One Chapter A Day - Re-Read Of Bared and Entwined

[jls1216]

JLS1216

 

Where do you live in PA? I live in DE

I live in Montgomery County. It's a suburb outside of Philly. Where in DE do you live? I have family there.

[jls1216]

hi

Monica needs to realise, that children are not accessories. The need to be, nurtured, loved unconditionally, protected, put first in all things. Beauty parlours come second! Take that!!

Monica makes me angry. She is so worried about her image.

[Andie]

Hello, ladies

 

Chapter 5

 

My Favorites

 

1. line: From the burn, it's hair of the dog (p. 69)

 

2. paragraph: As I studied the gift, I found it very apt. Since meeting Gideon I'd felt like I'd fallen down the rabbit hole into a fascinating and seductive world where few of the known rules applied. I was in uncharted territory that was both exciting and scary (p. 69)

 

3. scene: Paul's friendly conversation with Eva about spa.

[Andie]

Chapter 11

 

My Favorites

 

1. line: You have your way of dealing with jealousy and I have mine (p. 115)

 

2. paragraph: A bittersweet tenderness pierced me. He'd listened. He cared (p. 163)

 

3. scene: Gideon popped the bubble Eva blew.

 

 

Have a great weekend, ladies.

[gabri]

GOOD MORNING EVERYBODY!!!!

 

Here are my favourite lines in Chap. 12:

 

1) 'Keep looking at me like that,'.....'See what happens.'

2) 'You have to trust me. I'm trusting you. I've had to or we wouldn't be here now.'

3) I wished he had something near my mouth that I could bite.

4) ('....romance...' ) 'I don't think about it that way. I just try to guess what might please you, and then I give it a shot and hope for the best.'

5) '(Nathan) is not worth the effort. Not worth wour time.'   'YOU are. You are worth it.'

[LN Cronan]

Chapter Eleven of Bared - The Readers Guide

 

This chapter starts lunchtime Tuesday (day nine). It ends somewhere in the middle of the night Tuesday into Wednesday (day ten). 

 

Key plot developments:

• Eva found out Gideon leaked their relationship to the celebrity-watch media.
• Cary's attitude about Gideon shifted from negative (where it had been during the weekend) to positive - for now - in light of Monday's developments. 
• Eva sexually took the lead in another encounter with Gideon, this time in his office.
• Eva started to get to know Gideon's driver, Angus.

 

New characters:

• Angus. He's been in the background before now, making his earliest appearance in Chapter Six. But in this chapter, he emerges by name as a full character.

 

 

Can't Be Public

Back in Chapter Ten, when Gideon was struggling to not cry in the middle of the restaurant after he'd found Eva, he said "I can't be in public right now."(Page 144). Mindful of his celebrity status, he feared being recognized, or worse photographed, while in a fragile emotional state.

Thus it's ironic what he'd already set in motion earlier that evening. To stake his possessive claim on Eva, so that all other men would know she was taken, he made it easy for a photographer who happened to be lurking on the sidewalk get a passionate-kiss candid of him and Eva. Then he made sure his PR staff confirmed to questioning gossip journalists who Eva is, and what she means to him.

Much of the terrible that would follow in later chapters was set in motion by him deliberately pulling her into his personal celebrity spotlight. Mere hours after that kiss, more than 30 stories about Gideon's love life were already on the web.

From page 154, "Anonymity was my friend. It protected me from my past. It protected my family from embarrassment, and Gideon too. I didn't even have any social networking accounts, so people who weren't actively in my life couldn't find me."

"It can't be that way between us, Gideon. We can't be public. I don't want -- D*** it, I'll embarrass you." (page 156). She doesn't get into the reasons why with Gideon, when she said this in a spare moment when she ran into him on her way to lunch.

But she did agonize about it with Cary over lunch. Whatever "it" was, he knew the back story and listened to her voice her fears. He reminded her that her stepfather, Stanton, managed to bury "it". She remained scared though that some reporter might dig hard anyway, because fame could spark interest about her past.

 

 

Hanging With Cary -- A BFF To Lean On

Cary's opinion of Gideon, which had been very low because of how disrespectfully Gideon had treated Eva Saturday, has now rebounded. Since the weekend, Gideon made sincere amends to Eva, and in the ultimate show of remorse and respect, made her his girlfriend.

Cary's envious, in a good way, about the hawt sex life Eva's suddenly got, having a stud like Gideon. He's also amused by the extremes Eva's put the guy through in the past week. He teased Eva for having started by complaining Gideon wanted her for nothing more than a f*** to now complaining Gideon had told the world she's his significant other.

More importantly though, addressing Eva's insecurity issues -- from group therapy, Cary knows all about them -- he pointed out to Eva that Gideon would find her sharp mind and big heart attractive, not just her body. And Cary pointed out (accurately) Gideon's probably insecure about what someone like Eva would see in him. Eva doesn't need his money, so all Gideon's got going is he's a stud -- one who keeps screwing up.

After work, while Gideon is off at a business meeting, Eva spends the evening at home with Cary and Cary's new boyfriend, Trey, eating pizza and watching movies.

As Eva describes Trey, "He was very different personality-wise from the type of guy Cary usually dated.  Trey seemed more grounded; not quite comber but definitely not flighty. I thought he'd be a good influence on Cary, if they stayed together long enough." (Page 166).

