The Cinderella Murder / Characters

The characters of The Cinderella Murder. Be aware of potential spoilers.

open/close all folders

Dempsey family and friends

Susan Dempsey

A nineteen-year-old computer programming student and aspiring actress, who was murdered twenty years ago while on her way to an audition in the Hollywood Hills.

The Ace: She was not only a beautiful and talented aspiring actress, she was also highly intelligent with a gift for computer programming; her former computer science professor says that while Susan could've made it as an actress, he thinks she could've easily become a star in the tech world, too. She was also kind-hearted and well-liked; the only reason Madison has negative thoughts towards her is purely from jealousy and she can't really think of a bad thing to say about her. This makes it all the more tragic and shocking, especially for Susan's parents, that her life was so violently cut short.
Cool Big Sis: Nicole saw her as this; she was a year older and more confident than Nicole, taking her under her wing and looking out for her. Notably, she expressed a lot of concern over Nicole getting involved in Advocates for God and dating the much-older Reverend Collins, with Nicole bitterly noting that Susan was right to be worried about her.
Dating What Daddy Hates: Susan's mother never approved of her romance with Keith; Rosemary wasn't vocal about her disapproval and didn't try to actively break them up, but it was obvious to Keith and Susan she would prefer they weren't together and never thought Keith would amount to anything. Susan tried to reassure Keith that her mother was just overprotective and wouldn't approve of any boy she brought home. However, considering Keith was a binge-drinking womaniser who constantly accused Susan of cheating, and that Rosemary would often receive calls from Susan crying about something Keith had done, Rosemary had good reasons to dislike him. To this day, Rosemary is convinced that Keith had something to do with her daughter's murder, much to Keith's chagrin.
Dumb Blonde: Inverted; she was a blonde and is noted by several characters to have been a gifted computer programmer. She also saw right through Advocates for God's claims of being dedicated to good deeds and had enough knowledge of intellectual property law that she was regarded as a career-ending threat by her killer.
Good Luck Charm: She owned a gold necklace with a little horseshoe charm pendant, which she believed was lucky; her parents gifted it to her on her fifteenth birthday and the next day she won the part of Sandy in a high school production of Grease. Ever since, she was rarely without it. The necklace was found near her body, with the chain broken in the struggle with her killer. It turns out the necklace played a role in the events leading up to Susan's death and is vital to figuring out who killed her.
Hair of Gold, Heart of Gold: She was a blonde and was noted by everyone who knew her to have been a kind and bubbly girl with a strong sense of right and wrong.
Iconic Item: She became permanently linked to her silver high heels in the public consciousness, especially because one shoe had slipped off as she ran for her life, leading to her being nicknamed "Cinderella". However, her mother points out "the irony" that Susan hardly ever wore things like that; she'd merely bought the shoes for a seventies-themed party and only wore them to her audition because her agent suggested it. Rosemary explains that Susan was far more attached to her favourite necklace, which had a gold horseshoe pendant and was also found with her body, but this was overlooked in favour of the shoes. Rosemary says the moment the police described the necklace, she and her husband knew for certain the body was their daughter's before even seeing her. In a further stroke of irony, the necklace is revealed to be far more important to solving Susan's murder than the shoes, which are barely relevant at all.
Losing a Shoe in the Struggle: She was wearing silver high heels when she was killed, which she'd chosen to glam up her appearance for her audition; when her body was found she was only wearing one shoe. The other shoe was found near the entrance of the park, she having lost it as she was fleeing from her murderer; the press fixated on the shoe and the fact Susan had been on her way to an audition with an acclaimed director, dubbing the crime the Cinderella Murder.
The Lost Lenore: Two students were in love with Susan in college and continue to be deeply affected by her death.
- Despite his poor treatment of her, her then-boyfriend Keith appeared genuinely heartbroken over her murder; he says he regrets the way he treated her and he was so torn up he dropped out of college, then threw himself into his acting career and into making himself a better person, especially via his involvement with Advocates for God. Madison recalls that the day he learned she'd agreed to star in Beauty Land - the movie Susan intended to audition for prior to her death - Keith turned up at her room drunk and berated her for being willing to work with Frank Parker, the man who "killed my Susan", and permanently broke off their affair. Keith vocally resents that people really think he could've killed Susan and that his reaction was because of a guilty conscience or an attempt to throw off suspicion. Keith is pretty upset when he learns Advocates for God is essentially one big scam and, worse yet, that Reverend Collins - whom he credited with helping him through his grief over Susan - is a child abuser; he's only too willing to help the police bust Collins and then publicly spill the beans on the church.
- Dwight was enamoured with Susan in college and still regards her as the only woman he ever fell in love with. He was never confident enough to tell her of his feelings and she was oblivious despite everyone else finding it obvious, plus she already had a boyfriend (even though he mistreated her). Dwight was devastated when she was murdered and is determined to help uncover who did it, to the point of spying on the production crew and the other participants. Dwight discovers who the killer is first, but unfortunately this gets him killed too.
Love Martyr: She was devoted to her high school sweetheart Keith Ratner, even choosing to attend UCLA because it was the college he was going to despite getting into other colleges like Stanford. She stood by Keith despite being aware of the (accurate) rumours he went off with other girls, his jealousy and tendency to pick fights with her, and his excessive drinking and partying; many people, especially Susan's mother, felt she was too good for Keith. He himself admits he was aware and deeply insecure about what others thought of him and he tended to mistreat Susan to make himself feel better; he now regrets being such a terrible boyfriend to her, though some people wonder if his poor treatment of her extended to fatally strangling her.
Matchmaker Failure: She attempted to set up her friend and roommate Nicole with her research partner Dwight. They acknowledge that she was well-intentioned and that on the surface them pairing up made some sense: they were both shy, nerdy, smart and trying to get out of their shells. However, there was simply no attraction between them. Nicole thinks that while she just needed a confidence boost and time to figure out who she was, Dwight's issues with social interaction went much deeper (it's implied he's on the autism spectrum or has some other kind of neurodivergent condition), not to mention that Dwight was already in love with Susan, which she didn't realise but everyone else found obvious.
Nice Girl: She was noted to be compassionate and friendly (a little too much at times), with low tolerance for anything she felt was immoral and potentially harmful. She tended to get along with most people and rarely thought ill of anyone, even if they didn't always deserve it, as her continual forgiveness of her no-good boyfriend proved. Her belief that she could still trust her favourite professor even after learning of his illegal business plan and his attempt to rope a vulnerable student into it, then her vocal refusal to turn a blind eye to this, unfortunately led to her being murdered.
Oblivious to Love: She was utterly oblivious that Dwight was in love with her, to the point she tried to set him up with her friend Nicole, despite people close to them thinking it was clear how he felt about her; Professor Hathaway says it "broke [his] heart" to see Dwight pining after Susan, Keith says that Dwight seemed to be constantly hanging around with her even outside their shared classes, Madison recalls that he would always "look dreamy" at Susan and Nicole also picked up that Dwight was far more interested in Susan than her. Dwight never told Susan how he felt about her, partly because of his social awkwardness and the fact she already had a boyfriend, and partly because it took Dwight a while to realise himself that he was in love with Susan. Not long after his Love Epiphany, Susan was murdered.
O.O.C. Is Serious Business: Susan was usually described as an easy-going, level-headed girl, so it stands out that Madison overheard her "screaming" at Nicole in a rage and threatening to throw her out of their room. Nicole also states that while they'd had a few disagreements before, she'd never seen Susan so angry and distressed until that last argument. Susan had been increasingly concerned about Nicole's entrenchment with Advocates for God, not to mention stressed about relationship problems with Keith and her upcoming audition on top of her studies. When she found out Nicole was trying to get Keith involved in AG too, Susan finally hit boiling.
Posthumous Character: She's the so-called Cinderella Murder victim, killed twenty years before the present-day events of the story. She has a brief phone conversation with her mother at the beginning of the novel and we're told a little about her, but apart from a flashback near the end Susan never appears alive on-page. We're filled in on details about her as a person and her relationships to other characters as the Under Suspicion crew attempt to solve her murder.
Too Good to Be True: Susan says this word-for-word to her mother in their last phone conversation, after finding out she'd been invited to audition for Frank Parker, with the possibility of landing the starring role in his first studio picture. Susan had meant it light-heartedly, but is proven horrifically correct; although the audition was legitimate, whilst Susan on her way there someone chased her down and strangled her to death. Twenty years later, Susan's mother tearfully recalls Susan's words as she's being interviewed about her daughter's murder.
Urban Legend Love Life: Rosemary states with disgust that one of the most popular internet sleuth theories about her daughter's murder is that she was "some kind of slut involved with half the men on campus" and that's why she was killed. Laurie herself discovers one prevailing theory is that Susan took part in some kind of sex game with Frank Parker in an attempt to secure a role in his movie, which ended in her death. While Susan was an attractive and popular girl, there's no evidence she was involved with anyone besides her long-term boyfriend Keith; when Laurie brings up the possibility, Rosemary even says she wishes Susan had stepped-out on Keith with someone else, given how little Rosemary thought of him.
What Beautiful Eyes!: Susan is noted to have had stunning blue eyes. While viewing a photograph of her, Laurie notes that while Susan was obviously an attractive young woman "the real beauty was in the energy of that stare".

