One Night Only (130 page)

“
Mammies
?
”
aske
d
Gard
a
McGuinness.

“
Y
es
,
mammies
.
H
e
tol
d
u
s
t
o
g
o
bac
k
t
o
ou
r
babies. Oh
,
an
d
h
e
als
o
–
h
e
als
o
sai
d
tha
t
w
e
wer
e
drunk.
”

Again
,
mor
e
astounde
d
expression
s
acros
s
th
e
table. “I’
m
no
t
sayin
g
h
e
wa
s
wrong!
”
proteste
d
T
ess
.
“But
h
e
didn
’
t
hav
e
t
o
tel
l
u
s
tha
t
w
e
wer
e
drunk
!
W
e
ma
y
have bee
n
pisse
d
bu
t
w
e
weren
’
t
stupid
!
I
ca
n
tel
l
whe
n
I
am drunk
,
than
k
yo
u
ver
y
much
.
I
didn
’
t
nee
d
hi
m
t
o
remind us!
”

“Jus
t
kee
p
going
.
Wha
t
happene
d
next
?
W
a
s
thi
s
when yo
u
lifte
d
you
r
weapon?
”

“M
y
weapon?
”
sai
d
T
ess
,
exasperate
d
no
w
.
“Tha
t
wa
s
a
Loubouti
n
shoe
,
I
wil
l
hav
e
yo
u
know
!
I
t
wa
s
no
t
a
weapon!”
“Bu
t
yo
u
use
d
i
t
a
s
a
weapon,
”
sai
d
Gard
a
McGuinness.
“
Y
o
u
kno
w
,
i
t
woul
d
b
e
muc
h
quicke
r
i
f
yo
u
jus
t
tol
d
us wha
t
happene
d
fro
m
you
r
poin
t
o
f
vie
w
instea
d
o
f
getting preciou
s
abou
t
brand-name
s
o
f
shoes
.
Y
o
u
thre
w
your
shoes
,
an
d
the
n
.
.
.?” “
I
missed.
”

“Oka
y
,
yo
u
missed
.
An
d
the
n
what?” “The
n
I
use
d
Gina
’
s
shoes.
”

“Oka
y
.
.
.
s
o
yo
u
use
d
you
r
friend
’
s
shoe
s
a
s
a
secondary
weapon.
”

“
W
er
e
the
y
Loubouti
n
too?
”
aske
d
Sergean
t
McCloskey
w
it
h
a
chuckle
.

“No
,
the
y
wer
e
th
e
Hig
h
Street
’
s
best!
”
sai
d
T
ess
.
“Gina
doesn
’
t
wea
r
Louboutin
.
An
d
anyho
w
,
I
can
’
t
believ
e
yo
u
are
callin
g
ou
r
shoe
s
‘weapons
’
n
o
matte
r
wher
e
the
y
’
r
e
f
rom
!
They’r
e
jus
t
shoes
!
An
d
ver
y
nic
e
shoe
s
a
t
that!
”

“S
o
a
t
wha
t
stag
e
di
d
yo
u
hi
t
th
e
gentlema
n
o
n
the chest?
”
Gard
a
McGuinnes
s
yawne
d
silentl
y
.

Sergean
t
McCloske
y
looke
d
a
t
hi
s
watch
.
Again
.

“
I
wa
s
aimin
g
fo
r
hi
s
fa
t
head
!
”
sai
d
T
ess
.
“O
h
God
,
I
didn
’
t
mea
n
that
!
Pleas
e
rewin
d
th
e
tape
!
I
reall
y
didn
’
t
mea
n
that!
”

“Bu
t
yo
u
misse
d
o
n
tha
t
occasion
,
didn
’
t
you?
”

T
ess
’
s
eye
s
darte
d
fro
m
McGuinnes
s
t
o
McCloske
y
to McGuinnes
s
t
o
McCloske
y
.
Sh
e
wa
s
panickin
g
no
w
and he
r
breathin
g
wa
s
becomin
g
ver
y
unstead
y
.
Sh
e
couldn
’
t
thin
k
straight
.

“Please
,
jus
t
le
t
m
e
star
t
again
.
I
didn
’
t
mea
n
t
o
hit him.
”

“S
o
yo
u
mean
t
t
o
hi
t
th
e
windo
w
,
then?
”
sai
d
Garda McGuinness
.
“Jus
t
tel
l
us
,
i
n
chronologica
l
orde
r
of
events
,
wha
t
exactl
y
happene
d
s
o
tha
t
w
e
ca
n
recor
d
your statement
,
Mr
s
Matthews
.
I’
m
findin
g
yo
u
ver
y
har
d
to follo
w
.
”

“
I
jus
t
wan
t
t
o
g
o
bac
k
t
o
m
y
hotel,
”
sai
d
T
ess
.
“Please le
t
m
e
g
o
no
w
.
”