Keep calm and drive

A break from her desk ended in drama for Courtney¼

Courtney' s manager had dispatched her to fetch printer ink from the office supplies shop on the far side of town.

Get plenty,' Julie, the manager said. We don' t want to have to send you again next week.'

Courtney had picked up her car from the car-park, put on the radio and thought it was quite nice to have a change from sitting at her desk.

But when she stopped at the traffic lights by the new hotel, her passenger door suddenly opened and a large man jumped into the seat beside her.

She was just about to say, Excuse me! Who are you?' when the man growled: As soon as the lights change, just drive, if you know what' s good for you.'

Courtney glanced at him, and saw that he had a large, shiny-looking holdall in his lap. The zip wasn' t fastened, so she could also see that it was stuffed with bundles of paper money.

This had to be a robber! And he seemed dangerous.

Go!' the man ordered, as soon as the light turned amber.

Courtney wasn' t a panicker. She came from a long line of people who embodied the saying: Keep calm and carry on.'

So she kept her cool and avoided doing anything that might spook her unwanted passenger.

She put her car in gear, checked her mirrors and moved off.

Where do you want me to take you?' Courtney asked, in a steady voice.

The old pump house, by the canal,' the man replied.

They drove along for a bit, the man breathing heavily and clutching his holdall tightly. Then suddenly he shouted: Hey! You should have gone left on to

Kingston Street!'

It' s OK,' Courtney replied. I came to work that way this morning, and it' s all dug up. I didn' t think you' d want to sit in a tail-back, so I' m taking us round in a loop. You' ll still get to where you' re going, and this way will be faster.'

The man seemed to accept this.

Courtney felt sure that, however the man had come by his stash of cash, he hadn' t expected to end up needing a lift to make his escape. Something must' ve gone wrong with his plan for him to risk wandering into traffic and picking some car at random.

However he' d come to be in her passenger seat, though, the main thing was not to alarm him. She wanted to get out of this in one piece.

There' s a bottle of water in the side pocket, if you want a drink,' she said.

The man appeared to think, then grabbed the bottle and took a long slug.

Thanks.'

That' s OK.'

They were on Old Harrow Road now. Courtney put her foot down and her little car' s engine roared, although this was a zone with a 30-mileper-hour speed limit.

Suddenly, a figure in a high-viz jacket stepped out on to the road some way ahead.

He was waving them down. By the side of the road was a marked patrol car. It was the police.

Before the man knew what was happening, Courtney had pulled in, leapt from the driver' s seat clutching her keys and run to the two officers who were monitoring vehicle speeds.

The man tried to clamber from her car, but he struggled to rise from the low seat, his bag got in his way and in a moment the two officers, alerted by Courtney, had grabbed him and wrestled him to the ground.

In no time, he was handcuffed and sitting in the patrol car.

You did very well to keep your cool,' one of the officers told Courtney. Most people would' ve panicked.'

It hadn' t been that difficult, really Courtney' s dad, from whom she had inherited her calm nature, had used his unflappable qualities in his career with the constabulary.

It had been he who had tipped her off that the traffic team would be on Old Harrow Road that morning, and to watch her speed if she went there. Fibbing about road-works so she could deliver the robber into their hands had been easy.

You' ll need to follow us to the station and make a statement,' one of the officers told her. We' ll get you a cup of tea and arrange counselling, if you' re feeling traumatised.'

Sure,' Courtney replied. I can be there in 20 minutes.' First, though, she had printer ink to collect, and an explanation to give to Julie.

ÔIÕ m taking us round in a loop. YouÕ ll still get to where youÕ re going, and this way will be fasterÕ