One Night Only (204 page)

Poll
y
gulpe
d
a
t
th
e
though
t
o
f
bein
g
estrange
d
from he
r
famil
y
.
Sh
e
ha
d
n
o
ide
a
tha
t
Rut
h
ha
d
suc
h
a
battle
goin
g
on
.

“
W
ell
,
I
don
’
t
kno
w
th
e
detail
s
o
f
th
e
stor
y
bu
t
I
do kno
w
on
e
thing
,
Rut
h
Monaghan
:
you
r
mothe
r
an
d
your brothe
r
reall
y
don
’
t
kno
w
wha
t
they’r
e
missin
g
ou
t
on
.
It
’
s
thei
r
loss
,
bu
t
hopefull
y
the
y
wil
l
realis
e
tha
t
sooner rathe
r
tha
n
late
r
.
”

Rut
h
leane
d
furthe
r
bac
k
i
n
th
e
fron
t
sea
t
o
f
th
e
ca
r
.
Ever
y
tim
e
sh
e
close
d
he
r
eye
s
th
e
nigh
t
befor
e
sh
e
saw he
r
father
’
s
summe
r
sea
t
outsid
e
Raymon
d
Dillon
’
s
house. Whe
n
sh
e
finall
y
go
t
t
o
sleep
,
sh
e
dreame
d
o
f
Samantha an
d
he
r
mothe
r
sittin
g
o
n
it
,
chattin
g
an
d
drinkin
g
tea
whil
e
Samantha
’
s
childre
n
playe
d
i
n
th
e
garden
.
Sh
e
hated th
e
bitternes
s
an
d
jealous
y
sh
e
fel
t
whe
n
sh
e
though
t
of thei
r
cos
y
relationship
.

“
I
drov
e
t
o
Belfas
t
las
t
night,
”
sh
e
said
.
Sh
e
fixe
d
the button
s
o
n
he
r
top
.
The
y
didn
’
t
nee
d
fixing
.
“
T
o
se
e
my
mothe
r
.
”

“O
h
m
y
God
,
Ruth
!
Wha
t
happened?
”

“Nothin
g
happened,
”
sai
d
Rut
h
wit
h
a
shrug
.
“
I
drove t
o
th
e
stree
t
wher
e
the
y
live
,
watche
d
fo
r
a
whil
e
lik
e
a
lunati
c
stalke
r
,
sa
w
Samantha
,
m
y
stepsiste
r
wh
o
caused mos
t
o
f
th
e
troubl
e
betwee
n
us
,
comin
g
ou
t
throug
h
the
fron
t
doo
r
,
the
n
chickene
d
ou
t
an
d
cam
e
home
.
That
’
s
wh
y
yo
u
couldn
’
t
ge
t
i
n
touc
h
wit
h
me
.
I
wa
s
playing desperat
e
detectiv
e
game
s
wit
h
m
y
ow
n
mind
.
I
t
didn
’
t
do
m
e
an
y
goo
d
a
t
all.
”

Poll
y
concentrate
d
o
n
th
e
roa
d
a
s
sh
e
digeste
d
the
tormen
t
tha
t
Rut
h
ha
d
pu
t
hersel
f
through
.
Sh
e
jus
t
couldn
’
t
understan
d
ho
w
a
mothe
r
coul
d
tur
n
he
r
bac
k
o
n
he
r
own
fles
h
an
d
bloo
d
an
d
trea
t
he
r
lik
e
suc
h
a
n
unwelcome
outcast
.
Whateve
r
ha
d
happene
d
t
o
caus
e
suc
h
a
rift?
Whateve
r
i
t
was
,
Rut
h
wasn
’
t
read
y
t
o
tel
l
he
r
yet
.

“
Y
o
u
shoul
d
hav
e
driv
e
n
o
v
e
r
th
e
s
ill
y
bitch,
”
sh
e
said. “
I
nee
d
a
drink
.
W
e
ar
e
gettin
g
a
bottl
e
o
f
win
e
tonigh
t
on th
e
wa
y
home
.
I
jus
t
can
’
t
imagin
e
wha
t
you’r
e
going
throu
g
h
.
I
c
ou
l
dn
’
t
c
op
e
withou
t
m
y
famil
y
.
Y
o
u
deserv
e
a
medal.
”

The
y
arrive
d
a
t
th
e
hospita
l
jus
t
aroun
d
noo
n
and
,
as the
y
walke
d
toward
s
th
e
hospita
l
entrance
,
Poll
y
pointed ou
t
T
revo
r
pacin
g
th
e
pavin
g
outside
,
suckin
g
o
n
a
cigarett
e
an
d
starin
g
a
t
th
e
ground
.