One Night Only (12 page)

Sh
e
walke
d
awa
y
,
stil
l
feelin
g
Ruth
’
s
dar
k
eye
s
o
n
he
r
.
“Polly?
”
Rut
h
calle
d
t
o
th
e
bac
k
o
f
he
r
head
.

“
Y
es?
”
sh
e
replied
.
Sh
e
stoppe
d
an
d
turned
,
stil
l
gripping
th
e
toile
t
roll
.

“I’
m
sorr
y
,
”
sh
e
said
.
“I’
m
desperatel
y
sorr
y
fo
r
being
s
u
c
h
a
bitc
h
t
o
yo
u
a
t
school
.
T
o
you
,
an
d
you
r
siste
r
.
How
i
s
T
ess?
”

“I
t
wa
s
a
lon
g
tim
e
ago,
”
sai
d
Poll
y
,
ignorin
g
the questio
n
abou
t
he
r
younge
r
siste
r
.
T
es
s
woul
d
murde
r
her
i
f
sh
e
though
t
sh
e
ha
d
give
n
on
e
inc
h
o
f
informatio
n
to Rut
h
Monaghan
!
Sh
e
turne
d
awa
y
fro
m
Rut
h
an
d
walked toward
s
th
e
till
.

Th
e
blood
y
chee
k
o
f
her
!
Polly
’
s
hear
t
thumpe
d
a
s
she
hande
d
ove
r
he
r
debi
t
card
,
feelin
g
Ruth
’
s
stare
,
an
d
she
wa
s
transporte
d
bac
k
t
o
th
e
day
s
i
n
schoo
l
wher
e
th
e
very
mentio
n
o
f
Rut
h
Monaghan
’
s
nam
e
wa
s
enoug
h
t
o
bring he
r
t
o
tears
.

O
n
he
r
wa
y
ou
t
o
f
th
e
Spa
r
,
sh
e
caugh
t
Ruth
’
s
eye
agai
n
an
d
Rut
h
smiled
.
I
t
wasn
’
t a
threatenin
g
‘I’
m
gonna
ge
t
yo
u
o
n
th
e
wa
y
home
’
smil
e
lik
e
sh
e
use
d
t
o
thro
w
at
Poll
y
whe
n
the
y
wer
e
fourteen
.
I
t
wa
s
a
nervous
,
almost desperat
e
‘pleas
e
b
e
m
y
friend
’
smil
e
an
d
Poll
y
,
bein
g
the sof
t
touc
h
tha
t
sh
e
was
,
smile
d
back
.

“Nic
e
t
o
se
e
ya,
”
sai
d
Ruth
.

Poll
y
nodde
d
an
d
lef
t
th
e
supermarke
t
a
s
fas
t
a
s
her
fee
t
coul
d
carr
y
he
r
.

Despit
e
he
r
siz
e
an
d
he
r
dar
k
clothe
s
an
d
he
r
heav
y
make-
up
,
ther
e
wa
s
a
dee
p
sadnes
s
i
n
Ruth
’
s
eye
s
tha
t
stoo
d
ou
t
for
mile
s
an
d
Poll
y
fel
t
he
r
heartstring
s
tu
g
despit
e
he
r
head
tellin
g
he
r
t
o
wis
e
u
p
an
d
wal
k
on
.
Sh
e
contemplate
d
going
bac
k
i
n
an
d
makin
g
prope
r
arrangement
s
t
o
mee
t
up
,
but th
e
n
s
h
e
f
or
ce
d
h
e
r
mi
n
d
t
o
recal
l
th
e
day
s
a
t
schoo
l
when th
e
ver
y
soun
d
o
f
Rut
h
Monaghan
’
s
voic
e
wa
s
enoug
h
to
giv
e
he
r
diarrhoea
.
Forgiv
e
an
d
forge
t
sh
e
coul
d
do
,
yes
.
But
bes
t
buddies
?
Nuh-uh
!

Sh
e
stoppe
d
outsid
e
th
e
sho
p
nea
r
a
litte
r
bin
,
Ruth
’
s
car
d
an
d
th
e
sho
p
receip
t
stil
l
i
n
he
r
hand
.
Sh
e
stare
d
at th
e
busines
s
card
,
knowin
g
tha
t
Rut
h
wa
s
stil
l
watching fro
m
inside
.
Poll
y
wa
s
shakin
g
lik
e
a
leaf
.
The
n
she
pretende
d
t
o
dro
p
th
e
busines
s
car
d
i
n
th
e
bi
n
whil
e
in fac
t
onl
y
lettin
g
th
e
receip
t
go
.

The
n
sh
e
hurrie
d
t
o
th
e
Jee
p
an
d
climbe
d
in
,
turne
d
on th
e
ignitio
n
an
d
bega
n
t
o
revers
e
befor
e
rememberin
g
she
ha
d
t
o
wai
t
fo
r
Gina
.