Rosemary Dempsey

Susan's mother, who is determined to uncover the truth behind her daughter's murder, including agreeing to have the case featured on Under Suspicion after Laurie Moran reaches out to her.

Gut Feeling: She's suffered from anxiety since childhood thanks to her overbearing, overly-critical mother and often gets a sense things will go wrong, though it just tends to be paranoia. On May 7th 1994, she had an unshakeable feeling all day that something terrible would happen, but initially dismissed it as anxiety over her husband's birthday party. Then early the next morning, the LAPD called to tell her they'd found her daughter's body...
Law of Inverse Fertility: She mentions that she and her husband were eager to become parents, but struggled to conceive for a whole decade and had nearly given up hope of having children before Rosemary finally got pregnant with Susan, their only child. Tragically, Susan was murdered when she was just nineteen-years-old.
Shipping Torpedo: Although she was willing to let Susan make her own romantic choices, Rosemary makes it clear she disapproved of her boyfriend Keith; she thought he was an irresponsible slacker who would never amount to much, that he dragged Susan down with him because he was jealous of her success, and that her daughter could do much better. She also believes Keith could've been Susan's killer. Given what a terrible boyfriend Keith was, Rosemary has a good point, though Keith thinks it's unreasonable that she blames him for Susan's death, especially with no hard proof.
The Tragic Rose: Rosemary hasn't had the easiest life. From an early age, her mother was extremely critical of her and constantly putting her down or expecting her to fail, while acting like she was just doing it for Rosemary's good. This has given Rosemary lifelong anxiety. She and her husband had to wait a decade before they finally had a child, Susan, whom they adored. Unfortunately, Susan was murdered on her father's sixtieth birthday and the killer never caught. Rosemary was widowed three years ago (she attributes her husband's fatal stroke to grief over Susan) and then the first real friend she manages to make in her new neighbourhood gets brutally murdered in her backyard. Things start looking up for Rosemary when Susan's murderer is finally brought to justice, though Laurie knows that the grief will never truly go away.

