GiGi

 

Gideon ought never to have answered his cell phone at the police station. He left the room, but Detective Graves watched him, watched his face. Right then and there, he blew his cover story he no longer wanted Eva, had already broken up with her and had already gone back to his former fiance. That cover story was supposed to have removed his motive for killing Nathan - why would Gideon kill a man over a woman he no longer loved, maybe never loved.

 

I think the detective seeing his face confirmed her suspicion Gideon killed Nathan. And it explains why she kept attempting to break his alibi. To Eva, she admitted that she (Graves) went back three times to question the staff of the hotel where the vodka party took place Thursday night before she finally found out a small kitchen fire disrupted the place for about an hour sometime that evening.

 

As for having Angus offer Eva rides, well that could be accounted for by guilt. And after all, there's video of Angus picking up Corrine outside the Crossfire just after she got back to town but prior to Gideon going out with her again. 

 

Gideon was very careful about approaching Eva after he came under suspicion. Only three times did he go near her: 1. cornering her in an elevator at Crossfire to place the promise ring back on her hand and ask her to "wait." 2. following her to Dr. Lucas' office in the face of her going after people she blamed for contributing to Gideon's issues (his mother a few nights prior, Corrine first thing that morning, and now Dr. Lucas.) 3. meeting with her out of sight in the security office at Crossfire right after she came back from having lunch with Christopher. When she asked Gideon why the hiding in the office, his answer was "plausible deniability."

 

Meeting number two was more carelessness on Gideon's part, being seen with Eva publicly, including taking her for a ride in his car. Indeed, a beat cop interrupted a close embrace between them as Eva was comforting Gideon who had just spoken for the first time about the abuse in his past. I wonder whether the cop ran the plate, and that got back to Detective Graves too.

 

It also was super risky of him to go through with meeting Eva's father at her apartment Friday evening. Nathan's body was found that morning, and Gideon would have known that sooner or later, the cops would approach Eva. He miscalculated how soon, and so the situation blew up in his face. When the detectives started questioning him about his whereabouts the night before, he hustled them out of the apartment and went downstairs with them

Hi LN Cronan,

I have read all of your previous postings and I have to ask one question; is it possible that Detective Greaves was lying to Eva when she said that Gideon answered his phone at the police station? I am not so sure that she is telling the truth and you have clearly stated in many postings that Detectives lie. They lie all the time in hopes of tripping up suspects. I don’t know if the detective would have had enough evidence to get a search warrant and subpoena Gideon’s phone records. I keep thinking that because of Gideon’s social status and the fact that thus far, they couldn’t connect Gideon to a thing that there is no way they would have had a copy of Gideon’s phone records. It is just a thought. What does everyone think?

In response to your comment that Gideon blew his cover because of his facial expression, could the argument be made that Gideon had a very painful breakup with Eva, hence the pained look on her face. After all Eva stepped out of the relationship boundaries when she kissed Brett at the concert and surely there must have been dozens of witnesses that could attest to that. This entire scenario could be interpreted as poor boyfriend completely loves his girlfriend but she cheats and it crushes him. In an attempt for self preservation, he breaks up with her, but he is outwardly hurt because he really loved this woman. What do you think?

I don’t understand what your point is about Angus? Could you please explain? Thanks.

I think that the argument for Eva meeting Gideon’s little sister could be made that this was get together that was already prearranged. Gideon had promised his little sister that she could go into the city with him and have a special evening out with him and some of his friends. Gideon couldn’t say no to his little sister. It is just a thought. What do you/everyone think?

Hi everyone,

I have been contemplating what everyone has said and I have a few observations/theories/questions of my own. As far as Nathan's murder what I find so interesting is just how well Gideon planned the entire scenario (if in fact he did kill Nathan). On page 335 of RIY the detective states “I had to go back to the hotel three times before I learned there was a fire in the kitchen that night. Nothing major, but the entire hotel was evacuated for close to an hour. All the guests were milling on the sidewalk.†So that could mean two possible things; either Nathan had previously arranged with someone to stay and wait for his extortion payout or maybe he was on his way out, given misinformation by someone about evacuating the hotel and stayed inside. I guess the more I think about that scenario, the more questions I have. How did the fire happen? Did someone in the kitchen set a small fire/did Gideon? How on earth could a fire have happened just before or around the time the murder was being committed or had been committed? I feel like I am still missing a small piece of the puzzle.

I was thinking about Monica’s interaction with Eva the few days leading up to Nathan’s murder, I suggest if you get a chance, go back and reread pages 273-280. I found the way in which Monica reacted, when Eva told her that Nathan died, odd. It is almost as if she already knew. The way in which Monica reacted was almost nonchalant. In fact, the first concern or comments Monica made were to ensure that Eva has legal representation and that her alibi was solid. The only time that Monica showed emotion was when Eva got upset. I don’t have a child so I can’t say for sure how I would react, but I do know that if someone hurt my loved one in such a brutal way, I wouldn’t have let them go unpunished and would have been relieved that they were dead and could no longer hurt another human being. What does everyone think?