 

About Angus

Our first knowledge of this important character began to unfold in the saga when Eva struck up a conversation with Angus as he, per Gideon's order, drove Eva home after work Tuesday.

Angus started driving Gideon as a boy, taking him to school, employed at the time by Gideon's stepfather, Christopher Vidal Sr.

Gideon hired Angus away from Vidal eight years ago, and Angus has worked for Gideon since. (Note: Gideon would have been just 20 years old when he had enough money to hire Angus.)

Noticing that Angus wears a gun holster under his jacket, Eva realized he's not just a driver, he's an armed bodyguard too, similar to Clancy, the driver/bodyguard who works for Monica and Stanton.

 

 

Eva Continues to Rock Gideon's Sexual World

On Monday when they'd had their lunch date in his office, Eva had joked about doing sexual things with Gideon there. Tuesday, she made good on that promise/threat by seducing Gideon into a blow-job quickie. More than just to give him physical pleasure, she wanted to give him emotional reassurance because of having twice reacted badly to things (the hotel, the tabloid photo/stories.)

Their second full day as boyfriend/girlfriend wrapped up late Tuesday night, when Gideon came over to Eva's after a nighttime business meeting to sleep with her in her own bed. Literally and figuratively: they made love and he stayed the night.

She still had no idea how much she's expanded his world beyond the narrow confines his entire adult sex life had been up to that point. From topping him in the limo to being a comforting presence in his own bed, she'd torn down rigid walls he'd holed himself up behind.

[LN Cronan]

Chapter A Day Re-Read Project - Today is Chapter Twelve of Bared

 

This chapter starts Wednesday morning (day ten) and goes through Wednesday evening.

 

Key plot developments:

• Eva tells Gideon she was raped by her former stepbrother for four years, starting when she was ten years old. This is the dark secret that's been hinted in earlier chapters, that something bad had happened to Eva. The full revelation in this chapter is one of the most important plot twists of Bared to You.
• The high-profile of her new relationship with the celebrity Gideon, now being avidly followed by the gossip/tabloid media, is was made Eva compelled to let him know -- to warn him that scandal could embarrass him if a reporter dug into Eva's family past.

 

 

Once each of us has read Chapter Twelve, our homework assignment from Sylvia herself is for each of us to pick our favorite quote or paragraph.

 

The chapter re-reads also have been the springboard here for lots of discussion. We're continuing to touch upon the chapter of the day, but even more, discussion has been jumping backward into the earlier chapters and forward in the story (even into Reflected and the Entwined snippets) as the re-reading leads us to analyze how different parts of the Crossfire saga have been connecting.

[julie54]

Favourite bits from pages 176 & 177

I love Steven. I love his sense of humour.

Steven stood with his hands in his pockets and a big grin on his attractive face. "I feel like I should applaud. That was better than watching a chick flick"

"What's wrong with you? You can go out with a catty bit*h who calls me a w*ore and thinks she's going to marry you, but I can't have lunch with a dear friend who's been pulling for you from the beginning?"

[julie54]

Gideon sometimes gets it so right, saying beautiful things to Eva , buying her gifts, taking note of brands of toiletries that she uses. Then other times he's a complete quote " as*hat".

With all his times with women, socially and sexually, he was clueless, bless him.

Good job he's got Eva to put him right.

You please me. I crossed to him, the black robe swaying round my legs. I loved that he put on something that matched what he had given me.

I want to, he said soberly. I'm working on it.

Give him time .

[sscrph]

Favorites from Chapter 12...

Whatever you want Angel, make yourself at home...then later...I'm looking for Gideon Cross the man who doesn't have romance in his repertoire..then later... Hey is this about me being an Arse at lunch or whatever it is you need to say to me ; talk to me Eva so I can tell you it'll be okay...WOW Gideon if you only knew!!!

[LN Cronan]

Gideon's skillful manipulating of the media for his own purposes -- staging "candid" photo opportunities for paparazzi and having his PR staff leak anything Gideon specifically wanted reported -- would become crucial in Reflected. Judging by Snapshot One of Entwined (the "Press" clue) it's also going to be important from the get-go in the forthcoming novel.

 

Thus I was struck by things in contained in chapters 10 through 12 of Bared, which revealed how Gideon handles the avid media attention he draws. He uses it to his advantage both actively (staging things) and passively (ignoring some rampant speculations.)

 

Here's my thoughts on plot threads about how actions he took to publicly and truthfully lay claim to Eva in Bared would parallel actions in Reflected to publicly and deceptively lay claim to Corrine in Reflected.

 

First, two key things Gideon says to Eva when she, upset at the time, informs Gideon there's a picture (and coverage about) them as a couple "all over the place" -- she'd seen a Google alert list at least 30 reports only hours after she and Gideon had been caught kissing in public less than 18 hours earlier.

 

He says he's not bothered. "Why would I be? For once, they're reporting the truth." And when it dawns on her he deliberately set the media up, he revealed, "The photographer happened to be there. I just gave him a picture worth printing, and told PR to make it clear who you are and what you are to me." (page 155).