Nicole Melling

Nicole Melling (nee Hunter)

Susan's best friend and college roommate, who dropped out of UCLA and moved away from Los Angeles after Susan's murder. She is now a homemaker in Northern California, living a quiet life with her husband.

Best Friend: It's repeatedly reiterated that she was Susan's closest friend at college; although Susan was friendly with Madison, she had more in common with Nicole and often looked out for her. Rosemary tells Nicole that while Susan never explicitly said so, she got the impression that Susan saw Nicole as the sister she never had and she urges her to participate in Under Suspicion to bring Susan's killer to justice. They were so close that no one ever suspected Nicole could've potentially been involved in Susan's murder, while Nicole is secretly consumed with guilt over her final interactions with Susan.
Bookworm: She's always loved reading and is interested in a wide variety of both fiction and non-fiction books. When Susan first got her as a roommate, she gushed to her mother that Nicole had great taste in books; in the present, while Nicole has shed a lot of her youthful nerdiness, she retains her love of reading and has a vast collection of books in her home.
Broken Pedestal: She was extremely admiring and protective of her college boyfriend Martin, frequently arguing with Susan and accusing her of trying to drag her down when she expressed doubts about Martin's supposedly good intentions. Nicole's faith in Martin was shattered when she realised he was a paedophile and was willing to go to any lengths to silence those who were a threat to him. She remains utterly terrified that one day he will track her and her husband down and kill them both.
Broken Tears: When she finally reveals the truth about her argument with Susan and what she did afterwards, she's barely able to hold herself together and spends several minutes sobbing in her husband's arms afterwards. It's unsurprising, given that for twenty years she'd been keeping quiet that the last time she saw her best friend, she'd been fiercely defending her boyfriend to her, only to discover almost immediately afterwards that her boyfriend was not only as manipulative and selfish as Susan always claimed, but was a child predator.
Cult Defector: She was an early member of Advocates for God in 1994 and was especially close to the cult's leader, Martin, believing they were in love. She was so deeply entrenched in the cult she tried to get donations from her friends, brought Susan's boyfriend Keith into the fold and frequently argued with Susan for trying to 'turn her against' Martin, but she snapped out of it on the same night Susan was killed after learning Martin was a child abuser. Martin quickly realised he had lost his influence over Nicole, save for threatening her into silence. Despite being out of the cult for twenty years, Nicole is still fearful of Martin's power and what he could potentially do to her and her loved ones if she were to ever reveal his secrets. She eventually can't deal with the guilt anymore and helps expose him, also convincing Keith that Advocates for God is a sham.
Dye Hard: invoked It's noted that Nicole had strawberry blonde hair in her youth based on her old photos, but she now dyes her hair dark brown, contributing to her drastically different appearance. Besides now being more confident with herself than she was in her teens, it's implied Nicole dyes her hair to make herself less recognisable to those that knew her when she attended UCLA, specifically Advocates for God and her ex-boyfriend.
Has a Type: Nicole shows an attraction to men who give her confidence and validate her. It's implied this is partly why she and Dwight never went very far as a couple, because Dwight's "personality quirks" meant he wasn't that good at picking up on Nicole's insecurities and emotional needs despite being a nice person. Nicole was instead drawn to Martin, who exploited her low self-esteem and desire to be important to someone to isolate and control her. Nicole eventually married Gavin Melling, who also gives her the confidence and affection she craves, albeit in a much healthier and more selfless way compared to Martin.
The Ingenue: In her youth she was innocent and sheltered to a fault; she was a meek and impressionable teen who focused almost exclusively on her studies and had little life experience when she went off to college. Her parents insisted she attend a college closer to home where she could room with someone on campus, as they were afraid she would get "lost in the crowd". Nicole states in hindsight they were right, referring to herself as "A follower. A lemming" who blindly trusted the first man who showed her attention and made her feel important, not realising he was taking advantage of her because like many members of Advocates for God, she was emotionally vulnerable and easily led by Reverend Collins.
Minor with Fake I.D.: Madison got fake IDs for herself, Susan and Nicole so they could go drinking and clubbing, especially where celebrities would hang out (Madison and Susan were 19, Nicole was only 18). After leaving L.A. Nicole kept her fake ID and occasionally used it rather than give her real name when she first moved to the Bay Area, including initially giving the name on her ID to her future husband when he chatted her up because she was afraid of being tracked down by Martin Collins.
Not Himself: Nicole says that she spent the night of Susan's murder getting wasted at a local bar called O'Malley's, claiming she was stressed about an upcoming biology exam. Alex says this seems a bit extreme, especially as Nicole wasn't known to be a drinker, and asks if it was actually because of her earlier argument with Susan. Nicole admits she was upset about the argument, but insists it was just a minor disagreement between friends and it would've blown over, though as Alex points out, if it wasn't a big deal why did she get so drunk? Nicole eventually explains that the fight was about Nicole's involvement in Advocates for God, her bringing Keith along to church meetings and her relationship with Martin Collins, with Susan insisting Nicole was being brainwashed and was now dragging her boyfriend into it too. Afterwards, Nicole stormed off to Martin's house to see him and be comforted, only to walk in on him sexually abusing a young girl, with Martin threatening to kill her if she ever told anyone. Nicole was so traumatised and guilt-stricken, she went straight to O'Malley's to drown her sorrows.
Older Than They Look: When she started college, Nicole was only seventeen - she having skipped a grade - and looked even younger at times, with Laurie thinking that in her freshman college photo she could be mistaken for a fourteen-year-old girl; her shyness and naivety also played a part in this. Nicole speculates this is why Martin Collins wanted to go out with her, though as she eventually found out, not even she was young enough for him.
Old Shame: She's deeply ashamed of how she was at UCLA, regarding herself as a naive fool who spent more time with "crooks" than with her best friend and finding it so unbearable she's never even told her husband much about her past. She was a devoted member of Advocates for God and believed herself to be in love with the church's young leader, Martin Collins, ignoring all of Susan's warnings about the church and even getting into a violent argument with her over it. Nicole found out the hard way that Susan was not only right, but that Martin was far worse than even Susan knew.
Plain Jane: It's noted by both Laurie and Nicole herself that she was never much of a looker, especially compared to her roommates, who were both considered very beautiful. Nicole isn't physically unattractive, just rather ordinary with nothing that makes her stand out. Nicole is content with her appearance now, especially because she has a husband who loves her for herself and a better sense of style, but she was insecure about it as a teenager, feeling inadequate next to Susan and Madison.
Properly Paranoid: She has spent twenty years terrified that the Advocates for God will track her down and harm her and her family on Reverend Collins' orders, and thus has taken steps to slip under the radar. Considering that Collins has kept tabs on her over the years - including knowing her mother died a few years ago in her hometown - is easily able to track down her current address and has a man with a history of violence following her, Nicole's paranoia comes off as justified.
Red Heads Are Uncool: She's naturally a strawberry blonde and was a shy, dorky girl with little self-confidence as a teen; she tended to be so focused on her studies she didn't have much room to figure out who she was beyond that. Her more glamorous and outgoing roommate Madison tended to look down on her, though her other roommate Susan was protective of her and even tried to set her up with a classmate. As an adult, Nicole is more confident and comfortable in her own skin, and dyes her hair dark brown.
Starting a New Life: Following Susan's murder, Nicole dropped out of college and moved to Northern California. She initially used a fake ID and was only too happy to take her husband's surname of Melling, only using Hunter when she absolutely has to. She has no social media presence and Laurie notes that she's so drastically changed her appearance, she barely looks like the same person even with the passage of time. Nicole doesn't keep in contact with anyone from her college years save Susan's mother Rosemary (even then, she only stayed in touch because Rosemary happened to recognise her while visiting the Bay Area) and has barely told her husband anything about her time at UCLA. Laurie and her team start to question why. Nicole is terrified that Martin Collins, her ex-boyfriend, would make good on his threat to kill her and everyone she loves if she ever told anyone what she knows about him and Advocates for God (of which she was a member in her sophomore year); she's also deeply ashamed of her involvement in the church and was eager to get away and reinvent herself.
Throw the Book at Them: On the night Susan was killed, she and Nicole had an argument that got so heated, Nicole threw her political science textbook at Susan's head. Nicole still can't believe she did that because of how out-of-character it was; it also doesn't look too good for Nicole given it indicates she could be driven to violence when angered, including being violent towards Susan.
Tragic Dropout: She was an extremely bright student, including skipping a grade and graduating from high school a year early. Despite this setting her up for a promising future, Nicole dropped out of UCLA in her sophomore year at the age of 18 and never went back to school. She's now a homemaker in Northern California, with her husband earning enough money in finance that she doesn't have to work. While she's comfortable and happy, some people are surprised Nicole never did anything more significant with her talents, speculating that it's because of the grief and trauma of her college best friend being murdered. While Nicole was devastated by Susan's death, in truth the reason she never continued her studies, or did much of else of prominence, is because she was scared of drawing too much attention and making herself and her family a target of Advocates for God.
With Friends Like These...: She and Susan became best friends after they were assigned as roommates in their freshman year at UCLA, but they didn't always get along as well as they appeared to, with Madison resenting that she got painted as the "bad friend" when Nicole wasn't exactly clean either. Talia tells Laurie and Alex that Susan and Nicole had a huge fight the night of the audition, with Nicole even throwing a book at Susan and Susan threatening to kick her out of their room. Madison confirms she overheard them arguing and they both stormed out of the apartment. Less than an hour later, Susan was likely dead. Nicole admits she fought with Susan after she found out Nicole had invited Keith to an Advocates for God meeting; Susan accused the church of being a cult and a scam, and insisted that Nicole was being brainwashed by Reverend Collins, infuriating Nicole. She subsequently found out that Susan was right about Martin and his church, but never mentioned the fight or anything related to AG during the investigation out of fear of Martin's retaliation. She also regrets that this is the last time she saw and spoke to Susan, as she really did care for her.

