One Night Only (210 page)

Rut
h
wa
s
concentratin
g
o
n
he
r
breathing
.
Sh
e
thought
sh
e
migh
t
pas
s
ou
t
a
s
sh
e
watche
d
he
r
nemesi
s
acros
s
the roo
m
an
d
al
l
sort
s
o
f
thought
s
wer
e
goin
g
throug
h
her mind
.
W
a
s
he
r
mothe
r
i
n
hospital
?
W
a
s
sh
e
reall
y
il
l
and n
o
on
e
ha
d
tol
d
her
?
Sh
e
ha
d
t
o
fin
d
out
.

Sh
e
stoo
d
u
p
an
d
Poll
y
followe
d
he
r
i
n
betwee
n
tables,
excusin
g
hersel
f
a
s
the
y
bumpe
d
int
o
chair
s
o
n
th
e
wa
y
past
i
n
Ruth
’
s
hast
e
t
o
fin
d
ou
t
wha
t
th
e
hel
l
wa
s
goin
g
on
.

“
I
kno
w
wha
t
you’r
e
thinking,
”
sai
d
Poll
y
t
o
Ruth
’
s
back
,
eve
n
thoug
h
sh
e
kne
w
he
r
frien
d
wasn
’
t
listening.
“Ruth
,
jus
t
kee
p
calm
.
Don
’
t
assum
e
it
’
s
anythin
g
t
o
do wit
h
you
r
famil
y
.
I
t
migh
t
jus
t
b
e
a
frien
d
o
f
hers
.
Maybe someon
e
ha
s
ha
d
a
baby
?
Don
’
t
panic
,
pleas
e
Ruth
.
And fo
r
God
’
s
sak
e
don
’
t
hi
t
her!
”

Bu
t
Rut
h
wa
s
chargin
g
on
,
he
r
min
d
ful
l
o
f
possibilitie
s
.
He
r
mothe
r
ha
d
cance
r
an
d
wa
s
dyin
g
o
n
a
war
d
just abov
e
them
.
O
r
mayb
e
she’
d
ha
d
a
ba
d
fal
l
an
d
a
broken hip
,
o
r
a
seriou
s
ca
r
acciden
t
lik
e
Gina
.
Wh
y
didn
’
t
they
tel
l
her
?
Surel
y
sh
e
deserve
d
t
o
b
e
give
n
suc
h
life-changing
information
?

“Samantha!
”
sh
e
sai
d
an
d
th
e
othe
r
woma
n
looke
d
up a
t
he
r
,
mid-argumen
t
wit
h
he
r
daughte
r
ove
r
spillin
g
a
yoghurt
.

“Ruth!
”
sai
d
Samantha
.
“Ho
w
di
d
yo
u
fin
d
out?
”

Rut
h
swallowe
d
hard
.
“Foun
d
out
?
I’
m
her
e
visitin
g
a
friend
.
Wha
t
i
s
ther
e
t
o
fin
d
out
?
T
el
l
me
!
I
s
i
t
m
y
mother?”
Samanth
a
pushe
d
bac
k
he
r
sea
t
an
d
grabbe
d
her daughter
’
s
hand
,
ignorin
g
th
e
child
’
s
reques
t
t
o
finis
h
her lunch
.
Sh
e
dragge
d
th
e
chil
d
acros
s
th
e
cantee
n
a
s
young
Sapphire
craned
her
neck
behind
her
to
watch
the
strange
lad
y
wh
o
wa
s
followin
g
the
m
i
n
despai
r
.

“
Y
o
u
wer
e
tol
d
t
o
sta
y
awa
y
,
”
sai
d
Samanth
a
when Rut
h
caugh
t
u
p
wit
h
he
r
an
d
matche
d
he
r
stride
.
“Why
can
’
t
yo
u
ge
t
th
e
hint
?
Y
ou’r
e
no
t
wante
d
i
n
ou
r
family!
”

“
Y
ou
r
family
!
Y
ou
r
family!
”
sai
d
Ruth
.

Poll
y
wa
s
pacin
g
behin
d
them
.
Samanth
a
coul
d
move
quickl
y
,
tha
t
wa
s
fo
r
sure
.

“
Y
o
u
hear
d
me,
”
sai
d
Samantha
.
Sh
e
stoppe
d
and
face
d
Ruth
,
hea
d
t
o
head
.
Sh
e
didn
’
t
see
m
t
o
car
e
that
passers-b
y
wer
e
noticin
g
th
e
commotion
,
o
r
tha
t
Sapphire ha
d
starte
d
t
o
cr
y
.

“
Y
o
u
an
d
you
r
fathe
r
hijacke
d
m
y
famil
y
,
”
sai
d
Ruth. “No
w
tel
l
m
e
wha
t
th
e
hel
l
i
s
goin
g
on
!
I
hav
e
a
righ
t
to know!
”