One Night Only (75 page)

“
T
al
k
abou
t
soberin
g
u
p
quickly!
”
sai
d
Poll
y
.
“
I
can
’
t
believ
e
we’v
e
los
t
he
r
.
Ou
t
o
f
al
l
o
f
us
,
no
t
Gina
!
She
’
s
the mos
t
fragil
e
o
f
al
l
o
f
us!
”

“Spea
k
fo
r
yourself
!
I’
m
no
t
a
bi
t
fragile,
”
sai
d
T
ess.
“Don
’
t
b
e
puttin
g
m
e
i
n
th
e
traged
y
group
!
I’
m
fine!
”

“Oh
,
I
kno
w
yo
u
are,
”
sai
d
Poll
y
.
“Bu
t
poo
r
Gina!”
The
y
wer
e
marchin
g
alon
g
th
e
littl
e
villag
e
street,
stoppin
g
eac
h
perso
n
the
y
me
t
(whic
h
wasn
’
t
a
lo
t
of peopl
e
–
mayb
e
tw
o
s
o
far
)
an
d
askin
g
i
f
the
y
ha
d
seen
Gin
a
bu
t
t
o
n
o
avail
.
Th
e
peopl
e
wh
o
worke
d
i
n
the corne
r
sho
p
wer
e
treatin
g
i
t
ver
y
seriousl
y
an
d
wante
d
to pu
t
u
p
a
Missin
g
Perso
n
poste
r
eve
n
thoug
h
i
t
wa
s
only ove
r
a
n
hou
r
sinc
e
sh
e
ha
d
las
t
bee
n
seen
.
I
t
wa
s
obviously th
e
mos
t
dramati
c
questio
n
the
y
ha
d
eve
r
bee
n
aske
d
in thei
r
combine
d
15
0
year
s
o
f
lif
e
i
n
thi
s
tin
y
village
.

“
W
a
s
sh
e
wearin
g
a
prett
y
dress?
”
aske
d
th
e
lad
y
.
“
Y
ou
gi
rl
s
al
l
loo
k
ver
y
prett
y
i
n
you
r
dresses.
”

“
Y
es!
”
sai
d
Poll
y
.
“Sh
e
was
!
Di
d
yo
u
se
e
her?
”

“No
.
Sh
e
definitel
y
didn
’
t
com
e
i
n
here,
”
sh
e
said. “
Y
o
u
thre
e
ar
e
th
e
firs
t
t
o
wea
r
prett
y
dresse
s
roun
d
here i
n
a
lon
g
time
.
W
a
s
sh
e
a
tal
l
gir
l
o
r
a
smal
l
girl?
”

“Small.
”
T
es
s
wante
d
t
o
tel
l
th
e
ol
d
lad
y
t
o
sto
p
talking abou
t
Gin
a
i
n
th
e
pas
t
tense
.
Sh
e
wasn
’
t
dead
.
Sh
e
hope
d
she
wasn
’
t
dead
.
God
,
wha
t
i
f
sh
e
wa
s
dead
?

“It
’
s
saf
e
a
s
house
s
aroun
d
here,
”
sai
d
th
e
ol
d
man
.
“But yo
u
neve
r
kno
w
,
d
o
you
?
It
’
s
th
e
quie
t
one
s
yo
u
nee
d
to watch
.
Y
o
u
jus
t
neve
r
kno
w
wh
o
i
s
lurkin
g
abou
t
waitin
g
to pounce
.
Loo
k
a
t
tha
t
we
e
tow
n
i
n
Galwa
y
o
n
th
e
new
s
last
week
.
Y
ou’
d
neve
r
hav
e
though
t
th
e
Credi
t
Unio
n
there woul
d
b
e
robbed
,
bu
t
i
t
was
!
T
ragi
c
altogether!
”

“She
’
s
i
n a
bi
t
o
f a
fragil
e
state,
”
sai
d
Ruth
,
wantin
g
to
ge
t
he
r
tuppenc
e
wort
h
in
.
“She
’
s
no
t
thinkin
g
straigh
t
at th
e
moment
,
s
o
it
’
s
ver
y
importan
t
w
e
fin
d
he
r
.
Her
e
i
s
my
car
d
i
f
sh
e
doe
s
com
e
in
.
Pleas
e
as
k
he
r
t
o
cal
l
m
e
straight awa
y
.
”

“Ah
,
a
card!
”
sai
d
th
e
ol
d
lad
y
.
“Ho
w
clever
!
I
s
she
ba
d
wit
h
he
r
nerves
?
Y
o
u
kno
w
ol
d
Kitt
y
O’Connor? Fro
m
T
ullygree
n
Road
?
Sh
e
wa
s
ba
d
wit
h
he
r
nerves.
The
y
foun
d
he
r
b
y
th
e
rive
r
.
Sh
e
wa
s
nearl
y
a
gone
r
,
I
tell
you
,
a
gone
r
.
Onl
y
fo
r
Seá
n
Sulliva
n
an
d
hi
s
we
e
terrie
r
,
she’
d
b
e
si
x
fee
t
unde
r
no
w
.
What
’
s
thi
s
yo
u
calle
d
that
we
e
do
g
o
f
Seán
’
s
?
Lovel
y
we
e
thin
g
i
t
wa
s
too.
”