Malcolm and the Rent Boy - 8. Chapter 8 'The Truth at Last'

Malcolm ‘The Truth at Last’

Rupert and Colin drove into the city, grabbed a burger and fries and considered what to do next. They decided to wait until Colin’s Mum and Nan were in bed before showing up at home, so that meant hours of aimless driving around. Rupert had nothing to say and seemed abstracted. When Colin asked him what they should do about the car he just shrugged. The Blenkinsops lived in one of the rougher parts of town and Rupert’s Range Rover was worth more than every other car in their street put together. But there was no alternative, other than to park it at the door and hope for the best.

Arriving as late as they could Colin and Rupert crept in. There was a sleeper sofa in Colin’s room that would do for the night. Rupert was so wiped out he thought he could have slept on broken glass. As it happened neither of them slept well.

The following morning Colin wakened to the sound of his Mum and Nan having breakfast. Rupert looked uncomfortable on the makeshift bed; he appeared to be asleep, but it was hard to be sure. Colin got up quietly, washed in the adjoining bathroom, then, closing the door to his room in the hope that Rupert could sleep, he went downstairs. His Mum greeted him,

‘Hi Sweetheart. You’re up early. I didn’t hear you come in last night’

Colin was relieved that things seemed normal.

‘Met a mate and we had a few drinks. I put him up for the night, if that’s OK’

His mother smiled. She knew how kind her son was.

‘Do I know him?’

‘Nah, don’t think so’

‘What do you fancy this morning? I’ve got time to do you a bacon sandwich before I go out’

‘It’s OK, I’ll just get myself some tea’

‘So what’s your friend called?’ Nan chipped in.

‘Hunter’

Instantly, Colin realised the silly mistake of using Rupert’s profile name.

‘Your friends have such funny names’ Nan went on.

‘Last week there was one called ‘Storm’. It’ll be Thunder and Rain next. It’s like a weather forecast’

The women laughed and Colin joined in, then he pretended to remember,

‘Well, he’s called Rupert, I think’

His mother didn’t look too convinced,

‘I just want to know what to call him if I bump into him on the stairs! That’s all. I’ll just clear away these dishes then I’ll be off to work. The bus is nearly due’

Then, upstairs they could hear the sound of someone in the bathroom. Colin’s Mum looked in the direction of the ceiling,

‘Your friend’s up. Would he like some breakfast?’

Colin was still deep in thought,

‘Got it, yep, it was on that photograph. His dad was called Rory Baggett. Major Rory Baggett’

There was an almighty crash as Julie Blenkinsop dropped the dishes.

‘Mum!’ Colin jumped to her assistance.

‘Christ, you wouldn’t think you serve as a waitress in a cafeteria’

But his mother had grabbed the tray and hurried into the kitchen. Colin’s grandmother got up from her armchair and he turned to her,

‘What’s that all about?’

‘You clear this up love, and I’ll see what’s wrong’

Colin was mystified. He decided that his best plan was to get upstairs and make sure Rupert was still OK. The world was going mad. Yesterday Rupert’s crazy psycho aunt had hit him, now his own mother was dropping dishes and running from the room.

Rupert was nearly finished in the bathroom. Colin walked up behind him and kissed his neck tenderly.

‘Come and have some tea, then we’ll check to see if there are still any wheels on the Range Rover’

When they got downstairs Colin’s mum had left the house and Nan was busy clearing away the breakfast things and broken dishes.

‘Sorry Hunter’, she said to Rupert, ‘I’ve cleared away but I can do you some toast if you like’

Rupert accepted the toast gratefully, but said nothing more to the kind, elderly woman as they sat eating. Where had Colin gone? And who was ‘Hunter’ anyway? Rupert was confused.

Colin had left the house and chased up the road after his mother to see what was wrong. When he caught up she was at the bus stop. She stared at her son with an expression he’d never seen before.

‘My bus will be here in a minute. I don’t want an argument Colin, but don’t bring that boy around again. I mean it. Please, I don’t want to see him in my house’

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Roy Leathard fumbled with the key as he opened the door of the Deanery Bookshop. He didn’t mind volunteer work but this was the third time in a week he’d been asked to come in; well, not so much ‘asked’ as commanded. What a ball breaker Freddy Scrope was! Roy turned to Malcolm,

‘It’ll only take a minute to get things set up, and you can tell me all about your accident in the sauna’

Roy gently tapped Malcolm’s bandaged nose. He winced,

‘There’s not much to say really, other than I was rescued by a really nice young man who took me to hospital and sorted everything. He’s called Colin Blenkinsop, Maybe you know him?’

