Rentboy (20 page)

Lounging back in his chair, his legs sprawled out, Edward nodded despondently. “Yes. He was using me.”

“What a shame. He seemed like such a lovely boy,” Annika said. “The way he took care of his sister and brother.”

“And a smashing sense of humor,” his father added with a smile.

“He’s quite the actor,” Edward said. “Though I’m certain his love for the twins is genuine.”

“I’m not sure Fox was just using you.” His mum stirred her tea, the spoon clattering loudly in the thin china cup. “He told me he loved you.”

“He did?” That was enough to bring Edward upright in his chair. “When?” Confusing emotions muddled his brain. It was all too much to manage.

“I spoke to him at your bedroom door. The twins were cleaning the upstairs bathroom, and I didn’t quite know what to do, so I went to ask Fox. You were asleep on the bed. He looked at you and then said to me,
‘I love him.’
That was it.”

A moment of pure joy was quickly followed by a sense of emptiness.
Fox tells lies.
But why would he lie to Annika? Perhaps so she would think well of him. Edward’s mind worked in linear fashion with very little variation in shade. He loved Fox, couldn’t help it, couldn’t stop it, and couldn’t imagine ever not loving him. Fox said one thing and did another, but then lots of people did. If only everybody thought like Edward, life would be so much more reasonable, so much easier. “I’m in love with him. I want everything to be nice.”

“You get that from me, darling. But love is one of those things that needs time to ferment, like a nice bottle of rose hip wine.” Annika stood. “I’m going to leave you men alone to discuss the work side of things. I know nothing about that, but I do know that my son has high moral standards and will not back down against the threat of men without them.” Her trust and belief in him felt wonderful, but the fact was if any of what Fox had said was true, Edward was beginning to get very nervous.

Dr. Atherton rose too. “Come on, son. Let’s go for a walk.”

They had done this many times during his growing up. If there was a pressing matter, school bullying, a less than exemplary mark in science or mathematics, a nasty teacher, the elder Atherton would take the younger on a walk, and all the world would seem brighter at the conclusion. His dad had a way with him that made Edward feel he could trust him with anything. However, this matter was definitely beyond his scope and experience. Still, the comfort and familiarity of the ritual would help.

Edward followed his father through the French doors into the bright afternoon sun. The heat had lessened in the last few days, taking with it the humidity and leaving behind a pleasant warmth. They walked through the gardens as they had so many times when he was younger, and out to the horses’ field. The last time Edward had leaned on that fence was with Fox. Life had seemed to hold so much promise that weekend. He had told Fox he loved him. Now Fox was gone, and everything felt strange and unpredictable. If there was one thing that threw Edward for a loop, it was not knowing what was coming next.

“We were right here when the black car drove along the road there.” He indicated the A road across the field. “I kept thinking it was all a coincidence, seeing the car so many times, but in light of what Fox has disclosed since, it can’t have been.”

“And Fox’s father is in on it all?”

“If I’m to believe him, yes.”

“And do you?”

“His dad is definitely a psychopath if his behavior in Regent’s Park is anything to go by.” Fear making him desperate, he asked, “Dad, what am I going to do about Dr. Howard and my pesticide? If it ended up being used to kill people, I’d never forgive myself.”

Dr. Atherton pulled a pair of clip-on sunglasses out of his pocket and slid them onto his glasses while still wearing them. “We both know that man is not to be trusted. Don’t give him the original compound. Destroy it. Leave no copies.”

“I did, right after Howard came to the lab looking for it. I disposed of every bit of data related to the deadly compound, but I could easily make it again, and Howard knows it. He knows I’ve got the memory of an elephant.”

Dr. Atherton tugged at the neck of his shirt. It was far too warm out for the argyle pullover he was wearing. “Yes, of course.”

“I love my work, and I love Fox, and now both of them are connected in a way I don’t like at all.”

“I wonder if you should go to the police,” Dr. Atherton mused, looking out across the field. “This is international terrorism we’re talking about.”

Alarmed, Edward said quickly, “Fox will be in trouble. I can’t let that happen. What will happen to the twins then? There has to be something I can do to stop this without getting him arrested.”

“From what you said he is being used by his father. You could explain that to the police. He drew you into a friendship in order to steal from you, but it wasn’t his choice. I don’t know quite what it is about Fox, but even after all you’ve told me, he strikes me as a very decent and kind young man.”