On page 275 Monica says “Nathan showed up in Richard’s office last week. He wanted two and half million dollars….He has-had-photos, Eva…Of you.†So Monica knew for at least a week that Nathan was in town. She herself (probably Clancy too) also spotted Nathan outside of the Crossfire Building on the day Eva, Monica and Megumi went to lunch and she didn’t say a word. Is it just me or does anyone else find it odd that Monica never contacted Eva to let her know that her abuser was in town trying to extort money for his crimes? The whole premise of Monica’s character is, she is the constantly overprotective hovering mother (as is evidenced by her tracking Eva’s cell phone, buying the Krav Maga Studio, etc.) and yet when a real threat materializes (in the form of Nathan), she doesn’t let her daughter know, she doesn’t ramp up security for her daughter and she isn’t constantly calling her. Why? Even if I bought the argument that Monica was a naïve woman before Nathan tried to extort money from Stanton, then wouldn’t seeing photos and video of her daughter being raped and tortured clue her in to the fact that Nathan was a real viable threat? Wouldn’t Monica’s past experiences dealing with Nathan clue her in to the fact that this was a dangerous and unstable person? I think that the same question could be asked of Stanton? Where was he in all of this? He too, would have seen the photos and videos of what Eva went through. Was his reaction really to sit back and do nothing? Why didn’t Stanton pick up the phone himself and call Eva to let her know what was going on? Was he really that much of a patsy to let his wife call the shots? Did Stanton really think that Monica would be capable of ensuring her daughter’s safety? I don’t understand. Can someone explain this to me in a way that would actually make some kind of sense? Right now the only way that any of this could possibly be explained is if someone decided to take matters into their own hands (Monica, Stanton, Gideon, etc.). Nothing else makes sense to me. In this instance I don’t think that I/we are over dissecting this point. I think that this may be an important point/key/clue in the next book.

What is also curious to me is that Monica mentioned that Stanton had finally decided to payout the extortion demands. What changed her mind/Stanton’s mind? Were things not going according to plan? What was the plan? Who was in Charge? Why, even if they didn’t initially let Eva know that Nathan was in town; wouldn’t they let her know about Nathan’s presence when things got serious, dangerous?

My question for everyone is how did they find out about Nathan attacking Carey? Do you think that Gideon, Stanton, or Monica realized that Nathan was responsible for attacking Carey?

 

I'm like you, GiGi, I can't wait until June just to laugh at how off or spot on some of our theories are. It's all just a bit of fun to pass the time and I hope others are having just as much fun as I am.

 

I think Nathan was desperate for the money. On the flip side of everything you could say why would he even approach Gideon at the office with all the security around? Why would he be so bold as to return a second time after being beat/hit by Gideon? Why all the running around? Why not just approach Eva directly and let everyone know he could get to her.

 

Remember Nathan is crazy and more than likely would not react in a normal way to danger - sociopaths have a decrease fear of danger - it's part of how they are able to do what they do.

 

If his intent was to scare Gideon or Stanton or both into giving him the money by attacking Cary he would have expected one of them to show up and deliver. So, being an arrogant SOB he would have opened the door to either Stanton or Gideon feeling like he had the upper hand.

 

And, I think the constant phone calls stopped after the murder because Monica felt the danger was gone. Although I need to go back and re-read to make sure. I believe Monica was calling up until the police notified them about the murder - if she stopped prior to that, then that is most curious.

 

What you guys were saying about Vidal Sr. I agree. I think he does whatever Elizabeth tells him to do. From the description of him in the book, it appears he's one of those men so happy to have a trophy wife he does whatever she tells him to do - no questions asked. LOL.

Hi Mrs. Majessick,

In response to your comments I think that Nathan first approached Gideon at his office because he figured that he would be most safe there. Gideon couldn’t kill him in his office because then he would have to explain away a dead body.

I think that maybe Nathan didn’t approach Eva or try to contact her directly because he was most likely waiting for the payoff first (have your cake and eat it too theory). I never stopped to think that Nathan would try to make a grab for Eva after the payoff, but judging from what everyone has said and from the detectives’ comments; it now appears that may have been a very real possibility.

I also think that Nathan didn’t approach Eva directly because he felt the wrath of Gideon and probably would have eventually incurred the wrath of everyone else as well. It may have been an eye opening moment for Nathan. Surely Nathan must have realized, even just a little bit, that Eva was loved and that her family wouldn’t stand for her to be hurt again.

Maybe the fight in Gideon’s office set off a process where Nathan began to mentally unravel. He realized that his physical safety was now of concern courtesy of Gideon and that began a list of worries for him. Maybe he realized for the first time that when he made a threat, people weren’t going to react in the manner he expected (i.e. to get paid off immediately or have his demands met immediately, huge surprise).

As Mrsmajessick put it, maybe he had committed other rapes/crimes and those crimes were catching up with him, thereby putting more mental pressure on Nathan and that caused him to act rashly and attempt an unexpected visit to the Crossfire Building a second time.

Nathan could have tried to gain entry into the building a second time but was refused (which would have been another huge blow to his ego) and therefore caused him to unravel more. People were not acting the way that he had expected and that could have freaked him out even more.

As for the Vidal Sr. situation my question would be, didn’t the man have a heart? Wouldn’t Elizabeth Vidal have told her husband about Gideon’s claims of abuse? Did Vidal Sr. have not concern for his own child’s safety? Was the man completely clueless? Didn’t he suggest that maybe it would be best to hire new therapists, etc. (if not for the sake of Gideon but for the sake of his own son Christopher)? What’s the deal there?

