Rentboy (19 page)

Eddie stared at him, squinting in confusion.

Desperate to convince him, Fox continued. “You changed it weeks ago before I stole your laptop, but you didn’t tell Dr. Howard. It’s true, isn’t it?”

Eddie nodded, watching him warily. “I told Howard the compound was dangerous, but he told me not to do anything about it. He insisted I was exaggerating, but he wouldn’t let me prove it to him. I suspect he has been siphoning the grant money for his own personal use and didn’t want me to use any more of it. He showed up one day in a fancy new car instead of his old VW.”

Fox shook his head. “No, it’s worse than that. He’s selling the dangerous pesticide to some dude from Uganda who’s involved in some political shit.”

“Uganda? That’s where the pesticide is headed. It’s uniquely designed to work in the Ugandan climate. Howard went there last year to do some research. The whole thing was his idea. He secured the grant money from Comtrex.”

Fox nodded excitedly. Eddie was finally listening. “Maybe that’s where he met Mr. Maputwa. I don’t know how they got involved. Maybe he got back in touch with him when he realized he had something to sell him. I just know he promised the bloke your lethal version of the pesticide. You’ve got to destroy any information about the original compound, because Howard will be looking for it, and he’ll hand it over to Maputwa to manufacture and use as a bioweapon.”

As if considering his words, Eddie looked hard at him before shaking his head. “This is just another one of your fantastic lies. You tell so many lies you wouldn’t know the truth if it hit you on the head.”

Fox moaned in frustration, though he could hardly blame Eddie for not believing him. “How did I know you changed the pesticide? How did I know the name Lintrane?”

Rubbing his furrowed forehead, Eddie blew out a hard breath. “I don’t know,” he replied quietly.

“My dad works as a mercenary soldier now, and he’s been to loads of African countries, Sierra Leone, Ethiopia, Uganda. Anywhere there’s trouble. I don’t know how he met Maputwa or how Maputwa met Dr. Howard. I just know that the three of them are involved in some deal to make sure that your deadly version of Lintrane is breathed in by as many Ugandans as possible in the areas of the country that don’t want Maputwa and his maggots in charge. Howard is making a fortune off this, and my father is going to distribute the chemical on an unsuspecting population for another fortune.”

“Have they no morals?” Eddie asked, plainly exasperated.

“No, dear,” Fox said. “None at all. Unlike you who have too many. You’re such a good bloke.”

“You called me dear.” Eddie’s expression softened a little. “But this isn’t adding up. How are you involved? You with all your high moral ground about not enslaving anything with a face.”

Fox hated what he had to say next, admitting more lies and his own weakness at not being able to say no to William Baillie. “I’m not really a rentboy, not even for art’s sake. I came looking for you because my dad told me to steal your laptop with the information about the Lintrane. I swear I didn’t know what it was all about. I only found out last night, and I came straight to you today with it.”

“Is this just more of your lies?” Eddie asked. “All this intrigue and international terrorism must be very exciting for someone with your imagination.”

With his fingernail, Fox scratched at an old bit of chewing gum trodden on the floor. “I don’t blame you for not believing anything I say, but hear me out. I was in my father’s office last night looking at his guns and checking his life insurance policy because I’m planning to kill him. I almost got caught when they all came in.”

“You’re planning to kill your father? Because he’s a mercenary? Can’t you just talk some sense into him? Acquaint him with the immorality of what he is doing?”

Looking into Eddie’s face, Fox began to laugh. It wasn’t funny, but it was absurd. “We are talking about the same man who tried to kill you in Regent’s Park.”

“Oh, right,” Eddie said as though he had forgotten the assault. “Yes, he was rather unreasonable. He despises homosexuality, but indiscriminate killing is well within the scope of his moral compass.”

“That’s my dad,” Fox said. “I’m sorry about all the lies. I wish you’d believe me.”

“Spare me more of them,” Eddie said. “You stole my computer on purpose. If this is a genuine threat, then you’re in on the whole thing. You’re part of all this. You live off the earnings of a mercenary soldier.”

“No, it wasn’t like that!” Fox burst out.

“I don’t believe any of this. It’s outrageous. Howard was furious when I told him my laptop was stolen with all the data.”

