One Night Only (141 page)

T
es
s
swallowe
d
hard
.
“N
o
.
.
.
no
,
I
couldn
’
t
.
Th
e
very
though
t
o
f
sittin
g
i
n
a
stea
m
roo
m
i
n
silenc
e
i
s
enoug
h
to
driv
e
m
e
ove
r
th
e
edge
.
I’
m
doin
g
battle
s
i
n
m
y
brai
n
a
s
it
is
.
I’
m
i
n
hate-mysel
f
mode.
”

“Don
’
t
sa
y
that,
”
sai
d
Poll
y
.
“
Y
o
u
don
’
t
hat
e
yourself.
Y
o
u
ma
y
b
e
a
criminal
,
bu
t
hat
e
i
s
a
ver
y
stron
g
word.
”

T
es
s
steppe
d
int
o
th
e
blu
e
dres
s
an
d
turne
d
he
r
bac
k
to he
r
siste
r
wh
o
zippe
d
i
t
u
p
withou
t
havin
g
t
o
b
e
asked
.

“Jokin
g
aside
,
I
ma
y
hav
e
fucke
d
u
p
m
y
whol
e
caree
r
,
Poll,
”
sh
e
said
,
glancin
g
i
n
th
e
mirro
r
.
Sh
e
wa
s
lookin
g
more
lik
e
he
r
ol
d
sel
f
no
w
tha
t
sh
e
ha
d
he
r
hai
r
washed
,
drie
d
and straightene
d
an
d
ha
d
pu
t
o
n
he
r
clothes
.
A
lic
k
o
f
make-up an
d
sh
e
woul
d
b
e
goo
d
a
s
ne
w
.
O
n
th
e
outside
,
anyho
w
.
On th
e
insid
e
sh
e
wa
s
a
shiverin
g
ba
g
o
f
nerves
.

“
W
e’l
l
jus
t
hav
e
t
o
sa
y a
praye
r
tha
t
yo
u
haven
’
t,
”
said
Poll
y
.
“I’l
l
pra
y
t
o
S
t
Jud
e
al
l
th
e
wa
y
home.
”

“S
t
Jude
?
Bu
t
isn
’
t
h
e
fo
r
hopeles
s
cases?
”
aske
d
T
ess.
“Exactl
y
,
”
sai
d
Poll
y
.

“Gee
,
thanks
,
siste
r
.
”

“
Y
ou’r
e
welcome
.
No
w
,
I’
m
goin
g
t
o
chec
k
o
n
th
e
other tw
o
eejit
s
t
o
mak
e
sur
e
they’r
e
almos
t
read
y
.
I
thin
k
we’
d
all
agre
e
tha
t
th
e
quicke
r
w
e
ge
t
ou
t
o
f
here
,
th
e
bette
r
.
”

Afte
r
nibblin
g
ove
r
breakfast
,
th
e
girl
s
brough
t
thei
r
bags t
o
receptio
n
an
d
Poll
y
too
k
th
e
lea
d
o
n
checkin
g
out
.

“Le
t
me,
”
sai
d
Ruth
,
producin
g
he
r
credi
t
card
.
“I
t
all
goe
s
o
n
Melanie
’
s
W
a
y
,
remember?
”

“
Y
ou’r
e
a
sta
r
,
Rut
h
Monaghan,
”
sai
d
Poll
y
,
letting Rut
h
d
o
th
e
honours
.
“A
t
leas
t
that
’
s
on
e
goo
d
thin
g
to
com
e
ou
t
o
f
thi
s
weekend
!
Tha
t
reall
y
wa
s
a
grea
t
win!” Rut
h
hande
d
th
e
receptionis
t
he
r
car
d
an
d
entere
d
her
PIN
.

“Ther
e
ar
e
lot
s
o
f
goo
d
thing
s
t
o
hav
e
com
e
ou
t
o
f
this weekend
,
believ
e
me,
”
sh
e
said
.
“
T
es
s
wil
l
b
e
fine
,
Poll.
Don
’
t
worr
y
abou
t
it
.
I
t
wa
s
hardl
y
a
firs
t
degre
e
crime
!
A
goo
d
solicito
r
an
d
sh
e
wil
l
wal
k
awa
y
sco
t
free
.
That
’
s
if
tha
t
asshol
e
eve
n
decide
s
t
o
pres
s
charges
.
H
e
migh
t
just le
t
i
t
go.
”

“
Y
o
u
don
’
t
kno
w
wha
t
h
e
wa
s
like
,
Ruth,
”
sai
d
Poll
y
,
glancin
g
bac
k
a
t
he
r
siste
r
wh
o
wa
s
no
w
i
n
th
e
foye
r
on
th
e
phon
e
t
o
Rob
.
Gin
a
wa
s
o
n
th
e
phon
e
too
.
I
t
really
wa
s
lik
e
Confession
s
o
f
th
e
Nigh
t
Before
.