 

This is so much fun, swapping theories. GiGi put it well, "I think that we are dissecting everything to smitherines which actually helps to pass the time and gives us an opportunity to let our imaginations run freely." Keep us all amused and hooked until June 4.

 

These are romance novels, not crime novels. But in every novel, the protagonist(s) faces some sort of challenge/battle to win (in happy endings) or lose (in tragic downfall endings). Both Bared and Reflected end happily with Gideon and Eva reconciled. In each book, the battle to be won for both involves crimes past and present (child rape, stalking, extortion, murder). So they are crime novels too.

 

Some of the latest theories that clicked with me: 

 

ShazScott1980 is right, I think, that Nathan would have opened the door to anyone he thought was about to pay him: Monica, Stanton, Clancy, Angus, even Gideon.

 

Here's an additional theory for the pile: what if Gideon simply let himself into the room with a master key? He owns the building. And we know he regularly resorts to using an elevator master key to corner Eva when he needs to talk to her and can't get her alone any other way.

 

mrsmajessick makes an excellent point about Nathan being desperate for money. He was a rich kid completely disowned by his father.

 

Chiara is on to something too, I believe, about Nathan's ultimate goal was to get Eva. Nathan trying to get Gideon to drop Eva as damaged goods. And as Nathan beat Cary with the bat, he said words to the effect of "keep your hands off her" (meaning Eva: remember, some of the gossip sites speculated Cary and Eva were more than roommates).

 

Throwing out two theories for discussion, both involving what did Nathan plan to do if he got both the money and Eva? Keep in mind, both involve his crazy, sick thinking, not reality:

• Drag her away somewhere, maybe even out of the country, having enough money to be able to control her into staying with him?
• Exact his revenge for her ruining his life by raping her again, killing her, and then using the money to flee the country?

Hi LN Cronan,

You make an excellent point about the master key theory. Thus far, this man has a master key to every building he owns so it could be a possibility. After reading everyone’s theories I think that for the most part, all of our theories all plausible. All joking aside, each and every single one of us has come up with more than one really good theory and scenario to go with it. Who knows, maybe someday one or more of our scenarios’ might wind up in a future book or story (fingers crossed, wink, wink, just kidding:)).

1. Drag her away somewhere, maybe even out of the country, having enough money to be able to control her into staying with him?

I think if Nathan managed to kidnap Eva, I highly doubt that he would be able to control her. I highly suspect that this situation would quickly escalate into a rape murder scenario. Gavin De Becker, a very highly respected former FBI profiler has said that when a victim is taken from the initial crime scene (the first location) to a second location, it is because the criminal doesn’t intend for the victim to live and about 90% of the time, victims are taken to a secondary location so the criminal can kill them with more privacy and dispose of their body. They basically have control of their surroundings; the second crime scene, so it is usually a location that they feel comfortable in and most likely won’t have any interruptions. I have absolutely no doubt in this instance that if Eva was kidnapped she would eventually be killed. Eva is also no longer a child and has had many other lovers. In his mind Nathan might see Eva as damaged goods and therefore not worthy of living or worth his while to keep alive for very long. Let’s also remember that Nathan has had years and years to fantasize about what he would do to Eva and how he would do it. Perhaps that fantasy wouldn’t live up to the reality. He had the fantasies of raping, torturing and controlling a child, but Eva no longer is that child.

2. Exact his revenge for her ruining his life by raping her again, killing her, and then using the money to flee the country?

For me this question is very simple. I have no doubt whatsoever that Nathan would repeatedly rape and torture Eva and then when he’d exhausted himself or had his fill, he would kill Eva and discard her like yesterday’s news.

 

I'm going to throw this into the mix.

In Bared to you Eva says that Nathan was lawfully punished

Then in Reflected with you the last time she saw him was in a court room eight years ago.

Anyone else think that Nathan has been in prison .

And now out he sees Eva life is good she's dating a billionaire loved by her family and he just can't stand that her life is good when his isn't disowned by his rich father what does he have but to cause pain to Eva and extort money from her family.

Hi ShazScott1980,

Sylvia stated in her books that the Nathan issue was dealt with in civil court. Sylvia has been consistent with that part of the story line with both the books. Or maybe I assumed that from what Eva said, the case was only litigated in a civil manner. What I find interesting is that a civil court judge would sit and hear a case that was so obviously criminal in nature. How did the judge presiding over the case not do any background checks to see if Nathan had been criminally charged or convicted first? Surely he/she has a duty to disclose this type of information the proper authorities. Regardless of the country, a person has the right not to self incrimination. If Eva received a judgement, that would mean that there was clear documented evidence of Nathan's crimes. Odd. Does anyone know or have any ideas?

 

I'm going to throw this into the mix.

In Bared to you Eva says that Nathan was lawfully punished

Then in Reflected with you the last time she saw him was in a court room eight years ago.

Anyone else think that Nathan has been in prison .

And now out he sees Eva life is good she's dating a billionaire loved by her family and he just can't stand that her life is good when his isn't disowned by his rich father what does he have but to cause pain to Eva and extort money from her family.

Hi ShazScott1980,

Sylvia stated in her books that the Nathan issue was dealt with in civil court. Sylvia has been consistent with that part of the story line with both the books. I guess the real question is; "What does lawfully punished mean exactly?" What I find interesting is that a civil court judge could preside over this type of case that was so obviously criminal in nature and not have questions. Did the judge presiding over the case do any background checks to see if Nathan had been criminally charged or convicted first? Does anyone know or have any ideas?

