Page 158 of Instant Karma

“Suit yourself.” Ezra tips the glass up, downing half of it in one gulp.

“There, I see her,” says Quint.

I follow his gesture and spot Rosa near one of the easels. She’s holding a glass of wine and gesturing at the photo as she talks with a guest.

Shauna is with her. She looks completely at ease, her gray hair neatly curled, a bright-colored silk scarf around her neck. She’s wearing big rhinestone earrings that catch my eye even from the other side of the room.

Just for the heck of it, I try squeezing my fist again. Come on, Universe. If you could just take care of this mess for us, this evening would go so much smoother…

But, like in the theater, nothing happens.

Quint inhales slowly and makes his way across the room. Morgan and I follow close behind. We are a united front.

Quint interrupts the conversation. “Mom? Can I talk to you?”

Rosa startles, turning so fast she bumps into Quint’s arm. The wine splashes out of her glass, spilling across the parquet floor. “Oh gosh, I’m so sorry,” she says, looking around for a napkin.

“It’s fine,” says Quint. “Mom—”

“I’ve been wondering where you ran off to.” Rosa is still beaming. “I was just telling this gentleman all about your interest in photography and how you want to get your diving certification after…” Her attention lands on me and her smile falls. Surprise and confusion war across her features. “Oh. Hello, Prudence,” she says, her politeness tinged with frost. “I didn’t expect to see you tonight.”

“I’m glad she’s here,” Quint says forcefully. “Actually, Mom, I’d like to talk to you and Shauna, if I could.” He glances at Shauna. “In private.”

Bewildered, Rosa looks around at all of us. The man she was speaking with clears his throat and excuses himself to get a refill on his drink.

Shauna looks bewildered, but a second later I see the wheels turning as she looks between me and Quint.

“This seems like a rather inconvenient time,” says Shauna, chuckling, though her smile has an edge. “We are in the middle of throwing a party. Why don’t the three of you kids grab some food and go relax. Quint, I know how hard you worked to pull this off. And, I suppose, so did you, Prudence. Despite… everything.” Derision coats her words, and I glare at her.

“Shauna is right,” Rosa says. “I need to keep mingling with our guests—”

“This will only take a minute,” says Quint. “And it can’t wait.”

“It will have to,” says Shauna. “Rosa, I see Grace Livingstone’s family over at table nine. I think you should probably offer your condolences.”

I turn around and spy not just Maya’s parents, but Maya herself, wearing a royal-blue shift dress and looking beyond bored.

“Oh, you’re right.” Rosa puts a hand over her heart. “Grace was such a good supporter.” Then she pauses, her tone going cold again. “But I suppose you already know that, don’t you?” She gives me a look, and I bristle.

She goes to walk past us, Shauna on her heels, but Quint blocks their path. “I don’t want to make a scene,” he says. “But this is important. Please.”

Shauna’s cheeks take on a reddish hue, and her eyes spark. Suddenly, she looks like a different person. An angry person. A defensive person. A person suddenly, unexpectedly backed into a corner.

“You don’t want to make a scene?” she says, and unlike Quint’s, her voice goes higher. We’re beginning to draw attention, which I suspect is exactly what she wants. She tosses her arm in my direction. “Then what is she doing here, Quint? And why are you with her? She is a liar and a thief. She has no business being here and I think she should leave.”

“Shauna,” Rosa hisses, even while trying to smile at the nearest guests. “Okay, Quint. Fine. Let’s step back into the auditorium and you can say what you need to say.”

“No,” says Shauna. “This is typical adolescent peer pressure, Rosa. Andwhile I know he is your son, you do not need to tolerate this. For him to bring in this drama on our big night—the center’s big night. You should know better, Quint.” She clucks her tongue in a way that vaguely reminds me of my grandmother. “Now, if you’ll excuse me.”

She tries to step around Quint, but this time I step forward, my arms crossed. I’m shaking with adrenaline and anger. And unlike Quint, I’m not so worried about making a scene.

After all, I know there are reporters here, planning to do a big write-up about the event in this week’s papers. Quint may not agree with this, but as far as I’m concerned, no publicity is bad publicity. Make a big enough scene and we might even make the front page.

“I’m not the one causing all the drama,” I say, my voice loud enough that all the people who are pretending not to eavesdrop can hear me plainly. “You are, Shauna. You stole that money, just like you stole money from your last job, just like you’ve stolen the donations from tonight’s ticket sales.” I look at Rosa, who looks appalled and embarrassed, but also the tiniest bit curious. “That’s why there’s never as much money in the account as you think there should be. Shauna has been embezzling it. She’s done it before.”

Rosa is shaking her head. “What are you… okay. That’s enough. Let’s go. Into the theater. Come on.”

“I’m not going anywhere,” says Shauna. “And I will not stand here and listen to these unfounded accusations!”

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