Reflected in You **spoiler thread**

[GiGi]

 

Here's my thoughts, ladies ....

 

"Motive and opportunity" are the two legal elements a prosecutor must establish to convince a jury beyond reasonable doubt Gideon committed murder.

 

Gideon set up the opportunity by making sure both he and Eva had alibis and placing himself where he could quickly get to Nathan's hotel and then back to a publicity event that was his cover. He set a small fire to temporarily interrupt the party and empty the place where it was being held. Amid the crowd of people milling around outside, Gideon made sure he was seen moving about -- then he slipped away, killed Nathan, and got back to the party. 

 

But part of the opportunity required having to deal with his motive he loved Eva so much he'd do anything to protect her. To prevent the prosecution from convincingly establishing that motive, well ahead of the murder he started publicly behaving like he'd rejected her. He fooled the media (and unfortunately Eva herself) into believing he'd begun seeing Corrine again.

 

However, he ended up forced to cut off all contact with Eva within 24 hours of the body being found Friday morning, because he'd messed up twice in front of the lead homicide detective. His first mistake was being at Eva's apartment Friday night when the detectives showed up. Then he made a huge mistake taking Eva's phone call Saturday morning, ending up devastated while he was at the police station. After that, he avoided any contact whatsoever with her (well, managed to keep that up for almost two weeks.) That was the price -- them being completely apart.

 

Bottom line: When he risked contacting Eva again, he told her he had seized an opportunity but the price was their being apart. At the time she (and thus we readers) may have assumed the opportunity was the chance to work through unfinished business with Corrine. The truth was he seized the opportunity to stop Nathan forever, but price was he could not go back to Eva any time soon, because he was now the chief murder suspect.

 

Hi LNCronan,

Mrsmajessick’ theory is also just as plausible. Sometimes people kill for no other reason. If the cops really did investigate Nathan, than I am sure that Nathan would have had many skeletons in his closet, which means that there may have been other families looking to kill Nathan. I don’t sincerely think that Eva was his only victim. If the cops did a proper and thorough investigation then I could almost say with a certainty that there would have been other victims and other families looking for revenge.

It is said that criminals who get caught and have to serve time because of their violent crimes, they often “graduate†in that they commit far more violent crimes subsequently. Rapists who are caught and end up serving prison sentences often end up killing their subsequent victims because they don’t want to leave witnesses behind that can identify them. I think that Nathan had many victims and any one of them or their families could have killed Nathan also.

[GiGi]

 

A wrap up about the legal theories motive, opportunity and plausible deniability .....

 

Even if Gideon didn't kill Nathan (I think he did, but for argument's sake, let's say someone else did it) Gideon most definitely is the cops' chief suspect. So all of the three legal theories currently apply where things now stand at the end of Reflected.

 

Unless it turns out in Entwined that someone else committed the murder, and the cops find out, Gideon and Eva need to resolve these issues in Entwined -- most especially they need to resolve them if it is in fact true Gideon did kill Nathan to save Eva's life.

 

Motive: the cops believe his motive is his loves Eva so much he'd do anything to protect her. But there's still trying to establish enough evidence to prove it. They're halfway there because of some mistakes Gideon has made, but they haven't got it nailed down.

Opportunity: they have already have established opportunity. They've found a possible hole in his alibi that gave him the time to sneak off to commit the murder. This part of their case is a bit weak though.

Plausible deniability: as long as Gideon remains under suspicion, he has got to maintain plausible deniability he's in love with Eva, because if the cops can't prove he loves Eva, they can't establish motive. 

 

Gideon messed up badly twice in the first 24 hours after the body was found, doing two things in front of the lead detective to show he cared for Eva. He got caught at her apartment Friday night, then he got really upset over a phone call from her he answered on his cell phone Saturday morning at the police station. 

 

So in a bid to establish plausible deniability he loves Eva, he absolutely cut off all contact whatsoever with her after that phone call he stupidly answered at the police station. And as Reflected wrapped up, plausible deniability was about the only thing standing between Gideon and the cops being able to establish enough motive in order to try to indict him for first degree murder.

