GiGi

 Hi Jennpenn926, Welcome to the forum!  I agree with the points you made about Corinne and Nathan. I don’t think that Corinne killed Nathan personally because as a reader I couldn’t find a single shred or piece of proof that these two would have ever encountered one another. I know that we have theorized everything up the wazoo here so I do suppose that on some level it could be possible that Corinne and Nathan had contact, but we the readers haven’t been made privy to that information. I agree and also believe that Gideon would have had Nathan escorted out of the building. Not only did Nathan show up to blackmail Gideon, but he also had horrible videos and photos of him brutally raping and torturing Eva (that is my theory as to why Gideon or anyone else would have ever entertained the notion of a phone call, let alone a meeting from Nathan. I also believe that Gideon and Nathan got into a fight (yes more than one punch, several body blows to Nathan which would have explained Gideon’s appearance; sweating skin, flushing skin, like he had been exerting himself with physical activity). I also agree that Gideon probably contacted security and had Nathan escorted out of the building not only for Nathan’s sake (i.e. as in Gideon could have killed him after viewing all that disgusting blackmail material), but most importantly so that Nathan wouldn’t have had any possibility of running into Eva. At the end of the day, Gideon’s sole focus was always on Eva. I don’t know if I see Angus as the killer because I couldn’t see where or how Angus could have any incentive to kill Nathan. Angus’s sole responsibility was guarding and protecting Gideon (and Eva by proxy if they were together), but I just couldn’t see Angus willingly committing a murder because his boss asked him to help. It crosses a barrier for me and I don’t know if a rational human being would willingly go along with that kind of request (but to be fair to all the theories, it could be a possibility). I just don’t see it. I could however see Monica and therefore Stanton being a part of the murder. Monica had the most incentive from my perspective. She was Eva’s mother and would have witnessed firsthand at how her daughter suffered at the hands of a madman. I also think that Monica bears a lot of responsibility for neglecting her daughter for so many years and by not paying attention to what was going on in her home during the years that Eva was being raped. I could also see Monica having to suffer watching horrendous videos and seeing disgusting photos of her daughter being brutalized and repeatedly raped all the while Nathan sat there enjoying himself. I could see Monica snapping mentally and then begin to plan the murder of the man who had tortured and brutally repeatedly raped her daughter for all those years. I think that Stanton would have involved himself because he loves Monica so much. I think that they beat Gideon and his “band of merry murderers†to the punch. I don’t know what Gideon and Monica talked about on the Monday after Cary was attacked. The jury is still out on that for me. Again what you theorized could be possible. I think that Detective Graves is sucking lemons and she knows it. Sister has bubkiss and she knows that too!!   All of her theories and suspicions have gotten her nowhere. You make a really interesting point about Corinne’s obsession with Gideon and not letting him out of her sight for that 30minutes it would have taken to commit the murder. Good point! I could believe that Corinne would have been so obsessed with Gideon that she wouldn’t have left him alone for that long or let him out of her sight for that length of time. You also make a really interesting point about Sylvia’s mention of Gideon having proverbial blood on his hands.

Hi Peachies, I just wanted to add that the Fire Department also has "Master Metal Keys" to all city elevators, which they are required and mandated to have in case of emergencies (like the ones you mentioned previously). I also know that they have "master keys" to the Universities and the buildings on their campuses (that is standard practice in Canada and I would suspect would also apply to the US) again for the same reasons.Â

Hi Peachies, I was thinking about the last time the US and Canada had an "Eastern Grid Power Outage", I know that The Four Seasons Hotel and all of other upscale hotels have their own personal generators, so if there is a city wide power-out then the hotel can still maintain services for their guests.  The last time I was at The Four Seasons Hotel for High Tea I took a good look at all of their doors on the main level as well near their main salon where High Tea is served. I didn't notice any actual manual locks. The hotel had been recently renovated and the security system upgraded. Now if the hotel does have a manual lock and metal key type system, it isn't visually obvious to the lay person. So I don't know where a manual lock and key system would be found (maybe a service entrance, or employees entrance, but nothing where the guest would be able to see).  If a person used a metal key, there wouldn't be any way to trace who would have gained access to a space, etc.  I also went upstairs to the spa for some pampering, and again the only key system I saw was the key card swipe card, nothing else. The elevators themselves also only used the key cards to allow the guest access to their use. A stranger wouldn't be able to just get on an elevator and go up to a suite without the "concierge" allowing the guest to go up to a suite (by swiping a key card across an access pad or by accompanying the guest up to the suite).  I know that elevators have somewhat of a different system in that they do use metal keys but I can't figure out where actual metal keys could be used in the hotel or in the guest suites. I suspect, that in these instances, these hotels mainly use a key card system, have generators in case of power failures, but as for the rest I am not sure.Â

Hi KiMa, I agree with your position on Corinne. I personally don't hate the woman. I just think that she's a little sad and definately lost as a person. I think that she lost herself in Gideon, but I have hope that maybe she can pull herself together. I don't know about "flags" or "herrings" but the addition of Corinne sure makes the book and the storyline more interesting. I also don't particularly like Gideon's assistant, but I don't have anything to go on other than her casting side-long glances at Eva...sigh! June hurry up please!

