of our solicitor. You can’t just turn up here demanding answers,’ Ewan hissed.

  Maggie went to placate him but her phone rang. It was Renshaw.

  ‘I’d better get this. Excuse me for a moment.’

  She walked down the path until she was back on the street and out of earshot. Byford and Ewan continued to have words.

  ‘Maggie, are you at the Hepworths’?’

  ‘Yep, here now. The welcoming committee isn’t exactly rolling the bunting out, if you catch my drift.’

  ‘Don’t worry about that now. I need you to bring Poppy up to the school instead.’

  ‘Why?’

  ‘The dogs have found some items of clothing and I need Poppy to tell us whether she recognizes them.’

  ‘What kind of clothes?’

  ‘A fuchsia dress that looks like it was made for Funtime Barbie and a G-string that’s about as substantial as a piece of tissue paper. I don’t think we’re looking for another kid, let’s put it that way. They were buried beneath some rubble close to the spot where Benji died and I want to know if they were visible when he and Poppy were on that wall.’

  ‘Can’t I just ask her?’

  ‘No, I want her to see the items in situ, before Forensics take them. I want to gauge her reaction, to see if she tells us the truth. Maggie, they’re covered in blood.’

  ‘Shit.’

  ‘Yes, shit. We’re going to start excavating the building site. The way the dogs have reacted it’s very likely there’s another body here.’

  45

  When the door opened Julia reacted with surprise, as though she hadn’t thought it would be a consequence of her ringing the doorbell.

  ‘Oh, you’re in,’ she said.

  ‘I’m working from home again,’ said Siobhan.

  ‘Can I come in?’

  Her friend looked awkward. ‘Now’s really not a good time.’

  ‘Please, I need to talk to someone before I go mad,’ Julia implored.

  Looking far from happy about it, Siobhan moved aside to let Julia across the threshold.

  ‘Where are your shoes?’ she asked.

  Julia looked down at her bare feet, smudged with dirt. Only then did she notice her soles were hurting from walking along warm pavements.

  ‘I left them at home,’ she said.

  ‘Let’s go in here,’ said Siobhan, opening the door to the lounge. ‘Callum and Evie are playing out the back.’

  Unlike Julia and Ewan, Siobhan and her husband had invested in their home and aluminium trifold doors now separated the newly landscaped garden from the newly refitted kitchen. If they went in there to talk and the doors were open, the children might overhear them.

  Once inside the front room – all stark white walls, immaculately ordered alcove shelving and a feature fireplace – Julia was at a loss for what to say. She hadn’t planned on coming to Siobhan’s and now she was there she felt a bit silly. Fortunately Siobhan broke the silence herself.

  ‘How are you?’

  ‘I’ve had better weeks.’

  Siobhan pulled a face. ‘I imagine Imogen’s saying the same thing.’

  ‘I didn’t mean it like it’s a competition,’ said Julia wearily.

  ‘How did you mean it, then?’

  Julia fished for the right words, unnerved by the animosity that was coming off Siobhan in waves. They’d always got on well because their sons were best friends and this was a side of her Julia hadn’t experienced before.

  ‘It’s been very hard, that’s all. The police are coming round again.’

  ‘They can’t be satisfied with what Poppy’s told them so far.’

  Julia sank down onto the sofa, exhausted. She had no fight left in her.

  ‘She didn’t hurt him,’ she said quietly.

  Siobhan sat down opposite, on a leather upholstered armchair.

  ‘Are you certain of that?’ she asked in a tone that matched Julia’s in volume.

  Julia stared at her through a glaze of tears.

  ‘How can you ask me that? You know Poppy. You know she isn’t capable of hurting anyone.’

  ‘She is known for picking on other kids though.’

  ‘Once, that’s all. The teacher spoke to us about it and we told her off.’

  ‘That was the one time she got caught.’

  ‘I doubt she’s any worse than the rest of the class,’ Julia said weakly.

  ‘You would say that because you’re her mum. But ask any of the other parents and they’ll tell you it’s always Poppy who’s the ringleader. The school does nothing to stop it because she always blames it on someone else and the teachers believe her. You know Archie in their class? He was put into alternate lunch for a week because of something Poppy did.’

  ‘If she’s such a nightmare, why haven’t any of you ever said anything to me or Ewan?’

  Siobhan looked apprehensive for a moment.

  ‘You’re not the most approachable of people.’

  ‘Us? That’s ridiculous.’

  ‘I actually didn’t mean you, I meant Ewan. He’s – how can I put this – unbending, yes, that’s the right word, he’s unbending when it comes to listening to anyone else. It’s like he can’t be challenged and that you guys have this perfect life where your kids are perfect and well behaved and the rest of us can’t compete.’ Siobhan was warming to her part now, her tone resolute. ‘It gets on people’s nerves.’

  Julia was floored. She couldn’t believe what she was hearing.

  ‘The thing is,’ Siobhan went on, ‘Poppy’s the same as him. She swans around the school like she owns it.’

  Julia clasped her hands over her mouth as tears spilled down her cheeks.