‘No, can’t say I do, but you can tell me all about it. Now, put the kettle on Malcolm and I’ll get the shop ready, then we’ll have a bit of fun on my new laptop’

Roy switched on the cash register, lights and heating as Malcolm brewed up. Just then a silver Range Rover arrived at the door of the shop.

‘Oh, Rupert’s here’ called Roy.

Malcolm, nosey as ever went straight to the window and watched as the car manoeuvred. Rupert locked the vehicle then he and Colin entered the bookshop; Colin was carrying a large exercise book. Once inside both young men were rather surprised to see Malcolm, with whom they’d both had several misadventures, but the prize for the most dropped jaw went to Roy, who’d not seen Colin before.

‘Pleased to meet you’ he said, after being introduced. ‘Pleased’ was an understatement! He could hardly disguise his enthusiasm as he mouthed silently, but very theatrically to Malcolm,

‘Is he online?’

Malcolm replied, in mime ‘Yes, Stryker’

Colin was fully aware what the two old lechers were up to but he had more important things to think about, like where Rupert was going to sleep for the night.

Malcolm went up to Roy, who was behind the counter, and wrote Colin’s profile name on a piece of paper. Roy frantically logged on his laptop. His eyes grew wide as he checked out the rent boy’s profile. He looked up and grinned knowingly at the increasingly uncomfortable Colin.

‘It’s so good to be able to put a face to the dick’

‘Don’t you mean put a name to the face?’ suggested Colin,

But Roy knew exactly what he meant.

Colin turned away, and walked over to where Rupert was sitting.

‘Look Rupert, we’ve got to get somewhere sorted for us to sleep tonight’

Roy was a little puzzled why they needed somewhere to sleep, but his was not a questioning mind. If it had been, he might well have stopped to consider why Rupert was keeping company with a rent boy. Instead, he just jumped in,

‘Somewhere to sleep? Malcolm can put you up. He’s got two spare bedrooms, haven’t you Malc?’

Malcolm was unprepared for this, but the thought of having two 18 year olds under his roof had more than a passing appeal so he agreed: this appeared to be an emergency so he’d rise to the challenge.

‘Yes, I’m sure it’ll be no problem’ he added, in a wavering, uncertain voice.

Rupert thanked Malcolm and resumed looking out of the window. Colin, meanwhile was busy studying the exercise book. Roy called Malcolm over to join in more porn-surfing.

‘Here, Malcolm, do you know Andy Nine-Inches?’

Malcolm paused for a few moments, deep in thought,

‘Could he be one of the Nine-Inches of Harrogate? I went to school with Angela Nine-Inches, at least I’m sure that’s who it was’

But Roy was no longer listening. After some minutes Colin got up and walked over to the counter, putting down a large, hard backed exercise book.

‘I wonder if you guys can make any sense of this’

Roy chuckled, ‘Malcolm will, if it’s got ‘owt to do wi’ money. He could tell you how much cash you were holding in your hand from a hundred yards’

Malcolm ignored the insult and studied the book carefully, going from one page to the next, then back, checking meticulously.

‘It’s a list of big houses, heritage sites, halls and the like. And underneath each name there’s a line of figures, some clearly are dates, and the others look like they could be money, though the sums are huge, if they are’

‘Where did that book come from?’ asked Rupert

‘I got it from the glove box of your aunt’s car’ answered Colin, ‘but I don’t see how it relates to this shop’

Rupert fell silent again. He felt stupid, and so did Roy. Both had worked in the bookshop for some time but hadn’t a clue what was going on. This book appeared significant, but how, exactly? Malcolm turned to Roy,

‘Come on, Roy, what precisely do you do here, apart from surfing porn?’

‘I just open up really, with Rupert sometimes. We sell second hand books, but not many. It’s deadly quiet most of the time’

‘So where do the books come from?’

‘It’s a charity shop. Folk bring them in and donate them’

‘Yeah, the same ones’ added Rupert.

‘What do you mean?’

‘It’s the same eight or ten people who bring books in each week’

‘So Roy, what do you do with the books?’