Lydia Levitt

Rosemary Dempsey's neighbour in the Oakland gated community Castle Cross, who makes an effort to befriend her.

Cruel and Unusual Death: She is beaten to death by Steve Roman in a frenzied attack, while in the supposed safety of her neighbour's garden. It's especially awful because Lydia was the last person to deserve such a fate and she'd only been trying to be kind and helpful at the time.
Dramatic Irony: Lydia's storyline provides a tragic example. She reveals to Rosemary she had quite a colourful past as a road groupie in the 1960s, but she then met her husband, settled down to have children and now lives in a peaceful but slightly dull gated community. Lydia remarks to herself that while she doesn't regret her past, she prefers to have a more stable life and sees "the benefit of following rules" because she's all too aware of what can happen when people let things spin out of control, including seeing friends die of drug overdoses and relationships implode because "one person's idea of live and let live is another person's idea of betrayal". However, it is in fact in Lydia's supposedly safe, uneventful gated community that she gets brutally murdered, while she's just trying to be a good neighbour, no less.
Former Teen Rebel: In her youth she was a road groupie heavily involved in the rock n' roll scene, including drugs and casual sex. As a grown woman in her early 70s, she lives a quiet life in a gated community and is always looking out for her neighbours. Lydia admits that a big reason she gave up her youthful lifestyle and became more cautious was because she was exposed to its darker side; she had a lot of friends who became trapped in drug addiction and even died from overdoses, while also watching relationships get ripped apart and hearts broken because the people involved had very different opinions on fidelity and commitment.
Groupie: While discussing her past with Rosemary, Lydia says that in the 1960s she travelled a lot with touring rock bands and that this is actually where she first met her husband, who was working as part of a band's security detail. When Rosemary asks if Lydia was a back-up singer, she laughs and says she can't carry a tune to save her life, before clarifying that she was a professional groupie, nearly causing Rosemary to spit out her drink in shock.
Hidden Depths: She at first just seems to be an old busybody with nothing better to do than trade gossip and stick her nose in other peoples' business, but Rosemary comes to realise she's actually genuinely trying to reach out to her and make her feel welcome. And then it's revealed Lydia had a wild past as a rock band road groupie in the Swingin' Sixties.
Killed Offscreen: When Lydia figures out that Steve isn't supposed to be at Rosemary's house, she suddenly gets a sense she's in danger. A few pages later, Rosemary tells Laurie in a phone call that Lydia was found beaten to death in her backyard, believed to have interrupted a burglar.
Sacrificial Lamb: She is Rosemary Dempsey's neighbour in the gated community she moved to following her husband's death. Rosemary initially finds Lydia to be a bit annoying and nosy, but realises she's kind and well-intentioned, and they become friends. Lydia is given a fair bit of characterisation, including an unexpectedly wild past as a rock band groupie back in the 1960s, enough to make her a likable and sympathetic character. Then just before the halfway mark, she's rather shockingly murdered by Steve Roman after she catches him snooping about Rosemary's house, greatly upsetting Rosemary. Lydia's murder demonstrates just how dangerous both Steve and Advocates for God can potentially be, and also draws the attention of Leo Farley, who is convinced the murder is connected to his daughter's show.

Hollywood

Frank Parker

An acclaimed Hollywood film director, who was supposed to be meeting Susan for an audition the night she was killed; this and the fact her body was discovered close to his home made him a prime suspect.

Famed In-Story: He's become a famous and critically-acclaimed film director, including having been nominated for an Academy Award. It's remarked that the Cinderella Murder may have been largely forgotten by the public if it weren't for the fact Frank became a household name and is known to be connected to the case, including rumours that he was responsible for the crime.
Jerkass: He's often short-tempered and impatient, and he mostly participates in Under Suspicion because he doesn't want any bad publicity for his newest, Oscar-nominated movie and so he can have some control over how he's presented on the show. However, he does genuinely love his wife and prevented her from working with a director who would've exploited her, albeit by using his influence to pull strings behind the scenes and block her from being cast (she was initially furious, but admits in hindsight it was absolutely the right call). His frustration over constantly having to defend himself regarding the Cinderella Murder is also understandable given he had absolutely nothing to do with it, besides Madison practically blackmailing him over it.
Jerkass Has a Point: He can come off as arrogant, sarcastic and occasionally sneaky, but he does make some good points.
- He went behind his wife's back and used his influence in the movie industry to prevent her from being cast in a film that could've been her breakout role. Talia was furious and accused him of being controlling, but Frank stated he was trying to look out for her because the film's director was "frighteningly unscrupulous even by Hollywood's standards". Talia realised Frank was right when the movie gained controversy for explicit nudity and sexual content (narrowly avoiding an NC-17 rating) and the lead actress who replaced her vocally condemned these scenes as unauthorised and exploitative. Talia notes that Frank also didn't rub it in her face or say I Told You So, just letting the facts speak for themselves.
- Frank has little patience for those who question him about the Cinderella Murder and makes snarky remarks about the improbability of the theories behind his alleged involvement, mostly that the established timeline of events and other logistics make it highly unlikely he killed Susan, nor did he have a plausible motive to kill her (the rumours of a Casting Couch situation gone wrong have never been substantiated and they never met prior to arranging the audition). His wife does note that his attitude could be a problem when Under Suspicion airs as while his points aren't wrong, the way he makes them won't earn him sympathy from audiences and could make them doubt his innocence.
Jerk with a Heart of Gold: His wife Talia views him this way, saying that while Frank can come off as arrogant and demanding to others, she sees his more compassionate and sensitive side. Frank notably is kinder and more patient with Talia compared to everyone else, and does his best to shield her from harm or scandal. He also says he tries to avoid making public statements protesting his innocence in the Cinderella Murder because he doesn't want to make himself look like the victim, given that Susan was the one who was killed. It also turns out he had zero involvement in Susan's death; his worst crime is just being a bit of a prick.
Ladykiller in Love: He once had a reputation as a womaniser who jumped from one woman to the next, but then he met his future wife Talia; they've been Happily Married for ten years. His previous reputation had led some to speculate about a potential relationship between him and Susan and him and Madison (as this was a decade before he met Talia).
Prima Donna Director: He's known for being a meticulous and strict director who insists on getting his own way; he particularly cannot tolerate tardiness. He once fired a crew member for being five minutes late and also says this is the reason he let Madison audition in Susan's place, as by that point Susan was fifteen minutes late. Of course, some people have speculated it was because he already knew Susan was dead. Frank actually had no idea where Susan was or what had happened to her; he let Madison audition because after he telephoned Susan's room to see where she was, Madison showed up on his doorstep and begged him to try her out in the role. As by this time Susan was an hour late and couldn't be contacted, it's understandable he went with Madison.
Talking in Your Sleep: Talia notes that he often talks in his sleep when he's stressed or anxious about something, usually his latest film project. After he finds out Under Suspicion want to interview him about the Cinderella Murder, Talia is concerned to overhear a sleeping Frank repeatedly muttering about Susan and Madison. It turns out he's concerned about what Madison may say about him, as she'd agreed to back-up his alibi if he cast her in his film.

