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could tell them otherwise.
    At thirty-one, Danny was more handsome than he had been on any day prior in his life. To Gideon, he was the prototype on which God based the design for the most beautiful man since Adam. His tender brown eyes, delicately chiseled face, and chestnut skin made Gideon sigh with pleasure every time he saw him and each time was as precious as the first.
    Gideon finally emerged from the pool. His skin glistened in the morning sun as remnants of the water trickled down his muscular frame onto the terra-cotta tile. He wore black Speedos on a body needing no camouflage or modesty. At forty-five, Gideon had the physique of a man half his age. The distinguished hint of grey at each temple was the only clue he wasn’t twenty-five.
    â€œMayor Hardaway is all over the front page,” Danny said laying the newspaper on the table and pouring Gideon coffee from a carafe. “How was her State of the City address last night?”
    â€œShe was amazing.” Gideon said as he toweled himself dry. “I hate to say it, but for some reason she reminds me of Samantha Cleaveland.”
    Danny gripped the carafe tighter when Gideon said those words. He could almost hear the whoosh of a bullet rushing past his head—the same sound he heard on the night Samantha tried to kill him.
    Danny wiped the sound from his mind and continued filling the cup. “How so?” he asked guardedly.
    â€œAs you can see, she’s just as beautiful,” he said pointing to her photograph on the front page of the newspaper. “She’s smart. I read somewhere her IQ is in the top 2 percentile of the world, and she’s powerful, but I can’t shake the feeling there’s something else.”
    â€œRuthless?” Danny asked.
    â€œI’m sure. Everyone has to sell their soul when they reach a certain level in politics. But that’s not it.”
    â€œEvil?”
    â€œWhy do you say that?” Gideon asked curiously.
    â€œI’ll be honest with you. I get the same chill when I see her on television as I did when I saw Samantha. There is something evil about her.”
    Gideon sat with the towel draped over one shoulder. He paused for a moment to consider Danny’s disturbing opinion. “I thought it was just me,” he finally said. “I agree, there is something evil lurking behind those beautiful eyes, and I want to know what it is.”
    Danny looked silently into the distance. He saw Parker, his scruffy grey cat, patrolling the perimeter of the yard searching for his next furry victim.
    Gideon felt Danny’s concern. He reached across the table, took his hand, and said, “Don’t worry. It’s not the same, Danny. I don’t think the mayor is a cold-blooded killer like Samantha.”
    â€œYou don’t know that.”
    â€œYou’re right, I don’t, but I can’t imagine anyone more evil than Samantha,” Gideon said, taking his first sip of the now lukewarm coffee.
    â€œLet someone else investigate her. Why is it your responsibility to expose her secrets?” Danny asked, almost pleading.
    â€œI can’t pass this one up. There’s talk about a possible run for governor. I asked last night, but she was evasive. Promised I would be the first reporter to know if she decides to run. I want in on the ground floor of that story. The first black governor of California and the first woman. If there are skeletons, I want to be the one to find them.”
    Danny saw firsthand how unrelenting Gideon became when he worked on an important story. He watched Gideon doggedly pursue Samantha Cleaveland until he backed her into a corner, and it almost cost both their lives. Fortunately, someone killed Samantha before she had the opportunity to kill them.
    â€œI know I won’t be able to talk you out of this, so I’m not going to try. Just please be careful. I love you, and I don’t want to lose you,” Danny said