 

I agree that if Gideon killed Nathan he did it because he feared that Eva life was in danger .

But could Monica some how be involved, maybe she didn't physically stab Nathan but could she have got Clancy to do it for her.

And Nathan would have opened the door thinking that who ever it was either Clancy Angus Gideon or Stanton was bringing the money he demanded.

I think Gideon's abuser Gideon would make his life destroy him but I don't think he physically kill them.

I think Vidal sr is somehow involved maybe not as the abuser but did he allow it to happen, was it someone who had been effected by Gideon's father and had lot money and somehow wanted revenge.

I am sure that Sylvia will have lots of twists and turns in entwined with you. It is a romance story and not a crime story after all.

Hi ShazScott1980,

I think you make some really interesting points. For me common sense would dictate that before someone opens up their hotel room door, they would look out the peephole. I would think that Nathan would have done the same or at the very least yelled through the door asking who it was. So your thought about Monica being involved somehow would make sense to me. If Nathan saw Monica or heard her voice, it would put him at ease and he probably would have let his guard down just enough to open the hotel room door and get himself killed because he wouldn’t have been expecting it.

I can hardly wait for June to come. It will be so interesting to see if anyone’s theories will come to fruition. It’s ok though, if I am wrong I am sure there will be many ladies telling me I told you so. That’s ok. I want to believe the best for Gideon and don’t quite think that he is capable of that level of violence. After all it is like you and others have said. This is a love story and not a crime story. :)

 

I agree with you LN Cronan. I also think Gideon killed Nathan and I think he was controlled and percise with a single stab wound to the heart. Had Nathan been stabbed repeatedly then I would cast a side eye at Gideon because that wouldn't fit in with his controlled demeanor. I'd read a book a few years back in college entitled "When Women Kill" and it talked about how women were more passionate about killing someone who hurt them; that is to say they are more likely to stab their attacker multiply times or empty the clip if they shoot them. All the foreshawdowing that takes place prior to Nathan's death leads us to Gideon.

 

And, while it is not really clear, I was the one who suggested that perhaps Gideon also killed his abuser. If not killed him then his dreams make it sound like he retaliated in a violent manner. Even Gideon is afraid Eva will run away if she knew his dark side. And, I think his dark side is really dark. If he killed his abuser and Nathan then in fact that would made him a serial killer, but this is a romance novel and through suspension of disbelief we (the readers) are suppose to look at this as an Alpha man doing what an Alpha man does - takes care of his woman and all those who would go up against him.

 

Now in real life if he was our boyfriend and we found out he killed two men - well I would find the nearest police station and live there until he was behind bars. But, this is great fiction so I think we may have to over-look the part of him being a possible psychopath and see it has a form of justice. I know, doesn't sound right to me either, so I guess we'll have to wait until EWY comes out.

 

I'm hoping in EWY that we see that to some degree Gideon, Stanton & Monica were in communication with one another. I think Gideon probably was the one who convinced them to go ahead and pay Nathan off knowing that was never going to happen because Gideon already had designs to get rid of Nathan permanently. I think this was just another ruse for the police to follow that leads nowhere.

 

I would be surprised as all get out to find out Monica did it. She just strikes me as the nervous kind and I would imagine it takes a lot of force to stab someone in the chest deep enough to kill them with one blow. Woud Monica be able to excert that kind of strength?

Hi Mrsmajessick,

I read your comments and I agree for the most part. There is one basic problem for me though. If you or any of the readers got into a fight with Gideon, saw his violent side and got a taste of how physically brutal he could be, would you open your hotel room door to him, knowing that there wasn’t going to be any way for you to protect yourself or anyone around to help you? I think a majority of the readers might just say no. I know I would. Crazy or not, I would find another way to collect the cash. My earlier experience with Gideon would have shown me that he can twist a situation any way he wanted to and I would be s*****d!

After I stopped rolling around on the ground from laughter about the serial killer boyfriend bit, I agree. You make a valid point. I realize that this is supposed to be a romance novel, but it may have the potential to turn into a dark comic. Gideon Cross, beautiful, wealthy business mogul by day and serial avenger by night. Able to slay pedophiles and extortionists, with a single punch or stab wound to the heart. Really?! All kidding aside, you are right, the more that I try to come up with arguments for why he didn’t commit these crimes the more I begin to realize that could be a huge reason why Gideon is so afraid of Eva finding out about his dark side. Hmm?

As far as the Monica thing, you know and everyone knows my position. I think that she is the only one that Nathan would have opened the door for. Maybe she got him to open the hotel room door with the promise of a payout. She was the only nonthreatening looking person out of the bunch. Maybe she got him to open the door and then stepped aside where someone else stabbed him in the heart (maybe Stanton, Clancy or Gideon). I think that for the first time since Nathan’s death she wasn’t fidgety or nervous. The only thing that she was trying to ensure was that everyone had a solid alibi. The constant phone calls to her daughter, etc. stopped after the murder. Why would they stop unless she knew something? Those are just my thoughts. What do you think?

