A Family Affair by Janet Tanner

before they could be recognised. PC Dark clambered out of the river – which fortunately was less than a foot deep despite the recent rain, water dripping from his heavy cape in a steady stream. He gave chase up the High Street and the girls crept out of the doorway, unable to resist the temptation to see what happened.
    At that precise moment a car they recognised as Jim Fisher’s taxi cruised down the High Street on the opposite side of the river.
    â€˜There he is! Come on!’
    They began to run away from the scene of the fight, towards the corner by Wiltons’grocery store where they had arranged to be picked up, but in their high heels and flowing skirts it was like trying to run in a bad dream. The taxi had stopped outside Wiltons, but they were still thirty yards from it when it began to pull away again.
    â€˜No! No – wait!’ Heather was running and waving wildly at the same time, but it was no use. With no sign of his fares waiting where they should be and gangs of rampaging youths the length of the High Street, Jim Fisher had no intention of hanging about and becoming involved in the trouble. As Heather reached the broad part of the pavement where the river ran under the road, the taxi accelerated away and disappeared around the corner.
    Breathless, almost sobbing, Heather stood looking helplessly after it. Some way behind her Julia was hobbling to catch up. In the mad dash she had broken the heel of her shoe.
    â€˜He’s gone without us! Why did he go without us?’
    â€˜I expect you told him half past one, not one o’clock,’ Heather said, despair making her angry.
    â€˜I didn’t!’
    â€˜Well, he’s gone, anyway. He thought we weren’t here, and he’s gone.’
    â€˜What are we going to do?’ Julia, too, was close to tears.
    â€˜I don’t know. We can’t go back up the High Street with all those louts fighting.’
    â€˜They pushed the policeman in the river! Did you see … ?’
    â€˜Perhaps we ought to dial 999 and tell somebody. Then maybe they’d give us a lift home.’
    There was somebody in the telephone box. Incredibly they hadn’t noticed before, intent as they had been on trying to catch their taxi. Now, as he opened the kiosk door, Heather recognised the young man who had rescued her from the unwelcome attentions of Brian earlier. He recognised her too. He let the door slam to behind him and stood staring.
    Julia caught Heather’s arm in panic.
    â€˜It’s one of them! Come on!’
    â€˜No – he’s all right,’ Heather said. She went up to him. ‘There’s a fight. They threw the policeman in the river. We want to dial 999.’
    â€˜Don’t worry – I already have.’
    â€˜Oh!’
    â€˜Why are you still here?’ he asked. The unfamiliar accent sounded even thicker now than it had in the Palais.
    â€˜We missed our taxi. We’re stranded.’
    â€˜You should not be here. At this time of night, on your own.’
    â€˜You don’t have to tell us that!’ Julia wailed.
    â€˜We don’t know how we’re going to get home,’ Heather said.
    He only hesitated a moment. ‘OK – I’ll take you.’
    â€˜You’ve got a car?’ Heather asked.
    â€˜An old one, yes. But it goes. Come on.’
    Julia grabbed Heather’s arm again. ‘Heather! We don’t know him!’
    â€˜He’s all right, I tell you.’ She turned back to the tall young man. ‘Where’s your car then?’
    â€˜Over there. In the Island.’ He nodded towards a square, surrounded by shops, on the other side of the road.
    Yells and the sound of running feet from the direction of the High Street announced that some of the rampaging gangs were heading back towards the town centre.
    â€˜Come on!’ he said sharply. ‘You don’t want to get mixed up in that.’ He began to cross the road and this