It's interesting that you mention the timeline. There's a theory that Carol is covering for Lizzie, who in this episode reveals that she's not afraid to kill people.
dI'm sure Carol di it. But did she want Rick to find out? Hence the episode title, "Indifference." That's an interesting title for this and that attitude toward some of the things that Carol felt had to be done, because there was a more pressing matter that all goes back to the things we have to do in this world to survive and can we come back from them. There's a bit of that at play: Rick pulling Carl (Chandler Riggs) in and taking his gun away after he shot and killed the boy. There's also a part of Rick that obviously doesn't trust Carol because he sees what she's capable of now -- he's seen a lot of what she's capable of in this episode. I don't know what else she's capable of, had it been someone else besides Karen. What if it had been one of our original Atlanta people? What would she have done then? She's going about this with a very single mind and not talking to other council people, and that's frightening. That threatens his position of leadership, even though he had taken a backseat to it and didn't come to the council meetings -- which she and the group really wanted him to attend since his voice is important. She's wanting to be caught and wanting Rick to do something.