One Night Only (62 page)

“Bastard
!
Som
e
me
n
.
.
.
eurgh
!
”
T
es
s
wa
s
findin
g
it har
d
t
o
hol
d
bac
k
wha
t
sh
e
reall
y
wante
d
t
o
sa
y
about thi
s
Jeffre
y
Landsbur
y
character
!
I
f
Ro
b
eve
r
di
d
tha
t
to he
r
sh
e
woul
d
murde
r
him
!
Cold-bloode
d
murder
!

“
I
didn
’
t
eve
r
se
e
Jeffre
y
agai
n
afte
r
that,
”
sai
d
Ruth quietl
y
.
“H
e
an
d
Spence
r
didn
’
t
retur
n
fro
m
Duba
i
until
recentl
y
whe
n
I
wa
s
finall
y
safel
y
packe
d
u
p
o
n
a
plane an
d
g
uarant
ee
d
neve
r
t
o
com
e
back
.
M
r
Bake
r
ha
d
asked
m
e
wher
e
I
wante
d
t
o
go
.
I
c
oul
d
hav
e
chose
n
anywhere, bu
t
I
chos
e
here
.
I
jus
t
wante
d
t
o
go
hom
e
.
”

Gin
a
wa
s
thinkin
g
o
f
wher
e
sh
e
woul
d
g
o
wit
h
a
one- wa
y
ticke
t
t
o
anywher
e
i
n
th
e
world
.
Y
es
,
Rut
h
wa
s
right.
Sh
e
woul
d
probabl
y
g
o
t
o
Dublin
.
Hom
e
i
s
wher
e
the hear
t
i
s
an
d
al
l
that
.

“
I
wouldn
’
t
blam
e
you,
”
sh
e
said
.
“Everyon
e
want
s
to g
o
hom
e
i
n
a
crisis
.
Hom
e
t
o
thei
r
famil
y
.
”

“
W
ell
,
that
’
s
anothe
r
stor
y
,
”
sai
d
Ruth
.
“Bu
t
I’
m
home no
w
.
Almost.
”

Sh
e
too
k
a
lon
g
dee
p
breat
h
throug
h
he
r
nos
e
an
d
out o
f
he
r
mouth
,
close
d
he
r
eye
s
fo
r
a
fe
w
second
s
an
d
then
sh
e
smiled
.

“
I
be
t
yo
u
al
l
thin
k
it
’
s
hilarious
,
don
’
t
you?
”
sh
e
said wit
h
a
wr
y
expression
.

“Hilarious
?
No
t a
bi
t
hilarious
.
I’
m
i
n
shock,
”
sai
d
T
ess.
“Wh
y
woul
d
w
e
thin
k
i
t
wa
s
hilarious?
”
aske
d
Poll
y
.
“Becaus
e
o
f
al
l
th
e
miser
y I
pu
t
yo
u
throug
h
a
t
school
.

I
go
t
m
y
comeuppanc
e
an
d
I
go
t
i
t
hard
.
I
don
’
t
blam
e
you
i
f
yo
u
fee
l
smug.
”

“
I
don
’
t
fee
l
a
bi
t
smug,
”
sai
d
T
ess
.
“
I
stil
l
can
’
t
believe
yo
u
lef
t
withou
t
a
fight
.
Di
d
yo
u
a
t
leas
t
bur
n
th
e
place
dow
n
befor
e
yo
u
left
?
T
el
l
m
e
yo
u
di
d
somethin
g
t
o
get
reveng
e
o
n
th
e
worm
y
we
e
bastard?
”

“
I
nee
d
anothe
r
drink,
”
sai
d
Gina
.
“
I
though
t
my
T
revo
r
wa
s
ba
d
wit
h
Sh
e
Wh
o
Mus
t
No
t
B
e
Named
,
but you
r
fell
a
lef
t
yo
u
fo
r
a
jockey
!
Ar
e
yo
u
sur
e
thi
s
Spencer on
e
wa
s
definitel
y
a
man?
”

Rut
h
looke
d
a
t
T
es
s
an
d
Poll
y
an
d
the
y
al
l
exploded wit
h
laughte
r
.

“
Y
es
,
Gina
.
Spence
r
wa
s
a
man
.
A
ver
y
smal
l
man, albeit
.
Bu
t
a
ma
n
wit
h
a
willi
e
h
e
was.
”

“
I
definitel
y
nee
d
a
drink.
”

“So
,
anyho
w
,
o
n
tha
t
note,
”
sai
d
Ruth
,
“wh
o
fancie
s
a
flutter
?
I
ma
y
no
t
b
e
abl
e
t
o
liv
e
tha
t
lif
e
an
y
more
,
bu
t
I
sur
e
kno
w
enoug
h
abou
t
i
t
t
o
mak
e
sur
e
th
e
drink
s
ar
e
on th
e
bookie
s
tonight!
”