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1 " that she uses them to control her friends. Now he "
― Denise Mina , The Less Dead
2 " Nikki said he got Susan pregnant when she was thirteen.’ Lizzie nods and cringes and gives a little grunt. ‘It’s very young.’ She grunts non-committally again, shrugs and takes another biscuit. ‘I can’t explain that you.’ ‘Isn’t he a paedophile then?’ ‘Yeah, technically. But then he was still with her until she was nineteen, so then what? "
3 " As with all great natural beauties, she simultaneously doesn’t feel attractive and frets about losing her looks. She once flew to London and spent two hundred and fifty quid having her hair dyed the same colour as it was when she left. "
4 " The pub off George Square is a tourist trap. Inside it’s all tartan upholstery and claymores on the walls. Soft rock music is playing slightly too loud from tiny white speakers screwed into the ceiling. Giant blackboards show the menu of steak and chips, haggis and whisky-flavoured ice cream. It seems very expensive to Margo but that’s probably because it serves visitors to the city who don’t know that better food is available two streets away for half the price. It’s quiet. The five o’clock rush is over but the evening hasn’t begun. There are only two other customers: men sitting away from each other in the far corners of the L-shaped room, pretending to read newspapers but really just killing themselves with drink. "
