GiGi

    Hi Mrsmajessick, I think it will be interesting to see how much of a role, if any, Angus played in Gideon's earlier life. I could imagine Angus going to pick Gideon from school and watching that boy get into fight, after fight, after fight, after fight. I could then see Angus talking to Gideon about his anger on the drive home. Gideon himself said that he was a very angry kid. I think that if other kids picked on him at school, etc. there may have come a point when he just finally snapped and started physically fighting his bullies. If you add the fact that Gideon was being abused at home, that could had added fuel to some serious rage in a kid who tried to go for help but wasn't believed. That could almost be a lethal combination for a kid who is strong and can beat up all manner of schoolyard bully. Just a thought. Let's also remember that Angus was also Gideon's bodyguard so I find it highly suspect that Angus would know about the abuse. If he was told about it and did nothing (ie. have Gideon removed from the situation and the person causing the abuse), then I would find Angus to be morally reprehensible and derelict in his duty to protect his charge-Gideon. Angus would have had a legal and moral obligation to help Gideon and I really don't think that Gideon would have had Angus in his adult life if that was the case. I also wanted to clarify that it would be absolutely despicable if Gideon told Angus about the abuse and didn't inform the authorities because he was afraid of losing his job. Again it would be like prostituting this child for financial security (which I don't think is the case). What you say about Angus teaching Gideon how to fight is plausible. It may have given the two of them an opportunity to connect and given Gideon a very useful tool (a manner in which to defend himself).

    Hi Jo-mama, I too am curious to see how much of a role Magdalene will play in the next book. I really wonder what kind of background or information Magdalene could provide that would make her a vital character or one worthy of us dissecting her (just kidding)? Gideon himself stated that Magdalene was nothing more than a family friend and as such I don't see him confiding his deepest darkest secrets to her? I also don't know whether Magdalene would have been privy to the abuse that Gideon suffered? It isn't clear whether Magdalene was friends with Christopher in the early days or whether this was something that developed later on in adulthood when perhaps desperation finally set in and Magdalene realized that she didn' t stand a chance of winning Gideon's heart or affections. The answers to those questions will help to determine whether the reader will pity poor Magdalene or absolutely hate her....for reasons yet to be revealed? How many more days until June 4th? What do you think?

Hi LNCronan, I read your posting and I am aware that when a coroner pronounces the time of death for a body, it is not an exact science. The medical examiner would have to factor in the body temperature, the temperature in the room or surroundings where the body was found, etc. I get that. This theory about a whole uninterrupted theory is becoming way too complex. Could it be that Gideon had meetings at his Crossfire Building or one of his buildings, had people as witnesses; Scott for example, then when the day was done, Angus his driver, or Raul, or one of his security detail witnessed him get into the Bentley be driven home, where he was witnessed going into his apartment building, and then seen later that evening leaving his building going to pick up Corinne? You know and I know that the detectives cast such a wide net, because they want to nail down, means, motive and opportunity and depending on what the suspect says and what the detectives are able to find; can mean the difference between premeditated murder and manslaughter. Let's not kid ourselves here. Detective Greaves is gunning for Gideon in the biggest way; she wants a premeditated murder charge. Let's also remember that is how these individuals get their promotions. They crack the hardest cases and bring down the most unlikely suspects. My, my, wouldn't the head of Gideon Cross be one nice trophy to hang over one's mantle?

    Hi Jo-mama, Maybe Gideon had Angus remove Eva and the rest of the group from the scene because he didn't want Eva to see his violent side. It also might be very uncomfortable for Shawna and Arnoldo sit back and watch the fight along with Eva. Eva would have felt very guilty about the fight and I think that may have distracted Gideon from protecting himself during the fight. What do you think?