“He was pretending. Did you suggest calling the police?” Fox asked.

“Yes,” Eddie said. “I’d like to call them now and turn you in. Let them sort fact from fiction.”

“And what did he say, Howard? Go ahead and call them?”

Quietly Eddie replied, “No. He told me not to.” A play of thoughts scurried across Eddie’s face, first confusion, then a glimmer of comprehension and hopefully realization.

“Eddie, I…” Footsteps in the corridor outside sent Fox scurrying behind a workbench just as the laboratory door opened. Sitting behind the door, Eddie nearly got slammed into the wall. With his forefinger to his lips, Fox mouthed,
I’m not here.

Shit! It was Howard.

Dr. Howard muttered about lights being left on and the door left unlocked as he made his way across the lab to a small safe tucked under a workbench. With difficulty the man got down on his knees and tried to drag the safe out from under the bench. When he realized he could not budge it, he ducked his head under the bench and began to try various combinations, cursing at each failure.

Squinting his confusion, Eddie looked at Fox, then back at Howard. “What are you doing, Dr. Howard?”

Taken by surprise, the doctor looked up so abruptly that he slammed his head into the bench above. “Fuck!” he screamed and crawled backward to get out. With both hands on his head he threw a look of rage at Eddie. “Atherton, why are you sitting on the floor? Why are you still here?”

“I’m tired. Just thought I’d have a rest before going home.”

Christ, Eddie, try to sound more convincing and less idiotic.
Around the corner of the bench Fox could see Eddie still seated on the floor and Dr. Howard’s legs.

“On the floor? You’re a very strange man, Dr. Atherton.”

“So I’m told,” Eddie said. “What are you doing with my safe?”

Howard’s tone was scathing when he said, “It’s a miracle you ever got through Oxford.”

“I got through Oxford because I’m brilliant.

Yes! You tell him, Eddie.

“I need all your data on the Lintrane.”

Eddie stood up until all Fox could see was two sets of legs, one stout and one skinny. “You have it. I sent you the report in an encrypted file a couple of days ago. You have the password.”

“You changed the compound without my permission. I told you not to change it until I gave you the go-ahead.”

Please, Eddie, think about what I’ve said.

“It had to be changed. The original compound did not stand up to the large animal tests. It killed them. I told you that. We cannot risk it near people.”

“Yes, excellent. But I need every stage of the experiment to show to Comtrex in order to justify the grant they gave us.”

“I don’t see why. Give them the final version. I have everything ready to submit to them. They can bring it to market quite quickly. It will be a great asset in Uganda. I feel very strongly about helping people.”

“Yes! So do I!”

Would Eddie pick up on Dr. Howard’s impatience or not read it at all?

“I destroyed the data on the lethal version,” Eddie said. He sounded very calm, like his ordinary haven’t-got-a-clue self.

Was he faking it? Fox wasn’t sure Eddie was capable of any kind of duplicity.

“I didn’t want any mistakes made about which compound would go to market.”

Howard’s legs walked closer to Eddie’s. “I said I need all the data, Dr. Atherton.”

Watch out, mate. He knows karate.

“I no longer have it, Dr. Howard. I destroyed it. Is that what you were doing just now, trying to get the memory sticks from my safe?”

“Yes, if you must know!” Howard sounded on the verge of hysteria. “Are you telling me you cannot reproduce it? Because I believe you can. I employed you when you were still at Oxford because of your creativity when it came to designing experiments, and for your excellent memory.” When Eddie did not respond, Howard said, “I want every stage of the experiments documented and on my desk by Saturday. I want both versions of the Lintrane. You’d better get to work on it.”

Only when Fox heard the man’s footsteps receding down the corridor did he crawl out from under the bench and stand up. “Do you get it now, Eddie? Do you see that something sinister is going on?”

“It’s all very strange,” he conceded. “I’m not sure I believe your account of events, though.”

“Why would I lie about something like this?”

“Why would you lie about anything? You lie all the time. I hate liars. You can’t trust them. I’ve never been very good at spotting when someone is trying to pull the wool over my eyes, and right now, Fox, I wouldn’t believe you if your tongue came notarized.”