  ‘I didn’t mean to upset you, I just think you should know what people say about her.’ Siobhan cocked her head to one side as though a thought had suddenly occurred to her. ‘I hear you’ve told the police Imogen bullied you years ago.’

  Julia prised her hands from her mouth.

  ‘She did. She was awful to me.’

  Siobhan sat back, arms crossed, clearly unconvinced.

  ‘It didn’t sound like that the way she described it.’ Julia was appalled. ‘You’ve talked to her about it?’

  ‘We’ve messaged a couple of times on WhatsApp, after I texted my condolences. She has no idea what you’re talking about and she doesn’t even remember you from school. Spinning stuff to take the attention away from Poppy isn’t very nice, Julia.’

  ‘You believe her? I’m the one telling the truth, not her. She was horrendous to me, a complete bitch.’

  Siobhan was unimpressed.

  ‘Will you listen to yourself? You sound worse than the kids. This isn’t about what did or didn’t happen to you at school, Ju
lia – this is about Benji dying and the police finding out who is responsible.’

  Julia had heard enough. She stood up.

  ‘You and everyone else can believe whatever you want, but my daughter did not cause that boy’s death. She didn’t do anything wrong and I’ll expect a grovelling apology from you and everyone else when it’s proved.’

  46

  Mrs Pullman didn’t bother to hide the fact that she’d been crying when Alan entered her office after knocking.

  ‘It’s all too much,’ she said, reaching across her desk to pluck a tissue from the box sitting on it. ‘It’s devastating enough that we’ve lost one of our pupils without the stress of the police being here again.’

  ‘That’s why I’ve come to see you. I wondered if there’s anything I could be doing to help them?’ Alan hoped that by offering his assistance he might find out why they’d returned. ‘What’s brought them back? Is it to do with the fire last night?’

  ‘I thought that too, but no, it’s something to do with some evidence they found when they examined the place where Benji fell,’ she said, sighing heavily. ‘They won’t tell me what it is.’

  ‘Do the governors know they’re here again?’ asked Alan, fearing what Gus would make of this latest development.

  ‘I’ve just got off the phone with the chairman. He’s coming in.’ Mrs Pullman welled up again. ‘I was already deeply concerned about how Benji’s death might affect Rushbrooke going forward and now I’m even more fearful.’

  ‘I’m sure it will be nothing,’ said Alan. ‘I was there as well, don’t forget, and there was nothing where he landed except a pile of rubble. I wouldn’t be surprised if the girl’s behind it, that she’s made up some story about there being something there to get herself out of trouble.’

  Mrs Pullman stared at him. ‘Why would she need to do that if it was an accident?’

  ‘It was,’ said Alan quickly, kicking himself for not catching the mistake before he said it.

  ‘I do hope you’re being truthful with the police, Alan,’ she said.

  Her cool tone shook him.

  ‘I am, I swear.’

  ‘An official from the fire service came to speak to me this morning about the Pavilion.’

  Alan’s next breath caught in his throat.

  ‘I was very surprised by what they said.’

  He could barely look at her, but knew that to avert his gaze now would be tantamount to confessing.

  ‘Where has all the old sports equipment gone, Alan? Because the fire official said the only things destroyed in the blaze were two old sofas.’

  This he could answer.

  ‘It’s all in the other shed,’ he responded swiftly. ‘I decided to have a clear-out, see if I couldn’t fix up the Pavilion so the kiddies could use it again. I know the school can’t afford a major repair, so I’ve been doing bits and bobs in my spare time. It was going to be a surprise.’

  She looked as though she was weighing up whether to believe him.

  ‘If I looked in the shed I’d find every last bit of the missing equipment, is that what you’re saying?’

  Alan was baffled, then appalled when he realized what Mrs Pullman meant.

  ‘I haven’t nicked anything, or sold it, if that’s what you’re getting at? Are you calling me a thief?’

  Mrs Pullman’s face fell. ‘I’m sorry, Alan, but I had to ask. I was very shocked to hear the Pavilion was virtually empty. I shouldn’t have been so quick to judge.’

  ‘I should’ve said something before now. I’m sorry.’

  ‘Did you organize the sofas?’

  ‘I did. I got them from a mate who does bulk collections for the council. You’d be amazed at the perfectly good furniture people throw away.’

  In reality they were two hundred quid each off Gumtree. Both pulled out into beds. The thought of what they were used for made Alan feel sick and he was glad they had been destroyed.

  ‘I wanted to see whether it could be used like a common room or something,’ he said feebly. He wasn’t sure she was buying any of it.

  ‘If the Pavilion was to be used for anything it should have been sports related. But I do appreciate you taking the initiative,’ she said, finally smiling.

  ‘Did the bloke from the fire service say who they thought set it alight?’

  ‘They believe it was opportunist vandals.’ Mrs Pullman raised her hands in a gesture of surrender. ‘As if we didn’t already have enough on our plate that someone thought we deserved a fire on top of everything else. I desperately want to reopen the school but heaven knows how long it will be before Rushbrooke is back to normal.’

  Alan was filled with dread. If the Pavilion’s secret was ever discovered, it never would be.

