Jackson Murphy is here. Ruby’s accountant. The one I keep blowing off because I keep forgetting he exists. Not that I can blame myself, he’s way less scary than the parents and not worth nearly as much time and energy . . . unless he were to show up at an inopportune moment. Like now. I only see him for a second, a glimpse of his features between the shifting crowds.

I stretch up on my toes, scanning faces, searching, searching. Where is he going? He heads to the back of the room.

He stops. Next to Jared.

He’s talking to Jared.

What is he saying?

I glance over at the clock. It’s eight forty-five. I only have fifteen minutes until the parents make good on their promise.

And they’re going to give my intel to the big-shot attorney guy. I can’t possibly turn it over now. If they have this guy in on their scam, he could run off with Jared’s money before I have a chance to tell him the truth.

What do I do?

“Our next prize is a reading from our one and only resident psychic. Ruby, get up here,” Tabby calls into the microphone. The spotlight swings in my direction, unerringly finding me in the mass of bodies.

I can’t run. I can’t hide.

It’s too late.

Heart thumping over the cheering of the people around me, I move through the parting crowd up to the stage at the front of the room.

I stand next to Tabby, keeping a smile on my face while my eyes scan the audience and the applause fades out.

The light is too bright. My racing pulse is too loud.

What is Jackson saying to Jared? Will he know everything before I have a chance to confess it all?

Tabby is reading something off a notecard. “Ruby’s Readings and Cosmic Shop is more than just your run of the mill new age store—”

“Wait.” I step in front of her, cutting her off and speaking into her microphone. “I have to tell you something.”

I glance uneasily back at Tabby before turning to face the crowd.

I can’t make out individual faces under the glare of the lights, just blobs of dark, shifting figures. I take a deep, steadying breath. The adrenaline racing through my veins makes me both shaky and alert.

I have to do this. Now.

They’re all going to hate me.

But I can’t turn back.

Keep Paige safe.

“I’m not Ruby.” Feedback distorts the last word.

Miss Viola pipes up, way too loud. “Did she say booby?”

“Um.” Tabby laughs, the sound a bit strangled. She steps to my side, using one hand to shade her eyes from the spotlight. “No, Miss Viola. She said she’s not Ruby.”

She turns her confused gaze in my direction.

“Of course you’re Ruby.” She gestures toward me, her brow furrowed. She covers the mic with one hand. “Are you drunk?”

“No, I’m not. I’m not drunk and I’m not Ruby.” My voice is shaking. I nudge her hand off the mic, clear my throat, and try to breathe. I have to get this out. “The truth is, I’ve been lying.”

The words leave my mouth, as does the crushing weight on my shoulders. No more trying to hide the truth. “I’ve lied to all of you. I didn’t mean to. It just happened.”

The pervasive silence in the room speaks volumes. No one is moving. No one is saying a word.

I can’t stop now. I have to finish this, finish everything.

“The real Ruby left for India months ago. She was here less than a day. She hired me to look after her shop and . . . but then this girl showed up asking for a reading and we had no money. I shouldn’t have done it. I knew it was wrong. But I didn’t know what else to do. So I lied. To all of you. ”

I swallow even though my mouth is as dry as the sand on Castle Cove beach at low tide. But just like the tide, the words are coming faster now, unstoppable, rushing in to fill the silence.

“I pretended to be Ruby. I thought it would only be the one time, but then there was the mugging and Jared,” I gesture in his direction, even though I can’t see him, “and—and I have no excuses for what I’ve done. But I had to tell you all now, because the truth about what’s happening here tonight, this charity,” the word tastes foul in my mouth, “is more important than my lies. Out of everything I’ve done and said, I regret more than anything coming to Castle Cove, because that brought the Hamptons here, too. You see, that’s not their real name and they don’t run any kind of charitable organization. The reason Paige and I came here in the first place was to get away from them. They’re con artists and swindlers, and it’s my fault they came here and took your money for this farce. There is no charity. Your money will be going to line their pockets.”

There’s a collective gasp from the crowd.

“This is better than my stories on the TV,” Mrs. Olsen stage-whispers from somewhere near the front.

More gasps, startled murmurs, people shifting and glancing around.

There’s a slow clap from somewhere in the crowd.

The bodies shift out of the way. I put a hand up to try and block the bright stage light.

Father.

“It’s a nice story, but it’s obvious this is just more lies. Why should anyone believe you?” His voice booms out over the crowd, strong and full of conviction. “You’ve already admitted to lying and stealing their money long before we arrived. Now you’re trying to blame us to get the attention off of you. We aren’t the con artists here,” he says.

All eyes swing in my direction.

“I’m not lying,” I say. “Well, I was . . . I mean, I’m not any longer.”

This is ridiculous. I barely even believe me.

There’s a loud shout near the front door and the crowd turns again. Murmurs begin building in the back of the room.

I brace myself for what’s coming. It doesn’t matter. Even though it does. I can’t see anyone in the crowd anyway, no point in looking there. Besides, Tabby is staring at me, curiosity and uncertainty warring in her expression.

But I don’t have time to say anything else.

The crowd is shifting and restless, the voices rising in the small space, and then someone jumps up on stage.

It’s Jared, in his tux, his hair a bit ruffled. His eyes are bright and his jaw is clenched. “I’m afraid I have to take you in.”