One Night Only (137 page)

“O
h
swee
t
Go
d
i
n
heaven
,
pleas
e
tel
l
m
e
i
t
wa
s
al
l
a
nightmare.
”

T
es
s
trie
d
t
o
ope
n
he
r
eyes
.
Sh
e
couldn
’
t
.
The
y
wer
e
stuck.
“Wha
t
tim
e
i
s
it?
”
aske
d
Poll
y
.
“Pleas
e
don
’
t
sa
y
it
’
s
tim
e
t
o
ge
t
up.
”

“As
k
Sergean
t
Bil
l
McCloske
y
,
”
sai
d
T
ess
.
Sh
e
had burie
d
he
r
hea
d
unde
r
he
r
pillo
w
b
y
no
w
.
“H
e
always know
s
wha
t
tim
e
i
t
is.
”

“
I
hop
e
yo
u
neve
r
hav
e
t
o
se
e
Sergean
t
Bil
l
again,
”
said
Poll
y
.

The
y
ha
d
sa
t
talkin
g
an
d
eatin
g
til
l
almos
t
fiv
e
thirty wit
h
T
es
s
givin
g
the
m
th
e
ful
l
accoun
t
o
f
he
r
‘night
’
i
n
a
cel
l
dow
n
a
t
th
e
Co
p
Shop
.
I
t
wa
s
bot
h
fascinatin
g
and frightenin
g
a
s
sh
e
recounte
d
tha
t
length
y
hou
r
i
n
captivit
y
,
al
l
alon
e
an
d
col
d
an
d
scare
d
ou
t
o
f
he
r
wits
.
Sh
e
trie
d
to remembe
r
th
e
nam
e
o
f
th
e
famou
s
gu
y
wh
o
ha
d
been famousl
y
rescue
d
fro
m
captivit
y
bu
t
i
t
wa
s
to
o
lat
e
and
sh
e
wa
s
to
o
tire
d
fo
r
he
r
brai
n
t
o
functio
n
o
n
tha
t
level.
Sh
e
woul
d
Googl
e
i
t
whe
n
sh
e
go
t
home
.
Sh
e
ha
d
a
new
foun
d
empath
y
wit
h
hi
s
suffering
.
I
n
fact
,
sh
e
migh
t
even
se
e
i
f
sh
e
coul
d
d
o
voluntar
y
Frenc
h
classe
s
a
t
th
e
nearest prison
.
The
y
couldn
’
t
al
l
b
e
criminal
s
i
n
there
.

“
I
neve
r
,
eve
r
wan
t
t
o
se
e
Sergean
t
Bil
l
again
.
Neve
r
.
I
wan
t
t
o
se
e
Ro
b
an
d
I
wan
t
t
o
g
o
home.
”

A
fe
w
door
s
down
,
Rut
h
wa
s
lyin
g
wid
e
awak
e
while
Gin
a
snore
d
loudl
y
acros
s
fro
m
he
r
.

Sh
e
hadn
’
t
reall
y
slep
t
muc
h
sinc
e
Poll
y
an
d
T
es
s
had
calle
d
i
t
a
night
,
ful
l
o
f
toaste
d
sandwiche
s
an
d
tea
.
Pee-ta
th
e
Porte
r
wa
s
a
pai
n
i
n
th
e
as
s
a
s
the
y
ha
d
expecte
d
and refuse
d
t
o
brin
g
the
m
anythin
g
mor
e
exoti
c
tha
n
a
sandwich
,
bu
t
i
t
ha
d
fille
d
a
ga
p
i
n
thei
r
empt
y
tummies an
d
the
y
couldn
’
t
exactl
y
loo
k
a
gif
t
hors
e
i
n
th
e
mouth
.

Al
l
i
n
all
,
Rut
h
ha
d
thoroughl
y
enjoye
d
he
r
brea
k
awa
y
.
Sh
e
love
d
th
e
adul
t
compan
y
,
th
e
sens
e
o
f
freedom
,
the
chanc
e
t
o
prov
e
t
o
peopl
e
fro
m
he
r
pas
t
tha
t
sh
e
wa
s
not th
e
ogr
e
the
y
remembere
d
he
r
as
.
Sh
e
ha
d
feeling
s
and problem
s
an
d
histor
y
.
Sh
e
ha
d
humou
r
an
d
talen
t
and personalit
y
.
Sh
e
ha
d
com
e
s
o
fa
r
sinc
e
tha
t
da
y
sh
e
packed u
p
he
r
belonging
s
i
n
Londo
n
an
d
boarde
d a
plan
e
wit
h
her hea
d
hel
d
hig
h
an
d
he
r
hear
t
lyin
g
a
s
lo
w
a
s
i
t
coul
d
be
.