Maggie peered closer. It was the boy from the library. And he had blood pouring from his nose. ‘I thought you were with him.’ She pointed up the alleyway but the bag snatcher was long gone.

‘No, I heard you sw… shout so I came back.’

‘Here,’ she said, pulling a wad of tissues from her pocket. ‘You’re hurt.’

‘Yeah, someone thumped me,’ he said, rolling his eyes.

Maggie grimaced. ‘Sorry about that. Tilt your head forward.’

He did as he was told and she reached up and pinched his nose. ‘Ow. That hurts.’

‘Don’t be a baby. It’ll stop the bleeding. Come on, let’s have a look in the light.’ She guided him back to the library.

Christine was tidying a stack of newspapers and putting the one with the headline about library closures to the bottom. ‘Christine, have you got a first aid box in there?’ called Maggie, steering the youth in her general direction.

‘Oh my goodness. Whatever’s happened?’

‘She pun—’

‘I had my bag snatched and he came to my rescue but took a punch in the process,’ said Maggie, giving the lad a wink, which seemed to alarm him.

‘Oh, Maggie, are you all right?’

‘I’m fine. He took the worst of it.’

‘What a hero you are,’ said Christine, ushering the boy inside. ‘Sit there. I’ll get the first aid kit. Please try not to bleed on the carpet.’ Christine disappeared into a small back room.

Maggie and the youth exchanged looks.

‘I’m Maggie,’ she said. ‘And I am very sorry about punching you.’ She held out a hand for him to shake. He hesitated before shaking it.

‘Tom. I’m not going to report you for assault. If that’s what you’re worried about.’

That actually hadn’t crossed her mind. What a litigious society they lived in. ‘I was thinking more that you’d be embarrassed about getting whacked by a pensioner.’

Tom seemed to consider this. ‘Fair point.’

‘I won’t tell anyone. I promise.’

‘Thanks. I think,’ he said, returning his neck to a more normal position.

Christine returned in a flurry of gauze pads and bandages. ‘Has it stopped bleeding?’ She asked scanning the carpet.

‘Yeah. He’s all right. Aren’t you?’ asked Maggie.

Tom took the wad of blood-soaked tissues from his nose and baulked at the sight. ‘I guess.’

‘We should call the police,’ said Christine, her hand already on the telephone.

‘No, it’s fine. There was nothing of value in my bag. I’ve lost my bus pass, my glasses, oh and the buggery book club book for next week. Sorry.’

‘That’s all right,’ said Christine, although her face said something quite different. ‘Anything else?’

Maggie had a think. ‘A new pack of chewing gum and a purse with about forty pence in it.’

‘What about credit cards?’ asked Christine, lifting the telephone receiver a fraction.