One Night Only (186 page)

“Sh
e
soo
n
ha
d
tha
t
beate
n
ou
t
o
f
he
r
,
”
sai
d
Poll
y
.
“That dickhea
d
strippe
d
he
r
righ
t
dow
n
t
o
a
n
unrecognisa
b
l
e
shado
w
o
f
th
e
gir
l
fro
m
Dubli
n
wit
h
th
e
nic
e
clothe
s
and
feist
y
personalit
y
.
An
d
yo
u
kno
w
wha
t
th
e
saddes
t
thing o
f
al
l
is
,
T
ess?
”

“What?
”

“
Y
esterda
y
–
yesterda
y
i
n
Donegal
,
I
though
t
w
e
had go
t
he
r
bac
k
again.
”

T
es
s
pu
t
he
r
hea
d
o
n
he
r
sister
’
s
shoulde
r
an
d
closed
he
r
eyes
,
listenin
g
agai
n
t
o
th
e
eeri
e
hospita
l
sound
s
and th
e
gentl
e
whisper
s
o
f
medica
l
staf
f
a
s
the
y
care
d
fo
r
the
selec
t
fe
w
patient
s
i
n
room
s
of
f
th
e
corrido
r
an
d
behind th
e
door
s
o
f
th
e
ICU
.

“Jus
t
on
e
mor
e
hou
r
,
”
sai
d
Poll
y
,
claspin
g
T
ess
’
s
hand. “Jus
t
le
t
m
e
sta
y
fo
r
on
e
mor
e
hou
r
an
d
the
n
I
wil
l
go home
.
I
don
’
t
wan
t
t
o
leav
e
he
r
jus
t
yet.
”

“Mum
,
you
r
phon
e
ha
s
bee
n
goin
g
menta
l
al
l
evening!
Wher
e
th
e
hel
l
hav
e
yo
u
been?
”

I
t
wa
s
almos
t
te
n
whe
n
Rut
h
go
t
hom
e
fro
m
Belfast
an
d
sh
e
wa
s
s
o
tire
d
she’
d
ha
d
t
o
hav
e
th
e
windo
w
down o
n
th
e
ca
r
th
e
whol
e
wa
y
dow
n
th
e
motorwa
y
t
o
keep
hersel
f
awake
.
No
w
,
al
l
sh
e
wante
d
wa
s
he
r
pyjama
s
and
a
goo
d
boo
k
i
n
be
d
t
o
distrac
t
he
r
fro
m
th
e
flurr
y
of emotion
s
tha
t
wer
e
racin
g
throug
h
he
r
.

“Where
’
s
Ben?
”
aske
d
Ruth
,
checkin
g
he
r
phone
.
Gosh,
i
t
ha
d
bee
n
busy
!
Sh
e
fel
t
popula
r
fo
r
a
spli
t
second
.

“He
’
s
gon
e
fo
r
a
drin
k
wit
h
som
e
gir
l
–
I
don
’
t
know wh
o
sh
e
is
.
Som
e
bimbo
,
n
o
doubt
,
knowin
g
Ben!
”

Th
e
firs
t
messag
e
wa
s
fro
m
Poll
y
an
d
Rut
h
gaspe
d
as
sh
e
rea
d
i
t
through
.

“O
h
m
y
God
!
O
h
no!
”

“H
e
alway
s
goe
s
ou
t
wit
h
bimbo
s
.
.
.
Mum
,
what
’
s
wrong?
”

“It
’
s
Gina!
”
sai
d
Ruth
.
“O
h
God
,
she
’
s
bee
n
i
n
a
bad acciden
t
wit
h
he
r
son
.
I
nee
d
t
o
cal
l
Poll
y
.
”

Melani
e
looke
d
a
t
he
r
mothe
r
i
n
bewildermen
t
and the
n
th
e
penn
y
dropped
.
“Oh
,
th
e
girl
s
yo
u
wer
e
ou
t
with las
t
night
?
I
s
i
t
serious?
”

Rut
h
nodde
d
i
n
repl
y
,
scrollin
g
throug
h
th
e
numbers
o
n
he
r
phone
.
Sh
e
dialle
d
Polly
’
s
numbe
r
bu
t
i
t
went straigh
t
t
o
voicemail
.
The
n
sh
e
trie
d
T
es
s
an
d
go
t
th
e
same
response
,
s
o
sh
e
lef
t
a
message
.

“
T
ess
,
I’
m
jus
t
home
.
I
wa
s
i
n
Belfas
t
an
d
didn
’
t
have
m
y
phon
e
an
d
.
.
.
oh
,
pleas
e
ge
t
i
n
touc
h
a
s
soo
n
a
s
you
ge
t
thi
s
an
d
le
t
m
e
kno
w
wha
t
t
o
do
.
Ar
e
yo
u
a
t
the hospital
?
Cal
l
m
e
quick!
”