Talia Parker

A small-time actress and Frank Parker's wife of ten years, who is determined to keep him out of trouble.

Not with Them for the Money: Although she does appreciate the luxurious lifestyle she has with Frank and and is certainly glad that she no longer has to worry about her finances or live in a dangerous neighbourhood, it's clear that Talia isn't just with Frank for his fortune; she genuinely loves him and wants to help him clear his name.
Small Role, Big Impact: She only appears prominently in the first half of the book and doesn't get formally interviewed by Laurie and Alex because - as she herself notes - she didn't know Frank twenty years ago and so has no connection to the Cinderella Murder. However, she manages to give the Under Suspicion team a significant new lead by telling them about the fight between Nicole and Susan on the night of the murder (which Frank had mentioned to her), in the hopes of taking suspicion away from her husband.
Starving Artist: She reminisces that before she got into a relationship with Frank, she lived in a studio flat on the Wrong Side of the Tracks as she struggled to find well-paying acting roles. She doesn't do much acting these days, but money isn't something she has to worry about due to being the wife of a rich film director.
What Does She See in Him?: She notes that many people, including her own parents, were taken aback when she announced she was marrying Frank; she'd thought her family would be happy she was marrying a successful director and wouldn't have to struggle financially anymore, only for her parents to remark that they - like many others - suspect Frank of murdering Susan Dempsey, so naturally they wouldn't want Talia to be anywhere near him. Besides the whole murder thing, Frank also had a reputation as a bad-tempered perfectionist and womaniser. Talia for her part doesn't believe Frank was involved in Susan's murder and thinks that most people don't see his softer side.

Madison Meyer

Madison Meyer (born Meredith Morris)

Susan's college roommate and friend; she's a struggling actress who briefly gained fame after getting the film role Susan intended to audition for.

