Guilty as Sin by Jami Alden Page A

to him. “She may be able to relay other information that didn’t come across in a written police report—no offense, CJ,” she said, and he held up his hands to indicate none was taken. “Not to mention, there’s alwaysthe chance that if someone took her and sees her grieving sister—”
    “What do you mean,
if
?” Jackson asked in a low voice.
    Kate knew to tread carefully. “I’m sure you know that there is some speculation that Tricia might have left on her own accord—”
    “Tricia would never do that! She’s a straight A student, played on the varsity tennis team as a freshman. No matter how difficult the last year has been, she would never run away. Brooke, on the other hand…” His voice trailed off, his mouth compressing into a thin line.
    Every instinct in Kate’s body screamed at her to let it go. Jackson was in enough pain without her calling his daughter’s character into question. But it was imperative that they explore all the possibilities. “Kids hide a lot of things from their parents,” she said quietly. “If Tricia is sneaking out to go to parties, isn’t it possible she’s doing other things you’re not aware of?”
    “Kate,” Tommy said in a warning tone. Jackson’s shoulders were rigid, his face grim.
    “If she’s a runaway, it will affect how we approach things in the media—”
    “Right, so they can portray her as an ungrateful brat who’s wasting time and resources—” Tommy snapped.
    Kate continued as though he hadn’t spoken. “—and how much of our efforts will go to working with organizations that focus on runaways and troubled teens.”
    “I get your point,” Jackson said, “but our family’s been through the wringer this year, and I don’t believe for a second Tricia would do this to us.”
    Kate looked at CJ. “You reported it as a stranger abduction case. You still believe that?”
    CJ gave a grim nod. Kate wouldn’t completely dismissthe possibility that Tricia was a runaway, but CJ’s opinion was enough to convince her until they found evidence to the contrary. Part of her would always see CJ as the flirty teenage wannabe stud, but the years had lined his face with experience and brought depths of knowledge to his eyes. She’d checked around with her contacts and knew he had been on the fast track to making Special Agent at the Bureau before he left for personal reasons. She’d trust his instincts. “Then we’ll make sure the press portrays it that way.”
    “Glad we got that settled,” Tommy said, and even if Kate couldn’t hear the disdain in his voice, she would have seen it in the curl of his lip.
    “Then again,” he added, “I guess you’ve had enough experience with the press that you must know what you’re doing.”
    Kate’s fingers curled involuntarily at the emphasis he placed on the word “experience.” That snide undertone and the way his lip held its sneer let her know loud and clear he wasn’t talking about the many interviews she’d done over the years and the appearances she’d made on CNN, MSNBC, Headline News—you name it—on behalf of the St. Anthony Foundation.
    No, it was clear Tommy had heard about her failed engagement to a news anchor that had ended so disastrously her broken heart was the least of the damage.
    Kate’s spine pulled tight and she fixed Tommy with the bland stare she’d spent more than a decade perfecting so no one would ever suspect the turmoil constantly churning and raging beneath the surface. “Yes, my work with St. Anthony’s has resulted in a lot of time with the various media outlets. While it may seem cold and calculating to be worrying about spin control, I’ve learned it’s important to control the message right from the get-go, so people stay focused onfinding Tricia rather than wasting time speculating on what motivation she might have had to leave of her own accord.”
    “Whatever you say,” Tommy said without so much as a flicker of emotion. “All we want is to make