The Eligible Suspect(85)

                “You have a stepdaughter?” Savanna asked. His wife’s daughter had lost a mother. Not so shocking by itself but why hadn’t Korbin told her? Another secret he hadn’t divulged until he had to.

                “Fallon Ellgard. She’s twenty-three. Niya had her when she was sixteen. We lost touch after her mother died.”

                Savanna saw how he drifted off into thought. He must have been close to the girl. Was he thinking of a broken family, once a unit? Perhaps the things he didn’t speak about were the things that hurt him the most. But they were also the things that would bring about change. This trying time for him was difficult, but maybe it was exactly what he needed. He’d already refused to help Damen.

                “She must be so devastated,” Camille said. “That’s such a young age to lose a mom. She’s just starting out on her own.”

                Korbin nodded, clearly not welcoming the subject. His bad choices had led to her mother being shot. The girl must blame him. Her grief would be hard to comprehend.

                “She’s a smart girl,” Korbin said. “Accepted into Harvard. Pretty. Grown-up for her age. She always was. I think it was losing her dad to cancer when she was eight that did it. She’s lost both her parents. I had a good relationship with her, but she was close to her dad. She told me once that she was afraid she’d forget what he looked like.” He stopped. Now the girl would fear she’d forget how her mother looked. What he left out of that unexpected disclosure was that he missed her.

                Savanna saw that her mom and dad had taken notice along with her.

                “Have you talked with her?” Jackson asked.

                “She refuses to talk to me.”

                Confirmation that the girl did blame him. Maybe that’s why he never mentioned her. It was one more dark memory from his wife’s murder.

                “Well, she came forward to give you an alibi,” Camille said. “Is it true?”

                “It must be. She came to see me, but something stopped her from going to the door. She must have thought about it a long time, though. The police said she was out there for two hours.”

                Watching him. Maybe that had been enough. A first step toward forgiveness. It also gave a glimpse into the relationship they’d begun to build. His stepdaughter must not want to live without at least some semblance of family. Fallon meant a lot to Korbin.

                “How did you ever end up a fugitive?” Camille asked. “You seem like such a nice man.”

                Korbin looked at her as though he was considering how to answer, or maybe he was figuring it out as he went along. “My parents weren’t the most loving people when I grew up. I didn’t like their way of life, the formality. I suppose I rebelled and that put me on the wrong path. I barely spoke to them at Niya’s funeral.”

                “Good heavens, why ever not?” Camille asked.

                “I disappointed them. They expressed their condolences, but they might as well have been distant acquaintances. I can’t imagine what they’re thinking right now.”

                “Probably the worst,” Jackson said. “You should talk to them, son.”

                Korbin met Jackson’s gaze but didn’t respond. Her father had a way of speaking the truth in not so many words. But he meant no harm, and that came across. If Korbin wasn’t offended, he didn’t show it. He just seemed tormented over the broken relationship and how to mend it.