 

Timeline of Gideon's Bared manipulation of the story Eva-Gideon (and the ensuing unintended media amok):

1. Monday Evening: Gideon stages the kiss photo, and his PR people spin the story.
2. By Tuesday Morning: all over the Internet is gossip along these lines: "Gideon Cross in new relationship with socialite Eva Trammel -- it's serious sources confirm!!!!"
3. Lunchtime Tuesday, freshly thrust into the spotlight, Eva would eat lunch in a restaurant with her best friend, Cary, an emerging hot model. Secretly, a paparazzi would snap pictures of them in an intimate setting. Their easy affection with one another, totally platonic, would within later get twisted.
4. Dinnertime Tuesday - Gideon attended a business meeting (without Eva) at a restaurant, where he ran into Magdalene. Afterward outside, they'd briefly talk, affection as old friends apparent. That's get twisted too, especially because of the already-known former dating relationship between the pair
5. By Wednesday Morning: the tabloids are running amok with false reports along these lines, complete with photos that even Gideon and Eva would each flared into jealousy. Basically:
6. "Eva Trammel keeping her up-and-coming model boyfriend, Cary Taylor, on the side while reeling in billionaire playboy Gideon Cross!!!!
7. Gideon Cross turns to Magdalene Perez for comfort!!!! Good for him, he's got a 'bevy of beautiful socialites!!!!"
8. Wednesday Lunchtime: major argument with Gideon paranoid Eva's f***** Cary and Eva paranoid Gideon did not make good on his promise to handle Magdalene.
9. They reassured one another, kiss and make up (and get secretly photographed again doing it). But no where does Eva read any denials about Gideon-Magdalene, and she doesn't issue any denials about Cary-Eva. Their strategy is to just ignore it (smart, because to do anything otherwise would accomplish nothing but further fanning the flames.

 

Timeline in Gideon's Reflected manipulation of the story Corrine-Gideon

1. Monday Dinnertime: Gideon takes Corrine to dinner. The restaurant is owned by his good friend (Arnoldo) and the couple ends up with a very visible front table
2. By Tuesday morning: all over the Internet are "candid" pictures of Gideon with Corrine, obviously at ease with one another and having a good time. Accompanying captions and stories truthfully report Corrine's his former fiancee. The prospect of them reunited has started a media feeding frenzy.

What Gideon must have done: tip off a photographer to secretly get candids, and made sure his PR people leaked Corrine's name and who she is to him. The leak is the only way the media could have immediately found out Corrine's name/status. She'd lived overseas for many years and had just come back. Plus Gideon was an unknown college kid when he and Corrine were a couple.

Why did he do it: Nathan was out of control over belief Eva was f****** Cary, and Nathan already had been trying to destroy Eva's relationship with Gideon. To try to defuse the now-crisis-situation, Gideon made it look like he'd left Eva for another woman, one he was serious about.

 

1. Thursday evening: Gideon threw a publicity party and Corrine was there.
2. Obviously by Friday morning, but not seen until Saturday by Eva - the spin: "The picture was of Gideon and Corrine at some sort of cocktail party. He had his arm around her waist, and their body language was familiar and intimate. He was very close to her, his lips nearly touching her temple. She had a drink in her hand and was laughing." The accompanying caption was tame: simply naming the pair of them (no relationship mentioned) and what the party was for. A bland short story reported when and where the mixer was held. (Reflected pages 283-284)

What he did: He invited Corrine as his date, because it was vital she be there. He had his PR people invite one mainstream media photographer and fed him/her a very bland press release, probably later that evening, close to the newspaper deadline so that the paper would just run it as is, not having the time to ask questions.

Why he did it: He killed Nathan that night, and this staged PR event was his alibi. He made sure the fluff piece gave the exact time of the three-hour-long party, and mentioned by name who Corrine was. He was counting on the cops just accepting the photo at face value, immediately rule he had no opportunity to kill Nathan, and thus speed things along in the cops eliminating him early in any investigation. As a two-fer, he used Corrine to bolster his cover to protect him from motive -- he'd already gone back to Corrine, even while Nathan was still alive, and now it was reasonable to assume he and Corrine were lovers again. He was capitalizing on already rampant speculation about him and Corrine.

 

Eva didn't look beyond that one photo story, picked out by her father to show her, obviously the only "tame" one there was. Gideon had been counting (idiot!) on Eva not looking any further into what would have been the media running amok with false speculation along these lines: "Gideon Cross back together with the love of his life!!!! She's left her husband for him!!!! Wedding bells as soon as the divorce goes through?!!!!"

 

Gideon would have "ignored" instead of denied those things. Counting on Corrine to simply believe he obviously was publicly laying claim to her again. Make the cops conclude he had no motive as well as no opportunity -- and so within days at the most, he'd be crossed off the suspect list. Then he'd tell Corrine he couldn't see her anymore. He'd go back to Eva and tell her Corrine was permanently out of his life. Eva would take him back.

Idiot!!! Shattered Eva, who immediately pulled the ultimate runner - accusing him of awful things that shattered him in return, then breaking off their relationship for good.

It was all in vain too, because a very smart homicide detective saw right through the fake Gideon-Corrine affair, then started busting her b*** to break his alibi.

[julie54]

Gideon's skillful manipulating of the media for his own purposes -- staging "candid" photo opportunities for paparazzi and having his PR staff leak anything Gideon specifically wanted reported -- would become crucial in Reflected. Judging by Snapshot One of Entwined (the "Press" clue) it's also going to be important from the get-go in the forthcoming novel.

