One Night Only (167 page)

“I’l
l
b
e
bac
k
.
.
.
”
Sh
e
didn
’
t
kno
w
wha
t
t
o
tel
l
her daughte
r
.
“I’l
l
b
e
bac
k
b
y
six
.
I’v
e
lef
t
mone
y
i
n
the kitche
n
i
f
yo
u
wan
t
t
o
g
o
ge
t
a
snack.
”

“Chines
e
again?
”
snarle
d
Mel
.

A
s
i
f
sh
e
didn
’
t
lov
e
a
n
excus
e
t
o
stuf
f
he
r
fac
e
with noodle
s
an
d
chicke
n
an
d
curr
y
sauce
!

“
Y
o
u
coul
d
bu
y
somethin
g
an
d
.
.
.
what
’
s
tha
t
word?” aske
d
Ruth
.
“O
h
yeah
,
coo
k
it
?
Y
o
u
coul
d
bu
y
something an
d
coo
k
it?
”

Melani
e
mumble
d
an
d
wen
t
bac
k
t
o
flickin
g
the channel
s
o
n
th
e
televisio
n
an
d
Rut
h
lef
t
he
r
t
o
it
.

Sh
e
didn
’
t
fea
r
fo
r
he
r
relationshi
p
wit
h
he
r
fourteen- yea
r
-ol
d
daughte
r
.
Girl
s
wer
e
strang
e
creature
s
a
t
tha
t
age.
Ful
l
o
f
hormone
s
an
d
chang
e
an
d
frustratio
n
s
o
i
t
was bes
t
t
o
jus
t
rid
e
th
e
storm
,
eve
n
i
f
i
t
di
d
threate
n
t
o
send he
r
int
o
a
n
earl
y
menopaus
e
sometimes
.

Sh
e
checke
d
he
r
make-u
p
i
n
th
e
hallwa
y
mirro
r
,
fixed
he
r
lipstick
,
spraye
d
he
r
favourit
e
perfum
e
an
d
brushed
he
r
re
d
hai
r
.
Sh
e
reall
y
,
reall
y
di
d
nee
d
t
o
ge
t
he
r
roots done
.
W
it
h
he
r
lon
g
blac
k
dres
s
an
d
pal
e
skin
,
sh
e
looked
lik
e
someon
e
fro
m
Th
e
Addam
s
Famil
y
bu
t
tha
t
wa
s
her
styl
e
an
d
sh
e
sor
t
o
f
like
d
it
.

No
w
,
sh
e
wa
s
hurtlin
g
toward
s
th
e
cit
y
wit
h
Radi
o
2
blarin
g
a
s
sh
e
drove
,
singin
g
alon
g
i
n
denia
l
a
s
sh
e
made he
r
wa
y
t
o
he
r
destination
.
Bu
t
wit
h
onl
y
twelv
e
mile
s
to go
,
sh
e
release
d
he
r
foo
t
fro
m
th
e
throttl
e
an
d
slowed dow
n
t
o
giv
e
hersel
f
a
littl
e
bi
t
o
f
tim
e
fo
r
i
t
al
l
t
o
sin
k
in
.

Sh
e
couldn
’
t
jus
t
tur
n
u
p
unannounced
,
sh
e
kne
w
that. I
t
woul
d
b
e
lik
e
W
orl
d
W
a
r
II
I
o
n
th
e
spot
.
Instant carnage
.
Murde
r
.
W
ell
,
mayb
e
no
t
murde
r
,
bu
t
i
t
wouldn
’
t
b
e
prett
y
.

I
t
ha
d
bee
n
te
n
years
.
Almos
t
t
o
th
e
da
y
.
T
e
n
year
s
was
a
lon
g
tim
e
no
t
t
o
hav
e
an
y
contac
t
wit
h
th
e
woma
n
who brough
t
yo
u
int
o
th
e
worl
d
an
d
th
e
ide
a
o
f
i
t
mad
e
Ruth
sic
k
t
o
th
e
pi
t
o
f
he
r
stomach
.
Sh
e
remembere
d
th
e
da
y
so
clearl
y
,
a
s
i
f
i
t
wa
s
yesterda
y
.
Sh
e
remembere
d
i
t
scen
e
by
scene
,
wor
d
b
y
word
,
a
s
i
f
i
t
wa
s
a
detaile
d
diar
y
entr
y
she
ha
d
scripte
d
an
d
learne
d
of
f
b
y
heart
.
Sh
e
remembered he
r
mother
’
s
face
,
etche
d
wit
h
hur
t
an
d
disappointment tha
t
sh
e
coul
d
b
e
arguin
g
s
o
deepl
y
wit
h
he
r
only daughte
r
o
n
suc
h
a
dar
k
da
y
o
f
thei
r
lives
.
The
y
wer
e
both t
o
blame
,
ther
e
wa
s
n
o
doub
t
i
n
Ruth
’
s
mind
.
Ther
e
were thing
s
sai
d
tha
t
shoul
d
neve
r
hav
e
bee
n
said
.
Thing
s
that coul
d
neve
r
b
e
forgotten
.
Thing
s
tha
t
coul
d
neve
r
be take
n
back
.
Bu
t
sh
e
coul
d
tr
y
.
Sh
e
coul
d
onl
y
tr
y
.