One Night Only (209 page)

“
I
wan
t
coffee,
”
sai
d
th
e
child
.

Poll
y
winced
.
A
chil
d
drinkin
g
coffee?
“
Y
o
u
ca
n
hav
e
coffe
e
whe
n
yo
u
ge
t
home!
”

Bemused
,
Poll
y
helpe
d
hersel
f
t
o
coffe
e
an
d
mad
e
her wa
y
t
o
th
e
til
l
t
o
pa
y
.
Sh
e
wa
s
jus
t
openin
g
he
r
purs
e
when Rut
h
sidle
d
u
p
behin
d
he
r
wit
h
a
ful
l
tra
y
.

“Ah-ah
,
madam!
”
sh
e
said
.
“Pu
t
tha
t
purs
e
awa
y
.
Don
’
t
forget
,
w
e
hav
e
a
bi
g
hospitalit
y
budge
t
stil
l
o
n
thi
s
card. Tha
t
hors
e
ca
n
kee
p
u
s
al
l
i
n
comfor
t
fo
r
a
whil
e
ye
t
an
d
I
wil
l
mak
e
sur
e
w
e
spen
d
ever
y
penn
y
o
f
ou
r
winnings
unwisel
y
.
”

Sh
e
pulle
d
ou
t
he
r
ban
k
car
d
an
d
hande
d
i
t
t
o
the check-ou
t
girl
.

The
y
too
k
a
sea
t
b
y
th
e
windo
w
an
d
Rut
h
attacke
d
her foo
d
wit
h
gusto
.

“How
’
s
you
r
chicken?
”
Poll
y
asked
.

“It
’
s
pork,
”
sai
d
Ruth
,
munchin
g
awa
y
.
“
I
can
’
t
believe
you’r
e
no
t
eating
.
Honestl
y
,
i
t
woul
d
tak
e
a
nuclea
r
bomb t
o
g
o
of
f
i
n
m
y
bell
y
befor
e
I
woul
d
g
o
of
f
m
y
food
.
And, befor
e
yo
u
sa
y
it
,
I
kno
w
i
t
shows.
”

Sh
e
rubbe
d
he
r
stomac
h
an
d
shovelle
d
another
spoonfu
l
o
f
ric
e
an
d
por
k
an
d
sweet-and-sou
r
sauc
e
into he
r
mouth
.
Hospita
l
cantee
n
foo
d
sur
e
ha
d
com
e
a
long wa
y
sinc
e
th
e
las
t
tim
e
sh
e
ha
d
sample
d
it
.
Thos
e
doctors an
d
nurse
s
wer
e
spoil
t
rotten
.
Rut
h
wondere
d
i
f
sh
e
could
com
e
her
e
mor
e
ofte
n
fo
r
a
spo
t
o
f
lunc
h
withou
t
the traumati
c
circumstances
.
Sh
e
giggle
d
t
o
hersel
f
a
t
the though
t
o
f
bri
n
gi
n
g
a
dat
e
t
o
a
hospita
l
cantee
n
fo
r
dinner! T
he
n
sh
e
stoppe
d
chewin
g
an
d
th
e
tast
e
o
f
th
e
foo
d
left
he
r
mouth
.
Sh
e
swallowe
d
hard
,
too
k
a
drin
k
o
f
water an
d
fel
t
he
r
bloo
d
ru
n
cold
.

“Ruth
?
Ruth
,
ar
e
yo
u
choking
?
Ruth?
”

Rut
h
couldn
’
t
speak
.
He
r
eye
s
wer
e
fixe
d
o
n
a
woman an
d
chil
d
wh
o
wer
e
arguin
g
loudl
y
a
t
a
tabl
e
a
t
th
e
far en
d
o
f
th
e
canteen
.

“It
’
s
.
.
.
it
’
s
Samantha,
”
sh
e
said
,
th
e
foo
d
no
w
cart-
wheelin
g
insid
e
he
r
.
“That
’
s
Samanth
a
Dillon
.
Ove
r
there.
”

Polly
’
s
eye
s
darte
d
acros
s
t
o
wher
e
Rut
h
wa
s
staring
.
It wa
s
th
e
coffe
e
ki
d
an
d
he
r
mothe
r
.

“Sapphire
’
s
mum?”
“What?
”
sai
d
Ruth
.
“Who?
”

“
I
wa
s
a
t
th
e
coffe
e
machin
e
an
d
th
e
littl
e
girl
,
Sapphire,
wa
s
tryin
g
t
o
reac
h
fo
r
a
cu
p
o
f
ho
t
wate
r
becaus
e
she
wante
d
coffe
e
an
d
i
t
dre
w
m
y
attention
.
I
jus
t
foun
d
i
t
all
a
bi
t
strange
.
S
o
that
’
s
th
e
infamou
s
Samantha
?
Wh
y
are the
y
here
,
I
wonder?
”