One Night Only (181 page)

“Slo
w
down
,
Poll
y
,
”
sai
d
T
ess
,
leadin
g
he
r
siste
r
t
o
a
seate
d
are
a
i
n
th
e
foye
r
.
“Ca
n
I
ge
t
yo
u
a
coffee
?
W
ater?”
Poll
y
shoo
k
he
r
head
.
“Th
e
polic
e
sai
d
i
t
wa
s
a
serious
crash
and
the
doctor
is
waiting
on
T
revor
to
arrive
before
w
e
ca
n
hea
r
an
y
update
s
o
n
ho
w
Gin
a
is
.
H
e
wa
s
a
t
his
mother
’
s
an
d
the
y
wan
t
t
o
spea
k
t
o
hi
m
first
,
naturall
y
.

O
h
T
ess
,
sh
e
wa
s
a
i
n
a
terribl
e
stat
e
o
f
min
d
whe
n
I
left
he
r
earlie
r
.
I
shoul
d
hav
e
stayed
.
I
didn
’
t
–
”

“Shh!
”
sai
d
T
ess
.
“Thi
s
i
s
no
t
you
r
fault
.
Wher
e
was
she
going,
though?
When
the
accident
happened?
Did
she
mentio
n
goin
g
out?
”

“Sh
e
mentione
d
goin
g
t
o
th
e
shops,
”
sai
d
Poll
y
.
“She jus
t
sai
d
sh
e
ha
d
thing
s
t
o
d
o
bu
t
sh
e
wa
s
almos
t
zombie-
like
.
Sh
e
wa
s
i
n
som
e
sor
t
o
f
tranc
e
an
d
al
l
sh
e
coul
d
talk abou
t
wa
s
lookin
g
afte
r
Dann
y
.
She
’
s
i
n
intensiv
e
car
e
and
sh
e
look
s
s
o
frai
l
.
.
.
o
h
God
,
T
ess
,
i
f
sh
e
doesn
’
t
pull
throug
h
.
.
.
”
Poll
y
dabbe
d
he
r
eye
s
wit
h
a
tissu
e
a
s
memori
e
s
o
f
Gin
a
lyin
g
o
n
th
e
hospita
l
be
d
upstair
s
fille
d
he
r
mind
.

Sh
e
ha
d
wante
d
t
o
se
e
Dann
y
bu
t
h
e
wa
s
asleep
.
The staf
f
ha
d
tol
d
Poll
y
tha
t
h
e
wa
s
responsiv
e
an
d
bright whe
n
aske
d
question
s
o
n
arriva
l
t
o
hospital
,
bu
t
since
the
n
ha
d
foun
d
i
t
difficul
t
t
o
remembe
r
wha
t
exactl
y
had happened
.
H
e
ha
d
a
broke
n
leg
,
bu
t
nothin
g
mor
e
serious. “Ar
e
yo
u
sur
e
yo
u
don
’
t
wan
t
a
drink?
”
aske
d
T
ess
.
“I
coul
d
b
e
doin
g
wit
h
a
coffee.
”

Poll
y
looke
d
u
p
a
t
he
r
siste
r
an
d
shrugged
.
“
I
can
’
t
even
decide,
”
sh
e
said
.
“O
h
no
,
T
ess
.
Ther
e
h
e
is
.
It
’
s
T
revo
r
.
”

T
revo
r
arrive
d
throug
h
th
e
hug
e
revolvin
g
door
s
o
f
the hospital
.
I
t
wa
s
eviden
t
tha
t
afte
r
hi
s
mood
y
departure fro
m
Gin
a
earlie
r
,
h
e
ha
d
drowne
d
hi
s
sorrow
s
i
n
more alcohol
.
H
e
glare
d
a
t
th
e
tw
o
wome
n
bu
t
the
y
coul
d
see
flicker
s
o
f
sham
e
cros
s
hi
s
face
.
Hi
s
mothe
r
wa
s
wit
h
him,
a
strong-looking
,
strikin
g
woman
.

“
I
suppos
e
yo
u
thin
k
thi
s
i
s
m
y
fault,
”
h
e
said
.

“I’
m
no
t
her
e
t
o
judg
e
you,
”
sai
d
Poll
y
.
“
I
a
m
her
e
to suppor
t
m
y
friend
.
Thi
s
i
s
no
t
abou
t
you.
”

H
e
wa
s
tremblin
g
an
d
rightl
y
so
.
Poll
y
coul
d
almost
smel
l
th
e
guil
t
seepin
g
fro
m
hi
s
ugl
y
pore
s
an
d
sh
e
looked awa
y
whe
n
sh
e
notice
d
tear
s
bulg
e
i
n
hi
s
eyes
.