One Night Only (13 page)

“Wha
t
abou
t
m
y
mum?
”
aske
d
Dann
y
fro
m
th
e
back. “Oh
,
sorr
y
,
Dan!
”
sai
d
Poll
y
,
turnin
g
of
f
th
e
ignition
again
.
“Sill
y
Poll
y
forgot
.
Don
’
t
worr
y
.
Sh
e
won
’
t
b
e
long.
”

Sh
e
turne
d
o
n
th
e
radi
o
an
d
trie
d
t
o
hu
m
alon
g
to distrac
t
he
r
hear
t
an
d
mind
.
So
,
Rut
h
Monagha
n
was bac
k
i
n
town
!
Shit
.
An
d
sh
e
ha
d
sor
t
of
,
kin
d
of
,
i
n
a
half- hearte
d
wa
y
agree
d
t
o
mee
t
he
r
fo
r
coffee
.
Doubl
e
shit. He
r
siste
r
T
es
s
woul
d
hi
t
th
e
roo
f
whe
n
sh
e
foun
d
out.
Shit
,
shit
,
shit
!

“Rut
h
Monaghan
!
Rut
h
blood
y
Monaghan
!
Th
e
biggest
bull
y
ou
r
tow
n
ha
s
eve
r
known
!
Ar
e
yo
u
of
f
you
r
head?”
Poll
y
ha
d
calle
d
i
n
t
o
T
es
s
a
s
agree
d
th
e
following afternoo
n
fo
r
a
quic
k
coffe
e
befor
e
he
r
shif
t
a
t
th
e
post
office
,
an
d
jus
t
a
s
expected
,
T
es
s
wa
s
hittin
g
th
e
roof
.
She
wa
s
goin
g
Chicke
n
Orienta
l
Mental
!
Sh
e
wa
s
o
n
a
roll. “Di
d
sh
e
honestl
y
thin
k
tha
t
th
e
momen
t
sh
e
swanned
bac
k
int
o
ou
r
we
e
rura
l
lif
e
fro
m
th
e
brigh
t
light
s
of Londo
n
peopl
e
roun
d
her
e
shoul
d
actuall
y
lik
e
her? Shoul
d
actuall
y
forgiv
e
her
?
Di
d
she
?
”

“Sh
e
jus
t
seeme
d
s
o
desperate,
”
sai
d
Poll
y
.
“Sh
e
looked
reall
y
sad.
”

“An
d
what?
”
T
es
s
replied
,
fixin
g
he
r
make-u
p
i
n
her compac
t
mirro
r
i
n
he
r
sparkl
y
clea
n
kitchen
,
whic
h
Polly
’
s
gruesom
e
twosom
e
wer
e
doin
g
thei
r
bes
t
t
o
demolis
h
with grubb
y
toddle
r
hands
.

“
I
jus
t
thin
k
w
e
shoul
d
giv
e
he
r
a
chance
,
that
’
s
all.” “Lies,
”
sai
d
T
ess
,
wit
h
a
swee
p
o
f
blushe
r
t
o
he
r
cheek
.

Sh
e
wa
s
o
n
a
ver
y
quic
k
lunc
h
brea
k
fro
m
he
r
teaching
jo
b
a
t
th
e
loca
l
schoo
l
an
d
he
r
make-u
p
neede
d
attention. “
Y
o
u
ar
e
jus
t
dyin
g
fo
r
a
nose
y
int
o
he
r
lif
e
sinc
e
sh
e
left
S
t
John
’
s
wit
h
a
three-mont
h
bum
p
an
d
a
hicke
y
o
n
her neck.
”

“
W
ell
,
mayb
e
I
a
m
bein
g
a
littl
e
bi
t
nose
y
,
bu
t
I
do thin
k
w
e
shoul
d
jus
t
cal
l
aroun
d
an
d
–
”

“Hol
d
on!
”
sai
d
T
ess
,
holdin
g
u
p
he
r
blushe
r
brus
h
in mid-ai
r
fo
r
effect
.
“What
’
s
al
l
thi
s
w
e
business
?
Y
o
u
are th
e
on
e
wh
o
bumpe
d
int
o
he
r
,
no
t
me
.
I
don
’
t
fee
l
th
e
need t
o
d
o
anything
.
I
don
’
t
eve
n
wan
t
t
o
sa
y
he
r
name
,
never
min
d
cal
l
o
n
he
r
.
”

“Bu
t
sh
e
sai
d
sh
e
wa
s
sorry
!
Fo
r
ho
w
sh
e
treate
d
both o
f
us
,
no
t
jus
t
me
.
Oh
,
com
e
on
.
Don
’
t
mak
e
m
e
d
o
this alone.
”