Hi Sscrph, Hey that's a great idea! I think that Magdalene and Arnoldo might make a great couple! Who knows maybe Arnoldo can whisper sweet nothings in Magdalene's ears...

Hi Mrs.CrossXxXxX, I was thinking about what you said about Cary video taping Christopher Jr. and Magdalene having sex in the garden and I have to say that I was a little creeped out. Is it just me or did anyone else find that act a little creepy?  Here is a guy who yes was trying to protect his friend Eva from those two individuals, but how would he justify sitting in the bushes and watching, video taping and listening to two people having sex? I am conflicted by his determination to protect his friend, but that act doesn't cast Cary in a good light.  I went back and read the passage again, and I was left with the impression that Cary stuck around for the "entire show". How would Cary justify that? How does everyone else feels about Cary video taping Magdalene and Christopher Jr? What does everyone think?

Hi ShazScott1980, I agree! I would love to see another book before Christmas! It could be Sylvia's gift to all of her faithful fans and also a way to say thank you too.

Hi Everyone, If Sylvia is using a literal timeline of two weeks, how on earth is she going to wrap up the murder investigation? How would everyone feel about the Nathan storyline playing out for another book or two? What's worse, just exactly how many more books would Sylvia need to write before Gideon and Eva wind up with their happily-ever-after? I want to see a wedding and babies!  What does everyone think?Â

Hi everyone, Why would Sylvia use the mention  of Gideon's use of master keys as a red herring? I don't get it. Does anyone have any ideas or thoughts?Â

Hi Nathalia, Those are all great options. I agree I think that snapshot is of a clubbing scene.

Hi Sscrph, Your guess is as good as anyone else's. We have been supposing and theorizing up the wazoo! So why not Mr. Barker? He is as good a suspect as anyone else.

 Thanks Julie54.

Hi Nathalia, I hope that Victor apears in the next book too. I really like this character. What kind of snapshot do you think would best represent Victor? What does everyone think?Â

Hi Sscrph, I was thinking about this entire thing and I have to say that given the timeline (2 weeks according to Sylvia), how would Gideon be investigated, charged, criminally prosecuted and then released? The wheels of justice always move so slowly (in real life)! So how on earth would Sylvia tackle something like that in such a short amount of time. I just don't see it. Quite frankly, I also don't think I would want to keep reading about Nathan's murder hanging over Gideon and Eva's head. As so many others have pointed out, this is supposed to be a love story and not a murder mystery. There has to be more substance to Gideon and Eva then this surely. Let's seriously hope that this part of the story line gets wrapped up with the third book. Fingers crossed! :)

 Hi Donnad, I don't know if they were laughing at me or if they were a little afraid that I might be planning some kind of heist of some sort.  I am just glad that these individuals were kind enough to share some general information with me.

 Hi Sscrph, I never said that I thought that someone let themselves in to Nathan's hotel room. I was simply clarifying a point about a master key theory that had been proposed. I have always maintained that Nathan knew his killer and didn't feel threatened by them, which would have been a reason why Nathan opened the door to him (or in my theory her...that being Monica). I guess we will all find out what is going on June 4th.Â

 Hi Everyone, I also just wanted to mention that so many times people say: "I could just kill him/her! I am going to kill him/her! I would kill for him/her! and yet more often than not, these people who made such passionate statements don't end up killing the person they threatened. It is just a thought.

Hi everyone, I read the article posted on the forum and I fail to understand how that bears any relevance as to how this story might apply to the Eva and Gideon story. In the "Rockafeller Case" that man was a grifter pretending to be someone that he was not. Gideon was and is an actual billionaire, who is beloved by many if not all of he charities that he supports. He is also an extremely good looking man who has women who swoon at his feet.  That article compares apples to oranges. Gideon doesn't need to pretend, he is exactly what he says he is. That grifter was not. It would be a suicide mission for a prosecutor to take on a case like Gideon's. I just don't think that it will happen. I also don't think that Gideon did it. What does everyone think?

