One Night Only (158 page)

Sh
e
cam
e
int
o
th
e
livin
g
roo
m
wher
e
Poll
y
wa
s
and thre
w
th
e
phon
e
o
n
th
e
armchai
r
.

“H
e
hun
g
up!
”
sh
e
said
.
“H
e
fuckin
g
hun
g
up
!
Oh
,
I’m
sorry!
”

Sh
e
covere
d
he
r
mouth
,
realisin
g
tha
t
Polly
’
s
three- yea
r
-ol
d
twin
s
wer
e
withi
n
earshot
.

“Gin
a
sai
d
fuck,
”
sai
d
Thoma
s
an
d
hi
s
brothe
r
le
t
out
a
giggle
.

“Fuck!
”
repeate
d
Ma
x
wit
h
grea
t
delight
.

“Boys!
”
sai
d
Poll
y
.
“Honestl
y
,
it
’
s
lik
e
thei
r
ear
s
are
speciall
y
tune
d
i
n
t
o
pic
k
u
p
tha
t
wor
d
–
lik
e
the
y
hav
e
secret
rad
a
r
tha
t
let
s
the
m
hea
r
i
t
fro
m
a
certai
n
distance
.
But
anyho
w
,
ho
w
ar
e
you
?
I’
m
sorr
y
fo
r
landin
g
i
n
o
n
yo
u
but
I
jus
t
ha
d
t
o
ge
t
ou
t
o
f
th
e
house.
”

Gin
a
pu
t
he
r
hea
d
i
n
he
r
hands
.
Sh
e
wa
s
les
s
tha
n
a
shado
w
o
f
th
e
bounc
y
,
bubbl
y
gir
l
wh
o
ha
d
discovered
hersel
f
i
n
Donega
l
onl
y
th
e
da
y
before
.
Sh
e
wa
s
bac
k
to lookin
g
smal
l
an
d
thi
n
an
d
frai
l
and
,
Poll
y
didn
’
t
lik
e
to
sa
y
it
,
bu
t
Gin
a
looke
d
weak
.

“Ca
n
yo
u
par
k
thos
e
tw
o
i
n
fron
t
o
f
th
e
tell
y
an
d
we’ll
hav
e
a
coffee
,
o
r
i
s
tha
t
askin
g
fo
r
trouble?
”
aske
d
Gina
.

Poll
y
though
t
abou
t
it
.
“
W
e
coul
d
chanc
e
it,
”
sh
e
said. “
I
can
’
t
guarante
e
the
y
won
’
t
pul
l
th
e
plac
e
apar
t
o
r
kill
eac
h
othe
r
,
bu
t
I’
m
u
p
fo
r
i
t
i
f
yo
u
are
.
I
ca
n
chec
k
on the
m
a
t
five-minut
e
intervals.
”

“Great!
”
sai
d
Gina
.
“I’l
l
g
o
pu
t
th
e
kettl
e
o
n
whil
e
you fin
d
somethin
g
o
n
CBeebie
s
tha
t
migh
t
mildl
y
amuse them.
”

Poll
y
looke
d
aroun
d
Gina
’
s
livin
g
room
.
T
o
a
n
outside
r
,
it
wa
s
th
e
scen
e
o
f
a
picture-perfec
t
famil
y
life
.
Th
e
hug
e
deep
cream-leathe
r
sof
a
wit
h
it
s
invitin
g
fluff
y
cushions
,
a
shiny
polishe
d
woode
n
floo
r
centre
d
wit
h
a
tastefu
l
ru
g
tha
t
looked
lik
e
i
t
cos
t
a
fortune
,
exoti
c
potte
d
plant
s
tha
t
certainl
y
didn
’
t
com
e
fro
m
Asd
a
o
n
eithe
r
sid
e
o
f
th
e
antiqu
e
fireplac
e
and frame
d
photo
s
o
f
smile
y
happ
y
famil
y
lif
e
o
n
a
burea
u
i
n
the corne
r
.
Gin
a
ha
d
pu
t
a
lo
t
o
f
effor
t
int
o
makin
g
he
r
hous
e
a
beautifu
l
home
,
bu
t
it
s
fin
e
déco
r
wa
s
merel
y
a
mas
k
tha
t
hid th
e
heartbrea
k
an
d
hur
t
tha
t
i
t
hel
d
withi
n
it
s
walls
.

“Boys
,
woul
d
yo
u
lik
e
t
o
watc
h
somethin
g
o
n
telly?”
Poll
y
aske
d
he
r
twins
.

Askin
g
Thoma
s
an
d
Ma
x
wha
t
the
y
woul
d
lik
e
to watc
h
o
n
T
V
wa
s
lik
e
invitin
g
a
n
unnecessar
y
political debat
e
you
r
wa
y
.
The
y
ha
d
simila
r
tastes
,
a
s
mos
t
three- yea
r
-ol
d
boy
s
do
,
bu
t
the
y
love
d
a
goo
d
argumen
t
and
sometime
s
Poll
y
fel
t
tha
t
the
y
kne
w
thei
r
disagreements wer
e
enoug
h
t
o
se
t
he
r
ove
r
th
e
edg
e
and
,
bette
r
again, brib
e
the
m
wit
h
chocolat
e
t
o
shu
t
thei
r
littl
e
faces
.