The Secret Place (Dublin Murder Squad, #5)(112)

I said, before I felt it coming out, ‘Do you ever miss that?’

‘Being a teenager?’ She glanced over at me, eyebrows pulling together. ‘Fuck no. All that drama, wrecking your own head over something you won’t even remember in a month? What a waste.’

I said, ‘It’s got something, but. There’s something beautiful there.’

Conway was still watching me. That morning’s tight hairdo was wearing out, glossy bits coming out of the bun to fall in front of her ear, and the sharp suit had wrinkles. Should’ve made her look softer, girlier, but it didn’t. Made her look like a hunter and a fighter, ragged from a bare-knuckle round. She said, ‘You like things to be beautiful.’

‘I do, yeah.’ When she waited: ‘So?’

‘So nothing. Good luck with that.’ She went back to the phone.

Bits of low-level smoochy talk, back and forth: Cant wait 2 c u again. Had THE BEST TIME with u yesterday. U r something special u no that?

‘Gag,’ said Conway. ‘God rest, and all that shite, but what a sleaze he was.’

I said, ‘Or he wanted to believe it. Wanted to find someone he felt that way about.’

Conway snorted. ‘Right. Sensitive soul, our Chris. See these?’

One girl, back in October, had been scraped raw when Chris dumped her. The other one got the message quick enough, sent Chris a fast Fuck you and moved on, but this one: avalanche of texts, begging for answers. Is it bcos of that time in the park??? . . . Is it bcos your friends don’t like me? . . . Was someone spreading rumours abt me? . . . Please please please I’ll leave you alone I just need to know . . .

Chris never got back to her. ‘Yeah,’ Conway said. ‘Just a poor lonely heart looking for love.’

No name, but the girl would need ID’ing. No names anywhere. OMG did you see Amy fall of the skateboard right on her ass thought I was going to get sick lauhging so hard! That was it.

Conway had been right about the photos: not fluffy kitties.

Chris: Send me a pic :-D

Another girl we needed to find: U already no what I look like lol

Chris: U no what I mean :-D So I have sthing nice to tink about til i see u again

No way!!! + have it go round the whole of Colms?? Hello don’t tink so???

Chris: Hey I would NEVER do that. Thought you knew me better than that. If you think I’m such an arsehole then maybe we should call it quits

OMG I was just messing! So soooo sorry, didn’t mean that at all, I know ur not an arsehole :-(

Chris: OK just thought you of all people would know I’m not like that. Thought you trusted me.

I totally do!! [attachment: .jpg file]

‘Go Chris,’ Conway said. Wry, but the undercurrent made me look up. ‘He doesn’t just get his tit pics; he gets an apology out of her for not sending them faster.’

‘He was good, all right.’

‘Always got what he wanted, Julia said.’

I said, ‘He could’ve been telling this girl the truth, though. At least about keeping the pics to himself. Any of his mates mention them, last year?’

‘Nah. Like they would’ve? In front of Father Whoever? “Yeah, Chris was passing around underage tit shots, now please expel me and arrest me for kiddie porn thank you very much—”’

‘They might’ve done, if they copped that one of the girls could’ve killed him over it. Chris was their mate. Maybe they wouldn’t say it in front of Father Whoever, but all it would’ve taken was an anonymous text to you, an e-mail, whatever. And you said Finn Carroll was no thicko.’

‘He’s not.’ Conway sucked her front teeth. ‘And him and Chris were close enough that if Chris had been sharing the pics, Finn would’ve seen them. Why would Chris keep them to himself?’

I said, ‘Selena said he was complicated.’

‘Yeah, girls always think arseholes are sooo complicated. Surprise, kids: they’re just arseholes.’ Conway was flicking at her screen again. ‘If he didn’t pass the pics around, it wasn’t because deep down he was actually a knight in shining armour. It was because he figured the girls might find out, and his supply of wank material would dry up.’ She held the phone between us. ‘Here we go. Joanne.’

Joanne started the same way as all the others. Chris playing cheeky, seeing how far he could go, Joanne slapping him down and loving it. Lots of meetings. He got pics off her, but she made him work hard for them: Say please. Now say pretty please. Good boy lol now send me a pic of something nice youd like to buy me. Now send me a pic of where youd like to take me on holiday . . . You could see her huddled snickering with her mates, working out the next demand.

‘Fuck’s sake,’ Conway said, lip curling. ‘High-maintenance little bint. Why didn’t he give her the heave-ho right there? Plenty more tits in the sea.’

‘Maybe he liked a challenge,’ I said. ‘Or maybe Joanne was right, and he was genuinely into her.’

‘Right. Chris being sooo complex again. He wasn’t all that into her. Look.’

Pics, more flirting, more meetings, smoochy talk getting smoochier. Then Joanne started hinting hard about going public – Cant wait 4 the xmas dance!! We can ask the DJ to play our song . . . I dont even care if Sister Cornelius throws us off the dance floor lol <3 <3 <3 – and Chris was gone.