 Hi Peachies, I read one of your earlier postings about the "Master Key" theory, I am sorry I can't remember which forum it was in. I just wanted to clarify with you that hotels; like The Four Season and The HIlton Hotels (very upscale establishments) do not use a "metal Master key". They use credit card type key cards that have a magnetic strip which contains information and access to certain areas. Whom ever uses one of hese "keycards" would just swipe said card against a pad (a device that reads the magnetic strip on the key card), the door would be unlocked and the person could gain access.  A master key of sorts would allow a person to gain access to all levels of the hotel; from the service entrances, to the guest suites, to the offices and everything else in between. When a person uses this card, the information is digitally transferred to one of the hotel's computer main servers (one is on sight and the other is off sight). That way, if there is a problem with the computer system there is always another backup. It also help to ensure that the information remains intact and that no one can tamper with said information.  As a matter of research; I spoke with two respresentatives from "The Four Seasons Hotel and The Hilton Hotels" and they confirmed what I just stated. They would not go into specifics about security and such (I must have sounded so strange to these people when I explained that I was doing research for a book club discussion...sigh! ), but they were nice enough to answer my questions. I chose these two hotels because they are upscale and have several global locations and as such various security requirements that would need to be taken into account (depending on the city and/or country the hotel is located in) in order to ensure that their guests have a safe and enjoyable stay.  I suspect that Gideon's hotels would have been just as upscale if not more so and as such would have utilized the same type of security for his hotel properties. Each and every singal key registers their location and time when they are used. It helps the hotel staff and others keep track of the guests and employees. It ensures that everyone stays safe and it also provides documented evidence and a time log if a crime is committed at the hotel. Feel free to contact either of these hotels if you would like confirmation.

Hi KiMa, I agree with you. I think that Geoffrey Cross may have been many things and done many things wrong; but I think that he was a good father to Gideon. I can only base that one his few comments to Eva; when they were on the beach in South Carolina. I also think that Gideon' wouldn't have been able to understand or comprehend why his name would have been changed (if in fact Elizabeth Vidal had decided to do so). I think that action would have destroyed a very important component for Gideon (the link with his father).  It also would have told Gideon that there was something fundamentally wrong with him "Gideon the little boy". Otherwise as far a child is concerned there would have been no need to give him another name. I am actually glad that Gideon kept his name. He got to keep his identity.  Small children rationalize things very literally and as such may not understand why something is being done to them or for them. What do you think?

 Hi KiMa, What do you mean: "All his business entails his father's last name"? WHat is the correlation for you? If you could explain further that would be great. Thanks in advance.

 Hi Julie54, I was of the opinion that Gideon's father may have been murdered. For all the Ponzi schemers that have been out there, thus far, none of the killed themselves. I think that Gideon may be so angry because his father was taken away from him. Again this is strictly speculation (i.e. the reader doesn' t have anything to go). I cite the huge ENRon Scam, Bernie Madoff, and a few others which escape me at the moment.  I would think that the main characteristic of each of these individuals is that they may be very narcissistic and as such extreme self preservationists. Somehow I don't think that Geoffrey Cross died by his own hand. I think that if he was murdered, Elizabeth Vidal (ne: Cross) would have had a huge reason to get herself out of an already bad situation. She may have feared not only for herself but for her son as well. It would have given her greater incentive to remarry quickly. What do you think? What does everyone think?

 Hi MicheleWV, I too have wondered whether Christopher Jr. was also abused. It might go a long way in understanding just why Christopher Jr. is so angry and hateful toward his brother. Here's a twist, do you think that by chance Christopher Jr. confessed to his brother about his abuse and Gideon couldn't do anything about it because when he told his mom she didn't believe him? This is just a farfetched idea but it might just fit.  If for the sake of arguement, Christopher Jr. did say something to Gideon and Gideon wasn't able to help, then wouldn't it stand to reason that Christopher Jr. might be very angry with his brother? Isn't the older brother always supposed to be the one who protects his younger brother?  Christopher Jr. would also have had the age mentality of a five year old and as such wouldn't have been able to logically look at the situation objectively. It would be easier for him to blame his older brother for the abuse then to go back and look at the situation with the eyes of compassion and realize and understand that they were both in horrific situations and neither could help the other.  One quick other thing I wondered was; did Christopher Jr. know about his brothers' abuse? Did he accidentally walk in when Gideon was being abused? Could he have some knowledge about what happened to his older brother when they were younger? What do you think? What does everyone think?

Hi Jeanmarie, Welcome to the forum!

Hi Everyone, I had just posted in another forum that I think it would be nice if sylvia released a snippet every week in anticipation of the release of her next book. It might be a really nice way of saying thank you to all of her fans for their faithfulness and loyalty to her and the characters she has created. What does everyone think?