One Night Only (187 page)

Rut
h
hun
g
up
,
redialle
d
Polly
’
s
numbe
r
an
d
lef
t
a
simila
r
message
.

“Wha
t
wer
e
yo
u
doin
g
i
n
Belfast?
”
aske
d
Melanie.
“Huh?
”
Rut
h
wa
s
stil
l
checkin
g
he
r
misse
d
call
s
an
d
text
messages
.
The
y
wer
e
mostl
y
fro
m
Poll
y
an
d
T
ess
.
Thi
s
w
as
terrible
!

“
Y
o
u
jus
t
sai
d
yo
u
wer
e
i
n
Belfast
?
Wha
t
o
n
eart
h
for? That
’
s
mile
s
away?
”

“
I
wasn
’
t
i
n
Belfast,
”
sai
d
Ruth
.
Sh
e
didn
’
t
wan
t
Melanie
t
o
kno
w
anythin
g
abou
t
he
r
stalkin
g
he
r
ow
n
famil
y
.

“Mum
,
yo
u
jus
t
said!
”
sai
d
Melanie
.
“What
’
s
going
on
?
Di
d
yo
u
g
o
t
o
se
e
you
r
mother
?
I
hop
e
not!
”

Rut
h
fel
t
lik
e
a
schoolgir
l
wh
o
ha
d
bee
n
caugh
t
playing truant
.
I
t
wa
s
lik
e
rol
e
reversa
l
again
,
jus
t
th
e
wa
y
i
t
was s
o
ofte
n
thes
e
days
.
Melani
e
woul
d
chastis
e
he
r
a
s
often a
s
i
t
woul
d
happe
n
th
e
othe
r
wa
y
round
.

Rut
h
pretende
d
sh
e
didn
’
t
hea
r
he
r
an
d
continue
d
to loo
k
a
t
he
r
messages
.
He
r
stomac
h
wa
s
churnin
g
a
t
the though
t
o
f
Gin
a
lyin
g
i
n
hospita
l
i
n
suc
h
a
ba
d
state. Shoul
d
sh
e
g
o
t
o
th
e
hospita
l
o
r
woul
d
tha
t
b
e
intrusive?
Surel
y
ther
e
wa
s
somethin
g
sh
e
coul
d
do
.

“Oh
,
an
d
I
answere
d
on
e
o
f
you
r
call
s
earlie
r
,
”
said Melanie
.
“
I
wa
s
goin
g
t
o
tur
n
i
t
of
f
becaus
e
i
t
jus
t
kept ringin
g
but
,
whe
n
I
lifte
d
it
,
i
t
ran
g
s
o
I
answered
.
I
t
was
som
e
gu
y
,
Michae
l
.
.
.
fro
m
th
e
pu
b
las
t
night
.
H
e
sai
d
for
yo
u
t
o
cal
l
him
.
T
wit-twooo
!
”

Rut
h
stoppe
d
wha
t
sh
e
wa
s
doin
g
an
d
looke
d
u
p
a
t
her daughte
r
.
“Michael
?
Wha
t
di
d
h
e
sa
y
exactly?
”

“I
s
h
e
you
r
ne
w
boyfriend?
”
aske
d
Melanie
.

“No
,
h
e
i
s
no
t
indeed!
”
sai
d
Ruth
.
“It
’
s
business
.
What di
d
h
e
say?
”

“H
e
sai
d
.
.
.
”
Melani
e
cleare
d
he
r
throa
t
fo
r
effect.
“H
e
sai
d
‘
He
y
,
Hotstuff
,
remembe
r
me?
’
I
sai
d
n
o
and the
n
laughe
d
m
y
hea
d
off
!
H
e
wa
s
mortified!
”

“Melanie!
”
Ruth
’
s
eye
s
wer
e
wid
e
a
s
saucers
.

“I’
m
joking,
”
sai
d
Melanie
.
“H
e
jus
t
sai
d
yo
u
would kno
w
wh
y
h
e
wa
s
callin
g
an
d
coul
d
yo
u
cal
l
hi
m
back
.
He sai
d
yo
u
hav
e
hi
s
numbe
r
.
”

Relie
f
floode
d
throug
h
Rut
h
an
d
the
n
i
t
hi
t
he
r
again abou
t
Gina
.
Wh
y
wa
s
sh
e
gettin
g
excite
d
abou
t
a
phon
e
call
fro
m
a
strange
r
whe
n
he
r
frien
d
wa
s
i
n
suc
h
a
critica
l
state?
“Look
,
I
hav
e
t
o
go,
”
sh
e
said
.
“
I
nee
d
t
o
se
e
what
’
s
happenin
g
wit
h
Gina
.
Thi
s
i
s
reall
y
serious
,
Melanie
.
I’ll
kee
p
i
n
touch
.
It
’
s
to
o
lat
e
fo
r
m
e
t
o
g
o
t
o
th
e
hospita
l
so
I
wil
l
cal
l
a
t
Polly
’
s
hous
e
an
d
se
e
i
f
she
’
s
there.”
“Oka
y
,”
said
Melanie.
“But
take
your
phone
with
you
thi
s
time
!
I’
m
no
t
playin
g
secretar
y
again!
”