Page 152 of Instant Karma

I have to bite back my words. I know nothing I can say will convince her of my innocence.

Seeing that I have no response, Morgan snatches the gift basket from Jude and starts to head back to the door.

“Hold on,” I call.

She pauses. Sighs. Slowly turns back, scowling.

But I don’t care what she thinks. Something she said is resonating with me, reminding me of something Rosa said months ago.

They’ve had fundraisers, but they’re never successful. They never bring in enough money to be worthwhile.

“Why is that?” I say out loud.

Morgan’s glare deepens. “What?”

“The center has had fundraisers before. They’ve been trying to find ways toraise money for years. But… I show up, plan one little beach cleanup event, and suddenly it’s the most successful one-day fundraiser you’ve ever had?”

“No, it wasn’t,” says Morgan, with a harsh laugh. “Because the money mysteriously vanished, remember?”

“That’s what I’m saying!” Suddenly jittery, I hop off the stool and come around the counter. “Maybe this has happened before. In fact… I bet this has happened a lot. What if every time the center has hosted a fundraiser, some of the money’s gone missing? That’s why the campaigns are never successful.” I press my hands back through my hair. “That’s it. That’s how I can prove it wasn’t me. This has happened before, over and over again… long before I ever became a volunteer!”

Morgan looks at me like I’ve just grown a tail. “Are you really trying to convince me that—”

“I’m not trying to convince you of anything!” I snap. “I know it wasn’t me. I figured it got lost or misplaced or maybe that beachcomber made a mistake and didn’t donate the money after all. Because what sort of person would steal from an animal rescue?”

Morgan gives me a seething look, but I ignore her.

The question rings in my head, like it should have been ringing all month. The signs. The clues.

Has this happened before?

It doesn’t make sense that all their fundraisers have been so disappointing in the past. Clearly, people want to help the center. They care about the work.

But if money was coming in, it was also going out.

Who would do it?

Andwhy?

I think about what Quint said. Crime scene 101. Opportunity and motive.

It has to be someone who’s been there awhile. Long enough for Rosa to give up on fundraising efforts altogether. Someone who had access to the money they were bringing in.

I don’t realize I’ve started pacing until I stop cold.

“Shauna,” I whisper.

Morgan laughs. “Shauna? The sweet little old grandma who volunteers her time to animals in need?”

“She doesn’t volunteer. She’s a paid employee.”

“Oh! Well, then she must be a criminal.”

“Look. I don’t know if it was her. But I know it wasn’tme.And she’s been there for years! Plus, she does all the bookkeeping, handles all the money. She could easily be skimming some off the top. And—” I gasp. “At the beach. I saw her holding the jar. She was the one who brought it back to the center. She could have taken some out anytime, and no one would ever have known.”

Morgan rolls her eyes. “I’ve heard enough. Guess I can’t blame you for trying, but wouldn’t it be easier to just confess, rather than trying to stick the blame on someone else? OnShaunaof all people?”

“And the boots! It wasn’t two days after the cleanup that she wore those brand-new boots. Or—brand-new… vintage boots. Whatever. Those can’t be cheap. And right after I got fired, I saw her with the earring, the one that was lost? And it’s a real diamond.”

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