Thus I was struck by things in contained in chapters 10 through 12 of Bared, which revealed how Gideon handles the avid media attention he draws. He uses it to his advantage both actively (staging things) and passively (ignoring some rampant speculations.)

Here's my thoughts on plot threads about how actions he took to publicly and truthfully lay claim to Eva in Bared would parallel actions in Reflected to publicly and deceptively lay claim to Corrine in Reflected.

First, two key things Gideon says to Eva when she, upset at the time, informs Gideon there's a picture (and coverage about) them as a couple "all over the place" -- she'd seen a Google alert list at least 30 reports only hours after she and Gideon had been caught kissing in public less than 18 hours earlier.

He says he's not bothered. "Why would I be? For once, they're reporting the truth." And when it dawns on her he deliberately set the media up, he revealed, "The photographer happened to be there. I just gave him a picture worth printing, and told PR to make it clear who you are and what you are to me." (page 155).

Timeline of Gideon's Bared manipulation of the story Eva-Gideon (and the ensuing unintended media amok):

• Monday Evening: Gideon stages the kiss photo, and his PR people spin the story.
• By Tuesday Morning: all over the Internet is gossip along these lines: "Gideon Cross in new relationship with socialite Eva Trammel -- it's serious sources confirm!!!!"
• Lunchtime Tuesday, freshly thrust into the spotlight, Eva would eat lunch in a restaurant with her best friend, Cary, an emerging hot model. Secretly, a paparazzi would snap pictures of them in an intimate setting. Their easy affection with one another, totally platonic, would within later get twisted.
• Dinnertime Tuesday - Gideon attended a business meeting (without Eva) at a restaurant, where he ran into Magdalene. Afterward outside, they'd briefly talk, affection as old friends apparent. That's get twisted too, especially because of the already-known former dating relationship between the pair
• By Wednesday Morning: the tabloids are running amok with false reports along these lines, complete with photos that even Gideon and Eva would each flared into jealousy. Basically:
• "Eva Trammel keeping her up-and-coming model boyfriend, Cary Taylor, on the side while reeling in billionaire playboy Gideon Cross!!!!
• Gideon Cross turns to Magdalene Perez for comfort!!!! Good for him, he's got a 'bevy of beautiful socialites!!!!"
• Wednesday Lunchtime: major argument with Gideon paranoid Eva's f***** Cary and Eva paranoid Gideon did not make good on his promise to handle Magdalene.
• They reassured one another, kiss and make up (and get secretly photographed again doing it). But no where does Eva read any denials about Gideon-Magdalene, and she doesn't issue any denials about Cary-Eva. Their strategy is to just ignore it (smart, because to do anything otherwise would accomplish nothing but further fanning the flames.

Timeline in Gideon's Reflected manipulation of the story Corrine-Gideon

• Monday Dinnertime: Gideon takes Corrine to dinner. The restaurant is owned by his good friend (Arnoldo) and the couple ends up with a very visible front table
• By Tuesday morning: all over the Internet are "candid" pictures of Gideon with Corrine, obviously at ease with one another and having a good time. Accompanying captions and stories truthfully report Corrine's his former fiancee. The prospect of them reunited has started a media feeding frenzy.

What Gideon must have done: tip off a photographer to secretly get candids, and made sure his PR people leaked Corrine's name and who she is to him. The leak is the only way the media could have immediately found out Corrine's name/status. She'd lived overseas for many years and had just come back. Plus Gideon was an unknown college kid when he and Corrine were a couple.

Why did he do it: Nathan was out of control over belief Eva was f****** Cary, and Nathan already had been trying to destroy Eva's relationship with Gideon. To try to defuse the now-crisis-situation, Gideon made it look like he'd left Eva for another woman, one he was serious about.

• Thursday evening: Gideon threw a publicity party and Corrine was there.
• Obviously by Friday morning, but not seen until Saturday by Eva - the spin: "The picture was of Gideon and Corrine at some sort of cocktail party. He had his arm around her waist, and their body language was familiar and intimate. He was very close to her, his lips nearly touching her temple. She had a drink in her hand and was laughing." The accompanying caption was tame: simply naming the pair of them (no relationship mentioned) and what the party was for. A bland short story reported when and where the mixer was held. (Reflected pages 283-284)

What he did: He invited Corrine as his date, because it was vital she be there. He had his PR people invite one mainstream media photographer and fed him/her a very bland press release, probably later that evening, close to the newspaper deadline so that the paper would just run it as is, not having the time to ask questions.

Why he did it: He killed Nathan that night, and this staged PR event was his alibi. He made sure the fluff piece gave the exact time of the three-hour-long party, and mentioned by name who Corrine was. He was counting on the cops just accepting the photo at face value, immediately rule he had no opportunity to kill Nathan, and thus speed things along in the cops eliminating him early in any investigation. As a two-fer, he used Corrine to bolster his cover to protect him from motive -- he'd already gone back to Corrine, even while Nathan was still alive, and now it was reasonable to assume he and Corrine were lovers again. He was capitalizing on already rampant speculation about him and Corrine.

Eva didn't look beyond that one photo story, picked out by her father to show her, obviously the only "tame" one there was. Gideon had been counting (idiot!) on Eva not looking any further into what would have been the media running amok with false speculation along these lines: "Gideon Cross back together with the love of his life!!!! She's left her husband for him!!!! Wedding bells as soon as the divorce goes through?!!!!"

