Driving past the Astatula City Limits sign Sheriff Daniels mind was back in Huntsville. It had been a long time coming and the circumstances could not have been worse. Watching a convict die was not an easy experience. Even if they had butchered the mother of your son in cold blood like the Green Belt Slayer did so many years ago.

Sheriff Daniels made this long arduous trip for a very specific reason - he had to. For Diane's sake - and for Tyler's. He had to look Ernesto Guttierrez in the eye one last time. He needed to hear the Green Belt Slayer confess to murdering Diane Crews. For eleven long years the killer steadfastly refused to do so. Although he readily admitted to all of his other horrendous crimes.

It was only in the Visitors Room on Death Row, and after a professional courtesy extended to the Sheriff by Warden Tyrone Karlyle, that he got to the Green Belt Slayer. Knowing his lethal injection awaited him the condemned murderer stared Sheriff Daniels, the lawman who brought him to justice, in the eye. Hatred shone forth.

With a slight laugh Guttierrez admitted, "Se Senor. I slaughtered the little piggy. But the very best sound of all was hearing her scream in terror!"

He snorted twice, "Oink! Oink!"

Sheriff Daniels immediately leaped out of his chair. It took all the resolve he could muster, and being securely restrained by three prison guards the size of NFL Linemen, to prevent the Sheriff from strangling the life out of the Green Belt Slayer himself.

"You pathetic son-of-a-b----!" Sheriff Daniels snapped in pure hatred of the monster shackled to the chair before him.

In the Execution Chamber Guttierrez was tightly strapped down on the gurney where he would die. The legal dose of pentobarbital began flowing through the tube into the vein in his arm snuffing out his worthless existence. Sheriff Daniels made sure he was the last thing the Green Belt Slayer saw before leaving this world.

"This is for Diane...and for Tyler!" Sheriff Daniels told Guttierrez before he closed his eyes in death.

Turning right on Cassandra Boulevard and making his way to the Sheriff's Office he said, "One down. One to go."

"I'm sorry Brock. What was that?" Beth asked him as the Sheriff stopped the vehicle in front of his office.

"Time to wrap up the Astatula Assassin case Sweetie," the Sheriff replied.

"And for us to get back to some semblance of a normal life again," Beth remarked stretching from the long ride back to Astatula.

"For us Love?" Sheriff Daniels asked her then stated, "Life is anything but normal."

No sooner did Sheriff Daniels arrive at the Sheriff's Station than he noticed four gruff men standing in the middle of Cassandra Boulevard. The tall, rail-thin, redheaded one held a rope in his hand he appeared to fashion into a noose.

Sheriff Daniels exited his car in a hurry. He rapidly approached the men. They greeted him politely.

The redhead offered the Sheriff a suggestion, "Why don't you get back in your car and take Beth home Sheriff? And leave that murdering Werner to us to handle for you. Seems a little tree dancing is in order for him!"

As was his habit Sheriff Daniels looked the freckled-faced man in the eye.

"There's not going to be any Old West vigilante justice or necktie parties on my watch Charlie," he solemnly told him then instructed the four of them, "go on home now and let the legal system run its course."

"He killed five of our friends here in Astatula Sheriff," the redhead replied not sure he wanted to comply with the instructions he had been given. Then he said, "Stringing him up will teach him a real good lesson!"

"Charlie, I am not going to tell you again," Sheriff Daniels warned him once more, "unless you want what I just witnessed in Huntsville go home!"

The redhead loosened his rope. He recoiled it in his hand.

Turning to Sheriff Daniels he said, "Aw, Sheriff. You never let us have any fun."

One of his compadres mentioned, "That's all right Charlie. Doris is out there at her place all alone."

To that comment the Sheriff responded in a stern warning tone, "Boys, if one hair on her head is as much as out of place when I go visit her later I will come hunting bear myself! CAPICE?"

The Sheriff's unmistakable tone was easy for them to understand. They quickly got the message.

"One final warning gentlemen," the Sheriff said evenly, "go home!"

They departed the premises. Sheriff Daniels walked back to the car to open the door so Beth could get out. A young fresh-faced reporter with short sandy brown hair, who worked for Channel Four News, approached the Sheriff. His microphone in hand.