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“Don’t think so,” said Southern. “Now, you’re going to let us pass, we’re getting in Caroline’s Porsche, and then we’re getting the hell out of this godforsaken place.”
“Liz, please,” said Dawson. “Let me go.”
“It’s going to be okay, Caroline. Just trust me. You’ve always trusted me. I would never do anything to hurt you.”
“You’re holding a gun to her head,” Decker pointed out.
“Well, you sort of forced my hand on that.”
Dawson looked over at where Jamison was kneeling next to Kelly. “I hope Joe is all right. I tried to stop Liz from hitting him.”
“You should have known better, Caroline. But that’s okay. I’ll be strong for both of us. I’ll take care of you.”
“Put the gun down, Liz,” said Decker, watching her every movement, while Robie and Reel did likewise. “You are not leaving here.”
“Well, then we have a very big problem, because I have no intention of going to prison.”
“Did you really have to kill Cramer?” said Decker.
“I kidnapped her and brought her here. I had the idea that I could get some money from Caroline to make her go away and leave us alone.”
“She moved from Dawson Towers and was planning to leave town. I don’t think she was doing anything to try to hurt the two of you. I think you’re paranoid and you read way too much into the situation.”
“You couldn’t be more wrong, Decker. My love for Caroline is absolute. But there are others, so many others, who will do anything to keep us apart. Caroline understands that. She knows I had to do what I did.”
Dawson flinched at this but remained slient.
“How did Cramer end up dead and butchered, then?” asked Decker grimly.
“I was taking her some food when she broke free. There was a struggle. My ring came off. And . . . Cramer just swallowed it. I couldn’t believe she did that. So . . . I stabbed her and then dumped the body. I never expected the FBI to come here and investigate.”
“You didn’t know about Cramer’s past,” said Decker.
“And then Hal Parker appeared one day and threatened me. You were right about the tires. He had taken photos. He wanted money.”
“What about Ames?”
“At the same time she came around and started asking questions. About Cramer. She seemed to know about me and Liz. Ames knew Cramer from the Colony. I thought she might have told Ames what she had seen. I got scared. If Hugh found out, he’d cut Caroline out of the money.”
“So it was just about the money then?” said Dawson bitterly.
“I loved you,” shouted Southern, tears spilling down her cheeks. “Like I have never loved anyone ever. I was looking forward to spending the rest of my life with you.”
“Liz, you were very special to me. So kind and supportive. But . . . killing people and saying you did it for me? That’s . . . you can’t do that. It’s wrong. You know that.”
Southern tightened her grip around Dawson’s throat. “I loved you. That’s why I did it. It was all for you! You!”
“Okay, put the gun down now, Liz,” said a nervous Decker as Southern grew more and more out of control.
She shook her head. “That won’t be happening, Decker.”
“Why not?”
“Caroline and I were meant to be together. And nothing will stop that from happening.”
Southern took a deep breath. Her gaze grew rigid and her expression determined. Her finger slipped to the trigger. “We will be together. If not in this life, then the next.”
Decker shouted, “Don’t!”
