One Night Only (168 page)

Belfas
t
wa
s
no
w
i
n
th
e
nea
r
distanc
e
an
d
sh
e
coul
d
see
th
e
ne
w
ar
t
piec
e
calle
d
RISE
,
a
hug
e
transparen
t
we
b
in th
e
shap
e
o
f
a
ball
,
whic
h
guide
d
he
r
t
o
th
e
shor
t
tunnel tha
t
too
k
he
r
ont
o
th
e
city
’
s
W
estlink
.
Rut
h
though
t
that
th
e
bal
l
looke
d
mor
e
lik
e
a
hug
e
testicl
e
tha
n
a
piec
e
of art
,
bu
t
wh
o
wa
s
sh
e
t
o
comment
?

Belfas
t
wa
s
a
change
d
plac
e
sinc
e
sh
e
lef
t
hom
e
a
s
a
teenage
r
an
d
sh
e
fel
t
prou
d
t
o
b
e
linke
d
t
o
suc
h
a
beautiful
cit
y
,
enwrappe
d
i
n
histor
y
an
d
cultur
e
an
d
hope
.
He
r
mother
ha
d
alway
s
bee
n
a
cit
y
gir
l
an
d
ha
d
deteste
d
an
d
resented th
e
countr
y
lif
e
force
d
o
n
he
r
whe
n
sh
e
marrie
d
Ruth
’
s
fathe
r
.
Sh
e
wa
s
mor
e
tha
n
delighte
d
t
o
escap
e
bac
k
t
o
her root
s
whe
n
sh
e
lef
t
t
o
liv
e
wit
h
Raymond
.
An
d
that
’
s
when he
r
relationshi
p
wit
h
Rut
h
wen
t
terribl
y
downhill
.
Afte
r
the
divorc
e
wen
t
through
,
sh
e
marrie
d
Raymon
d
i
n
th
e
City
Hal
l
an
d
Ruth
,
unde
r
pressur
e
fro
m
he
r
mothe
r
,
attended
.

Rut
h
drov
e
of
f
th
e
W
estlin
k
an
d
ont
o
th
e
Crumlin Road
.
Sh
e
coul
d
fee
l
swea
t
trickl
e
unde
r
he
r
arm
s
and dow
n
he
r
bac
k
an
d
sh
e
turne
d
th
e
radi
o
of
f
i
n
orde
r
to concentrate
.
I
t
wa
s a
bright
,
breez
y
Sunda
y
afternoo
n
and th
e
traffi
c
wa
s
ligh
t
whic
h
allowe
d
he
r
tim
e
t
o
ge
t
her breat
h
bac
k
an
d
t
o
ge
t
he
r
bearings
.
Sh
e
hadn
’
t
bee
n
here i
n
suc
h a
lon
g
tim
e
an
d
th
e
sight
s
an
d
sound
s
wer
e
taking he
r
righ
t
bac
k
t
o
tha
t
fatefu
l
da
y
i
n
2002
.

“Raymon
d
i
s
dead.
”

He
r
mother
’
s
voic
e
ha
d
bee
n
s
o
col
d
an
d
stoi
c
and
overflowing
with
grief
and shock.
She
had spat
the
words
dow
n
th
e
phon
e
t
o
Ruth
,
a
s
i
f
i
t
wa
s
someho
w
he
r
fault tha
t
he
r
mother
’
s
husban
d
ha
d
kicke
d
th
e
bucket
.
A
s
if
sh
e
wa
s
tellin
g
Rut
h
exactl
y
wha
t
sh
e
ha
d
bee
n
longin
g
to hea
r
fo
r
years
.

“I’l
l
b
e
righ
t
there,
”
Rut
h
ha
d
replied
,
equall
y
clinical,
an
d
sh
e
ha
d
se
t
abou
t
makin
g
arrangement
s
wit
h
their nann
y
t
o
loo
k
afte
r
Be
n
an
d
Melani
e
whil
e
sh
e
mad
e
the tri
p
acros
s
th
e
wate
r
fo
r
th
e
funeral
.

Sh
e
remembere
d
th
e
plane
.
Sh
e
coul
d
remembe
r
the
ver
y
sea
t
sh
e
wa
s
i
n
a
s
sh
e
fle
w
int
o
Belfas
t
Cit
y
airport. I
t
wa
s
col
d
fo
r
th
e
tim
e
o
f
yea
r
.
Ther
e
wa
s
a
certai
n
ni
p
in th
e
ai
r
an
d
Rut
h
ha
d
bee
n
sur
e
i
t
wa
s
Raymon
d
pinching he
r
fro
m
th
e
skies
,
blowin
g
a
col
d
win
d
roun
d
he
r
nec
k
as
sh
e
mad
e
he
r
wa
y
acros
s
tow
n
t
o
he
r
mother
’
s
home
.