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One
Andthegirlpulledwhatevershecouldfinddeepinsidehersoul,fromallthepain,andthehurt,andthefear.Shewasspent,burntout,andutterlyexhausted.Shehadnowheretogo,nopowerleft,notime."Ifit’sthelastdoorIopen,"sheprayed,silently,totheTemple,totheArch."Somewhere...anywhere...safe..."andthenshethought,wildly,"Somebody."
And,asshebegantopassout,shetriedtoopenadoor.
Asthedarknesstookher,sheheardMr.Croup’svoice,asiffromalongwayaway.Itsaid,"Buggerandblast."
JessicaandRichardwalkeddownthesidewalktowardtherestaurant.Shehadherarmthroughhis,andwaswalkingasfastasherheelspermitted.Hehurriedtokeepup.Streetlightsandthefrontsofclosedstoresilluminatedtheirpath.Theypassedastretchoftall,loomingbuildings,abandonedandlonely,boundedbyahighbrickwall.
"Youarehonestlytellingmeyouhadtopromisethemanextrafiftypoundsforourtabletonight?Youareanidiot,Richard,"saidJessica,herdarkeyesflashing.
"Theyhadlostmyreservation.Andtheysaidallthetableswerebooked."Theirstepsechoedoffthehighwalls.
"They’llprobablyhaveussittingbythekitchen,"saidJessica."Orthedoor.DidyoutellthemitwasforMisterStockton?"
"Yes,"repliedRichard.
Jessicasighed.Shecontinuedtodraghimalong,asadooropenedinthewall,alittlewayaheadofthem.