Hi Jo-mama, I think the most reasonable explanation to this mystery is one that Mrsmajessick suggested. Nathan probably saw photos of Eva and Gideon in the society pages living the good life. Poor Nathan has now been disowned and with that his cash flow has been terminated, so poor little rich kid is running out of money quickly. What better way to replenish the cash fund then with a little extortion scheme. So off he travels to New York to find his ex-step mother and her current moneybags husband and the man that Eva is canoodling with. Surely one them will pay out his extortion demands, right? Here’s where we have differing opinions; is Nathan being tracked and if so who is tracking his movements? Everyone knows about Nathans whereabouts except Eva and yet no one sees fit to inform her? Why? Why is no one communicating with each other? That is evidenced when Carey was attacked, what happened there? What went wrong? What plan was everyone plotting? Where people working together or was it a situation of each man for himself? Who killed Nathan? Who knew about the plan? See, questions, questions, questions…sigh! :)

    Hi Jo-mama, I don’t think that Gideon was having Nathan tracked before he got to New York City. If he were, it would open up huge questions; how did Gideon even find Nathan in the first place? If Nathan’s father disowned him then he wouldn’t have a clue as to his whereabouts. Would Nathan’s father hand over his son’s social security numbers or credit card information to man whom he doesn’t know, in the hopes of finding his disowned son? Even if Nathan were disowned, I don’t think that he father would put his own son in harm’s way. Somewhere along the line Nathan popped up on Gideon’s radar independent of his efforts. After Nathan arrived in New York, it is possible that Gideon had his security team tracking Nathan’s whereabouts. If he did that, it was most likely in an effort to keep Eva safe, but even that theory has its flaws. Where was the security when Carey was being attacked? Where was the security when Nathan unexpectedly showed up at the Crossfire Building a second time (for a potential unexpected visit)? Questions, questions, question, the reader is left with so many questions?

Hi Jo-mama, I agree with your posting. I guess what will remain to be seen is if Angus knew about Gideon’s childhood abuse, if/when he found out about it and if he did anything about it. I think that those are all really important questions that will help the reader understand the Angus/Gideon relationship more. What do you think?

    Hi LNCronan, I just wanted to clarify with you that cozy and intimate doesn’t mean sitting out right in front of the restaurant in the “front window†where absolutely everyone can see the two of you. Cozy and intimate usually means the back of the restaurant where no one can see the two of you canoodling or playing footsies! Again let’s remember that Gideon hasn’t been able to be alone/or want to be alone with Corinne period. The first time they were engaged, he was climbing the walls, this time he doesn’t even remotely feel that he has to keep up pretenses so Angus, Raul, Scott and security are there. Can anyone say chaperone/ or should I say mood killer? Somehow I don’t think that this observation is lost on Corinne. If Corinne lives close to Gideon it is by her doing and not his, of that I am sure. Who knows maybe she will wind up being his stalker in the next book (ex-lover who becomes obsessed with the man she still loves). There’s a twist for you. As for the Nathan thing, sister you are all over the map. I thought you were firmly in “Camp Gideon†and if that’s the case, then somewhere between six and nine pm he was off ending Nathan’s life. As far as the Corinne deal, I highly suspect that there is NO way he would wind up spending the night with her. I think that there are some things that Gideon could explain to Eva but even she has her limits. I really don’t know if their relationship could withstand him spending the night at Corinne’s apartment. I think this waiting is getting to you LNCronan. It is nice to know I am not the only one with this affliction (please know that I am just kidding). :)

Hi LNCronan, I think that if Gideon spent any time at all with Corinne, it was strictly at public functions where the two of them could be photographed together, thereby bolstering his alibi. If Gideon couldn’t spend any extended alone time with Corinne, sexual or otherwise, I don’t believe that he was going to start now, especially when he doesn’t have those feelings. :)

Hi LNCronan, I was wondering how many more weeks do we have to wait until the release of the next book and how many characters do we have left to dissect? Maybe we should space this out a little and make it last? LOL(Is that the term for laughing?)! :)

    Hi Jo-mama, I am confused by your posting. Your gender listed is male and you said that you are female. I think that maybe people may be confusing you as being male because that is how you listed yourself. If you look under your name it says "male". I just thought you should know.

