One Night Only (119 page)

“Cros
s
Countr
y
School
s
Champio
n
1996,
”
sh
e
said. “Recor
d
breake
r
too.
”

“
Y
o
u
see
m
t
o
lik
e
breakin
g
things
,
then?” “What?
”

“
Y
o
u
brok
e
you
r
to
e
an
d
yo
u
brok
e
a
windo
w
,
Miss.
Y
o
u
assaulte
d
a
doorma
n
an
d
the
n
yo
u
resiste
d
arres
t
by runnin
g
awa
y
.
I
don
’
t
hav
e
a
choice.
”

Th
e
squa
d
ca
r
crawle
d
alongsid
e
th
e
pavemen
t
and stoppe
d
besid
e
them
.

“Let
’
s
go
.
An
d
fo
r
goodnes
s
sake
,
don
’
t
pul
l
a
stunt
lik
e
tha
t
agai
n
o
r
I
wil
l
hav
e
t
o
handcuf
f
you
,
an
d
that, contrar
y
t
o
popula
r
belief
,
i
s
no
t
a
pleasan
t
experience.
”

H
e
opene
d
th
e
ca
r
doo
r
an
d
T
es
s
looke
d
bac
k
int
o
the distanc
e
wher
e
Poll
y
an
d
Gin
a
stoo
d
watchin
g
fro
m
afar i
n
disbelief
.

“Ca
n
m
y
siste
r
com
e
wit
h
me?
”
sh
e
aske
d
wit
h a
sniffle
.
Sh
e
fel
t
s
o
alon
e
an
d
afrai
d
an
d
sh
e
didn
’
t
wan
t
to
g
o
t
o
th
e
polic
e
station
.
Sh
e
wante
d
t
o
g
o
bac
k
t
o
the hote
l
an
d
pu
t
o
n
he
r
fluff
y
slipper
s
an
d
wak
e
u
p
i
n
the mornin
g
t
o
a
Ful
l
Iris
h
an
d
a
saun
a
an
d
swi
m
an
d
pu
t
on th
e
prett
y
blu
e
dres
s
sh
e
ha
d
packe
d
fo
r
th
e
journe
y
home, wher
e
Ro
b
woul
d
mee
t
he
r
an
d
tel
l
he
r
ho
w
muc
h
h
e
had
misse
d
he
r
an
d
coo
k
he
r
Sunda
y
lunc
h
a
s
sh
e
rea
d
the paper
s
i
n
th
e
sun
,
jus
t
a
s
h
e
alway
s
did
.

“I’
m
afrai
d
not,
”
h
e
said
,
shakin
g
hi
s
head
.

H
e
ha
d
sticky-ou
t
ears
,
sh
e
noticed
.
Mayb
e
sh
e
would
n
’
t
fanc
y
hi
m
eve
r
.

“Oka
y
,”
she
whimpered
and
she
hobbled
across
to
the
squa
d
ca
r
an
d
go
t
int
o
th
e
bac
k
seat
.
Sh
e
ha
d
n
o
shoe
s
on. He
r
to
e
wa
s
throbbing
.
He
r
fac
e
wa
s
a
mes
s
an
d
he
r
hair wa
s
stick
y
fro
m
swea
t
an
d
tears
.
Wha
t
a
nigh
t
thi
s
had turne
d
ou
t
t
o
be
.
Sh
e
looke
d
ou
t
throug
h
th
e
back windo
w
o
f
th
e
ca
r
.
T
raffi
c
whizze
d
b
y
,
thei
r
brigh
t
lights
formin
g
a
blu
r
s
o
brigh
t
i
t
stun
g
he
r
eyes
.
Sh
e
coul
d
see
Poll
y
star
e
ahea
d
whil
e
Gin
a
clambere
d
int
o
a
taxi
.
T
ess
lifte
d
he
r
han
d
an
d
wave
d
a
t
he
r
siste
r
.

“I’l
l
b
e
alright,
”
sh
e
mouthed
.

Sh
e
pu
t
o
n
he
r
seatbel
t
an
d
close
d
he
r
eyes
,
shivering
fro
m
pai
n
an
d
th
e
col
d
interio
r
o
f
th
e
co
p
ca
r
.
Sh
e
would
lov
e
a
blanket
.
On
e
o
f
thos
e
reall
y
soft
,
furr
y
blankets tha
t
he
r
mu
m
alway
s
ha
d
fo
r
the
m
whe
n
the
y
wer
e
little an
d
feelin
g
poorl
y
.
Sh
e
wante
d
he
r
mum
.
Sh
e
wanted Rob
.
Sh
e
wante
d
anyone
.

“Ca
r
tw
o
.
.
.
mino
r
acciden
t
o
n
Letterkenn
y
Roa
d
.
.
.”
Th
e
crackl
y
sound
s
o
f
th
e
radi
o
message
s
coming throug
h
an
d
th
e
traffi
c
whirrin
g
pas
t
a
s
the
y
drove toward
s
th
e
tow
n
centr
e
mad
e
he
r
fee
l
lik
e
sh
e
wa
s
having a
n
out-of-the-bod
y
experience
.
Thi
s
ha
d
t
o
b
e
som
e
sick
joke
.
Sh
e
woul
d
ope
n
he
r
eye
s
an
d
sh
e
woul
d
b
e
i
n
a
taxi
wit
h
th
e
others
,
headin
g
bac
k
t
o
th
e
Cov
e
Countr
y
Club wher
e
the
y
woul
d
laug
h
abou
t
th
e
antic
s
the
y
ha
d
go
t
up
t
o
tha
t
da
y
.
.
.
th
e
massiv
e
wi
n
o
n
th
e
horses
,
th
e
revelations
o
f
Rut
h
an
d
he
r
jockey-lovin
g
husband
,
th
e
disappearance o
f
Gin
a
an
d
th
e
ho
t
se
x
sh
e
ha
d
i
n
a
Jacuzz
i
wit
h
Marco, th
e
deliciou
s
Chines
e
mea
l
an
d
th
e
poo
r
embarrassed waite
r
,
th
e
sound
s
o
f
th
e
eightie
s
wit
h
Karaok
e
King
Kong
,
th
e
sta
g
part
y
an
d
thei
r
flirtin
g
an
d
Polly
’
s
nea
r
-
mis
s
wit
h
it
s
ringleade
r
.
.
.
thing
s
t
o
tal
k
about
,
laugh abou
t
an
d
recal
l
whe
n
the
y
go
t
ol
d
an
d
gre
y
.
On
e
night awa
y
t
o
forge
t
thei
r
trouble
s
.
.
.
on
e
nigh
t
awa
y
t
o
make
everyon
e
a
t
hom
e
appreciat
e
the
m
mor
e
.
.
.
on
e
night awa
y
t
o
reflec
t
o
n
lif
e
a
s
i
t
wa
s
an
d
t
o
realis
e
wha
t
it
reall
y
wa
s
tha
t
wa
s
importan
t
t
o
eac
h
o
f
them
.