One Night Only (146 page)

“Look
s
lik
e
I’
m
goin
g
hom
e
t
o
a
silen
t
slumbe
r
,
”
she
said
,
disappointmen
t
drippin
g
fro
m
he
r
voice
.

“That
’
s
teenagers
,
I
suppose,
”
sai
d
Poll
y
.
“Enjo
y
th
e
peace
whil
e
yo
u
hav
e
it
.
I
wil
l
probabl
y
g
o
hom
e
t
o
a
monstrous
mess
.
A
t
leas
t
yo
u
ca
n
suffe
r
you
r
hangove
r
a
t
you
r
own pace.
”

Rut
h
opene
d
th
e
ca
r
doo
r
an
d
steppe
d
outside. “Thanks
,
girls,
”
sh
e
said
,
feelin
g
tear
y
an
d
emotional
.

“I
t
reall
y
wa
s
a
blas
t
an
d
I
can
’
t
tel
l
yo
u
ho
w
muc
h
it helpe
d
me.
”

“M
e
too,
”
sai
d
Gina
.
“
W
e
shoul
d
arrang
e
anothe
r
one
soon.
”

“No
t
i
n
thi
s
lifetime,
”
sai
d
T
es
s
fro
m
th
e
fron
t
seat. “I’
d
rathe
r
hav
e
boile
d
cabbag
e
fo
r
breakfas
t
ever
y
da
y
of
m
y
lif
e
tha
n
se
e
anothe
r
polic
e
station!
”

“
W
ell
,
minu
s
th
e
polic
e
station
,
th
e
arres
t
an
d
the
excessiv
e
puking,
”
sai
d
Gina
.
“Al
l
i
n
all
,
i
t
wa
s
a
great
nigh
t
out
.
I
t
wa
s
jus
t
wha
t
th
e
–
”

“Don
’
t
sa
y
it!
”
sai
d
T
ess
.

“I’l
l
b
e
i
n
touch,
”
sai
d
Ruth
.
“Catc
h
yo
u
lunatic
s
late
r
.”
Sh
e
close
d
th
e
ca
r
doo
r
an
d
Poll
y
go
t
ou
t
an
d
helped he
r
wit
h
he
r
luggage
,
the
n
walke
d
he
r
u
p
th
e
shor
t
path
tha
t
le
d
t
o
th
e
house
.

“
Y
ou’l
l
b
e
fine
,
Ruth,
”
sai
d
Poll
y
.
Sh
e
rubbe
d
th
e
other w
oman
’
s
ar
m
a
s
sh
e
spoke
.
“Soon
,
thi
s
plac
e
wil
l
b
e
so
muc
h
lik
e
home
,
Londo
n
wil
l
see
m
world
s
awa
y
an
d
you’ll
neve
r
loo
k
back
.
Y
o
u
deserv
e
happines
s
an
d
I
reall
y
think
y
o
u
wil
l
fin
d
i
t
here.
”

“
I
hop
e
so,
”
sai
d
Ruth
.
“Pleas
e
don
’
t
b
e
a
strange
r
.
I
may
loo
k
lik
e
a
toug
h
cooki
e
bu
t
I’
m
a
bi
g
softi
e
underneath.
”

“
Y
ou’r
e
a
wonderfu
l
person,
”
sai
d
Poll
y
.
“An
d
please
don
’
t
b
e
lonel
y
.
Y
o
u
kno
w
yo
u
ca
n
cal
l
o
n
m
e
an
y
time.
”

“Thanks,
”
sai
d
Ruth
.
“Thank
s
s
o
much.
”

Poll
y
turne
d
t
o
g
o
bac
k
t
o
th
e
ca
r
an
d
Rut
h
watche
d
her wal
k
awa
y
.
Sh
e
wa
s
suc
h
a
gentl
e
soul
,
wa
s
Poll
y
Knox. Rut
h
ha
d
s
o
muc
h
t
o
than
k
he
r
fo
r
.
Bu
t
fo
r
no
w
,
sh
e
would
g
o
inside
,
hav
e
a
coffe
e
an
d
wonde
r
wha
t
he
r
nex
t
move
woul
d
b
e
t
o
gettin
g
he
r
lif
e
sorte
d
onc
e
an
d
fo
r
all
.

“D
o
yo
u
thin
k
Gin
a
wil
l
b
e
okay?
”
aske
d
T
es
s
whe
n
they
parke
d
th
e
Jee
p
outsid
e
Polly
’
s
house
.
Gin
a
ha
d
bee
n
left
of
f
righ
t
a
t
he
r
ow
n
fron
t
doo
r
,
despit
e
i
t
jus
t
bein
g
a
few
yard
s
awa
y
.
Poll
y
ha
d
insiste
d
s
o
tha
t
sh
e
didn
’
t
hav
e
far t
o
carr
y
he
r
bag
.
Despit
e
he
r
bein
g
th
e
littles
t
o
f
th
e
bunch,
Gina
’
s
ba
g
weighe
d
th
e
heavies
t
an
d
Poll
y
wondere
d
i
f
she
ha
d
kidnappe
d
Marc
o
an
d
take
n
hi
m
hom
e
w
it
h
h
e
r
.