“Can’t blame you for that, mate. But think about it. That black car we kept seeing, even in Mitton, is exactly like the one I saw in our driveway when Maputwa was there. He, or someone working for him, has been following you. I know it’s you because I only see that car when I’m with you. What do I have to gain by telling you all this?”

“What did you have to gain by getting involved with me in the first place? Seducing me. Stealing my computer. You must be benefiting financially like your father.”

“What do I have to gain? That’s simple.” Fox looked up into Eddie’s face. “I got to avoid a beating, because William Baillie would have kicked the living shit out of me if I dared refuse him. Then he would have gone to work on the twins until I gave in. It was safer all round to just do it. I didn’t know who you were or that you were a lovely man with a sense of decency and morality.” It was horrible having Eddie so angry with him. It was awful being physically close to him and not being allowed to touch him. “Eddie, I miss you.” The long moment of quiet that followed made him wonder if Eddie was weakening, but maybe he didn’t really love him after all. Maybe he was just enamored of his first fuck.

“Really? I don’t miss you. I’m glad you’re out of my life with your fantastic tales and your misguided so-called morals. I’ve got a lot to think about. Please go now.”

“Be careful. Please be careful.” Fox reached out a hand to touch his cheek, but Eddie stepped back out of reach. Reluctantly Fox walked out into the dark corridor and made his way outside. He’d better get home to check on the twins. They’d be worried about him.

When he visited the village of Mitton, Edward often saw himself living there again in a nice rambling cottage with roses climbing up the walls to the thatched roof, a couple of kids playing outside in a tree house he would build for them, and a lovely man in the kitchen making healthy meals for them all. Aunty Nik would drop by to visit the kids and probably sneak them off for clandestine piercings and tattoos. They would be an ideal family, quite similar to the one he’d grown up in. Even with his mother’s obsession with what the neighbors thought and his dad’s inability to give him a proper hug, he had always known he was lucky. The problem was he wanted Fox to be that man.

I’d better get a contractor to build the tree house. If I did it, it would fall down the first time they put their little feet inside.

“I’m so glad you came home today. It’s a lovely surprise, Edward.” His mum held a giant tray laden with tea things that she placed with care on the round wicker table.

“Yes, lovely.” Dr. Atherton picked up a buttered scone and pushed the entire thing into his wide-open mouth.

The minute Edward had walked through the front door, Annika had rushed to the kitchen to start baking. They sat now in the small conservatory to enjoy the fruits of her labor. Dr. Atherton swallowed his scone and took another.

“Dear, please wait until the tea is served.”

“Yes, sorry, dear.” He attempted to look chastened. “Is something on your mind, son?” Dr. Atherton didn’t look at Edward but at the scone in his hand. His father’s perception was something Edward had always appreciated. It saved a lot of time when he was unsure how to proceed. He could never understand how his dad knew when something was on his mind, but he always seemed to.

“Yes. It’s Fox,” he said quietly. “And my work.”

Annika handed them each a cup of tea and a small plate with a folded lace-edged napkin on it.

“Thanks, Mum.” Edward smiled as he took it. He draped the napkin on his knee even though he never used one at home, but his mum liked everything done properly. She passed around the plate of buttered scones.

“Shall I leave you men to it?”

The scones, normally so inviting, held no interest for Edward just then. The first thing that left him when he was upset was his appetite. Nik always complained that she ate twice as much when she was upset. “It’s up to you, Mum. I have nothing to hide from either of you now that you know I’m gay.” That wasn’t entirely true. He would prefer they didn’t know about the barn and Utopia, not to mention Russell Square and Tisbury Court.

“You shouldn’t have hidden it at all, Edward. Your mother and I are very proud of you.” They had never told him they loved him, they weren’t the sort, but he knew they did. He was going to make sure he told his kids every day.

For the next half an hour he told them a rambling tale of love and bioweapons and, because he had planned it in advance, managed to get through the lie about how he met Fox without his cheeks growing pink and guilt surging through him. Nik had always said he couldn’t tell a lie if a gun was pointed at his head.

“So he just walked up to you on the street, and you struck up a friendship?” Dr. Atherton poured himself another cup of tea from the fresh pot Annika had brewed while Edward spoke. “And now you know the whole thing was planned.”