Gideon would have "ignored" instead of denied those things. Counting on Corrine to simply believe he obviously was publicly laying claim to her again. Make the cops conclude he had no motive as well as no opportunity -- and so within days at the most, he'd be crossed off the suspect list. Then he'd tell Corrine he couldn't see her anymore. He'd go back to Eva and tell her Corrine was permanently out of his life. Eva would take him back.

Idiot!!! Shattered Eva, who immediately pulled the ultimate runner - accusing him of awful things that shattered him in return, then breaking off their relationship for good.

It was all in vain too, because a very smart homicide detective saw right through the fake Gideon-Corrine affair, then started busting her b*** to break his alibi.

I often wondered what time Nathan was murdered. It had to be that Thursday evening, or was it?

Bearing that in mind, and trusting Eva's safety to Angus, why did Raul (who she had never met before) pick up Eva just before dawn on Friday to take her to the airport to collect Victor? Where was Angus, Nathan would/should be dead now.

[sscrph]

I often wondered what time Nathan was murdered. It had to be that Thursday evening, or was it?

Bearing that in mind, and trusting Eva's safety to Angus, why did Raul (who she had never met before) pick up Eva just before dawn on Friday to take her to the airport to collect Victor? Where was Angus, Nathan would/should be dead now.

Good question since we weren't privy to the time of death established by a forensics team since it was a deemed a homicide...

[julie54]

Good question since we weren't privy to the time of death established by a forensics team since it was a deemed a homicide...

hi

We only have the detectives word to go by, and she has been a bit tricky dicky with our girl.

[LN Cronan]

I often wondered what time Nathan was murdered. It had to be that Thursday evening, or was it?

Bearing that in mind, and trusting Eva's safety to Angus, why did Raul (who she had never met before) pick up Eva just before dawn on Friday to take her to the airport to collect Victor? Where was Angus, Nathan would/should be dead now.

 

Ah, glad you asked. My theories about Angus that night .... his role in the alibis for Eva and Gideon both.

 

But first, some important thing to note about time of death. The only time there is any medical certainty, right down to the minute, when a person dies (by whatever causes) is when there is an eyewitness that can document the time.

1. A person dies of a heart attack -- when the emergency room doctor determines the resuscitation efforts won't work, he/she declares the patient dead. The time is noted, right down to the minute, on the death certificate.
2. A patient succumbs to cancer in a hospital or hospice setting. Nurses and/or family members will be there when the person breathes his/her final breath. About a minute later, the heart stops beating. The time is noted on the death certification.

When a person dies "unattended" it is impossible to determine right down to the minute when death occurred. At best, a medical examiner can guestimate a window of a couple of hours. And that's under ideal conditions, when the body is still "fresh" -- i.e. the deceased was found around 24 hours or less later. The presence (or lack of presence) of rigor mortis is an important clue, as is the temperature of the body core (determined by inserting a thermometer into the liver.)

 

When Detective Graves showed up at Eva's on Friday night, she didn't ask Eva where she was Thursday evening. How Graves phrased it was exactly this way "Can you just tell us where you were, yesterday, Miss Trammel?" (page 270 and on page 280, Graves' partner, Detective Michna, asked Gideon the same thing while Graves was busy watching Eva like a hawk.)

 

Gideon was careful to manipulate things so that Eva had an unbroken alibi for all of Thursday, starting at work and continuing straight through to the following morning. Every minute of her day, she was around someone else, and if worse came to worse, eyewitnesses could account for her every movement. Gideon must have taken the same care. Angus definitely played a part in Eva's alibi, and I think he was part of Gideon's alibi too. (In fact, I think Angus was an accomplice that helped Gideon commit the killing himself, but for her, I'll stick to the alibi timelines.

 

Eva alibi timeline, all of which is actually laid out in Reflected.

1. Thursday daytime in the office all day, including lunch (and including a meeting at Cross Industries, where Gideon coldly ignored her in front of everyone there.)
2. Thursday after work: Angus was right downstairs to drive Eva from the Crossfire to Dr. Petersen's office, then from Dr. Petersen's office straight home to her apartment.
3. Thursday night: Eva's BFF/roommate, who got out of the hospital the day before, was in home care, including an onsite private nurse. Eva stayed in all night. Even while she and Cary were both asleep, someone was awake (the nurse.)
4. Friday dawn: Eva left her apartment, seen by her doorman and with Raul waiting to pick her up. A ride she blew off. Timeline wraps up there.

 

Gideon's likely alibi timeline:

1. Thursday daytime in the office all day. 
2. Thursday evening: he told Eva (when claiming he's meet her at Dr. Petersen's instead of riding there with her) he had a late meeting. 
3. My guess what happened next: Raul picked Gideon up at the Crossfire and drove him right to Corrine's apartment to pick her up for the "date." Raul took them right to the party, getting them there shortly before 6 p.m. (same time Eva would have been arriving at Dr. Petersen's).
4. The party went on from 6-9 p.m. At some point, an evacuation of the party hotel forced everyone to mill around outside. Gideon slipped off amid the confusion.

