Terrible

So what do you think the answer is?

The answer is that there is no answer.

That's not good enough.We have to do something.

Why?

Why?

That's what I asked.

Jesus, Dave. Children die that's why. Little girls die.

Everyone dies, Sean. That's the point of life; it ends.

Not like that. No one deserves to die like that.

It's not a question of 'deserves'. It just happens.

It doesn't 'just happen'. People make it happen.

So what would you like to do to these people? Kill them?

Why not? They're evil.

Fuck Sean, I never thought I'd hear you fall into that crock.

You don't think what they do to children is evil?

Nope. Nor do I think what Starbucks and McDonalds do is Evil. I don't like it but it's not evil. Columbine wasn't evil, September the eleventh wasn't evil and neither is this. There's no such thing. Don't give me that look.

I can't see how you can justify what happ...

I'm not trying to justify anything. I'm just not getting hysterical over this shit.

'This shit' is the life of two girls.

Two dead girls.

You don't know that.

How long have they been missing Sean?

Two weeks.

You think the guy hasn't fucked them yet?

Jesus, Dave

That's the only reason they'd still be alive. We don't live in a Thomas Harris novel. There's no Hannibal Hopkins keeping them down in a pit and those bumbling clods in uniform are not going to pull a Jodie Foster at the last second and rescue them. They're as dead as Hendrix. The sooner people get used to the idea the less hysterical they'll be.

You think we should accept that two 11 year old girls can just be killed like that?

Fucked and killed, and yes it's part of society's rich and varied tapestry.

Jesus, Dave.

Some girls grow up to be nurses, some marry football stars and release dire pop music, some girls become depressed and kill themselves, others become Princesses and die anyway and a few of them don't get very old before someone comes along and fucks them, cuts them into little pieces and sells a lot of newspapers.

I'm not going to have this conversation with you Dave.

Too late, you're in it and may I remind you that I didn't start it. I've got better things to do than converse all afternoon about a couple of shredded vaginas.

Fuck, Dave!

Look, those girls would have just grown up into totally worthless lives anyway. You saw the pictures of them in their little football tops. Not a braincell between them. No wonder they thought nothing of getting into a stranger's car if their hero was a moron like Beckham. The sad truth is that if they weren't dead (which they are) they'd just have grown up, got fucked by someone else, got pregnant and kept the cycle of stupidity going. We should be thanking this guy for helping cull a subspecies not waste time hunting him down for murder.

I'm going now Dave.

Fair enough - see you next Sunday?

Maybe - I dunno.

Look, don't be so pissy. You should know me by now - I always say the most annoying thing I can to push your buttons.

Yeah but you believe that shit too don't you?

100 per cent. Fuck the little cunts that's what I say. You know who's to blame for paedophiles don't you?

Let me guess - they were asking for it?

Fuck, Sean. Who do you think I am? The Daily fucking Mail? No they weren't asking for it. That's a fucked up thing to say.

Who then?

Women

Women?

Women.

What? All women?

Just the ones who don't put out.

What the fuck are you talking about?

Look, if more girls just gave the occasional blowjob to overweight comic book fans and middle age men who live with their mothers then that minority wouldn't have to go out and fuck the unripe.

The unripe?

Yep, the unripe.

By the way, did your mum apologise for spilling coffee on your Akira?

Fuck off Dave.

I'd be glad to mate. Lisa's due here any second.

I bet you don't talk to her like this do you?

No and there's a good reason for that.

What's that?

I don't want to fuck you Sean.

Glad to hear it.

See you next week.

Fair enough mate. Don't talk to strangers.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Was that Sean I saw leaving?

Yep. You just missed him.

That's a shame. Has he found a place yet?

No. He's happy with his mum - breakfast in bed and all that.

I don't think its right - a guy his age.

Lucky no one around here's gone missing - the police would be onto him quicker than if he was black.

Has there been any news?

No. None. Poor buggers.

Isn't it awful though?

Terrible. I was just saying to Sean, the whole thing is just terrible.

15 August 2002