P.S. I hope everyone takes my comments with a grain of salt. I absolutely love Sylvia's books. I think that we are dissecting everything to smitherines which actually helps to pass the time and gives us an opportunity to let our imaginations run freely. :)

 

GiGi has got me thinking about fight in Gideon's office. How badly -- or not -- did Gideon rough up Nathan that first time. Did Gideon maybe land one good punch and then with a supreme force of will pull himself back and decide: not here, not now. I'm going to come up with a better way to get this guy. Or at least restrain himself knowing that if he beat Nathan to a bloody pulp right there in his office, he'd have a lot of explaining to do when Nathan crawled (or was carried) out of the building.

 

Think about what Eva saw in Gideon's office shortly after he'd attacked Nathan there. One of the couches knocked a few inches out of line. A single couch pillow on the floor. And just a small amount of blood on one of the cuffs of the shirt Gideon had thrown into the laundry hamper of his office bathroom, a smear so small Eva mistook it for lipstick. (Remember, she came charging into the office because she'd just seen Corrine downstairs, leaving the building looking like she'd had a nooner with Gideon.)

 

I think about what Angus said to Eva as she begged him to stop the brutal fistfight between Gideon and Brett, "He knows when to stop, Eva." So Angus, who's known Gideon since grade school, has witnessed Gideon being able to shut down his violent side like turning off a switch.

 

And what Detective Graves said to Eva about Nathan's death, "Barker was taken out by a single stab wound to the chest. Right in the heart. Would've taken no more than a minute. No defensive wounds and he was found just inside the door. My guess? He opened the door to Cross and it was over before he could blink."

Hi LN Cronan,

I read your posting and I think for me something doesn’t add up. The whole incident of Nathan being stabbed in his hotel room doesn’t add up to Gideon committing the murder. If we think about for just a minute, Nathan got into a fight with Gideon earlier. There was enough violence and force for Gideon to draw blood. I find it very hard to believe that Nathan would tell Gideon where he was staying or even for him to open his hotel room door to invite Gideon in. Let’s remember that Nathan has gotten a taste of Gideon’s violent side. Any man with an ounce of self preservation wouldn’t have opened the door. He would make arrangements to pick up the money in a well populated area, where there are lots of avenues for escape, people to manipulate and get help from. Is the reader supposed to suspend his/hers’ belief and say….â€that’s ok; you punched me in the face, but hey bring the money over to my hotel room. It will be nice and private and then you can really beat me up…NOT!†Why would any sane rational person/or person who had just gotten into a fight earlier invite that same person (who inflicted violence on him earlier in the day) back to a quiet, private location? It just doesn’t make sense to me. Nathan may have been nuts but I don’t think that he was suicidal….would go a second round with the same guy who punched him earlier. I think there would have been a million other ways to collect the ransom.

As to the second point, you are absolutely right. Think about how Eva found Gideon after the fight. Pg. 37 states; “His hair was damp, as if from a recent shower, and his neck and upper chest were still flushed, as they became when he exerted himself physically.†The book didn’t state that Gideon took a shower. I don’t think that one punch to the face would have been enough to cause that kind of bodily response (Gideon’s damp hair, the flushing of his skin etc.). That takes quite a bit of physical exertion, especially for a man who is very physically fit. I think that when Nathan showed up, maybe he said or did something to set the fight off and then boom ….the fight began. I think the Gideon probably punched him in all the areas that wouldn’t be visible to the naked eye and would inflict maximum pain (maybe a few punches to the solar plexus, one or two to the kidneys and a couple to his back). Then when everything is said and done….BOOM…Gideon lands one well placed punch right across Nathan’s jaw, blood spurts and Nathan goes flying….straight into the couch, which gets knocked back and the pillow gets jostled. I think in that way, no one can even say that Gideon touched him. There was no visible evidence on Nathan’s face, which is what the video camera would have picked up. The way in which Nathan could have exited the building could have been explained away in a million different ways and Gideon would have had the support of his security team to back up his story(unruly intruder entered the premises, tried to get rough with the owner and had to be forcibly restrained, etc.). Whose word is they going to believe; Gideon’s or some potentially violent trespasser? Sylvia mentioned in her books that Gideon was trained in boxing and I think mixed martial arts.

You made the point about Angus stating that “Gideon knows when to stop.†I would argue that a school yard fight is a far cry from slaying live demons. I don’t know if I buy the argument that Gideon could say, “Ok, one punch is enough for me to get my point across, to sufficiently scare you and then figure out a way to keep you away from Eva and plot your murder…†Gideon most likely landed more than one punch, but I agree with you, he knew when to stop (and not pummel the guys’ face/because that would leave behind evidence and link Gideon to him) and didn’t kill him in his office. That would hard to explain to the police when he was supposedly so carefully planning Nathan’s demise. What does everyone think?

Hi everyone,

I just wanted to add a quick quote that I really liked for many reasons. "I want there to be happily-ever-afters for the f*****d-up crowd. Show me the way, Eva honey. Make me believe."

Hi Mrsmajesick,

I forgot to mention, your English is just fine! No worries here sister! :)

 

Omg im going through withdrawels here i miss my gideon i luv all ur ? And theories i look forward everyday and as fae as gid tell arnaldo i dont think he said anything just went there for diner snd i have to admit it bothers me to no end he chose corrine i hste her i want gid to fight with her and cut all ties hopefully it will happen

Hi Valgirl,

I don't think that Gideon chose Corinne. He was just using her as a cover. I don't know if that helps at all, but I think Gideon and Eva will find their way in the end. Otherwise I think there will be a huge outcry from Sylvia's fans and huge public protests if Gideon and Eva don't wind up together. :)

 

Good points well made as always, GiGi.