My theory about where Angus was the rest of the night, after he dropped Eva off at home sometime around 7-ish:

1. Positioned himself near the party hotel. Gideon met him during the disruption, they rushed to Nathan's hotel, Angus stood lookout, Gideon took care of Nathan forever, Angus rushed Gideon back to the party.
2. After the party: Gideon had to be in someone else's company for most, if not all, the rest of the night. To go home alone would be too dangerous. Here's my theory.
3. To avoid having to go home with Corrine (or worse, have to deal with an "expectation" he'd get a room so they could have sex)  Gideon actually did have a "late business meeting" set up -- really late, after 9 p.m. He told Eva the truth, and could prove to her where he'd gone after the party, if worse came to worse.  
4. Gideon had Raul drive Corrine home while Angus drove Gideon to his meeting.
5. Wherever Gideon was, he didn't go home until the wee hours. Maybe he went out for drinks with people after the meeting. Wherever he was, Angus drove him there and ultimately drove Gideon home.
6. Raul was sent instead of Angus to get Eva the morning after.

[julie54]

Ah, glad you asked. My theories about Angus that night .... his role in the alibis for Eva and Gideon both.

 

But first, some important thing to note about time of death. The only time there is any medical certainty, right down to the minute, when a person dies (by whatever causes) is when there is an eyewitness that can document the time.

• A person dies of a heart attack -- when the emergency room doctor determines the resuscitation efforts won't work, he/she declares the patient dead. The time is noted, right down to the minute, on the death certificate.
• A patient succumbs to cancer in a hospital or hospice setting. Nurses and/or family members will be there when the person breathes his/her final breath. About a minute later, the heart stops beating. The time is noted on the death certification.

When a person dies "unattended" it is impossible to determine right down to the minute when death occurred. At best, a medical examiner can guestimate a window of a couple of hours. And that's under ideal conditions, when the body is still "fresh" -- i.e. the deceased was found around 24 hours or less later. The presence (or lack of presence) of rigor mortis is an important clue, as is the temperature of the body core (determined by inserting a thermometer into the liver.)

 

When Detective Graves showed up at Eva's on Friday night, she didn't ask Eva where she was Thursday evening. How Graves phrased it was exactly this way "Can you just tell us where you were, yesterday, Miss Trammel?" (page 270 and on page 280, Graves' partner, Detective Michna, asked Gideon the same thing while Graves was busy watching Eva like a hawk.)

 

Gideon was careful to manipulate things so that Eva had an unbroken alibi for all of Thursday, starting at work and continuing straight through to the following morning. Every minute of her day, she was around someone else, and if worse came to worse, eyewitnesses could account for her every movement. Gideon must have taken the same care. Angus definitely played a part in Eva's alibi, and I think he was part of Gideon's alibi too. (In fact, I think Angus was an accomplice that helped Gideon commit the killing himself, but for her, I'll stick to the alibi timelines.

 

Eva alibi timeline, all of which is actually laid out in Reflected.

• Thursday daytime in the office all day, including lunch (and including a meeting at Cross Industries, where Gideon coldly ignored her in front of everyone there.)
• Thursday after work: Angus was right downstairs to drive Eva from the Crossfire to Dr. Petersen's office, then from Dr. Petersen's office straight home to her apartment.
• Thursday night: Eva's BFF/roommate, who got out of the hospital the day before, was in home care, including an onsite private nurse. Eva stayed in all night. Even while she and Cary were both asleep, someone was awake (the nurse.)
• Friday dawn: Eva left her apartment, seen by her doorman and with Raul waiting to pick her up. A ride she blew off. Timeline wraps up there.

 

Gideon's likely alibi timeline:

• Thursday daytime in the office all day. 
• Thursday evening: he told Eva (when claiming he's meet her at Dr. Petersen's instead of riding there with her) he had a late meeting. 
• My guess what happened next: Raul picked Gideon up at the Crossfire and drove him right to Corrine's apartment to pick her up for the "date." Raul took them right to the party, getting them there shortly before 6 p.m. (same time Eva would have been arriving at Dr. Petersen's).
• The party went on from 6-9 p.m. At some point, an evacuation of the party hotel forced everyone to mill around outside. Gideon slipped off amid the confusion.

My theory about where Angus was the rest of the night, after he dropped Eva off at home sometime around 7-ish:

• Positioned himself near the party hotel. Gideon met him during the disruption, they rushed to Nathan's hotel, Angus stood lookout, Gideon took care of Nathan forever, Angus rushed Gideon back to the party.
• After the party: Gideon had to be in someone else's company for most, if not all, the rest of the night. To go home alone would be too dangerous. Here's my theory.
• To avoid having to go home with Corrine (or worse, have to deal with an "expectation" he'd get a room so they could have sex)  Gideon actually did have a "late business meeting" set up -- really late, after 9 p.m. He told Eva the truth, and could prove to her where he'd gone after the party, if worse came to worse.  
• Gideon had Raul drive Corrine home while Angus drove Gideon to his meeting.
• Wherever Gideon was, he didn't go home until the wee hours. Maybe he went out for drinks with people after the meeting. Wherever he was, Angus drove him there and ultimately drove Gideon home.
• Raul was sent instead of Angus to get Eva the morning after.

well lady!

That was awesome. I knew you wouldn't let me down.

I love the detail. But I don't recall a meeting after the party, where was that in the book? Or am I having a senior moment!

