It's supposed to give the reader the opening to decide for themselves how the story continues. Sudden endings are a staple of Japanese storytelling (and not only because of the axe).
It is rather telling that the excuse to keep going was just "I can't imagine how they would work out" (so you...
He also didn't know everything (like thinking she's happy and wants icecream when she needs the toilet) which is a nice touch upon her really being subtle.
Dude gave her courage by being the way he is (in her mind). It's similar to getting angry at someone for things they did in your dream (only more wholesome variation).
Nice touch that he gave her an empty gun (so she couldn't misfire it dangerously). Although I guess he must have really trusted that she would probably not shoot anyway, since else she'd probably have felt betrayed when it would just have gone "click".
Probably the now-corpse died while at work/traveling (or he suicided), but without clear evidence (like the corpse) the relative will have to wait years before getting him declared legally dead so he take over ownership of stuff like the corpse's house (and sell it off).
It looks like a mistake in either art or translation though. By the size it looks more like the daughter is the hostage (making it presumably the wife killed).
Or maybe it's just a Nemu-sized being insert as the wife here..
Sounds like something to add to the end notes. (Even if you probably have already. Either way, thank you very much for your hard work and continued devotion, as well as great quality.)
Well, he did deserve it anyway. Just put it down as a proper scolding (or karmatic retribution for what he wanted to do unto others).
Still, he's really got some uphill work to win her heart now. (But her remembering this might be part of why she got a job to support his vagrancy while he was...