 

Until the last three days before Reflected ended, when Eva started figuring out otherwise, the biggest plausible deniability of all had been Eva herself believed Gideon didn't love her. Until Gideon finally started having contact with her again, and then the lead detective herself told Eva exactly what the cops think really did happen, Eva sadly believed all of the following, all of which she'd have told the cops they ever questioned her about Gideon:

• All along in their relationship, Gideon had only wanted her sexually. But his ex fiancee Corrine had some sort of hold over him.
• After he saw the rape pictures, he rejected Eva and went back to Corrine.
• The whole world saw pictures proving he was seeing Corrine again even while Nathan was still alive.
• Gideon been too much of a coward to break up with her himself, so she broke up with him when she figured out Gideon had been cheating on her.
• Since then, Gideon sometimes had been sending Angus to offer her rides, but this was because he felt guilty for breaking her heart. He'd never contacted her again himself after she dumped him.

In the last three days of Reflected, three things happened, each more serious than the last, to endanger the plausible deniability Gideon had worked so hard at for weeks to build and then maintain.

 

• Monday: he broke his no-contact stance with Eva by approaching her in a crowded elevator at the Crossfire, in front of witnesses and within sight of the Crossfire lobby security cameras (so now there's video plus eyewitnesses).
• Tuesday: he chased Eva to Dr. Lucas' office, and made it clear to Lucas he cares about Eva. Lucas is a sworn enemy of Gideon's, and now he's a potential witness Gideon still loves Eva.
• Wednesday: the lead detective in the case tricked Eva into revealing she dumped Gideon, not the other way around, and did it after Nathan was already dead. What's more, her ploy prompted Eva to go running straight to Gideon's apartment.

P.S. On number three, I see a potential legal out for Gideon. The detective was walking a very dangerous line with Eva, who made it clear she didn't want to talk without a lawyer. The detective told her to just listen, and she fed Eva all sorts of things about the investigation against Gideon. Telling Eva stuff wasn't unconstitutional, but when the detective got into the part about the telephone call Eva made to Gideon, the detective slipped over the line into asking Eva to confirm she broke up with Gideon. That violated Eva's (and by extension, Gideon's) right to have a lawyer present during questioning. It's now very possible what Eva said will be inadmissible, as will any further evidence detectives gather as a direct result of Eva confirming she dumped Gideon on Saturday.

 

Hi LNCronan,

I think it will be very interesting to see how Sylvia plans on dealing with this part of the storyline. Mrsmajessicks’ theory is just as plausible and quite frankly sits closer to reality for me. I don’t think that the DA’s office would charge Gideon on theories and speculation.

Yes, yes I know these theories make for great story telling but any DA who tried such a flimsy case would be committing career suicide. The US is famous for broadcasting some of its more infamous trials. The DA’s who tried and lost said cases never wound up on the winning end of the career spectrum.

I was also just thinking about the master key theory and every hotel that uses a key card system records all of the entries and exits from each and every single hotel room. That would include a master key as well. If I am not mistaken each and every key has its own code so that hotels are able to keep track of who is entering and leaving each room. It helps the hotel to ensure that their guests and their valuables remain safe. It also discourages employees from “five finger discounts†etc. How would Gideon account for that? If the cops were doing a stellar job, surely they would have uncovered that during their investigation.

[Mrs.CrossXxXxX]

Whats with the topping thing? Please explain. Gideon kind of contradicts himself. I also hate that in bared to you he tells Eva not to forget who summits and that he won't be topped yet he lets her do it often.

[GiGi]

Hi Mrs. CrossXxXxX,

It is my understanding that Gideon has to be in control sexually at all times. He is the one who dictates when he will have sex, how he will have sex and what sex acts he will perform on his partners. Up until the limousine scene, Gideon had been the one to chase Eva and also the one to dictate what he would do to her; chasing and kissing her at his nightclub, making a play for her in his office, touching her intimately and kissing her and finally performing oral s**on her at Eva’s apartment.

After the apartment scene, Eva was so overcome with emotion and passion for Gideon in the limousine, that she made the play for him in that she initiated s** with Gideon when she reached for his zipper and started to unzip his pants.

I think that Gideon desired Eva so much (and probably wanted to please her) that he allowed the s** act to happen, but this was not in his original plan. Gideon said something to Eva about how he wanted her to be wearing nothing but the ankle bracelet the first time they were to have s**. Eva completely changed those plans.