[sscrph]

well lady!

That was awesome. I knew you wouldn't let me down.

I love the detail. But I don't recall a meeting after the party, where was that in the book? Or am I having a senior moment!

LN your scenario has me thinking bout Gideon's abuser.....Did he meet the same fate as Nathan but at the hands of Angus ...now Gideon and Angus would both have something "on " each other to take to their graves ...I wonder if that question will ever be addressed by SD?

[LN Cronan]

well lady!

That was awesome. I knew you wouldn't let me down.

I love the detail. But I don't recall a meeting after the party, where was that in the book? Or am I having a senior moment!

 

Most of what I wrote about Gideon and Angus' timelines are guesses. My guesses include Gideon had a late meeting after the party. He told Eva he had a late meeting (when he fed her his excuse why he was going to meet her at Dr. Petersen's, not ride over with her.) She'd assume by late, she meant immediately after 5 p.m. In actuality though, he'd probably told her a truth -- he did have a meeting. But really late (not right after work.)

 

He had to be somewhere around other people after the party, not home alone. He needed many hours, not a few, for alibi protection -- to limit it to the party hours itself would have been incredibly stupid. A business meeting after the party would work.

 

Even more important, he had to have some sort of good excuse for not extending his date with Corrine past the party, because to do so could tempt her to make a sexual move he's have to rebuff.

• They couldn't hang around the hotel. It's where he used to f*** her the whole time they were sexually involved all those years ago. And given that she was the one who originally seduced him back then, there would be a very high risk she'd try do so right after the party. 
• They couldn't go to her apartment either (she'd almost certainly put the moves on him there too -- even more thrilled at the thought he'd actually want to sleep with her in her own bed, not the hotel.)
• He'd never take Corrine to his own apartment (it would be a form of betrayal of his love for Eva, because she's the only woman he ever let into his inner sanctum. Besides, taking Corrine there would probably be a guarantee Corrine would immediately try to jump his bones.)

[julie54]

Most of what I wrote about Gideon and Angus' timelines are guesses. My guesses include Gideon had a late meeting after the party. He told Eva he had a late meeting (when he fed her his excuse why he was going to meet her at Dr. Petersen's, not ride over with her.) She'd assume by late, she meant immediately after 5 p.m. In actuality though, he'd probably told her a truth -- he did have a meeting. But really late (not right after work.)

 

He had to be somewhere around other people after the party, not home alone. He needed many hours, not a few, for alibi protection -- to limit it to the party hours itself would have been incredibly stupid. A business meeting after the party would work.

 

Even more important, he had to have some sort of good excuse for not extending his date with Corrine past the party, because to do so could tempt her to make a sexual move he's have to rebuff.

• They couldn't hang around the hotel. It's where he used to f*** her the whole time they were sexually involved all those years ago. And given that she was the one who originally seduced him back then, there would be a very high risk she'd try do so right after the party. 
• They couldn't go to her apartment either (she'd almost certainly put the moves on him there too -- even more thrilled at the thought he'd actually want to sleep with her in her own bed, not the hotel.)
• He'd never take Corrine to his own apartment (it would be a form of betrayal of his love for Eva, because she's the only woman he ever let into his inner sanctum. Besides, taking Corrine there would probably be a guarantee Corrine would immediately try to jump his bones.)

ok. Got where your coming from. I thought I missed something. I remembered him saying about the late meeting, like Eva I expected it to be early evening, not 10ish!

Gideon would never put himself in a situation with Corrine, whereby betraying Eva, betraying himself.

[LN Cronan]

LN your scenario has me thinking bout Gideon's abuser.....Did he meet the same fate as Nathan but at the hands of Angus ...now Gideon and Angus would both have something "on " each other to take to their graves ...I wonder if that question will ever be addressed by SD?

 

No, Gideon would not have killed his abuser. That would be stone cold pre-meditated revenge killing. It'd make Gideon an evil person like Nathan himself.

 

Sylvia, addressing the outrage some fans had at the thought of our beloved hero being a killer, has made it clear to me Gideon killed Nathan because it was the only option he felt he had. Not for revenge, but to eliminate forever a terrible danger that Eva otherwise would be in all the days of her life. Because Nathan would never get sent to a prison. He'd go through the lather-rinse-repeat cycle of psychiatric hospitalization, sent back out into the community yet again when deemed "safe" because of treatment. Released without warning to other people, most especially Eva.

 

Sylvia made some fans (me included) see the light when she used her own children as an example -- in life, there are some people so precious that we likely would do anything -- anything -- to save them from terrible danger. This overwhelming love for Eva, not revenge against Nathan, is what led Gideon to kill him. Gideon would not have committed a revenge killing of another person, not even his own abuser.

[LN Cronan]

ok. Got where your coming from. I thought I missed something. I remembered him saying about the late meeting, like Eva I expected it to be early evening, not 10ish!

Gideon would never put himself in a situation with Corrine, whereby betraying Eva, betraying himself.

 

Poor Gideon -- and "almost" poor Corrine. Really, she has only herself to blame for putting herself into a position to be stone-cold used. But Gideon's now, through his own fault, in a sticky spot with the old ex.

