The entire time Liz was with Dembe, I expected him to let her go, as he has done before. He didn't because he didn't want Liz to get suspicious that he would in the end choose her over Red, but that can't happen until the finale (which may be seven years from now b/c NBC doesn't have any other shows). Your explanation works better.
saber5055, your entire post was like a great opera, building, building, building to that crescendo -
before the denoument., Bravo! Bravisimo!