"You think correctly. You and your friend need to knock off this vigilante nonsense, but we've got one live child and one dead abductor. I'm sure a lot of people are perfectly happy with that result. Things play out a little differently, he shoots his son...well, public opinion might not be so rosy toward the person who took it upon herself to do a hostage negotiation. As it is, no, nobody is going to arrest you and say you're responsible for what that dipshit did to himself. I’m guessing there's a lot of praise headed your way. Enjoy the fame. It won't last, so don't squander it by beating yourself up. He's the one who pulled the trigger."

"Thanks."

"No problem. That's as much of a motivational speech as you're gonna get from me. Still want us to sneak you past the reporters?"

"Yes, please."

"Come with me."

* * *

Ken took out his cell phone. Almost one in the morning. Three missed calls from Vivian and about ten texts.

He shouldn't have stayed this long. But he didn't have to work tomorrow, and Vivian wouldn't bitch at him any less if he'd gotten home a couple of hours earlier.

Regina had been dead when he arrived. He hated that he missed the moment of her passing. He was often tempted to hasten the process, just so he'd get to watch them die, but that would be an act of mercy. The women wouldn't truly be starving to death. Why bother to give them a slow, agonizing, primal demise if he was going to prematurely end it?

Anyway, they were so weak by the end that it was difficult to tell when the moment of death actually happened. He'd been here when his third victim died, but he'd had to hold a mirror under her nose to be sure that she'd passed.

Olivia was still alive. Wasn't talking much anymore. Ken didn't mind. He didn't need for her to actually do anything while he watched. He was perfectly happy to sit there and watch her mostly motionless, beautiful body hang in the cage, her life very slowly seeping away, like an inflatable mattress with the tiniest pinprick of a hole in the side.

He stood up. "Would you like some more water before I go?" he asked. "I've got a bunch of yard work to do, so I won't be back tomorrow. I'd rather not come back and find you dehydrated."

Olivia nodded.