    Hi MrsCrossfire, Your idea about Vidal’s money paying off the doctor is plausible. I guess I wonder what Vidal’s role was in this entire fiasco. I keep coming back to whether Elizabeth Vidal said anything to Vidal about Gideon’s claims of abuse? How much did the man know and what was his role, cover-up or otherwise in this story?

Hi LNCronan, Mrsmajessick, Jo-mama, I didn’t see it written that Gideon was all of his free time with Corinne. I think that Gideon spent the bare minimum amount of time to make his alibi plausible, but that’s it. I think that even a tiny scrap of affection to Corinne meant all systems go in her mind. Maybe she thinks that if she is more supportive of Gideon and what he is going through and is his biggest cheerleader than maybe he will turn his affections back toward her. At best Gideon was always aloof with Corinne and I think that’s what got to her. Could you imagine being in love with someone and wanting to spend all your time with them, hugging, kissing, etc. and then every time you try to spend time with your “paramour†it is over even before it has begun. As a woman, I know that it would devastate me and I think that Corinne felt the same way. I have been saying that Magdalene was pathetic from the beginning but no one was on team GiGi. That’s ok, there is plenty of room over here ladies. I think that if I had one question for Magdalene I guess it would be; what on earth is so special about Corinne that you completely lost your identity in hopes of capturing a man and how on earth would you compete with Corinne if you didn’t have your own identity (you kept your hair long like Corinne, you were chaste, demure, etc.)? Who is the real Magdalene? It is obvious by this woman’s’ words and actions that she has serious self esteem issues. Ok, so I have more than one question. What does everyone think? I think that Gideon is selectively dumb and arrogant. It is like you said LNCronan; women have been throwing themselves at Gideon for years and I think that there may have been a part of him that may have just expected that when he told Eva to “wait†that she would. Surprise, surprise, Eva is most likely the first woman who never “jumped up and obeyedâ€. Sigh! There is hope after all. :)

Hi Jo-mama, If Corinne was honest with herself, she would have realized that she never really had Gideon and I think that somewhere deep down inside she knew that. Gideon could never spend an entire evening with her. He never spent long amounts of time with her either. Gideon kept coming up with excuses as to why he couldn’t spend a weekend with her. No sooner had the weekend started than Gideon was out of there. As a woman, there is no blessed loving way that Corinne didn’t notice that! I am absolutely sure that her radar was up. When she tried in a last ditch attempt to keep Gideon she broke up with him and Gideon DIDN’T chase her. I know that as a woman that must have crushed her! Absolutely everything she feared came true! As for the word “manipulation†the Oxford Concise Dictionary states; that manipulation manage person property, etc. by dexterous esp. unfair use of influence etc.†I would ask you how is that not negative? If Corinne was trying to manipulate Eva and the entire Gideon situation at the advocacy dinner, then I state that she was trying to manipulate the situation to her advantage by trying to cast doubt in Eva’s mind about her relationship with Gideon and thereby making room for Corinne to try and move in to Gideon’s world. That is a negative act. She was hoping for a second chance with Gideon by trying to cast doubt in their relationship and possibly break them up.

    Hi Mrsmajessick, I agree with you completely. I think every single one of them; Monica, Stanton and Gideon all deserve one huge B**** slap. Every single one of them could have picked up the phone and warned Eva about Nathan and the potential danger. Yet none of them did. It will be interesting to see if Sylvia will deal with this in the next book. As far as Gideon is concerned, I don’t think that Gideon said anything to Corinne or asked for her help in leading Eva astray. I think that would just be cruel. Gideon is well aware of Corinne’s feelings for him and I don’t think that he would do anything to give her hope that they might get back together again.

    Hi Jo-mama, Is Corinne manipulative or is she just pathetic and desperate? My thought is that she is desperate. I think that Corinne has quickly realized that she cannot manipulate Gideon. She tried it once and lost the engagement. I don't really believe that she would be foolish enough to think that she could somehow manipulate him now. What do you think?