I think that Gideon allows Eva to “top†him because he loves her so much. She is the first woman that he has ever trusted or ever truly allowed into his personal space and into his heart. Gideon has always used his dominance as a way to control s** and also to keep himself safe.

[barbiemitch]

i

[barbiemitch]

When Gideon and Corinne were engaged, how did he explain, on the weekend nights, why he wouldn't spend the whole night with her.......no classes the next day?

 

Also, the weeks he was seeing Corinne again after the murder of Nathan, how would he have explained his new ring to her if she asked?  I would have asked right away.

 

Can anyone help me with this?

[jls1216]

I think Corrine was/is so desperate to have him that she treads lightly. Deep down i think she knows that he is not in love with her. I don't think she would ask about the ring because she doesn't want to admit the truth to herself.

[Mrs.CrossXxXxX]

Gigi

I forgot about the ankle bracelet. Ok I can see why he got weird. I just don't like that Gideon throws the fact that he dominates her outside of the bedroom. Eva is no pushover.

[sscrph]

I think Corrine was/is so desperate to have him that she treads lightly. Deep down i think she knows that he is not in love with her. I don't think she would ask about the ring because she doesn't want to admit the truth to herself.

I totally agree with this jls but I also think as I have stated before that Gideon told Corinne upfront that he and Eva were going through a rough patch and taking a break from each other. I think all Gideon wants from Corinne is friendship but that doesn't stop her from hoping for more. As Gideon told Eva he never takes that ring off so it would be in plain view for Corinne to question and she won't ask because she doesn't want to really know deep down. She is in denial.

[Mrs.CrossXxXxX]

Who do you think Eva is going to use her krav maga skills on?

[KiMa]

Christopher Jr and possible Brett as well but definitely Christopher Jr.

[LN Cronan]

   

Hi LNCronan,

I just wanted to clarify with you that your theory is that Gideon killed Nathan all by himself. In previous postings, you mentioned that it could be possible that Gideon worked with Monica. After reading the posting, I was left with the impression that Monica lured Nathan to open the door and that Gideon moved in and killed Nathan.

My question is why would Gideon need Monica if as your past theory stated that he had a "master key" of sorts? If Gideon could let himself in then Monica's assistance wouldn't be necessary. If you could clarify that issue it would help. Thanks in advance.

 

I think Monica and Stanton might have been working together with Gideon on Nathan back when the blackmail was the only problem. It's possible Monica and Stanton might have even known about the attack on Cary. But that's when Gideon quit working with them and set out on his own to solve the Nathan problem.

 

I never indicted I thought Gideon had any help from them on the murder itself. I firmly believe he came up with that solution totally on his own, and did the deed himself, quietly letting himself into Nathan hotel room with a master key. No one else was with Gideon. It's possible Angus was waiting downstairs near a back service entrance with a get-away car. Remember, all the security cameras were down and had been for a while due to scheduled upgrade. So Gideon could sneak in and out of side and back doors, with a master keycard to open them all.

 

Alas, no, I am not drifting over to your Camp Monica Did It (wink, wink). Gideon "Control Freak" Cross decided all on his own to put a permanent end to the Nathan situation. Things started out as rapist-blackmailer. But then they escalated to rapist-stalker who took a baseball bat to Cary. And Gideon feared (even the cops feared) Nathan would have kept escalating to rapist-homicidal maniac.

 

I am still one of the camp counselors (wink, wink) of Camp Gideon Took The Law Into His Own Hands To Stop A Dangerous Maniac From Raping/Killing Eva.

[LN Cronan]

GiGi, a huge part of your Monica Did It theory, which I respect, is your supposition Monica is about the only person Nathan would have opened that room door for. That Nathan would have never opened his door to Gideon, because Gideon already physically attacked Nathan once. But you're assuming, just because Detective Graves said so, that Nathan open his door and immediately got stabbed on the threshold. Nathan opens door = red flag he simply let his killer in. I believe that's a red herring (something to cleverly mislead a reader so the author can twist the plot.)

