One Night Only (133 page)

“
W
e
can
’
t
forese
e
wha
t
th
e
nex
t
stag
e
wil
l
be,
”
said Gard
a
McGuinness
.

Sh
e
ha
d
th
e
distinc
t
impressio
n
h
e
wa
s
a
bi
t
o
f
a
kiss-
as
s
whe
n
i
t
cam
e
t
o
ol
d
Sergean
t
McCloske
y
.
H
e
definitely
ha
d
los
t
tha
t
cheek
y
twinkl
e
i
n
hi
s
ey
e
an
d
wa
s
very
business-like.
Perhaps
he
was
in
line
for
a
promotion.
She
ha
d
t
o
kis
s
as
s
i
n
he
r
jo
b
too
.
Sh
e
an
d
Simo
n
ha
d
s
o
much i
n
common
.

Sergean
t
McCloske
y
ende
d
th
e
intervie
w
formall
y
and the
n
lef
t
th
e
room
,
leavin
g
T
es
s
an
d
McGuinnes
s
alone
.

“I
s
h
e
you
r
boss?
”
sh
e
aske
d
him
.
Sh
e
wa
s
angr
y
with hi
m
an
d
sh
e
didn
’
t
kno
w
wh
y
.

“Sor
t
of
.
W
ell
,
fo
r
tonigh
t
h
e
is
.
W
e
hav
e
tw
o
sergeants.
Bil
l
i
s
on
e
o
f
them
.
H
e
ha
s
bee
n
her
e
a
lon
g
time
.
W
h
y
?
”

“Nothing,
”
sai
d
T
ess
.
Sh
e
woul
d
kee
p
he
r
mout
h
shut
fo
r
once
.

“Look
,
betwee
n
yo
u
an
d
me,
”
sai
d
Gard
a
McGuinness
(h
e
wa
s
n
o
longe
r
Copalicious)
,
“ther
e
i
s
a
long
,
long queu
e
o
f
peopl
e
wh
o
woul
d
lov
e
t
o
thro
w
mor
e
tha
n
a
stilett
o
a
t
Jo
e
McAlee
r
,
s
o
don
’
t
bea
t
yoursel
f
u
p
about it.
”

“Ther
e
are?
”
aske
d
T
ess
.
“Why?
”

“H
e
ha
s
a
fin
e
reputatio
n
aroun
d
here,
”
sai
d
Copalicious
(
h
e
wa
s
no
w
Copaliciou
s
again)
.
“Bi
t
o
f
a
ba
d
bo
y
.
I
t
should
b
e
hi
m
sittin
g
acros
s
fro
m
me
,
no
t
you
,
an
d
s
om
e
d
ay
soon
i
t
wil
l
b
e
i
f
I
ge
t
m
y
wa
y
.
I
ha
d
t
o
d
o
m
y
jo
b
tonight
,
but
secretl
y
I
wa
s
ragin
g
yo
u
didn
’
t
ge
t
hi
m
ful
l
whac
k
i
n
the
fac
e
wit
h
tha
t
shoe
.
I
t
woul
d
hav
e
mad
e
m
y
night.
”

T
es
s
couldn
’
t
believ
e
he
r
ears
.
Copaliciou
s
wa
s
rubbing
hi
s
hand
s
an
d
suckin
g
hi
s
teeth
,
jus
t
lik
e
h
e
wa
s
imagining
finall
y
nailin
g
McAlee
r
fo
r
al
l
h
e
wa
s
worth
.

“S
o
wh
y
th
e
hel
l
di
d
yo
u
arres
t
me?
”
sh
e
asked
.
“
Y
ou coul
d
hav
e
jus
t
le
t
m
e
go!
”

“
I
ha
d
t
o
arres
t
you
,
believ
e
me,
”
h
e
said
.
“Bu
t
there wa
s
on
e
thin
g
fo
r
sur
e
an
d
yo
u
sai
d
i
t
tonight
.
I
f
yo
u
and you
r
mate
s
ha
d
bee
n
thre
e
drunke
n
me
n
leavin
g
tha
t
ba
r
,
Jo
e
McAlee
r
wouldn
’
t
hav
e
opene
d
hi
s
gob
.
He
’
s
a
cowar
d
whe
n
he
’
s
outnumbere
d
b
y
men
,
bu
t
whe
n
h
e
puts o
n
tha
t
securit
y
unifor
m
an
d
ther
e
ar
e
wome
n
t
o
tak
e
the
pis
s
ou
t
of
,
h
e
think
s
he
’
s
God
.
Y
o
u
di
d
th
e
righ
t
thing.
He
’
s
a
.
.
.
wha
t
wa
s
i
t
yo
u
calle
d
hi
m
again?
”