 

I'll bet Gideon thought that second date with Corrine, the party, was going to be the last time he had to take her anywhere. The cops would swallow whole his cover, based on that party photo plus his having taken Corrine out earlier that week. So I'm sure, the night of the party, Gideon was careful that Corrine wouldn't have any "expectations" (ah, Gideon loves that word.)

 

Instead, here he is weeks later now forced into a position where he's still spending time with Corrine. Corrine claimed to Eva he's spending all his free time with her. We gotta take "all" with a grain of salt -- this is Corrine, who effs with Eva's mind. But Corrine certainly would have been telling the truth Gideon is spending quality time with her.

 

Eva with her own eyes caught Gideon red-handed (with his hand at the small of Corrine's back, a very intimate physical gesture) walking Corrine out of the Crossfire. There most certainly must be more incidents. That's the only one Eva knew about for certain, because she was still in the vicinity of the Crossfire, something Gideon hadn't counted on, when he emerged with Corrine and climbed into a waiting car, likely going out to dinner. (It was after 5 p.m.)

[sscrph]

Most of what I wrote about Gideon and Angus' timelines are guesses. My guesses include Gideon had a late meeting after the party. He told Eva he had a late meeting (when he fed her his excuse why he was going to meet her at Dr. Petersen's, not ride over with her.) She'd assume by late, she meant immediately after 5 p.m. In actuality though, he'd probably told her a truth -- he did have a meeting. But really late (not right after work.)

 

He had to be somewhere around other people after the party, not home alone. He needed many hours, not a few, for alibi protection -- to limit it to the party hours itself would have been incredibly stupid. A business meeting after the party would work.

 

Even more important, he had to have some sort of good excuse for not extending his date with Corrine past the party, because to do so could tempt her to make a sexual move he's have to rebuff.

• They couldn't hang around the hotel. It's where he used to f*** her the whole time they were sexually involved all those years ago. And given that she was the one who originally seduced him back then, there would be a very high risk she'd try do so right after the party. 
• They couldn't go to her apartment either (she'd almost certainly put the moves on him there too -- even more thrilled at the thought he'd actually want to sleep with her in her own bed, not the hotel.)
• He'd never take Corrine to his own apartment (it would be a form of betrayal of his love for Eva, because she's the only woman he ever let into his inner sanctum. Besides, taking Corrine there would probably be a guarantee Corrine would immediately try to jump his bones.)

We certainly don't give Corinne much credit do we LOL

[sscrph]

No, Gideon would not have killed his abuser. That would be stone cold pre-meditated revenge killing. It'd make Gideon an evil person like Nathan himself.

 

Sylvia, addressing the outrage some fans had at the thought of our beloved hero being a killer, has made it clear to me Gideon killed Nathan because it was the only option he felt he had. Not for revenge, but to eliminate forever a terrible danger that Eva otherwise would be in all the days of her life. Because Nathan would never get sent to a prison. He'd go through the lather-rinse-repeat cycle of psychiatric hospitalization, sent back out into the community yet again when deemed "safe" because of treatment. Released without warning to other people, most especially Eva.

 

Sylvia made some fans (me included) see the light when she used her own children as an example -- in life, there are some people so precious that we likely would do anything -- anything -- to save them from terrible danger. This overwhelming love for Eva, not revenge against Nathan, is what led Gideon to kill him. Gideon would not have committed a revenge killing of another person, not even his own abuser.

I meant Angus taking care of Gideon's abuser not Gideon himself...

[julie54]

Poor Gideon -- and "almost" poor Corrine. Really, she has only herself to blame for putting herself into a position to be stone-cold used. But Gideon's now, through his own fault, in a sticky spot with the old ex.

 

I'll bet Gideon thought that second date with Corrine, the party, was going to be the last time he had to take her anywhere. The cops would swallow whole his cover, based on that party photo plus his having taken Corrine out earlier that week. So I'm sure, the night of the party, Gideon was careful that Corrine wouldn't have any "expectations" (ah, Gideon loves that word.)

 

Instead, here he is weeks later now forced into a position where he's still spending time with Corrine. Corrine claimed to Eva he's spending all his free time with her. We gotta take "all" with a grain of salt -- this is Corrine, who effs with Eva's mind. But Corrine certainly would have been telling the truth Gideon is spending quality time with her.

 

Eva with her own eyes caught Gideon red-handed (with his hand at the small of Corrine's back, a very intimate physical gesture) walking Corrine out of the Crossfire. There most certainly must be more incidents. That's the only one Eva knew about for certain, because she was still in the vicinity of the Crossfire, something Gideon hadn't counted on, when he emerged with Corrine and climbed into a waiting car, likely going out to dinner. (It was after 5 p.m.)

poor Gideon, doing his best to lay down alibis, along comes Eva and upsets the apple cart. He said at the beginning she was trouble, if only he knew! This poor bloke will end up with an ulcer!

[LN Cronan]

I meant Angus taking care of Gideon's abuser not Gideon himself...

 

Now THERE'S a possibility. What exactly did Angus do that earned him Gideon's absolute trust? Angus was around Gideon since Gideon was a kid, and in a position (driver) to pay attention to the kid (um, hello - Monica?! like you ought to but didn't pay close attention to your daughter?)

As soon as Gideon was old enough (and financially secure enough) to hire Angus full-time, he did it. Stole Angus right away from his (Angus') job working for the Vidals. That was eight years ago. Gideon would have been just 20 years old at the time.