Rentboy

knees. “Sorry. Can’t help it. Now what
    did you come here for?”
    Though he would much rather bend over the workbench and let Eddie fuck him, Fox got down to
    business. “You changed the compound. You realized it would kill people, so you changed it to make
    it safe.”
    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