Adam Westing: In the epilogue, it's revealed she has been cast in a supporting role in Frank Parker's next movie, playing "a ruthless businesswoman willing to do anything to get ahead". Considering Madison was so eager to be a star she jumped at the chance to take her friend's audition, 'persuaded' Frank to give her her first film role in exchange for backing up his alibi in a murder case and was even suspected of killing her friend to guarantee her own success, she's practically playing herself (and Frank knows it). Leo even hangs a lampshade on it ("Talk about typecasting!") when he hears the news.
All Girls Want Bad Boys: A recurring theme with Madison's love life:
- She was enamoured with Keith in college because he was a party-loving rocker-type, who took her out drinking even though she was underage and hooked up with her behind his girlfriend's back. Madison has some interest in trying to rekindle their relationship in the present, but when she realises that he genuinely has tried to change to a strait-laced, clean-living church-goer, she quickly goes off him.
- She also has a thing for her former college professor Richard Hathaway; she found the idea of secret trysts with a professor exciting in spite (or because) of the potential repercussions and in the present she giggles about how "naughty" it is that they're sneaking around with each other again (although Hathaway remarks that seeing as they're now both adults and he's no longer a university professor, there isn't really anything inappropriate about their relationship).
Always Someone Better: She was jealous of Susan and saw her as a rival because Susan was widely viewed as a 'better version' of her. Both were attractive, talented actresses, often going for the same roles in campus productions due to their similar physical features, but Susan was generally seen as more 'natural' and less "primped" than Madison. Susan was also skilled at IT and was quite popular, while Madison had few real friends and only went to college to appease her parents. It's well known that Madison was Frank Parker's second choice for the role in his first studio picture, with some whispering that Madison may have resorted to murder to ensure Susan wouldn't get the part. Madison also had feelings for Susan's boyfriend Keith, but he never regarded her as anything but a fling and always returned to Susan. After Susan died, Madison recalls that Keith drunkenly shouted that she would always be "a cheaper, lesser version of [Susan]", adding it was the only time he'd ever made her cry.
Attention Whore: For most of her life she's been obsessed with being a star and just about everything she does is in service to that. When Frank Parker learns Laurie wants her to appear on Under Suspicion, he recommends they show up to her house with a camera crew, as she won't be able to resist. Laurie does as he recommends and tells Madison "I want to give you airtime on a show with more than ten million viewers" for good measure, which works like a charm; even so, Madison still makes them wait two minutes before answering so she can touch up her make-up. Madison shamelessly flirts with just about every attractive man she comes across (even if they're already taken or the setting is inappropriate) and she starts making demands for special treatment on the Under Suspicion set before they even begin shooting (including insisting they only film her from her "good side"). It's made clear that her main reason for appearing on Under Suspicion is less about solving Susan's murder than it is about getting back in front of a camera.
Blatant Lies: Shortly after agreeing to participate in Under Suspicion, Madison meets up with Keith to persuade him not to mention their affair on the show. During an interview a week or so later, when Susan's college boyfriend is brought up Madison acts like she barely remembers him - including asking what his name is - and insists he was always faithful to Susan as far as she knew. She tries so hard to distance herself from Keith that Laurie finds it suspicious, thinking it's strange that Madison wouldn't remember Keith given he was her murdered roommate's boyfriend, they were both taking theatre classes at UCLA and he became a semi-famous TV actor not long after Madison got her first major role.
Brainless Beauty: Downplayed; the highly attractive Madison isn't completely stupid, but she never applied herself in school or college, as she thinks she can get by on just her looks and acting ability. She's also so self-absorbed she's rarely aware of anything beyond herself and how a situation can hurt or benefit her. She does have occasional moments of being a Genius Ditz, mostly manipulating other people to get something she wants; she also took note of the fact Susan's car had broken down the night she died and so she must've gotten a ride from someone else, telling Laurie she always thought that person was Susan's killer (which is actually correct). However, in twenty years it never occurred to Madison to mention this to anyone, let alone the cops at the time, mostly because no one ever directly asked her about it.
Career Resurrection: In-universe, she desperately hopes that by participating in Under Suspicion, it will bring her renewed attention and revive her all-but-dead acting career. She also knows it will bring her back in contact with Frank Parker, the director who originally gave her her big break. Madison may get her wish in the end, with Variety reporting that Frank intends to cast her in a "comeback-worthy" supporting role in his next movie.
Color-Coded Eyes: She's noted to have similar physical features to Susan, though a notable difference is their eye colours; while Susan had blue eyes, Madison has green eyes, which helps to signify her as being wilder, less morally-sound and attractive in a more sultry way compared to Susan.
Do Not Call Me "Paul": Her birth name is Meredith Morris, but she never cared for it, finding it dull and old-fashioned. She initially tried out "cute" nicknames to make herself stand out, but they didn't work: she tried calling herself "Merry" only for people to constantly think she was saying "Mary", while "Red" didn't make much sense given she's a blonde. When she enrolled at UCLA, Meredith changed her name entirely to Madison Meyer, as the only thing she liked about her birth name was the alliteration.