“That’s the thing, Dad. I don’t know how willing he was to go along with this. I’m not sure I believe anything he says anymore. I just know I love him and I want a peaceful life. I want a family, and I want to do some good in the world.”

In an unprecedented move, Dr. Atherton threw a hearty arm around Edward’s shoulders and hugged him tightly and self-consciously to his side. “You stick to your principles, son. Submit only the safe version of the pesticide to Howard. Do not transcribe the dangerous version anywhere. This has come at a bit of an awkward time. I’ve booked a week in Paris for your mother and I. We leave tomorrow. Now I’m thinking I should cancel it.”

Horrified that he was causing so much disruption, Edward said, “Dad, no! You and Mum have waited a long time to be able to take spontaneous holidays. Year after year of working long hours gives you the right to enjoy yourselves. You go on your holiday. Nothing is going to happen in the immediate future. If Howard gets difficult, I’ll threaten to go to the chairman of council and tell him everything.”

“And if you are becoming concerned about your safety, call the police at once.” Dr. Atherton squeezed Edward’s shoulders again before releasing him. “You are very dear to your mother and I. I think you know that. You’re a good son.”

They wandered back to the house past the barn. Just the sight of it cause Edward’s penis to harden. Surreptitiously he clasped both hands in front of his groin. “Dad,” he said in hopes of distracting himself. “I thought I’d better mention that I had dinner with Nik the other night.”

“I bet you paid.” Dr. Atherton chuckled.

“Of course I did. But it’s just that, well… Nik has shaved her head.”

“Good God!” Dr. Atherton came to a halt so quickly that Edward stumbled into him. He always needed warning about sudden stops. “Your mother will have a bird.”

“I know, but if she can handle my being gay, she can probably handle Nik with a shaved head. At least her hair will grow back, but I thought I’d better warn you.”

“Yes, good thinking. I’ll tell your mother when we have a quiet moment. The best thing to do with Nicoletta is to ignore her when she does things like this. Don’t react. That’s what she wants.”

The farmhouse was dark and cool when they stepped inside. “Compared to the scrape I’ve got myself into, a shaved head doesn’t seem like much, does it?”

Annika came out of the kitchen wearing her apron and carrying a wooden spoon as if it were a weapon. “There you both are. You’re not going to shave your head, are you, Edward? Is that what I heard? I thought Nik would be more likely to do something as irritating as that. Will you be staying for dinner, darling?”

Edward and his father exchanged smiles. “I can’t, Mum, sorry. I need to start driving back.”

* * * *

“Iced soy chai tea latte, please.”

“Coming right up.” Fox smiled at the attractive middle-aged woman, deciding to ignore the miniature poodle she had hiding in her large Louis Vuitton bag. She must have seen him eyeing it, because after he served her and did not ask her to go outside on the patio, which was nothing more than a railed-in area on the noisy street, she popped a two-pound coin on the counter by way of a tip. Fox tossed it in the tip jar.

Sliding in beside him, the other server said, “Nice MILF! What d’ y’ reckon?”

Fox wasn’t at all keen on Aubrey. In fact, he would love to get him fired. He was a stupid, overweight rich kid whose dad had got fed up with him and ordered him to get a job if he was to remain living at home over the summer. Now Fox had to put up with him every time he went to his part-time job at Starbucks. “What’s a milf?”

“MILF. Mother I’d like to fuck.” Aubrey grinned.

“You’ve got chocolate on your face, mate, and you could use a wash.” It got very warm in the Starbucks on hot days, and for all his money, Aubrey was in the habit of neglecting to use deodorant. “And I’m gay, remember.”

“What about a FILF.” Aubrey laughed hysterically.

“If that means father, the last thing on earth I’d like to fuck is anybody’s father. Thanks.”

Aubrey towered over Fox and was at least three times as wide. “So what do queers do? I mean, does one of you pretend to be a girl? There was a queer at my school, blond boy with a pretty face. Couldn’t stand the little fuck.” He looked intently at Fox. “Do you do the nasty, you and other dudes?” He screamed with laughter again.

