“It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia,” he whispered.
“I don’t care,” Theo whispered back. “Could you be quiet, please?”
And while there had probably been a nicer way to communicate the sentiment, Auggie took his point and stopped humming. They climbed the stairs, and Auggie didn’t protest when Theo caught his arm and took the lead. Theo tested the handle. It turned, and they pushed into Wayne’s apartment.
All the lights were blazing. The smell of a cleaner with an artificial lavender scent hung in the air. Boxes and piles of clothes had covered the floor on Auggie’s last visit, but now the apartment was back to normal—a few dirty socks next to the couch, a can of Budweiser on the coffee table, the remote for the TV wedged between two cushions. In the back of the apartment, a drawer slammed shut.
Auggie shut the door and followed Theo toward the noises.
They found Orlando in the room that had belonged to Cal. The mattress and box spring were turned on their sides, exposing the metal brackets of the frame. Drawers stood open and empty. The closet door was ajar, exposing the bare shelf and hang rod. Orlando slammed a drawer shut and swore.
“Can’t find it?” Theo asked.
Orlando spun around. For a moment, the relief in his face was so comical that Auggie wanted to smile. Then Orlando said, “Shit, Augs. Theo. What the hell? You about gave me a heart attack. Hey, what are you guys doing here?”
“We could ask you the same thing,” Theo said. “Time to fess up, Orlando.”
He tried for a smile, but he only got the corner of his mouth. Sweat glistened on his forehead. “You know, trying to find something I lent Cal.”
“Oh yeah?” Theo said, moving deeper into the room. Orlando took a step back. “What?”
“Some stuff.”
“Bullshit,” Theo said and took another step.
When Orlando stepped back this time, his shoulders hit the wall. “Augs?”
“Don’t talk to him,” Theo said. “I’m talking to you. Talk to me. What are you doing here?”
“I’m—”
“Don’t fucking lie to me, Orlando,” Theo shouted.
Auggie touched his arm, and Theo fell back a step. “Orlando, we know. You and Genesis planned the whole thing pretty well, but we still figured it out.”
Orlando shook his head.
“I should have known the first time you showed up here,” Auggie said. “When you had lighter fluid. When you wouldn’t tell us what you were doing. She sent you to destroy evidence, didn’t she? And that’s why you’re here again. She’s worried she left something behind, something that will link her to the murder, and she sent you to get rid of it. She’s using you.”
“No,” Orlando said. He looked side to side. His eyes were huge. “No, she didn’t—we didn’t—”
“We found the rifle,” Theo said. “We found it. Your prints are all over it, Orlando, and you don’t have an alibi for the night Nia was shot. You’re a murderer, and you’re a fucking coward, and I can’t wait to see you in court. You’re going to be a fucking laughingstock, Peepee.”
“Don’t call me that,” Orlando said.
“Why not, Peepee? Are you going to cry? Do you think that’s going to help you when you’re taking the heat for this? Because you’d better fucking believe Genesis isn’t going to admit she was part of it. She’s going to let you shoulder the whole thing, Peepee.”
“Stop it.”
“Peepee, Peepee, Peepee. You are one stupid son of a bitch. Did you know that?”
“Stop!” Orlando shouted.
“No, I’m not going to stop, I’m going to—”
Auggie caught Theo’s shirt. “Give us a minute.”
“Not a fucking chance.”
“Give us a couple of minutes. You’re upsetting him.”
“He ought to be upset. He’s a fucking murderer.”
“Theo, get out.”
Face twisted with rage, Theo lunged at Orlando. Auggie got between them, and after a few moments of tussling, forced Theo out into the hall. Theo stomped toward the next bedroom. A door slammed shut, and the crash shattered the silence.
When Auggie turned around, his back to the hallway, Orlando was crying. The tears shone in his thick scruff. “Augs, I did not do this. I didn’t! I swear to God.”
“Last chance, Orlando. You can get out in front of this and make it better.”
Orlando was silent for at least five minutes; Auggie let him have the time, let it work on him. Auggie heard the front door open and felt a thrill run through him. After that, the only noises were stray sounds: the squeak of a floorboard, a click that came from the kitchen. Theo grunted in the hallway, probably annoyed by the wait.
“We’ve got the rifle with your prints, Orlando. It’s open and shut. You’re going down for murder and attempted murder.”
Something steadied in Orlando’s visage. He wiped his eyes, and they stayed dry. “You’re a smart guy, Augs. Really smart. But you’re wrong about this, and I thought you were my friend. The only part you got right was Genesis asked me to get rid of some stuff for her. She emailed me. She told me Cal had stolen some of her underwear out of her locker at SportsPeak. That’s what I was doing when you caught me the first time. And yeah, I came back later. I burned it for her because—because I loved Cal, but it wasn’t right what he did to her. Let’s go. You can take me to the police. I didn’t do this, and I’ll tell them that too.”
“I don’t think we’re going to do that,” Wayne said from behind Auggie. Auggie turned. Wayne stood in the doorway. He’d healed since the fight with Theo, the marks of it gone except for a slight crookedness to one of his fingers that hadn’t been there before.
“Wayne, thank God,” Orlando said. “You need to call Mom and Dad and have them get that lawyer you used. Augs is crazy, and not his usual kind of crazy that’s neurotic and sweet.”
Wayne’s eyes were so dark they were almost black. His gaze fixed on Auggie, unwavering. Auggie could feel his pulse in his throat, a sudden lightheadedness.
“Orlando,” Wayne said, still staring at Auggie, “go get that tie from my closet, the one I wear for athletic signings.”
“What? Why? Wayne, Augs thinks I killed Cal. You need to call Mom and Dad and—”
“Everything’s going to be ok, and I swear to God I’m going to take care of you, but you need to do exactly what I say right now: go get the tie from my closet.” When Orlando didn’t move, Wayne screamed, “Go get it!”
In his peripheral vision, Auggie saw the sudden pallor in Orlando’s face, the way the thick brows scrunched together.
“Do you want me to tell him?” Auggie said. “Or are you going to?”
“You’re done,” Wayne said.
“You killed Cal.”
“One more word, and I’ll make you be quiet.”