Dumb Blonde: She’s a downplayed example. She's an attractive blonde who comes off as shallow, insensitive and unsubtle; she was never very academically inclined (she only agreed to go to UCLA to make her parents happy and dropped out within two years to pursue acting), loves to gossip and can barely hide her self-absorption. However, she's not always as vapid as she appears; she makes some insightful observations and can actually be quite cunning, but she's so fixated on herself she tends to miss the bigger picture (for example, it didn't occur to her to mention to the cops that Susan probably didn't take her own car to the Hollywood Hills because she was too concerned about getting her own alibi straight, even though this is a vital clue that could've helped to further put her in the clear for Susan's murder).
Dye Hard: invoked Upon first meeting Madison, Laurie notices she has a stripe of mouse brown in her blonde hair, indicating she's due for another dye job soon. Madison is obsessed with trying to maintain her youthful looks, especially as her most famous film role has her with blonde hair, but she's also a bit short on cash given her acting career dried up long ago.
It Meant Something to Me: Although she never tells him so, Madison's inner monologue reveals she really did have feelings for Keith and was genuinely upset he always preferred Susan to her, even though he was willing to fool around with her on the side. Even two decades later, she's hurt when Keith dismisses their past relationship as just two kids fooling around, wondering "Is that all I was to him?"
Jerkass: She’s a demanding, self-absorbed and fame-hungry diva. She's generally more concerned about getting publicity to restart her acting career and convincing everyone she didn't kill Susan or conspire to cover for Frank Parker, rather than helping to solve the murder of her roommate and supposed friend. She all but admits that after she learned Susan had been killed near his house, she persuaded Frank to cast her in his movie in exchange for confirming his alibi, though whatever her other faults, she isn't a murderer.
Not Himself: Given that Madison was known to be a social butterfly in college, the team find it odd she would've just been sitting at home on a Saturday night and thus been able to audition for Frank Parker last minute. Madison claims she was sick that evening, but Alex and Laurie point out this doesn't make sense because she was still well enough to attend the audition; she was also able to leave for the Hollywood Hills half an hour away from campus immediately after receiving Frank's call and they think it unlikely she would've auditioned in sweatpants and no make-up, while Frank says she turned up looking "like a million dollars" just forty-five minutes after he called her. When they first met Madison, she also kept the crew waiting two minutes while she applied fresh make-up. Madison then claims she'd already gotten dressed up to go to a frat party but changed her mind, only for Nicole and Keith to confirm she wouldn't be caught dead at those kind of parties. Madison eventually admits she was supposed to be going out with a man, but he stood her up; that man is revealed to be Professor Hathaway, who she really shouldn't have been fooling around with, hence the secrecy.
One-Hit Wonder: In-universe, Madison is indicated to be this. She briefly became famous in the 1990s for her breakout role as the lead in Frank Parker's first studio film, Beauty Land. She even won a Spirit Award for her performance. However, although she had a few more roles afterwards, her career as a leading actress didn't last long, she hasn't had any studio film offers in ten years and it's clear that Beauty Land is still her biggest success twenty years on, considering how frequently Madison likes to remind people and herself that she "got a Spirit Award" for the role. The only other thing she's remembered for is her alleged involvement in the murder of her roommate, who was intending to audition for the same part.
Plastic Bitch: She's vain, shallow and manipulative, and it's obvious she's had some cosmetic surgery on her face, including Botox and fillers. Laurie observes that while Madison is an attractive woman, she wonders if she wouldn't have looked more attractive without the plastic surgery, especially as she's not even forty yet.
Serial Spouse: She's been married and divorced three times, and later considers seducing Richard Hathaway into becoming husband no. 4, especially considering he co-runs a billion-dollar tech company.
Slut-Shaming: She claims that her college roommates would make catty comments or otherwise signify their disapproval over her flirtatious behaviour and tendency to hook up with various men. It's not entirely clear how true this is or whether Madison was just projecting; while Nicole didn't much like Madison (and vice versa), Susan actually defended Madison to Nicole as "just a harmless flirt" (though she was unaware that Madison was sneaking around with her boyfriend behind her back, in which case she would've been a lot more justified in judging Madison's behaviour).
The Unapologetic: While Keith and Nicole express remorse for their past misdeeds, especially the way they hurt Susan, Madison never offers any apologies or indications of remorse for her own morally iffy choices when confronted. She either denies any wrongdoing, attempts to justify all her actions or tries to play the victim.
With Friends Like These...: She and Susan were friends and roommates in college, although Madison wasn't an especially good friend to Susan; she was fooling around with Susan's boyfriend behind her back and she jumped at the chance to audition for the role that Susan went for, never showing much concern over why Susan herself didn't show up. Even after it was reported Susan had been murdered, Madison prioritised securing her role in Frank Parker's movie. It's also obvious that Madison was envious of Susan. She is deeply resentful over being accused of murdering Susan or covering it up, though, saying Susan was still her friend and she would never have hurt her. It turns out she really had nothing to do with it, although she did take advantage of Susan's death to guarantee Frank would cast her and is still more concerned about using Under Suspicion to boost her career rather than solving the murder.