 

In that very same conversation, Graves also said the hotel where Nathan died is owned by a subsidiary of Cross Industries. That's the real red flag I see. That ownership would enable Gideon, using a computer system he himself could easily manipulate (or have someone like Angus do it for him) to generate a master hotel keycard that would open every door in that hotel, from Nathan's room to the delivery entrance out back.

 

Besides, you're also assuming Gideon beat up Nathan so badly the guy would be terrified of Gideon. That didn't happen -- if it had, they'd have carried Nathan out of the Crossfire, with an awful lot of explaining left for Gideon to do. Gideon landed probably just a single punch, and not one hard enough to break Nathan's nose or something, because even that would leave some explaining to do when Nathan left Gideon's office and then the building itself. There was only a little bit of blood on one cuff of Gideon's dress shirt, so little that Eva thought it was lipstick. Nathan may have even thought Gideon was just some guy who grew up never learning how to fight, because he was so sheltered. But we know from Angus, Gideon has a very high degree of control over use of physical violence. Plus Nathan himself is a very violent individual. Why would he be such a coward about someone daring to hit him.

 

So here's my case for how the fact Cross Industries owned that hotel is the real red flag -- owning the hotel made it simple for Gideon get a master key to let himself in to Nathan's room -- and -- based on another habit Gideon has concerning keys and his properties makes it highly likely that's exactly what Gideon did do, use a master key.

 

Hotel management always has master keycards to access every last door in a facility. Housekeepers have master keycards to open every single guestroom. Yes keycards are activated (and usually tracked) through a computer system. It'd be simple to alter a computer log. 

 

Remember, Graves has no idea Gideon's well-established habit of carrying around a master key of another sort -- a master elevator key that lets him take over an elevator whenever he feels the need. Like when he wants to corner Eva, a habit he has of doing. And not just at the Crossfire either. Gideon owns the building where Dr. Lucas has his pediatrics practice. He whipped out his master elevator key to corner Eva in the elevator there after he fetched her from Lucas' office, so he could kiss her as ask her what the f*** she was up to.

 

And no, Gideon doesn't have a whole collection of elevator keys, one for every building -- that'd be a pretty big keychain to carry around in his pocket. Just in case readers thought it was a little too "convenient" for Gideon to magically have the key to the elevator at the doctor's office building in his pocket when he went tearing over there after Eva. Master elevators keys actually exist -- firefighters always carry them. So do elevator repair personnel, and in large buildings, facility managers usually carry them around too. 

 

Bottom line: We know Gideon has a habit of using a master key to take over elevators. Why would he hesitate to carry around a master keycard for hotel properties? Or at least get his hands on one when need be and not hesitate to use it. So without even having to knock, to tell Nathan "open the door" Gideon could very quietly let himself into Nathan's room, then just stood there and wait for Nathan to approach him. Stab Nathan. Walk away without leaving any fiber evidence anywhere in the room other than the threshold, where it would end up destroyed by a parade of people walking over it. Tamper with the computer system to erase any record of a keycard opening that door around the time frame Nathan died. Even conceal from the computer system Gideon himself had any sort of master keycard assigned to himself.

[sscrph]

Don't you think the Vidals have to be wondering why the police questioned Gideon in regard to Nathan's murder? I mean surely Ireland must have gone home and recounted to her parents the strange ending to the evening at Eva's dinner party. What

does everyone think?

[Mrs.CrossXxXxX]

Ln Conan

I can't read what you write anymore! You make me doubt Gideon:( lol! I was so convinced he didn't do it and then I read you're theories and my mind is running wild.

[LN Cronan]

Ireland may have told her parents all about the dinner party, from how sweet Eva was to her but how unhappy Eva seemed that night before and during dinner. Gideon was chilly as always (because it's a sad truth Gideon apparently never bonded with Ireland, and the few times she's seen him, it's around his family and he's cold as ice. He was that way at the garden party -- the only reason he even talked to Ireland was because Eva asked him.)