Hi LNCronan, I don’t think that Corinne said anything about her messed about looks or discussions with Gideon. Corinne made it very clear to Eva that she didn’t Eva was good enough for her. She also made it very clear that she made a mistake in letting Gideon go in BTY. I think as far as Corinne is concerned, everything is fair game. I also don’t think that Gideon gives a hoot what Corinne says about Eva. He loves Eva madly, deeply, and obsessively. Point Stop! What is sad is that Corinne never really had Gideon and I think that’s where it might get interesting. I quite frankly think that Gideon would have initially taken Corinne to task about how she had been treating Eva. I think that Gideon feels guilty about having lead on Corinne (although it wasn’t done intentionally). Corinne still holds a fond place in Gideon’s heart, but I suspect if she keeps the crap up, she’ll get a huge ugly wakeup call from Gideon(via verbal lashing).

Hi LNCronan, I read your posting and I don’t assume that Nathan was dirt poor. I think that his cash was quickly running out and maybe his dwindling finances, in addition to his mental states were causes of his mental unraveling. There wasn’t anything written other than the fact that Nathan’s father had completely disowned him some time ago. He may have been living off of whatever payoff his father had given him or any trust that he may have had access to. Who knows? I don’t think that the hotel that Nathan was staying at was a nice hotel per se, but probably just an average two/three star rating hotel, but you do have a point. Even the most economical hotel would probably be far more expensive because it was located in New York. I guess the key question here is; how did Nathan wind up on Gideon’s radar? We the readers don’t have anything to go on here. Sylvia didn’t leave any clues. I suspect that maybe there might be something mentioned in the next book. Your points about Gideon possibly having Nathan tailed could be a possibility but who knows? I would have found it hard to believe that someone placing a suspect under surveillance could watch that person beat another human being to a pulp? That would make them an accessory to a crime. I wonder if Sylvia will elaborate on this in her next book. Another question I have is; why would Gideon lure Nathan to New York, to murder him? That makes absolutely no sense to me whatsoever. It would behoove Gideon to travel to Podunk Hicksville to commit the murder. Why would he lure someone into his own backyard where he would obviously be under suspicion? I guess the argument could be made that he would have more control in a setting that he was comfortable with. It just seems like an awfully big risk.

    Hi Jo-mama, Let's remember that Gideon wasn't raped just once. He was raped repeatedly and brutally (if his nightmares are any indication). So no I don't know if an author would want to walk that path. The implications would be that Elizabeth Vidal knew that her husband was repeatedly and brutally raping her son. Would Elizabeth have absolutely no concern for her other two children? What’s more would Gideon have no concern for his two other siblings? What happened when Gideon was a child wasn’t his fault, but having the knowledge that he has and doing NOTHING would then make him despicable. Think about it for a minute. Gideon knows that he is leaving his brother and sister behind with a monster/rapist/pedophile and he does nothing. BOOO!!! UNACCEPTABLE!!! I don’t honestly think that Gideon would be capable of being that cold. After all Gideon openly and whole heartedly supports child abuse charities. The second implication would be that Elizabeth Vidal was an absolute monster. I know that this woman will never win mother of the year, but a complete monster....I don't know. There isn't any written word to support that and Ireland seems pretty normal thus far. A reader is lead to believe that from the interactions that she has with Eva, Gideon and Carey (on the few occasions that they were together). Who knows though? Time and Sylvia's next book will tell. What does everyone think?

Hi MeganCoils, No worries. I didn't take your comments as anything more than you tossing out your latest theory. I agree completely that it is NEVER alright to sacrifice your child for monetary or lifestyle gain.