More to get away from Aubrey than because the tables needed cleaning, Fox took a cloth from the sink and a spray bottle of disinfectant. The MILF was feeding little dog treats into her bag. She looked guiltily at Fox when he wiped her table. “Don’t worry about it,” he told her quietly.

“Why is that fat boy behind the counter grinning at me?” she asked.

“He’s a bit special ed,” Fox said. “He lives in sheltered housing.”

“Oh, the poor thing.”

Behind him a vaguely familiar voice said, “I thought that was you.”

Fox turned to look into the smiling face of the vicar from the tea wagon. “I saw you through the window. I’m so glad you’ve got a proper job. I was worrying about you.”

Fox had never spoken to the man other than that one time outside St. Pancras, yet he felt oddly happy to see him, perhaps because of some tenuous connection to Eddie. He looked at the clerical collar, then up into the man’s gentle eyes. The bloke was maybe late thirties, but there was a youthfulness about him that made him seem younger. He was chubby too, making his face round but in a nice way, not like Aubrey who looked like a bulldog. “Sit down; I’ll bring you a coffee.” He led the man to a table and pulled out the chair for him. “Any preferences?”

“Americano with milk, please.”

“You got it.”

“Who’s the priest?” Aubrey said when Fox joined him behind the counter to pour a coffee from the piping hot pot. “Didn’t know you were religious.”

“Art is my religion.” Fox poured milk into the coffee and placed a chocolate finger on the saucer. “The MILF said she fancies you. Go and chat to her.” He joined the vicar at a table while Aubrey wandered over to the customer.

The vicar pulled a leather change purse from his trouser pocket. “Oh, thank you. How much?”

“The last one was on you. This one’s on me.”

“The tea wagon is part of my ministry,” the vicar said. “But thank you.” He tucked his purse away. “How are you doing? Or more to the point, how’s your father?” He leaned forward speaking in a low voice, “Is he still with us?”

That early-morning conversation seemed like months ago, not weeks. “Unfortunately, yes.”

The relief registering in the man’s expression was profound. “I’m so glad to hear that. Violence is never the answer.”

“You should tell my dad that,” Fox said.

“I’m sorry things are difficult for you.” He looked around to indicate the premises at large. “At least you’re working. That’s a bonus.”

It was all too much to go into, and he didn’t want to start lying again. “Things are not always as they appear, vicar.”

The man dipped his chocolate finger into his coffee, then sucked off the chocolate like a little kid. Fox could see Eddie doing something like that.

“Tell me more. I’ll help if I can.”

Over by the window, the MILF was starting to look annoyed with Aubrey, who was chatting to her with his hand under his green apron as if he might be masturbating.

“I met a lovely bloke, and I’ve screwed it up,” Fox said. “But I suppose you think queers are all going to hell.”

The vicar had a really pleasant smile that squished his eyes to slits. “Not at all. That’s the Catholics. You should come to my church sometime.”

“That’s not likely to happen,” Fox said.

The MILF was looking really pissed now. What the hell was Aubrey saying?

“So how did you screw up with your boyfriend?”

“I lied to him.” Ashamed to admit it, Fox looked at his hands. “I wasn’t true to myself. I let someone manipulate me.”

“Your father?” the vicar asked quietly.

Meeting his gaze, Fox asked, “How did you know?”

The vicar popped the last bite of chocolate finger in his mouth and shrugged. “You’re a decent young man; I can tell. Just promise me you won’t kill him. The Bible says the lamp will go out on any man who kills a parent. That means the light of God will go out in your life.”

“What about a father who beats the hell out of his kids and wife and threatens to kill them?”

“Ahh.” The vicar nodded. “So that’s it.”

The door opened, bringing with it a burst of traffic noise and fumes. The store manager walked in just as the MILF screamed, “Get away from me, you dirty little boy!”

“What the hell are you doing?” the boss shouted at Aubrey, whose fat face was red.

“That overweight youth made a sexual remark at me,” the woman said.

“She’s got a dog in her bag,” Aubrey shouted back.

Throwing the Louis Vuitton over her arm, the woman stormed out.

“Get your apron off. You’re fired,” the manager said to Aubrey. He looked at Fox with the vicar. Even atheists behaved themselves when they saw a man in a dog collar. “Sorry about that, father. Are you being taken care of?”

“Yes, this nice young man is being most helpful.”