Tristan was surprised to see so little damage after the violence he had just witnessed. So little physical damage at least. Mr. Meijer looked quite broken in spirit.

Something cold and wet landed on the back of his head. Ew, was that spit? Not that he had never been spat at by a mad man before. And by some apparently sane men too.

And then came the accusation. He looked at Mr. Meijer's bashed up face, though the man did not make eye contact. Was Mr. Meijer predatory? Had Tristan not suspected the same when he had encountered Mr. Meijer in the pub some weeks ago when that young French stranger had been looking for a job? Perhaps. But he would not stand for another man being outed and possibly dragged to prison for what should never have been a crime in the first place.

If anything, the way Mr. Meijer tried to send him out of harm's way, only fed his determination to deal with this swiftly.

He rose and spun round.

"Mr. Crane. I believe this man is suffering from a temporary episode of madness." He spoke louder than usual, so that any curious bystanders could hear. "Please take him away before he does more harm. I will come to the police station later to assess him, but I must first look to his victim."