 

 

No one publicly knows yet anything about Nathan, not even why he mattered to the cops anyway. Certainly the Vidals have no way of knowing the guy got stabbed to death in a hotel. I wonder if Ireland even remembers the guy's last name, "Barker." If Elizabeth Vidal and Christopher Jr. wanted to pump Ireland for any information at all, it wouldn't have been Nathan -- it'd be a play-by-play of Gideon and Eva obviously on the outs

 

The dinner ended very weirdly, but all Ireland saw was:

 

• Eva got upset when the cops showed up and asked her if she knew her former stepbrother, a "bully" was in town. Turns out the guy was found dead that morning. They never said murdered. For all Ireland knew, the guy OD'd or something. Though it was weird it was detectives, and Eva's cop father asked them to leave.
• Gideon seemed to recognize the guy's name, But Gideon didn't say anything specific, not to the cops, and not to Eva.
• The cops did want to know where Gideon was Thursday, but he flatly refused to talk about that in front of Eva. Her Dad had just asked the cops to leave, so Gideon jumped at the chance to walk the cops downstairs, offering to talk about it then(clearly where Eva couldn't overhear him explain.) 
• Eva, who had been a little "off" all evening and almost fainted when the cops showed up, said she felt sick, and she decided to go straight to bed. She didn't even say goodnight to Gideon.

 

The Vidals probably quickly put two-and-two together about where Gideon really had been Thursday. They may have already known even before Gideon brought Ireland along with him on Friday to a dinner at Eva's that had been in the works for a while. Because there was Internet proof Gideon was out partying with Corrine on Thursday night, a picture showing him with his arm around her waist and her laughing. They were having a great time. In fact, it was the second time that week he'd taken Corrine out. There were pictures of him out to dinner with her Monday. No wonder Gideon didn't want to talk about Thursday with the cops with Eva sitting right there.

 

I'll bet the Vidals came to the conclusion Gideon was dating Corrine again., and judging by the way Eva was acting Friday, she probably knew it. Because there was something seriously wrong between Eva and Gideon. Since then, Eva disappeared from Gideon life. Do the math -- Eva lasted only a few weeks with Gideon. She wasn't even his type to begin with.  She was a blonde, not a brunette. What was up with that? No wonder it didn't last. Especially because the two of them repeatedly had been seen bickering (quietly on their first date, obviously at the Vidals garden party, and in front of a whole society crowd when Corrine crashed the fundraiser and snagged Gideon right under Eva's nose.)

 

Poor Ireland herself probably believes this now. Just more of the same old Gideon being Gideon -- meaning Gideon is pretty cold to women. Either he got sick of Eva or she got mad at him about Corrine, or both. But Eva is history. And if anything, Ireland's probably pretty disappointed in him right now, despite the fact she sorta hero worships him from afar. It's too bad, because Eva was really nice to Ireland, and Ireland liked her.

[LN Cronan]

Ln Conan

I can't read what you write anymore! You make me doubt Gideon:( lol! I was so convinced he didn't do it and then I read you're theories and my mind is running wild.

 

If it turns out he didn't do it, I'm going to be eating crow for breakfast on June 5, having stayed up all night reading Entwined.

 

But seriously, there are some posters on the forum, especially GiGi, who have some excellent alternate theories. It's a lot of fun discussing theories. Our Crossfire fixes until June.

 

But I understand some people want someone else to have done it because they can't bear the thought of blood on Gideon's hands. Not our hero, oh no!

 

I seriously wish the guy hadn't taken the law into his own hands. And he needs to be kicked in the a** big time for being so cruel to Eva those weeks as part of his big cover story.

 

But bottom line -- Nathan probably would have kidnapped Eva, raped her brutally while videotaping the whole thing, murdered her in a particularly gruesome way (snap her neck like her pet cat, or maybe bludgeon her to death with that bat he used on Cary?), taken trophy pictures of her corpse and then dumped her body somewhere it would have never been found. And used the millions he got through blackmail (Monica and Stanton were ready to pay near the end of Reflected) to leave the country, never to be found nor punished.

 

Gideon, Monica, Victor, Cary, would have spent the rest of their lives broken, wondering where she was, if she was even alive, but fearing she probably was dead. Worse, if her body was found and they all knew how horribly she died, well Gideon would have probably followed her into the grave himself soon after, killing himself. Not only because life meant nothing with her gone -- he'd have blamed himself for having tried to keep Nathan being in New York a secret from her, a secret that got her killed. Monica would have hated herself forever. Victor would have hated them all. So would have Cary, and he'd have probably turned back to the drugs -- he'd have also ended up dead at a young age.

