“Yes.”
“Why? Why on earth would Marnie lie?”
Wilde debated going into the long rationale Marnie had offered up about meeting another woman who claimed it really happened to her, but that didn’t feel right. He simplified it instead: “It was what you told me the first time we met,” Wilde said. “Some people will do anything to be famous.”
“My God,” Vicky said. “What’s wrong with people?”
Silas just stood there. His face reddened.
“So that’s it?” Vicky asked. “Marnie lied about Peter. Jenn believed her. They ruined his life. Then you add on about his being adopted and…”
“There’s another theory out there,” Wilde said.
“Out where?” Silas asked.
“Fan boards, I guess. I should warn you. You won’t like it.”
“We’re listening,” Silas said.
Wilde turned to Vicky. “How much had Peter’s popularity dropped recently? I mean, the last year, say. Before Marnie went on that podcast.”
“I don’t understand.”
“I can see his Instagram posts,” Wilde continued. “The likes in the last year—they were way down, maybe ten or fifteen percent of what they used to be. A friend ran a social media marketing report for me. Anyone can do that. There are free sites, but I paid ten dollars for a more extensive one. On all the major platforms, Peter’s numbers had plummeted.”
“That’s normal,” Vicky said, taking a step back. “I told you that too. I still don’t see what you’re suggesting.”
“I’m not suggesting anything,” Wilde said. “Some of the fans are posting a theory.”
“What theory?”
“That Peter is behind it all.”
Silas’s mouth dropped open. Vicky looked as though Wilde had slapped her across the face. “That’s insane.”
“What,” Silas said, “you mean, like, he told Marnie to lie about him?”
“Something like that.”
“And say he roofied her?” Vicky added. “Are you listening to yourself? Peter is hated now. He’s been completely canceled.”
“Peter may have miscalculated,” Wilde said. “That’s the theory anyway. You know how reality shows operate. Controversy sells. Peter may have been tired of his nice-guy image. It’s almost like when the hero pro wrestler suddenly turns into the villain.”
“This is crazy,” Vicky said, waving her hands in the air. “You didn’t see him. The heartbreak. The depression. He’d never do something like that.”
Wilde nodded. “I don’t buy the theory either. But I wanted to run it by you. I wanted to see if there was any merit to it.”
“There isn’t,” Vicky said firmly.
Silas looked up into the sky for a few moments. He blinked and said, “I hope it’s true.”
Vicky gasped. “What?”
“If it’s true,” Silas said, “if Peter planned all this, that means he’s not dead. It means he wants everyone to think he’s dead. It means now that he’s been exonerated, even if he faked it all, maybe he can come back. Think about it, Vicky. Suppose tomorrow Peter shows up. With the way he’s been unfairly treated, he would be bigger than ever—maybe the biggest thing in reality TV history. If he and Jenn got back together, wow: The return of PB&J—what do you think the ratings would be on their televised second marriage?”
Vicky shook her head. “He didn’t do that. He wouldn’t do that. It doesn’t make any sense.”
“So what does make sense?” Silas asked.
Her eyes were wet. “That Marnie lied, and then everyone turned against him. On top of that, his own family—me, really—lied to him his whole life about his birth. He felt abused and betrayed by everyone around him. Maybe Marnie was the final straw that broke him. Maybe it was Jenn not believing him. Maybe it was this McAndrews guy threatening to reveal more pictures or whatever. Or maybe…” She started to sob. “Maybe he found his real mother and couldn’t handle that.”
They stood there in silence.
“Wilde,” Vicky finally said, “I want you to stop looking for him now. It’s enough.”
“I can’t.”
“Peter doesn’t have the answers you’re looking for.”
“Maybe not,” Wilde said, “but someone is out there killing people. We need to stop them.”