Page 155 of Instant Karma

And goodness gracious, he looks…

I don’t finish that thought.

Morgan pulls me off to the side so we aren’t taking up the aisle. The seats are filling up fast. There are a ton of people here. I realize, a little bewildered, that it actually worked. My idea, all my plans. Theyworked.

A slideshow is playing on the screen, showing photographs of sea animals from when they were first brought into the center, injured and malnourished, to shots of them being fed and bathed or playing together in the pools. There are a lot of images of seals sprawled out leisurely on the concrete, and little sea lion heads popping out of the water. Stacks of sea otters piled on top of one another. Every time one of these images shows up on the screen, the entire audience melts with a unanimousaww.

There are advertisements, too, promoting all the businesses that helped make the gala possible, and, occasionally, a slide thanking the volunteers who helped organize the event. Quint is at the top of the list, while my name is nowhere to be seen. It feels like one more betrayal.

I feel eyes on me and shift my attention back to Quint. He’s staring at me, his lips parted in surprise.

I lift my chin, refusing to look away. Whether or not he believes it, I deserve to be here every bit as much as he does.

He closes his mouth and I see his jaw tense. A shadow comes over his eyes and he turns away.

My palms have gone sweaty and I try to distract myself by shoveling a few handfuls of popcorn into my mouth, but despite the butter and salt left behind on my fingers, I don’t taste a thing. I need a better distraction.

Rosa takes a microphone from one of the theater staff members. They must be getting ready to start.

Quint leaves the stage and walks up the aisle. Toward me. But he makes a point of not looking at me as he passes by.

I swallow. Shauna starts to make her way off the stage, too. My eyes follow her, scowling. On instinct, I squeeze my fist shut.

I wait.

Three seconds. Five.

Nothing happens.

The projector clicks off, leaving the screen black. The houselights dim, leaving the stage illuminated. Rosa walks to the center and begins by thanking everyone for coming. She thanks the sponsors, the donors, the volunteers. Then she begins to talk about the center and their purpose, giving statistics of how many animals they’ve helped over the years, and how they continue to need the community’s support.

I turn and push through the doors, back into the lobby. Rosa’s voice fades behind me.

Quint is standing by the concessions stand, helping another volunteer arrange napkins in front of a stack of champagne glasses.

“Quint?”

His spine straightens. He sets down the stack of napkins, exhales loudly,and slowly turns to face me. “If you’re not here to return that money, then I hope you at least bothered to purchase a ticket.”

I grind my teeth. Is he really going to make a scene here, in front of a stranger? But then I look at the volunteer at the counter and see it isn’t a stranger at all. It’s Ezra.

He gives me a casual smile and a playful salute. “Looking good, Prudence.”

His comment almost doesn’t filter past my irritation with Quint, but… it is something to be said for Ezra Kent. He’s good at diffusing tense emotions. I feel the knots in my shoulder unwind, just a tiny bit. “Quint, I need to talk to you.”

“Oh? Why do I get the feeling you didn’t come here to apologize?”

My shoulders tighten right back up. “Maybe because I have nothing to apologize for?”

He starts to roll his eyes.

“Listen to her,” says a voice from behind me. Morgan appears at my side, her hands on her hips. “There have been developments.”

He looks at Morgan, surprised. “What are…” He doesn’t finish, his attention darting between the two of us, growing more curious by the second. “What’s going on?”

I glance around. Volunteers are starting to set the tables for dinner. It’s too crowded, and I don’t want any eavesdroppers.

“Can we go somewhere else to talk? I think I might know who took that money, but if I’m wrong… well. I know how terrible it is to be wrongfully accused of something.”

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