One Night Only (132 page)

“Who?
”

“Th
e
doorma
n
yo
u
assaulted
.
M
r
McAleer
?
Th
e
man wh
o
offende
d
yo
u
b
y
callin
g
yo
u
a
‘mammy’
?
H
e
may wis
h
t
o
pres
s
charge
s
fo
r
assault
.
W
e
wil
l
b
e
decidin
g
on jus
t
ho
w
disorderl
y
you
r
behaviou
r
ha
s
been.
”

T
ess
put
her
head
in
her
hands.
The
whole
event
was
a
muffle
d
mess
.
Sh
e
wa
s
sur
e
h
e
mus
t
hav
e
sai
d
mor
e
than tha
t
bu
t
sh
e
couldn
’
t
remembe
r
exactl
y
.
Th
e
sta
g
party ha
d
mad
e
he
r
ma
d
wit
h
thei
r
horribl
e
chant
s
an
d
Gina wa
s
provin
g
difficul
t
a
s
sh
e
slumpe
d
abou
t
lik
e
a
drunken scarecro
w
.
A
t
leas
t
i
f
sh
e
ha
d
bee
n
abl
e
t
o
actuall
y
wal
k
it migh
t
hav
e
allowe
d
the
m
t
o
exi
t
wit
h
a
tin
y
bi
t
o
f
grace. “Ca
n
I
g
o
now?
”
sh
e
asked
,
tear
s
fillin
g
he
r
eyes
.
She
dreade
d
lookin
g
i
n
th
e
mirro
r
.
Sh
e
ha
d
bruise
s
o
n
her
knee
s
an
d
he
r
make-u
p
wa
s
lon
g
gone
.
Sh
e
fel
t
lik
e
she
ha
d
bee
n
dragge
d
throug
h
a
hedg
e
backward
s
s
o
God
know
s
wha
t
sh
e
actuall
y
looke
d
like
.

“Jus
t
rea
d
th
e
statemen
t
ove
r
an
d
sig
n
th
e
botto
m
if
yo
u
ar
e
happ
y
tha
t
thi
s
i
s
a
tru
e
recor
d
o
f
th
e
event
s
in you
r
opinion.
”

T
es
s
read
through
what
Garda
McGuinnes
s
had
recorde
d
i
n
print
.
I
t
wa
s
al
l
o
n
tap
e
anyho
w
bu
t
she
imagine
d
tha
t
wa
s
onl
y
a
back-u
p
i
n
cas
e
sh
e
retracte
d
that
sh
e
ha
d
sai
d
anythin
g
tha
t
h
e
no
w
ha
d
o
n
pape
r
.
I
t
mad
e
her
see
m
lik
e
a
ridiculou
s
dram
a
queen
,
ther
e
wa
s
n
o
doubt abou
t
that
,
bu
t
sh
e
woul
d
stic
k
t
o
he
r
gun
s
i
n
he
r
case
agains
t
Jo
e
McAlee
r
.
H
e
wa
s
a
priz
e
asshol
e
an
d
h
e
had n
o
respec
t
fo
r
women
.
H
e
deserve
d
t
o
b
e
whacke
d
wit
h
a
stiletto
,
bu
t
h
e
wasn
’
t
reall
y
wort
h
al
l
thi
s
hassle
,
wa
s
he?
A
h
well
,
sh
e
ha
d
n
o
choic
e
no
w
.
Sh
e
ha
d
mad
e
he
r
bed,
sh
e
woul
d
hav
e
t
o
li
e
o
n
it
.

“
I
reall
y
wan
t
t
o
g
o
t
o
bed,
”
sh
e
said
,
signin
g
the botto
m
o
f
th
e
whit
e
line
d
pape
r
.

“
Y
o
u
ca
n
mak
e
tha
t
phone-cal
l
no
w
,
”
sai
d
Sergeant
Bill
.
“
Y
ou’r
e
fre
e
t
o
go
.
W
e
wil
l
b
e
i
n
touc
h
i
n
th
e
next da
y
o
r
two.
”

“An
d
the
n
wha
t
happens?
”
aske
d
T
ess
,
he
r
eyes
sauce
r
-lik
e
wit
h
fea
r
.
Sh
e
picture
d
a
courtroom
,
wit
h
Rob standin
g
besid
e
he
r
i
n
sham
e
an
d
he
r
nam
e
al
l
ove
r
the newspaper
s
wit
h
headline
s
suc
h
a
s
‘Drunke
n
T
eacher
Attack
s
Doorman’
,
o
r
‘
T
eache
r
T
ess
’
s
Drunke
n
T
antrum’
o
r
‘Th
e
REA
L
Ba
d
T
eacher’
.
O
h
sh
e
wa
s
s
o
afrai
d
of wha
t
wa
s
goin
g
t
o
happen
,
sh
e
coul
d
barel
y
eve
n
think abou
t
it.