One Night Only (116 page)

H
e
wa
s
cal
m
an
d
h
e
spok
e
quietl
y
i
n
compariso
n
to
T
ess
’
s
high-pitched
,
hysterica
l
tone
.
Sh
e
coul
d
fee
l
tears pric
k
he
r
eye
s
bu
t
sh
e
wouldn
’
t
cr
y
.
Sh
e
wouldn
’
t
cry
!

“
I
don
’
t
believ
e
this!
”
sh
e
said
.
“D
o
yo
u
kno
w
wh
o
I am?
I
cannot
just
give
you
a
statement
!
Wh
o
know
s
what tha
t
wil
l
lea
d
to
?
I
hav
e
neve
r
bee
n
i
n
troubl
e
i
n
m
y
whole
life!
”

Th
e
policema
n
rolle
d
hi
s
eye
s
lik
e
h
e
ha
d
hear
d
i
t
all before
.

“No
,
I
don
’
t
kno
w
wh
o
yo
u
are,
”
h
e
said
,
“bu
t
I
will
nee
d
yo
u
t
o
tel
l
m
e
wh
o
yo
u
ar
e
–
i
n
fact
,
whe
n
w
e
ge
t
to
th
e
statio
n
yo
u
wil
l
hav
e
t
o
giv
e
m
e
a
lo
t
more
informatio
n
tha
n
that.
”

H
e
flashe
d
a
badg
e
a
t
he
r
.
Hi
s
firs
t
nam
e
wa
s
Simon.
Sh
e
normall
y
like
d
peopl
e
calle
d
Simon
.
Sh
e
didn
’
t
like
hi
m
a
t
all
.

“What
?
What
!
Whe
n
I
ge
t
t
o
wha
t
station?
”
T
ess
reall
y
wa
s
goin
g
t
o
cr
y
no
w
.
“
I
a
m
no
t
gettin
g
int
o
a
polic
e
car
!
M
y
husban
d
i
s
a
fireman
,
yo
u
know
!
H
e
serves
th
e
communit
y
jus
t
a
s
muc
h
a
s
yo
u
d
o
an
d
h
e
wil
l
go menta
l
whe
n
h
e
hear
s
thi
s
nonsense
!
H
e
i
s
si
x
foo
t
three! H
e
i
s
stronge
r
tha
n
you
!
An
d
tha
t
asshol
e
entice
d
me
!
He starte
d
it.
”

“Jus
t
ste
p
int
o
th
e
ca
r
,
ma’am.” “Ge
t
ou
t
o
f
m
y
face!
”
sai
d
T
ess
.

“
T
ess
,
jus
t
d
o
wha
t
th
e
ma
n
says
.
Don
’
t
caus
e
an
y
more trouble,
”
sai
d
Poll
y
.
He
r
mout
h
wa
s
fillin
g
u
p
wit
h
salty
saliva
.
Sh
e
wa
s
s
o
goin
g
t
o
puk
e
an
d
sh
e
wa
s
tryin
g
he
r
best
t
o
hol
d
i
t
back
.
Plu
s
he
r
leg
s
wer
e
lik
e
jell
y
.
Sh
e
reall
y
did
fee
l
faint
.
Gin
a
wa
s
lik
e
a
dea
d
weigh
t
hangin
g
of
f
he
r
.

“
I
wil
l
no
t
d
o
wha
t
anyon
e
says!
”
sai
d
T
ess
.

“Mayb
e
that
’
s
you
r
blood
y
problem!
”
sai
d
Poll
y
.
She
wa
s
reall
y
tirin
g
o
f
T
ess
’
s
stubbornness
.
I
t
wa
s
a
goo
d
trait mos
t
o
f
th
e
time
,
bu
t
sometime
s
sh
e
too
k
i
t
to
o
fa
r
.
Like
sh
e
wa
s
doin
g
no
w
.
“I
f
yo
u
ha
d
jus
t
kep
t
you
r
mout
h
shut
w
e
wouldn
’
t
b
e
i
n
thi
s
situation!
”

“
W
e
?
I
don
’
t
se
e
yo
u
bein
g
aske
d
t
o
ge
t
int
o
a
squad car
!
A
s
always
,
Perfec
t
Poll
y
come
s
ou
t
smellin
g
o
f
roses
an
d
goo
d
ol
d
T
es
s
wit
h
to
o
muc
h
t
o
sa
y
get
s
int
o
trouble!
Som
e
thing
s
neve
r
change!
”

“Oh
,
her
e
w
e
go!
”
sai
d
Poll
y
.
Sh
e
shrugge
d
Gin
a
off
he
r
.
So
d
it
.
Sh
e
woul
d
hav
e
t
o
lear
n
ho
w
t
o
stan
d
up
unles
s
sh
e
wante
d
he
r
dres
s
covere
d
i
n
vomi
t
whic
h
was
coming
ver
y
,
very
soon.
Polly
needed
to
focus
on
her
own
fragil
e
wellbeing
.