Chapter 3 — Widowed

By noon Corbin had called human resources and requested Lianna’s complete employment file, telling himself he only wanted to understand her situation.

The file showed seven months of continuous employment with zero tardiness, no complaints, and no missed shifts.

Her emergency contact was listed as her mother, Marlene Prescott.

Her sole dependent was nine-month-old Austin Prescott.

And his eyes caught on the final line of her personal profile, the one he had never had any reason to read before, which listed her marital status as widowed.

He set the file down slowly.