Chapter 22 - "Our Doubts Are Traitors" - Part 1

[Kn1ckerb0cker33]

The only recourse that the Rat (Steve!) had is inaction or take out the threat.
Inaction: Steve would eventually run into Pippin either when it came to light that Pippin poses no threat or the off chance that people stopped buying his BS excuses to get out of guard duty and thus being exposed to Pip'.

Take Out the Threat: The only option that still allows the Rat to have the initiative. If taking out Pip works then he is back in buisness, if it doesn't work then he still has the ability to leave on his own terms either way this is the only way that lets Steve carry out his original mission, Gathering intelegence and sowing discord (such as stirring the pot and getting Lizzy booted).

I still haven't noticed the "sniff" at the end of the episode but if there is one I'm thinking that maybe Steve was spritzing some cologne into the room so frame Vic and get them off of his back.
And I think the shooting of the CB Radio idea is excessive... Honestly I think that Hope was purosfully wounded and left to smell "Victor" and let Steve get away with it

I completely agree that IF Steven was the rat/assassin that getting rid of Pippin was essential to keep his cover and could also explain why he was so reluctant to be on guard duty with Pippin in the room, as Pippin would
have probably recognized him from before. But the shooting of the CB Radio isn't too outlandish as it would create chaos in terms of communication to the Tower, something that the Mallers could take advantage of. I'm just
saying it is a possibility, we will probably know for sure in the next part whether the last shot was...

1. To Shoot the CB Radio (Which would explain why no one is answering)
2. To Shoot Hope (Which would also explain why no one is answering) (*Credit to Mr.Scott101 for making that point)
3. To make sure that Pippin was dead (Three in the head you know they're dead)

However if it was Steven, wouldn't it mean that the Mallers knew about the Tower beforehand or maybe he contacted them/stumbled onto them on the radio in lieu of the situation when the Tower was in chaos?