"Jeffrey Dahmer had earlobes," I think on my bus ride home. "Hitler had eyelashes. And what's more, serial killers and rapists have pinkies."

Even the most revolting, despicable, worthless, filthy motherfuckers on the planet have these delicate, innocent-looking body parts. The soft velvet of a curving earlobe. The spray of flirty frilly eyelashes. The shy baby brother pinky.

People who do unspeakable, unforgivable things to other people are born with this incredible softness and delicateness. Somewhere along the line their earlobes, their eyelashes, and their pinkies should have atrophied. Withered away to nothing. That quiet beauty should have been surrendered.