One Night Only (217 page)

Th
e
nurs
e
looke
d
mor
e
puzzle
d
tha
n
eve
r
bu
t
Ruth
didn
’
t
explai
n
an
y
more
.
Sh
e
lef
t
th
e
Oncolog
y
W
ar
d
with he
r
lip
s
purse
d
togethe
r
an
d
he
r
hea
d
hel
d
high
,
then entere
d
th
e
elevato
r
t
o
g
o
bac
k
t
o
se
e
Gina
.
Fo
r
th
e
first tim
e
i
n
a
long
,
lon
g
time
,
Rut
h
Monagha
n
fel
t
lik
e
she
wa
s
goin
g
home
.

Th
e
afternoo
n
wa
s
goin
g
s
o
slo
w
an
d
T
es
s
wante
d
t
o
make th
e
evenin
g
s
o
special
,
bu
t
firs
t
sh
e
ha
d
th
e
appointmen
t
with he
r
solicito
r
t
o
conten
d
with
.
Sh
e
hate
d
solicitors
.
No
t
the peopl
e
themselves
,
bu
t
wha
t
the
y
represented
.
Havin
g
to
visi
t
a
solicito
r
wa
s
a
sur
e
sig
n
tha
t
thing
s
i
n
you
r
lif
e
were
stressfu
l
–
b
e
i
t
buyin
g
a
house
,
marriag
e
disruption
s
or
throwin
g
stiletto
s
a
t
a
bounce
r
.
Solicitor
s
wer
e
neve
r
a
goo
d
thing
.

Sh
e
sa
t
i
n
th
e
silenc
e
o
f
th
e
brow
n
waitin
g
roo
m
a
s
a
secretar
y
tip-tappe
d
o
n
a
keyboar
d
a
lette
r
tha
t
wa
s
being
d
i
ctate
d
throug
h
a
n
ea
r
-piece
.
Ther
e
wer
e
file
s
everywhere,
boun
d
wit
h
variou
s
type
s
o
f
fastener
s
an
d
T
ess
’
s
hea
d
spun a
t
th
e
ver
y
though
t
o
f
havin
g
t
o
wad
e
throug
h
the
m
for information
.

“
I
can
’
t
believ
e
I
hav
e
t
o
d
o
this,
”
sh
e
sai
d
whe
n
sh
e
was
calle
d
int
o
Ji
m
Smith
’
s
office
.
“Honestl
y
,
I
a
m
s
o
humiliated,
s
o
ca
n
w
e
mak
e
i
t
a
s
pain-fre
e
a
s
possible?
”

Ji
m
wa
s
a
n
ol
d
schoo
l
frien
d
o
f
Rob
’
s
an
d
T
es
s
ha
d
met
hi
m
o
n
a
fe
w
occasion
s
dow
n
th
e
year
s
–
mainl
y
i
n
posh
win
e
bar
s
an
d
class
y
restaurants
.
T
o
hav
e
t
o
recoun
t
a
drunke
n
nigh
t
ou
t
whic
h
ende
d
i
n
arres
t
t
o
someon
e
with who
m
sh
e
onc
e
socialise
d
o
n
a
mor
e
sophisticate
d
scal
e
was
wors
e
tha
n
torture
.

“I’
m
gla
d
you’v
e
truste
d
m
e
t
o
handl
e
this,
”
sai
d
Jim
.
He
wa
s
a
baby-face
d
thirty-two-yea
r
-ol
d
wh
o
looke
d
lik
e
he
shoul
d
b
e
wearin
g
a
schoo
l
blaze
r
rathe
r
tha
n
th
e
expensive
shir
t
an
d
ti
e
h
e
sporte
d
i
n
hi
s
dul
l
brow
n
office
.
“Believ
e
me,
thi
s
wil
l
al
l
b
e
treate
d
wit
h
strictes
t
confidenc
e
an
d
I
promise
no
t
t
o
tak
e
th
e
pis
s
o
n
you
r
ai
m
whe
n
throwin
g
stilettos.
”

T
es
s
wa
s
stil
l
feelin
g
nauseou
s
an
d
wasn
’
t
i
n
th
e
mood fo
r
jokes
.
Sh
e
wante
d
t
o
ge
t
thi
s
ove
r
an
d
don
e
wit
h
s
o
that
sh
e
coul
d
focu
s
o
n
th
e
evenin
g
ahea
d
whe
n
sh
e
woul
d
tell
Ro
b
wha
t
th
e
futur
e
hel
d
fo
r
them
.

“Jus
t
tel
l
m
e
wha
t
yo
u
nee
d
fro
m
me,
”
sh
e
said
.
“
I
really
d
o
jus
t
wan
t
t
o
b
e
tol
d
wha
t
I
hav
e
t
o
d
o
an
d
the
n
ge
t
out
o
f
here
.
N
o
offense
.
Please.
”