 

I think Nathan may fit more in the Sociopath box only because it takes into consideration environment and I'm starting to think Nathan developed a hatred for women after being abandoned by his mother. He takes "mommy issues" to the 10th degree. And, he's also a reactor - Eva was about to tell her mother so he reacts by killing her cat to scare her. So, this leads me to believe that if he got sloppy, making a second visit to the Crossfire may have been a reaction to another event. What I mean is Nathan appeared desperate to leave the country - could he have been on the run from hurting women and was about to get caught someplace else?

 

I think his second visit to the Crossfire may have been to leave one or more of those pictures of Eva for Gideon so he could look at it and dwell on it. Thus making him want to get rid of Nathan - in Nathan's mind by giving him the money he requested - boy was he wrong. Nathan didn't count on a part of Gideon being an even better psychopath over protective of Eva and highly motivated by revenge (remember Gideon's dreams seem to suggest he retaliated against his abuser).

 

Your #6 up there is curious. I almost think Gideon didn't plan to kill Nathan until after he attacked Cary - also a reaction by Nathan since he hasn't gotten his way with either Gideon or Stanton. But, I can't forget that Nathan was once a rich kid so he knows how these people work and that no one wants this to become public. He's desperate and this causes him to make mistakes and become careless.  Much like Ted Bundy, over confidence is usually these sickos down fall. I bet Nathan was arrogantly raping other women someplace else, maybe even killed one or more and was on the verge of getting caught. Maybe the police will reveal that (if it's true) in EWY? And, that would open the pool of suspects. Maybe one of his other victims' family member found out it was him and followed him to NY or a surviving victim herself. I'm not saying that Gideon didn't do it, because I think he did, but the police would have to consider more than just him.

 

It's not been reveal where Nathan came from prior to being in NY? Is he really on the run?

 

What I also wonder about is if neither Stanton nor Gideon planned to give Nathan the money did they think that he would just leave? Did Gideon think smacking him around in his office would be enough to get rid of him? And did he and Stanton plan together to not give in to his demands? Maybe Gideon was waiting for information from an investigation to come back from where Nathan had been previously been staying? The more questions I have the more that come up.

 

I love reading everyone's response. It's kind of making June 4th not seems so far off. Oh, and please forget me for my horrible grammar and run on sentences - English is my fourth language and I'm still learning the written form.

Hi Mrsmajessick,

You bring up some really good points too! Something in the scenario that Sylvia laid out for the characters doesn’t add up. You are absolutely right! What’s the deal between Gideon and Stanton? I remember in the first book, Eva was having a discussion with her mother when she found out that Gideon had gone to see Stanton to discuss the Nathan situation and what was being done to tighten the confidentiality arrangements. Now all of a sudden, during the second book, when so much is going on, we the read hear….crickets! Nothing! Nathan is busy trying to blackmail everyone and anyone he can get access to and no one says anything to Eva. Why? Who the heck was keeping track of Nathan’s whereabouts? I understand that Gideon has a vested interest in keeping Eva safe, but what about her mother? Is this the first that Monica is hearing about Nathan or has she, Stanton and Clancy been covering this thing up for longer? Sylvia doesn’t write anything about this, so the reader is left to wonder.

I get that Eva sees her mother as breathy, fragile and vulnerable, but she herself states that her mom is a man-eater and that she gives as good as she gets, so why can’t she be a viable suspect?

I think that Gideon smacked Nathan around for fun and because he deserved it! Think about it for a second; in walks this punk with some photos and/or video of him brutally raping and torturing a very young Eva and he must have been proud of himself(for recording his crimes and getting away with it). After all, he was never made to atone for any of his crimes. As far as he was concerned, everything was ok. No cops were ever called therefore no crimes were ever committed. Every time Nathan opened his mouth and blurted out a threat, the people around him would throw money at him to get the problem to go away. Nathan learned that every time he threatened someone, he would get money. It is sort of like “Pavlov’s Dog Theory†but with a sick and twisted man and extortion payouts.

The story gets good because our young, thick headed Nathan didn’t expect to encounter our big, strong, virile and VERY ANGRY Gideon. I think Nathan went in with the notion that the wealthy prefer to sweep ugly things under the carpet (that’s what he has learned in his life) and the best way to do that is to throw money at the problem (that’s what was constantly being modeled in Nathan’s life until his father finally had enough and washed his hands of him). But instead, he wound up being Gideon’s punching bag! Surprise! I would have LOVED to be a fly on the wall to see the utter shock and horror on Nathan’s face when he was being pummeled!

What I don’t get is; where was the communication between all of these characters when Nathan appeared? During the second book, Eva’s mother mentioned that by the time Stanton had decided to pay Nathan off, the poor lad...dare I say scumbag…died….well was actually killed. So what made Monica and Stanton decide to pay Nathan off? Did Nathan have some kind of time limit on his extortion demands? I really hope that Sylvia sheds some light on the matter. Thus far, this reader isn’t able to connect the dots. What does everyone else think?

Hi everyone,

I was just thinking about some of things that people have been posting and something struck me as odd. I just want to state for the record that I don't believe that Gideon killed either person yet. Yes, I know, many people won't agree with me, but my money is on the dark horse! I think Gideon may be many things, but murderer isn't one of them. Fingers crossed! Some other readers had stated they thought that Gideon killed his abuser. Well if Gideon killed his abuser and Nathan what does that make him? How many homicides does one person need to commit before they are labelled a serial killer? Any thoughts?

