Guilty as Sin Read Online Free PDF

microphones into the faces of family members the second they dared step outside. Kate hadn’t left the house since her first devastating encounter with a reporter. The woman, with her dark hair styled into a helmet and her whiter-than-white teeth, had wheedled her way into the house for a sit-down interview with the family. Kate choked back tears as her parents expressed their grief and begged anyone who knew anything about Michael and his whereabouts to come forward with information.
    Lauren had made a similar, tearful plea. Then thereporter turned her attention to Kate. “You were the only one home besides Michael Saturday night, right?”
    Kate nodded mutely, staring at her knotted hands resting in her lap.
    “You didn’t hear anything?”
    Kate shook her head. “The TV was up too loud,” she said, marveling a little at how easily the lie slipped off her tongue. “I didn’t hear anything until the crash.” Her father had managed to convince the sheriff to keep the part about Kate meeting Tommy out of the official report.
    It was one thing for her family to know she was a slut. It was another for the world to know it.
    Even so, within a few short hours, the world would know her brother was missing because of her carelessness.
    Her father had ended the interview shortly afterward, and other than law enforcement, the only people allowed in the Becketts’ house were the Burkharts. Phillip, his wife, Andrea, John and Hailey had hunkered down to help field calls, fend off the press, and make sure there was food to eat, even though none of them had much of an appetite.
    “I know you feel terrible,” John said to Kate early Tuesday morning when she wandered, zombielike, into the kitchen and poured herself a glass of orange juice. She startled, splashing juice over her hand and onto the floor. She hadn’t even noticed him sitting at the kitchen table.
    “And based on what you think of Tommy, I guess you think I deserve to,” Kate said sharply as she grabbed a towel to blot up the mess.
    “I stand by my agreement with your father that he’s not good enough for you, but that doesn’t mean it’s your fault Michael’s gone,” he said gently.
    “Of course it is,” Kate said in a choked voice. “I was supposed to be here. I was in charge.”
    John rose from his chair and crossed to her. At first Kate resisted as he pulled her against him. But as she settled against his broad chest, felt his hand stroke her hair, it was impossible not to lean into him, absorbing the comfort. She realized, with a jolt, that this was the first time anyone had touched her in nearly three days. Since Saturday night, everyone had kept her at arm’s length, meeting her eyes only briefly before skittering away.
    Then there was her father, who hadn’t so much as spoken to her or looked at her directly, as though she didn’t exist.
    Hot tears squeezed out of her eyes, and as she broke into sobs against John’s chest, she felt a keen longing to be held by other arms, against another chest.
    Tommy.
    She hadn’t seen him face to face since Sunday morning, and now she wanted to so badly it was like a physical ache.
    Admitting that, even to herself, sent another blade of guilt stabbing through her core. Her need to see Tommy, to be with him, was what had caused this mess in the first place.
    John held her as she sobbed harder, her guilt and grief swirling together with the faint pleasure of having someone, anyone, reach out to her in kindness even if she didn’t deserve it.
    They didn’t get their first break until Tuesday evening. A local who’d gone camping Sunday morning and had been unaware of the crisis until he and his girlfriend got back to town on Tuesday afternoon said that he’d seen an older-model truck with a bad muffler turning onto Kootenai Drive around eleven thirty on Saturday night, which, once they pieced the timeline together, they figured to be about fifteen minutes before Kate and Tommy heard the sound of the engine