 

So whoever killed the sicko deserves a handshake, not handcuffs. I think Gideon did it to save Eva.

 

He's not proud of it. In fact, he was terrified Eva would ever find out. All of that awful stuff he'd done to her was all so she'd never find out and so when it was safe, he could go back to her. But the cops told her anyway. And when he sneaked into her apartment to see her early in Entwined (both the book excerpt and the special New Year's snippet that gave us our only look inside his head), he was sick with worry the fact she now knew meant he'd lost her forever. But she's relieved that beast who tortured her as a girl and stole her innocence is gone forever. And she's standing by her man.

[MrsCrossfire]

You ladies are really going in on the books..! I have read and read and even brought them on audible.! I'm just looking at everyone's opinions and going from there but I do think some things won't be answered in EWY it will still be a guessing game or just something that's going to be left up to the imagination!

The one thing I'm looking for is marriage between Ace and Eva! SD tweeted someone that asked if they got married and had babies in EWY and she said no babies yet there's more room for them to grow before babies come in the picture.! So hopefully that will happen..!! In the meantime I'm enjoying reading everyone's opinion!!!

70 more days..!!

[sscrph]

Hi LN,

I think if Gideon did do it he did it to save Eva too and I'm actually ok with that because I think it was only a matter of time before Nathan got to her. But as far as romance novels go I just have a hard time believing that of our hero. And I do believe there were other victims out there even possibly look-alikes of Eva because Nathan was obsessed with her. He may have even had a current girlfriend who found out about her and was jealous of her who knows ? But if Gideon did not do it, I don't think Monica or Stanton did either and you certainly can't rule out a professional hit . I still think Mr. Barker is a possibility but only June 4th will tell .

[LN Cronan]

You ladies are really going in on the books..! I have read and read and even brought them on audible.! I'm just looking at everyone's opinions and going from there but I do think some things won't be answered in EWY it will still be a guessing game or just something that's going to be left up to the imagination!

The one thing I'm looking for is marriage between Ace and Eva! SD tweeted someone that asked if they got married and had babies in EWY and she said no babies yet there's more room for them to grow before babies come in the picture.! So hopefully that will happen..!! In the meantime I'm enjoying reading everyone's opinion!!!

70 more days..!!

 You're going to love the books on Audible. There's so much you pick up by listening that jumps out while being read aloud!!!!

 

One of the reasons I know the books so well is I've both listened and read. I read first, then listened while I was out walking/jogging.

[MicheleWV]

Wonder if Gideon's momma will admit she did him terrible beg his forgiveness?

[MrsCrossfire]

 You're going to love the books on Audible. There's so much you pick up by listening that jumps out while being read aloud!!!!

 

One of the reasons I know the books so well is I've both listened and read. I read first, then listened while I was out walking/jogging.

I love them on audible..! I think I've listen to them 50 times already. I use the app on my iphone and plug the USB in and listen to it full blast in the car sometimes..!!

[MrsCrossfire]

Wonder if Gideon's momma will admit she did him terrible beg his forgiveness?

I hope so.. Now that Eva has an idea I don't think she wants to be known as the mother that didn't listen to her child I think she will ask Gideon to forgive her..! It won't be easy tho, the damage is already done.!

[LauraJ]

I love them on audible..! I think I've listen to them 50 times already. I use the app on my iphone and plug the USB in and listen to it full blast in the car sometimes..!!

Ok ladies you have convinced me to jump on the bandwagon and buy the audio. I love reading everyone's thoughts.

[rcmcap]

Hi!  Here's a question from BARED TO YOU, chapter nine.

 

When Eva suggested to Gideon that they go "someplace close" after their gym  workout to have sex and he said there is a hotel

near by, his fxxx pad,

where do you think he would have taken Eva to hook up if she hadn't suggested that to him?  Do you think that he would have suggested his apartment then or suggested her apartment with Cary there?

 

What do you think?

Here are a couple of questions I have about that night. On the way to the hotel after the gym, Gideon went out of his way to make sure a photographer took their picture. First, how did he know there was a photographer, was he following him or was he planted? Second, when Eva ran and ended up in the little bistro and he found her, why did he say he couldn't be seen in public at that time and took her back to the apartment?