Hi LN Cronan,

No. I don’t think that Arnoldo ended up gossiping to Corinne about the whole concert mess. After all who is Arnoldo anyway? Yes we as the reader are told that Gideon and Arnoldo are friends but we aren’t given any information to the effect that Gideon and Arnoldo are best friends or even close friends for that fact. The one thing that I would be sure of is; seeing the effect that Eva had on Gideon (both the good and the bad). In Reflected In You pg 150 we read; “Only you Arnoldo,†he said dryly….Arnoldo smiled; it was the knowing and slightly mocking smile one bachelor gave to another who’d been caught by a woman.†I am almost left with the feeling that any socializing had done in the past with women, were at business functions and charity events. I almost think that this may be one of the few times that Gideon is out spending time with a girlfriend and their friends. It is strictly a fun, relaxed social gathering. So I don't think that Arnoldo plays that big a role. If Arnoldo had met Corinne, then surely he saw how differently he must have acted. Gideon talked about how he couldn't spend time with Corinne and couldn't spend the next. I would think to a friend, close or casual would have been able to see the difference between Eva and Corinne. Night and day! :)

 

Hi Everyone, I am new to this. I have read both books. Would someone be able to help me out with the scene when Gideon and Eva were at Dr Peterson's office and Gideon pulled Eva in the hallway and gave her a look, what did that look mean? I believe it was at the end of Chapter 8.

Hi Sassy1,

Welcome to the forum. I agree with ShyCharm and the others. Earlier on Eva had told Gideon that she loved him and again during the therapy appointment. I think when Gideon excused them both, it was his way of saying I love you too. :)

Hi MrsCrossfire, Welcome! :)

 

I doubt Gideon said anymore than he was just having dinner with Corinne to Arnoldo and letting him make of that whatever he wanted to in light of what he witnessed between Gideon & Eva after the concert. Gideon doesn't strike me as someone who lies to his friends other than maybe withholding which could be a form of lying by omission I suppose.

Hi Mrsmajessick,

I read your posting and for the most part I agree. There is only one question that I would ask of you and everyone; which Nathan was the reader seeing? Were we seeing the highly organized and calculated Psychopath or the disorganized frenetic Sociopath? The first visit Nathan makes to Gideon makes sense, but the second visit doesn't make sense at all. Nathan got the short end of the stick the first time around and like you said was probably escorted out of the building, ok. The second visit is what gets me. Anyone who was cold and calculating would have had a better plan than to just hang around outside in hopes of finding his intended victim. Let's also remember that the Crossfire building has the video and surveillance equipment on the premises.Why would Nathan put himself at risk of leaving behind evidence that could link him to any of his crimes? What do you think ?

 

Hi GiGi!

 

Maybe instead of composing in Word, running your spellcheck there, then copying into the text box here, instead write your post here, copying into Word to spellcheck, make any corrections here and then hit post.

 

What version of Windows does your laptop run? Did you install the new Windows 8, or are you running whatever earlier version of Windows came with your laptop when you got it a few years ago.

Hi LN Cronan,

Thank you for the suggestions. I think I may have figured out a way to get around the spacing issue. Time will tell. I tried your suggestions but the only way things seem to be better is if I get to preview the post. We will see. :)

 

  

Lets try this once more. Oh please work!

2. Did Gideon pick that hotel so that there wouldn't be any security footage of Nathan being there?

I think Nathan was already staying at one of Gideon’s hotels unbeknown to him and when he found out that Nathan was in town, he began to investigate Nathan’s whereabouts. I want to say that it was a happy coincidence but we all know that doesn’t happen in Sylvia’s world.

3. When Nathan showed up the second time at the Crossfire, did he see Monica Stanton outside on the sidewalk? Did he also spot her driver/bodyguard?

I think when Nathan left the Crossfire building the second time; I don’t think that he was Monica or her security team. Clancy would have most likely been sitting in the car waiting for the ladies to finish their lunch. There would be no reason for a chauffeur to be standing outside of his car for an hour or forty five minutes. When chauffeurs are waiting for their clients, they usually wait inside of their cars until they see or are informed that they clients are on the way/or making their way towards the limousine. I think that the book supports this theory because Nathan didn’t try to make another attempt at extorting Monica or Stanton again.

If Nathan were on his way to the Crossfire building a second time, he would have been looking for trouble. If Eva was his intended target then, seeing Monica would have given him the full advantage. Nathan would have had the element of surprise if he were going to attack. What better way to scare all intended parties then to signal or announce or make some motion or gesture to the intended victims than to say “Hey ladies I see you, I can find you anywhere and I can come at you anytime that I wantâ€. Nathan didn’t do any of those things and that’s why I don’t think he saw them. I don’t that Nathan could have resisted the opportunity to torture Monica and Eva psychologically. In some ways Nathan appears to be controlled but in other ways, he’s not controlled at all. I think that’s what leads to his downfall ultimately.

4. Did Nathan ever even enter the Crossfire that second time to ask for Gideon and/or Eva? Or did he simply take off instead?