  47

  ‘I can’t believe you got me drunk. You are such a bad influence.’

  The sun lounger creaked ominously as Julia rolled off it and planted her feet unsteadily on the decking.

  ‘You can’t blame me if you didn’t eat any breakfast,’ said Cath, grin rendered sloppy by smeared lipstick. ‘Besides, you looked like you could do with a drink.’

  Julia was still so angry when she arrived home from Siobhan’s that she couldn’t bring herself to go inside and had continued down the road until she reached Cath’s house.

  It had been a relief to see a friendly face. Cath had taken one look at her, ushered her into the kitchen and thrust a glass of neat vodka into her hand. Without any breakfast to buffer its effects, the alcohol had gone straight to Julia’s head and then she hadn’t the willpower to turn down the Cava-filled Bucks Fizz her friend had offered as a follow-up.

  ‘Christ, look at the state of you,’ said Cath with a honk of laughter. ‘Anyone would think you’d never had booze before.’

  ‘I’m not used to daytime drinking,’ Julia groaned. The garden was spinning now. Even when she stood stock-still it spun.

  ‘That’s the joy of retirement,’ said Cath, tilting her glass.

  ‘Besides, I think a drink is allowed under the circumstances.’

  ‘What’s the time now?’

  ‘Ten past one. Time for another.’

  Julia shook her head vigorously, then immediately regretted it as a fresh wave of nausea hit.

  ‘No, I need water. Oh God. Ewan’s going to be wondering where I am.’

  ‘No, he’s not. I sent him a text to say you’re with me.’

  ‘Did he reply?’

  ‘Well, no.’

  ‘See, he’s going to be mad.’

  ‘Nothing unusual there, then.’

  Julia stared down at her, trying to focus. ‘What’s that supposed to mean?’

  ‘Nothing.’

  ‘Come on, spit it out.’

  Cath took another swig of drink. ‘Don’t get me wrong, I like Ewan. But I think he’s very hard on you. He treats you like a third child.’

  ‘Don’t be like that. He’s put up with a lot from me.’

  ‘For Chrissakes, Julia, you had post-natal depression. You were ill. Ewan shouldn’t use it as a stick to beat you with.’

  ‘He doesn’t,’ said Julia, enraged. ‘He’s a good man. Look how he’s been with Poppy this past week. He’s been there for her, while I’m here getting pissed with you. Who’s the worst parent really?’

  ‘You need a break, there’s nothing wrong with that.’

  ‘She didn’t do it,’ Julia slurred, swaying perilously.

  ‘I know, I believe you.’

  ‘And you believe me about Imogen, don’t you?’

  When Julia arrived at her door Cath had listened intently and without interruption as she vented her frustration that Siobhan seemed more inclined to believe Imogen over her, and that she was going to prove her child was no monster. It was only when she’d finished that Cath finally spoke – and in a few sentences she’d made more sense to Julia than anyone else had in the past few days.

  ‘Of course people will view the other mum more sympathetically,’ Cath had said. ‘She’s grievi
ng the death of her only child. However you feel about her, you need to respect the fact that she’s lost her son – going on about the way she treated you at school right now makes you seem irrational and unfeeling, and I know you’re neither of those things.’

  ‘I can’t help it,’ Julia had protested. ‘When I think about how she treated me I hate her so much I can barely breathe. Her bullying really screwed me up – I didn’t appreciate how badly until I’ve had to face up to it.’

  ‘I understand that,’ Cath had remarked, ‘but the more you go on about it while this police investigation is under way, the more negatively people are likely to react to you. For Poppy’s sake, you need to put a lid on your anger.’

  Julia wasn’t certain she could, but knew Cath was right and that she at least had to try. Then they’d gone outside to sit on the sun loungers on Cath’s decking as they drank.

  Still standing, Julia shoved the borrowed pair of Cath’s sunglasses she’d been wearing onto the top of her head.

  ‘I think I’m going to be sick,’ she said, clamping a hand over her mouth.

  ‘Quick, inside,’ Cath yelped.

  Julia staggered across the decking but didn’t make it to the house and threw up in a terracotta tub. Specks of vomit pebbledashed her dress.

  ‘I’m so sorry,’ she said, appalled.

  ‘You really are in a state,’ said Cath, more amused than cross. ‘I’ll put some coffee on.’ As she reached the back door a phone inside began to ring. ‘I’ll be back in a sec once I’ve got this.’

  Cath went inside and Julia marvelled at how sober she seemed. The woman had the constitution of an ox.

  A second later she reappeared at the back door.

  ‘It’s Ewan wanting to talk to you.’

  Julia groaned again. ‘Tell him I’m on the loo or something.’

  Cath stood in the open doorway, shoulder and hip resting against the frame.

  ‘Sorry, Ewan, she’s popped to the toilet. Can I pass a message on?’

  The colour drained from her face as she listened to Ewan’s reply. Julia dragged the back of her hand across her mouth to wipe it clean and tried to stand upright.

  ‘What is it?’ she hissed.

  Cath held a hand up to quiet her.