Chapter 4

Hawke sat at the window staring out. Dom noticed he was in deep thought.

"What's eating at ya kid?" he asked. "We'll work this all out, you know we will."

Hawke turned to him and sighed. "I'm not so sure," he replied. "While you were checking on Caitlin a little while ago and went back and started looking at those photos."

"So?" asked Dom. "A bunch of dead men, what does that prove?"

"The last one has a surveillance picture at the very bottom showing the man entering his hotel room," Hawke told him as he went over to the table and picked up the photo. Take a look."

Dom studied the photo. "My God String that sure does look like Caitlin."

"Exactly like Caitlin," he replied.

"It has to be a look alike," replied Dom. "That can't be our Cait."

"Dom, I think there's more going on here than we know. I mean, why would Marella betray Michael and tell Caitlin she was wanted?"

"Maybe she believes in her innocence and Michael wanted to do it but couldn't," he replied.

Hawke shrugged. "Maybe," he said. "But beyond this photo, something is off about Caitlin. Did you notice it? She seemed a little nervous but it's like she's more nervous being around us than being accused of murder."

"Oh, maybe you're reading too much into all of this," said Dom.

"Maybe," Hawke replied. "There is no way that Caitlin could commit cold blooded murder. But I feel like she's hiding something. I can't figure it out but I will."

"Why don't you just ask her?" asked Dom.

"Maybe I should," he replied.

"Maybe you should what?" asked Caitlin as she came back up to the middle floor of the cabin and joined the men.

"Have a seat Cait," Hawke said. "We need to talk."

Caitlin sat down at the small table and the two men joined her.

"What is it?" she asked, trying to hide her nervousness. "I'm feeling better. I can write down that information now."

"I get the feeling there's more going on here than you're telling us," Hawke said. "What do you know about these murders?"

"Do you think I'm a killer?" she asked him bluntly. "Why in the world would I hide something?"

"Of course I don't think that," he told her. "But I get the strange feeling you know more about what's going on and I don't know why you wouldn't tell us."

"What makes you think that?" she asked. "How can I possibly know anything about these murders?"

Hawke handed her the photo that he and Dom had been discussing. "Caitlin, this photo of the woman walking into the hotel room with the last victim looks just like you," replied Hawke.

Caitlin took the photo from him and looked at it carefully. "I don't know how to explain it but it's not me," she insisted.

Hawke shook his head. "Okay," he replied. "I believe you. How about you go ahead and write down that information for me. Don't worry, we'll figure this all out."

"I'd like to sit out back and work on the information," Caitlin replied softly as she got up and took the paper and pen with her.

"Take your time," he told her. "We need all the information you can come up with. Include anyone you were with or anyone who could have seen you during those times."

Caitlin went out and shut the door behind her. Dom studied Hawke's reaction and frowned. "You're right," he told him. "Something doesn't seem right. I can't put my finger on it but you're right. Still, she's no murderer."

"Like I said before, I don't believe she is either," replied Hawke. "But she's hiding something. Now I'm sure of it. I could see it in her eyes."

Later that evening, Caitlin gave Hawke several pages of information as to her whereabouts during the murders. He studied it for awhile and then the group sat around and tried to make small talk before bed.

"I need to run an errand," Dom told them. "I had promised an old friend if I was ever in this neck of the woods, I'd stop and see him. I figured I'd wait until it got dark."

"Don't you think that's a bit risky?" asked Hawke. "We don't want anyone knowing we're here."

"Not with this friend," said Dom with a. "He's a bit of a recluse. Like someone else I know. He won't tell anyone. I'll be back in a few hours."

After Dom left, Hawke went to his room and decided to lie down and go over all of the information Michael and Caitlin had given him. He hoped that somewhere in those photos and information, he'd find his answer.

An hour later, Caitlin knocked on his door. "Hawke, can I come in?" she asked.

"Yeah," he replied before she slowly opened the door.

"Something wrong?" he asked, noticing her face seemed a bit pale.

"No, I just couldn't sleep after having that nap earlier," she replied.

Caitlin moved closer to him on the bed. Hawke couldn't help but stare at her. There was something different about her demeanor. He couldn't quite put his finger on it.

"Hawke, can we talk?" she said softly as she crawled up beside him.

"Sure," he replied as he shifted in the bed in order to get into a comfortable position to talk.

"What if I did do the things they said I did?" she asked. "What would you think of me?"

"I'd think you needed some help," he told her bluntly. "You're not a killer Caitlin. But, I do think that you're keeping something from me."

"Why would I do that?" she asked as she moved even closer to him.

"I don't know," he replied. "You tell me."

Caitlin gave him a light smile and to his surprise, moved on top of him, straddling him.

"Caitlin, what are you doing?" he asked.

"Proving a point," she said as she grabbed one of his biceps.

"What the…" Hawke said as he felt a light prick on his arm.

"I'm so sorry Hawke," she told him. "I didn't want to do this."

Hawke quickly began to feel woozy. The room around him began to spin. She whispered something in his ear and then the last thing he heard before passing out was a loud gunshot.

Caitlin quickly pulled out the black tube of lipstick and put it on her lips before leaning over and kissing him firmly on the forehead.

"I'm so sorry Hawke," she told him. "I had no choice."