    Hi LN Cronan, You make a really valid point about the videos and photos of Nathan’s crimes. The reader is left to wonder where the original videos and photos are. Somehow I doubt that Nathan would have shown Stanton or Gideon the original copies of videos/photos. There would be too much potential risk for destruction of property. I am sure that these men probably got upset when they saw the photos and could have even ripped them up. I guess my question for the universe would be; who was alerted first that Nathan was even in New York? We know that Gideon vowed to find Nathan and make him wish he were dead, but did Gideon make good on his promise? Oh LN Cronan, anytime you like, come on over to camp-Monica/Stanton, the water is fine! :)

    Hi MrsCrossfire, You right. I have been reading and rereading so many passages from the books that my eyes are starting swirl around in their sockets. Let's hope they won't shrivel up before June 4th. :)

Hi everyone, I agree with Valgirl. How could a mother sacrifice her child for the sake of money? She would be literally prostituting her son in exchange for her lifestyle. That thought literally just makes me sick to my stomach! I could be wrong but if the situation was that severe, I am not sure that Gideon would allow his siblings to be raised by a pedophile. I can understand Gideon not taking custody of his sister when he wasn’t financially stable but what would his excuse be now? He has all the money in the world. Why would he leave his sister in the custody of the man who raped him? What does everyone think?

    Hi LN Cronan, I read your posting and I think that Gideon probably offered the video tapes voluntarily to the detectives to support his claim that he and Eva had already broken up. I just don’t think that he did anything voluntarily without the presence of counsel. I don’t think that there was nearly enough evidence to support the theory that the detectives could have subpoenaed Gideon’s bank records unless (Big Huge Unless here-Nathan had something written down about trying to extort monies from both Gideon and/or Stanton). I guess the big question for me would be: how much available, untraceable money did either of these men have in a vault or safety deposit box etc.? Monica stated to Eva that Stanton had finally decided to payoff Nathan. How was he planning on doing that? Surely Stanton wouldn’t go to his bank and make such a sizable withdrawal because all bank transactions are traceable and anyone wanting to commit a crime wouldn’t want to lead the police to their doorstep. I understand what you are saying about offering an explanation to the detectives but I honestly think that Gideon didn’t say word one to the detectives until he was in the presence o cousel. It may be a reason why they were pushing so hard to nail everyone’s stories down (so they could then try to begin breaking them down). I know that there isn’t’ any written documentation of this, it is just my thought. I guess we will have to wait and see on June 4th (fingers crossed ). What do you and everyone else think?

    Hi Mrsmajessick, I read you’re posting and I wonder if maybe Gideon went to the dinner because he himself was on the list to be questioned by the police and knew that Eva was next in line for questioning. I say this because Gideon is the owner of the property where the murder was committed and I am sure that the detectives would have been calling and asking to speak with Gideon. He could very well have delayed returning the phone calls, thereby forcing the detectives to find Gideon at Eva’s apartment on Friday night. Maybe he thought that in some strange way he could control the situation. Gideon knew that Eva’s dad was going to be there and that he was a former detective himself. I think that maybe he knew that Victor would interrupt or end any type of questioning because Victor knows the law and wouldn’t let anything happen to his daughter. Gideon could also reaffirm his cold/apathetic behaviour toward Eva that he had carefully established earlier in the week and that could be witnessed by the detectives, and by the detectives gauging Eva’s reactions. These reactions would have supported the video surveillance and the witness accounts at work. Maybe Gideon explained away his presence at Eva’s apartment by saying that “I promised my sister that we would go, etc.?†I think that Gideon running around with Corinne served two purposes; one to confirm that Gideon had moved on but more importantly it would have confirmed Eva’s reactions to the detectives. Corinne was Eva’s sore spot and I don’t think that Eva could have hid her disappointment or complete upset at the thought of Gideon dating his old flame. You make a valid point about Gideon offering Eva rides after they had supposedly broken up. Maybe he explained it to the detectives as an act of charity and a way of keeping an eye on a woman who was clearly distraught about the breakup. Do you think it is possible that Gideon mentioned the possibility of Eva having a hard time with the breakup and he was concerned that Eva might develop stalking tendencies? After all Eva confronted Gideon’s mother, had contact with his brother Christopher, and went to Dr. Lucas’s office to speak with him (which is owned by Crossfire Subsidiaries). Eva had also described herself to Brett as; needy, clingy and insanely jealous. What do you think?