One Night Only (222 page)

“
Y
ou’r
e
quiet,
”
sai
d
Poll
y
t
o
Rut
h
o
n
thei
r
wa
y
t
o
th
e
ca
r
.
“
I
won
’
t
forc
e
yo
u
t
o
talk
,
bu
t
yo
u
kno
w
I’
m
her
e
fo
r
you
ever
y
ste
p
o
f
th
e
wa
y
.
I
t
can
’
t
hav
e
bee
n
eas
y
fo
r
yo
u
to
se
e
you
r
mothe
r
lik
e
that.
”

Rut
h
sniffle
d
an
d
focuse
d
o
n
keepin
g
he
r
dignit
y
.
She
woul
d
no
t
brea
k
dow
n
i
n
a
hospita
l
ca
r
park
.
Sh
e
would no
t
brea
k
dow
n
a
t
al
l
i
f
sh
e
coul
d
hel
p
it
.

“
I
nee
d
yo
u
t
o
d
o
m
e
a
favou
r
,
”
sh
e
said
.

“O
f
course
.
Anything,
”
sai
d
Poll
y
.
“I’l
l
d
o
anythin
g
I
can.
”

The
y
foun
d
Polly
’
s
Jee
p
an
d
sh
e
bleepe
d
th
e
immobiliser
t
o
releas
e
th
e
lock
,
the
n
the
y
climbe
d
u
p
inside
.

“
I
nee
d
yo
u
t
o
sto
p
b
y
m
y
mother
’
s
house,
”
sai
d
Ruth. “Oka
y
.
.
.
”
sai
d
Poll
y
.
“Bu
t
wh
o
wil
l
b
e
there
?
Y
ou’re
no
t
plannin
g
o
n
doin
g
anythin
g
sill
y
,
ar
e
you
,
Ruth?” “Oh
,
sto
p
talkin
g
t
o
m
e
lik
e
that!
”
sai
d
Ruth
.
“
Y
ou’d
thin
k
t
o
hea
r
yo
u
I
wa
s
goin
g
t
o
ro
b
th
e
plac
e
o
r
torc
h
it o
r
something
.
I
ma
y
hav
e
bee
n
a
bi
t
o
f
a
rebe
l
i
n
m
y
da
y
,
bu
t
I’
m
no
t
a
tota
l
gangster!
”

Poll
y
laughe
d
a
t
th
e
wa
y
Rut
h
spok
e
i
n
suc
h
a
fluste
r
.
“
I
though
t
yo
u
migh
t
b
e
afte
r
Raymon
d
Dillon
’
s
ashe
s
or something
.
Y
o
u
probabl
y
wan
t
t
o
stea
l
the
m
an
d
scatter the
m
dow
n
a
sewer!
”

“D
o
yo
u
kno
w
,
I
couldn
’
t
eve
n
b
e
arsed,
”
sh
e
said, foldin
g
he
r
arm
s
lik
e
a
defian
t
child
.
“I’
m
afrai
d
you’ll
hav
e
t
o
mak
e
som
e
roo
m
i
n
thi
s
Jee
p
becaus
e
wha
t
I
am takin
g
i
s
a
hel
l
o
f
a
lo
t
bigge
r
tha
n
Raymon
d
Dillon
’
s
stinkin
g
ashes.
”

Poll
y
pu
t
th
e
Jee
p
int
o
reverse
,
afrai
d
o
f
wha
t
sh
e
was
goin
g
t
o
hea
r
next
.

“Bigger?
”
sh
e
asked
.
“Ho
w
muc
h
bigger?
”

“
Y
ou’l
l
see,
”
sai
d
Ruth
.
“No
w
jus
t
ge
t
m
e
t
o
Scotstown
Par
k
an
d
al
l
wil
l
b
e
revealed.
”

Poll
y
di
d
wha
t
sh
e
wa
s
tol
d
an
d
followe
d
Ruth
’
s
direction
s
t
o
th
e
south-wes
t
o
f
th
e
cit
y
wher
e
the
y
travelled
dow
n
a
terrace
d
sid
e
stree
t
tha
t
le
d
t
o
a
rathe
r
pleasan
t
cul-
d
e-sa
c
o
f
tin
y
Lego-lik
e
bungalow
s
–
th
e
retire
d
couple
’
s
paradise
.
Sh
e
wa
s
aske
d
t
o
sto
p
outsid
e
a
nea
t
little whitewashe
d
hous
e
whic
h
ha
d
window-boxe
s
ful
l
of
colou
r
an
d
a
brigh
t
re
d
doo
r
.
I
t
wa
s
a
cos
y
spo
t
an
d
was muc
h
to
o
nic
e
fo
r
a
wicke
d
ol
d
witc
h
lik
e
Hilar
y
Dillo
n
to
resid
e
in
.