Free True Witness by Jo Bannister

it’ll compound the tragedy with a terrible miscarriage of justice. And if you’re right it’ll get the case kicked out of court and set a killer free. Be patient. Inspector Deacon wants this man as much as you do. He won’t rest till he has him.”
    One at a time he’d have persuaded them. They were angry, they were upset, but they weren’t vicious. Each alone would eventually have seen the sense in what Daniel was saying. But they weren’t alone. They’d come here together because they were resolved to make a difference, and as a rallying call Patience doesn’t cut the mustard.
    Perhaps if he’d cowered from them they’d have dusted their hands, sauntered away and told one another they’d shown him, and never come back when they learned that actually they’d changed nothing. Grief and rage made them feel they had to do something, and listening to a lecture wasn’t what they had in mind.
    â€œAre you going to shop that bastard or not?”
    â€œYou mean, am I going to say I saw someone I didn’t,” said Daniel. “No, I’m not.”
    He didn’t even see the fist that floored him. His head snapped suddenly back, lights exploded behind his eyes, then the iron steps came up to meet him and a couple of the boots he’d fallen among were aiming kicks.
    A voice cut through the scuffle like a crystal dagger. “The last one of you down those steps is going to suffer the indignity of being thrown over the rail by a woman.”
    Though Daniel couldn’t see her for legs, he knew who it was. The three young men from the gym didn’t, either who she was or what she was capable of. Because she wasn’t wearing a star-spangled leotard they were fairly sure that they could overpower her. But then they’d have had their mums to deal with. The average British male is about forty before he stops worrying how he’s going to explain things to his mother.

    The boots moved, shuffling a bit at first, then in an orderly procession down the steps. There was a bit of muttering but none of them was brave enough to cheek the tall woman with the cloud of dark hair and the angry eyes. Perhaps they thought she was Wonderwoman and just hadn’t had time to change. Feet crunched on the shingle; a voice shouted back, “Think about it”; then they were gone.
    Daniel uncurled from his protective ball, found his glasses and gave Brodie a wry smile. “Good timing.”
    â€œAre you all right? Who were they?”
    â€œI’m fine,” he said, standing up; and though reaction showed as a tremor in his hands it wasn’t enough for her to call him a liar. “Friends of Chris Berry’s, from the gym.”
    â€œThat’s a reason to beat the crap out of you?”
    Daniel led the way inside. “They think I’m protecting his killer.”
    Brodie’s eyes flew wide in amazement. “Why would they think that?”
    â€œHis mother was here earlier. She thought the same.”
    â€œBut why ?”
    He shrugged. “Because they think Deacon’s suspect must have done this, so I must have seen him, so if I won’t identify him it’s aiding and abetting.”
    Brodie dropped onto the sofa and tossed her handbag irritably into a corner. “Daniel, how do you get yourself in these situations? Ten hours ago you were the hero of the moment; now you’re the villain of the piece. How does that happen ?”
    He had no answer. He knew he hadn’t done anything wrong. He didn’t even think he’d done anything stupid. “Beats me.” He smiled again. “To coin a phrase.”
    â€œYou’d better call Inspector Deacon.”
    It was Daniel’s turn to look startled. “Why?”
    Brodie shut her eyes for a moment while the urge to slap him went away. “Because three guys big enough to use you as a football tried to! Because next time I might not turn up to bum