One Night Only (189 page)

A
bottl
e
o
f
whiske
y
sa
t
b
y
th
e
drainin
g
boar
d
an
d
an empt
y
glas
s
wa
s
besid
e
it
.
Rut
h
looke
d
a
t
i
t
an
d
the
n
at
James
.

Jame
s
poure
d
a
larg
e
whiske
y
,
the
n
offere
d
he
r
a
drink. Rut
h
shoo
k
he
r
head
.
“An
d
Danny?
”

“H
e
isn
’
t
s
o
ba
d
–
a
broke
n
le
g
–
som
e
los
s
o
f
mem
or
y
,
”
sai
d
James
,
downin
g
hal
f
hi
s
whiske
y
.

H
e
looke
d
reall
y
tired
.
T
orture
d
almost
.
Perhap
s
she
shoul
d
leave
.
I
t
wa
s
lat
e
an
d
h
e
didn
’
t
nee
d
stranger
s
in
hi
s
kitche
n
o
n
a
Sunda
y
nigh
t
whe
n
h
e
looke
d
lik
e
he woul
d
muc
h
rathe
r
b
e
i
n
bed
.
O
r
alon
e
wit
h
hi
s
whiskey
an
d
hi
s
thoughts
.

“
W
ell
,
I
hav
e
lef
t
message
s
wit
h
bot
h
Poll
y
an
d
T
es
s
so
I’m
sure
they’ll
be
in
touch,”
she
said,
getting
up
to
leave. “Sorry
to
have
bothered
you.
I
just
didn
’
t
know
what
else
t
o
do
.
I’
m
s
o
worrie
d
abou
t
Gina.
”

Jame
s
wa
s
starin
g
a
t
he
r
an
d
sh
e
wa
s
feelin
g
rather uncomfortabl
e
i
n
hi
s
compan
y
.
Sh
e
ha
d
onl
y
me
t
him
onc
e
before
,
o
n
th
e
da
y
the
y
wer
e
leavin
g
fo
r
Donegal
,
and
sh
e
ha
d
envie
d
Poll
y
s
o
muc
h
whe
n
sh
e
sa
w
hi
m
a
t
first
.
He
wa
s
a
ver
y
handsom
e
ma
n
wh
o
ha
d
looke
d
gorge
ou
s
in blu
e
jean
s
an
d
a
blac
k
T
-shir
t
tha
t
emphasise
d
hi
s
dark hai
r
an
d
eyes
,
bu
t
no
w
h
e
looke
d
wear
y
an
d
wor
n
an
d
she
wasn
’
t
sur
e
wha
t
h
e
wa
s
thinking
.

“I’
m
jus
t
reall
y
tired,
”
h
e
said
.
“Sorr
y
i
f
I
see
m
rud
e
or
a
bi
t
space
d
out
.
I’v
e
ha
d
a
fe
w
whiskey
s
t
o
tr
y
an
d
keep th
e
demon
s
fro
m
i
n
her
e
.
.
.
”
H
e
pointe
d
a
t
hi
s
head
.

“It
’
s
fine,
”
sai
d
Ruth
.
“Thank
s
fo
r
invitin
g
m
e
in
.
I’ll
le
t
yo
u
ge
t
som
e
sleep
,
then.
”

Sh
e
wante
d
t
o
ge
t
ou
t
straigh
t
awa
y
,
bu
t
h
e
wa
s
almost
delayin
g
he
r
departur
e
wit
h
hi
s
stare
.
Sh
e
walke
d
towards th
e
doo
r
,
feelin
g
hi
s
eye
s
o
n
he
r
back
.

“I’
m
afraid
,
Ruth,
”
h
e
said
.
“I’
m
s
o
afraid.
”

Rut
h
stoppe
d
dea
d
i
n
he
r
track
s
o
n
th
e
kitche
n
floo
r
.
Sh
e
turne
d
toward
s
him
.

“Afraid
?
Wha
t
ar
e
yo
u
afrai
d
of?
”

Sh
e
didn
’
t
kno
w
wha
t
t
o
sa
y
.
Sh
e
didn
’
t
eve
n
kno
w
this ma
n
wh
o
wa
s
lookin
g
a
t
he
r
lik
e
h
e
wante
d
t
o
confid
e
in he
r
a
t
thi
s
hou
r
o
f
th
e
nigh
t
whil
e
hi
s
wif
e
wa
s
holding
vigi
l
b
y
he
r
bes
t
friend
’
s
bedside
.
H
e
wa
s
drunke
r
tha
n
he wa
s
lettin
g
on
.
Wh
y
els
e
woul
d
h
e
com
e
ou
t
wit
h
suc
h
a
statemen
t
t
o
a
virtua
l
stranger
?
Sh
e
ha
d
neve
r
me
t
the ma
n
befor
e
an
d
h
e
onl
y
kne
w
he
r
fro
m
wha
t
Poll
y
might hav
e
sai
d
abou
t
th
e
weeken
d
past
,
o
r
thos
e
terribl
e
years
a
t
school
.