There was only one case out of hundreds of cold cases that Vincent James Gideon never wholly solved, Rosenthall. (Read about it in Book 1 of the Gideon Detective Series.) If that should happen in Volume 2 of the Case of the Ace of Spades, his son could walk down that lonely hallway to the electric chair. Watching her take a sip, it took the assassin every urge not to swat the glass away, but he knew it was the only way to save his life. He stared at the beautiful woman and wondered how long it would take to go into effect. He questioned how much time it would be before she became dizzy and forgot where she was. Everything seemed to switch into slow motion. For a moment, the killer doubted himself and wondered if, in fact, he poisoned the wrong glass? Guilt began to creep into his gut. It took all his strength to withhold the tears that started to glisten in his eyes. Why? She began to cough and cough. The wine glass fell to the side, and her body collapsed to the floor. The assassin wasted no time. With an ivory-handled dagger, he stuck the Ace of Spades across the point of the blade and pierced her in the chest. From the many trunks in the hallway packed for a long journey, he placed her body inside the largest one available. Then, the killer called on an accomplice to carry the trunk to an unknown destination. But, the blundering detectives with the Black Rock Cove Police Department who were assigned to the case got all the facts twisted. The wrong man was accused. He was known as Billy Bob Tanner, Gideon's son. By the time the victim was found, her flesh was as cold as the wintry night. Her ivory skin was splattered with blood. Gideon dug into his pocket for a lemon drop only to find the plastic bag empty. His face fell a little, not a good omen for such a critical case. Then, suddenly, his fingers grasped onto one which had fallen from the bag. He pulled it out and held it up, thinking to himself that his luck had changed. He popped it in his mouth and went back to thinking over the evidence before him. Vincent James Gideon, the famed detective who went into retirement eight years earlier tried to avoid the case when the Black Rock Cove Police Department requested his services. He recommended his sidekick of many years, Bridget Flynn, take over. One thing after another happened to where he could not avoid coming out of retirement. Then he was blamed for the murder of not only the woman found in the trunk but also a reputable pharmacist.