One Night Only (115 page)

T
es
s
coul
d
fee
l
he
r
hear
t
thum
p
i
n
he
r
chest
.
She
wante
d
t
o
kil
l
him
.
Sh
e
couldn
’
t
believ
e
h
e
ha
d
rile
d
her s
o
muc
h
bu
t
ther
e
wa
s
n
o
wa
y
sh
e
woul
d
le
t
anyon
e
speak
to
her
or
belittle
her
friends
like
that.
She
breathed
in
and
out
,
i
n
an
d
out
,
a
s
th
e
squa
d
ca
r
brake
d
t
o
a
halt
.
She
coul
d
hea
r
the
m
radi
o
throug
h
t
o
th
e
statio
n
an
d
she
wante
d
t
o
cr
y
.
Bu
t
sh
e
wouldn
’
t
.
No
t
a
pup
’
s
chance
.

“
T
ess
,
ar
e
yo
u
okay?
”
sai
d
Poll
y
.
“
Y
o
u
brok
e
the window!
”

“Oh
,
tel
l
m
e
somethin
g
I
don
’
t
know!
”
hisse
d
T
ess.
T
al
k
abou
t
declarin
g
th
e
obvious
!
Sometime
s
Poll
y
wa
s
so blood
y
thick
!

“Ladies,
”
sai
d
on
e
o
f
th
e
polic
e
wh
o
wa
s
puttin
g
on
hi
s
ca
p
a
s
h
e
spoke
,
“woul
d
anyon
e
lik
e
t
o
tel
l
m
e
wha
t
is
goin
g
o
n
here?
”

“I
s
sh
e
i
n
trouble?
”
aske
d
Poll
y
.
T
es
s
migh
t
b
e
all bravado
,
bu
t
sh
e
wa
s
abou
t
t
o
cr
y
.

“Wh
y
don
’
t
w
e
hav
e
a
littl
e
cha
t
an
d
fin
d
out?
”

H
e
too
k
ou
t
hi
s
noteboo
k
an
d
Poll
y
fel
t
lik
e
sh
e
might faint
.

“
I
nee
d
yo
u
t
o
tal
k
t
o
me,
”
sai
d
th
e
policeman
.

T
es
s
wa
s
bein
g
ver
y
quie
t
bu
t
ever
y
tim
e
Poll
y
trie
d
to explain
,
sh
e
wa
s
tol
d
b
y
he
r
siste
r
t
o
shu
t
up
.

“Don
’
t
yo
u
dar
e
touc
h
me!
”
sai
d
T
es
s
whe
n
th
e
police-
m
an
steppe
d
close
r
.
H
e
wa
s
a
youn
g
man
,
possibl
y
around he
r
ag
e
an
d
h
e
looke
d
mightil
y
pisse
d
o
ff
.

“He
’
s
gorgeous!
”
sai
d
Gina
,
an
d
Poll
y
covere
d
Gina
’
s
mout
h
t
o
preven
t
the
m
gettin
g
int
o
an
y
mor
e
trouble. “Cop-alicious!
”

“Tha
t
bastar
d
starte
d
it!
”
sai
d
T
ess
,
pointin
g
he
r
shoe a
t
Jo
e
th
e
bounce
r
.
“H
e
sai
d
w
e
wer
e
lam
b
dresse
d
as mutton.
”

“Mutto
n
dresse
d
a
s
lamb
,
yo
u
mean!
”
sai
d
Poll
y
.
She
hate
d
whe
n
peopl
e
go
t
saying
s
th
e
wron
g
wa
y
round
.

“Oh
,
shu
t
up
,
you
!
I
a
m
no
t
discussin
g
thi
s
an
y
furthe
r
,
officer!
”
shoute
d
T
es
s
i
n
defiance
.
“
I
a
m
gettin
g
int
o
a
tax
i
an
d
I
a
m
leavin
g
thi
s
plac
e
an
d
neve
r
comin
g
back,
eve
r
i
n
m
y
whol
e
legge
d
life!
”

“Mak
e
sur
e
you
r
leg
s
ca
n
wor
k
i
f
yo
u
eve
r
d
o
come
back,
”
sai
d
Jo
e
an
d
h
e
winke
d
a
t
th
e
co
p
wh
o
seeme
d
to kno
w
him
.

“See
!
See!
”
sai
d
T
ess
.
“H
e
starte
d
this!” “Com
e
alon
g
now!
”
sai
d
th
e
policeman
.

“
I
a
m
no
t
goin
g
anywher
e
apar
t
fro
m
t
o
m
y
hotel!”
“
I
thin
k
you’l
l
fin
d
tha
t
it
’
s
no
t
a
s
simpl
e
a
s
that,
”
said
the
policeman.
“I
need
to
take
a
statement
from
you.
Y
ou
brok
e
a
windo
w
an
d
assaulte
d
a
doorman
.
Y
o
u
can
’
t
just wal
k
awa
y
,
I’
m
afraid.
”