I don’t think that Nathan would have been allowed access to Crossfire a second. Let’s think about this for a second. Gideon is obsessed with Eva’s safety. There is no blessed loving way that Gideon would ever entertain the thought of Nathan even having the opportunity to gain access to Eva. One of the earlier postings asked just the same thing; “Imagine Nathan being in the same elevator as Eva.†Given everything that we know about Gideon and his character, do you think that is even remotely a possibility? I say no! I don’t believe that Gideon would use Eva as bait to lure out Nathan.

I think that Nathan walked up to the Crossfire Building and tried to gain access but was refused entry into the building and then subsequently escorted off the premises (if he managed to get into the lobby). Maybe Nathan loitered around the building for a while, hoping to see Gideon or Eva but eventually gave up and started walking back to the hotel. Who knows?

5. If he never did enter the Crossfire the second time, did Gideon know at the time he was out on the sidewalk? Or was it Eva asking about security footage that led to Gideon finding out Nathan had appeared?

I am not sure if Gideon knew immediately or whether Eva’s question clued him in to the fact that Eva was now becoming aware that there was a problem. I suspect not. I think that if Gideon knew about Nathan loitering around the Crossfire Building, I am not sure that he would have shown Eva the footage. Everyone had been so secretive with Eva thus far, that I don’t think he would want to freak her out. It was obvious that he and several others were trying deal with the Nathan matter behind the scenes. No one saw it fit to inform Eva about the danger to her life. Everyone was going to rescue her without her even knowing it.

6. What had Gideon been planning to do about Nathan prior to the attack on Cary? Was he planning to ultimately kill him even then? Or did he have something else in mind, but rejected that plan once Eva's life was in danger?

Those are all good questions and who knows? I don’t think that there is enough information for me to speculate. Sylvia didn’t write anything in her books to give me a clue as to what was lurking around in his mind. ïŠ

For the record I am going to state again that I don’t think that Gideon killed Nathan. I think he allowed Eva to think that to spare her from further suffering in knowing that her mother killed Nathan. It seems that Eva acts more like a mother toward Monica then Monica does toward Eva. I think that it would break her heart knowing that her mom killed her stepbrother in an attempt to save her life and avenge her wrong doings. If you read the way Eva describes the whole situation with Nathan, it is almost as if Eva feels guilty about being raped and causing trouble for her mother in that way. The situation appears very dysfunctional from my perspective. What does everyone else think?

7. How much did Angus know? How much did Gideon's security people know?

I think Angus and Gideon’s security team knew exactly what he wanted them to know and nothing more. It seems that everyone in Gideon’s world knows exactly what he wants them to know and nothing more. Other than the few occasions that Eva had speaking with Angus, this reader isn’t left with a feeling that Angus is an integral part of the plot to cover up a murder.

 

Hi Everyone,

I agree with everybody about the Arnoldo thing. I don’t think that Gideon would have said anything about Corinne to him. I think he would have left Arnoldo to come to his own conclusions and thereby absolve Gideon of outright lying to his friend.

Hi LNCronan, 1. After that first meeting at Crossfire, did Gideon put up Nathan at his hotel as a means to keep him under close watch? Had Gideon been secretly been meeting with Nathan there? My response to this is no way! Let’s think about this for a minute. Nathan has just gotten into a fist fight with Gideon and lost. Do you think that anyone in their right mind would say; “Hey I know you just beat the crap out of me, but yes I would love to stay at one of your hotels…free or otherwise. It would be perfect so then you could have access to me and come beat me up whenever you want. Yea! Not!†I think that Nathan chose a location close to Crossfire and I would like to say that it was coincidence but nothing Sylvia does is coincidence. We just need a little more information to connect the dots. As a result I don’t think that Gideon was having meetings with Nathan in his hotel room. I don’t think that Nathan would have entertained the notion of meeting with someone in a private location where he could be hurt and wouldn’t have the ability to protect himself of get help. In that way, I think that Nathan was organized. I don’t think that he would purposely put himself in harm’s way (Gideon’s way).

Hi Everyone, I agree with everybody about the Arnoldo thing. I don’t think that Gideon would have said anything about Corinne to him. I think he would have left Arnoldo to come to his own conclusions and thereby absolve Gideon of outright lying to his friend.

 

mrsm-now that I'm thinking about this, I don't think the second time Nathan was there it was to see Gideon. I'm going with Eva. Everyone seems to go to

lunch at the ad agency at 12:00. He probably couldn't get in and she wasn't there, plus she was with Megumi-the receptionist. Later that night she asks Gideon to review the tapes from outside the building because something frightened her mom. I think when Gideon does he sees it was Nathan and the wheels start turning-maybe he starts to formulate a plan. I don't know-so much surmising-so little time-wait-we've got a lot of time! Until June 4th!!!!!

Hi Azmich,

What do you think Nathan was hoping to get from Eva? He hadn't had any contact with her for years. Nathan's father and Eva's mother made sure of that.

Hi Mrsmajessick, Great point! How did Dr. Lucas alienate Gideon from his family? Like you said, if he wasn't a patient then his connection to Gideon doesn't make sense. According to my math, Dr. Lucas would have still been in school, studying his specialty, so why would he have been out at the Vidal Estate and/or why would Elizabeth Vidal seek the advise of the residency student/graduate student over that of a highly experienced professional? Elizabeth Vidal could afford the very best care for her child. My math may be wrong about the length of time people spend in medical school in the U.S., but somehow I don't think the length of time people spend in medical/grad school and residency are all that different from Canada and the U.S. So what's the deal?