‘Exactly what she told me to, just take them through to the back room and put them in the safe’

‘The SAFE!’ the others almost shouted. Why put books in a safe?

‘Are there any in there now’ asked Colin.

‘Yes, I expect so’

The four men all headed for the back room and clustered around the small safe as Roy nervously turned the combination. Inside was one small box of books. The items were tatty and worthless, but one thing caught Colin’s eye. It was a video cassette tape box, about the same size as the books surrounding it. Colin grabbed the box and opened it. Folded inside was a large brown envelope.

‘It’s got something in, can we steam it open’ suggested Malcolm,

‘No need’ Colin was buzzing with excitement. ‘Just get an identical envelope and replace it. And do you see somebody’s written ‘X67’ on this one. We have to remember to write that on again’ and without waiting the young man ripped open the envelope.

‘Steady!’ called Malcolm who was busy recording the image with his mobile phone.

Colin whistled as he pulled out a bundle of £50 notes.

‘There must be £5000 there’ observed Malcolm

Colin looked over to Roy who seemed confused.

‘Can’t you remember who brought this lot in?’

Roy was keen to make a good impression on Colin but his memory was letting him down badly. Rupert came to his rescue,

‘It wouldn’t help if he did. Whoever’s money it is, it’s not likely they’d be the ones bringing it here’

The four men talked about the safe and its mysterious contents a little more, but were no nearer figuring it out. Colin didn’t want to let go of his piece of evidence, but realising that Freddy Scrope would find her record book missing sooner or later, he tasked Roy with making copies of its pages. This was a nuisance and meant closing the shop for thirty minutes while Roy tracked down a copier but if he was going to do it for anybody he’d do it for Colin!

Malcolm was delighted with the turn of events. Recent happenings had made him feel purposeful and needed. He was a wizard at ferreting things out and would have the answers in no time. He’d show them all!

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Rupert was keen to leave the shop. He feared that at any time his aunt might drop by. She was the last person he wanted to see. He’d parked the Range Rover and left the key with Roy and, now that he had a bed for the night he wanted to get away as fast as possible. Colin could see that Malcolm was moving at a much slower pace and quickly realised that the most efficacious way of securing progress was to offer to put fuel in the old Yorkshireman’s car. It worked!

Back at Malcolm’s place Colin and Rupert settled in as best they could, Rupert needed to catch up on some sleep and opted to lie down. But Colin was far from tired, and once he thought his friend was snoozing he went in search of Malcolm, who was working in the garden.

Malcolm was weeding his borders. He looked up when he heard the boy approach,

‘I thought you’d come looking for me’ said the retired teacher, a little patronisingly. ‘I didn’t finish telling you what I meant to the other day when we were in the hospital’

Colin looked serious,

‘Something’s going on and everybody seems to know what it is except me’

‘What do you mean?’

‘Well, Rupert stayed over at my place last night and, like this morning, I mentioned Rupert’s dad’s name to my Mum and she flipped. I mean, it was wild. She dropped dishes and stuff. And when I caught up with her at the bus stop she freaked out, and told me she didn’t want Rupert in the house; she hadn’t even met him. What’s that all about?’

‘What’s his full name?’ interrupted Malcolm

‘Rupert Baggett’

‘No, it’s not!’

‘OK, so what is it?’

‘It’s Rupert Baggett–Scrope’

‘Whatever’

‘Trust me, it matters, but for the moment what concerns you is not Rupert’s name so much as his father’s’

‘I know that already. I told my Mum this morning. It’s Rory Baggett’

‘Yes, but what I reckon you don’t know – and I could be wrong - is that he was your father too?’

If Colin had been slapped as hard as Rupert had been the day before, it could not have shocked him more; nor was he prepared to be given this news in such a blunt way. But Malcolm was not finished,

‘And you know what that makes Rupert?’

But Colin was now upset, his face flushed and his eyes flashing in anger,

‘Come on, it should be obvious’ continued Malcolm annoyingly,

But Colin was on the move.

‘Do you know what? I just don’t need this fucking shit, I’m out of here’

And he strode off, down the drive, into the street and out of sight.

As he watched the young man disappear down the lane Malcolm reflected on what he’d just said. He could have handled things better. But subtlety and tact weren’t Malcolm’s strong suit. After some moments he resumed his gardening, head bowed, focusing on the rose bed and oblivious to the face at the bedroom window looking down at him.

Yes, Rupert had heard the lot!