Advocates for God

Keith Ratner

Susan's college boyfriend, with whom she had a tumultuous relationship; he's now a moderately successful character actor and a high-profile member of the megachurch Advocates for God.

'90s Hair: When he was at college and first began acting in the early/mid 90s, he had long, messy "rocker" hair. It's noted that while he still wears his hair long in the present day (2014), it looks less grungy and more casually confident, matching up with the more clean-cut image and lifestyle he's adopted.
Accidental Truth: To take suspicion off himself, Keith tells Laurie and her team that Dwight or Professor Hathaway could've killed Susan because she was actually the one who invented the search engine that launched REACH to success. Everyone else states this is incredibly unlikely because Susan was working on voice-to-text technology, not a search engine, and that Keith's claims are just proof of how little he knew about Susan's studies. Keith is actually unknowingly closer to the truth than he realised; while Susan wasn't involved in REACH's creation, she did overhear that Hathaway technically created it and wanted Dwight to claim ownership to get around intellectual property laws that would prevent him making money off it, and Hathaway indeed killed her to stop her from reporting him.
At Least I Admit It: He openly admits that he doesn't like the person he was in college, in particular acknowledging that he was an awful boyfriend to Susan, and has actively tried to become a better person. He does still get a bit defensive when people bring up his past behaviour, mostly in the context of the rumours he was involved in Susan's death; he states that he knows he treated Susan badly, but he did still love her and would never have harmed her, let alone strangled her to death.
Broken Pedestal: Keith finds Martin intimidating, but still trusts and believes in him. After Keith finds out that Martin indeed personally knows Steve Roman and has some knowledge of his criminal activities, and it's pointed out to him that Martin always tends to offer help to the same type of families - namely ones with young girls - Keith starts to realise Martin is not the wise and benevolent man he thought and agrees to call him wearing a police wire. Two months after the full extent of Martin's crimes have been revealed, Keith has become disillusioned with Advocates for God entirely and is more than happy to make money exposing all their dirty secrets.
Cult Defector: After Martin is exposed as a criminal and predator, Keith wakes up to the realities of AG and leaves the church; he speaks publicly about their shady behind-the-scenes activities and plans to write a tell-all memoir about his time with the church.
Drowning My Sorrows: He admits he used to drink heavily in his youth to mask his insecurities and low self-esteem. He also initially drank to cope with Susan's death; shortly after Susan was killed, he turned up at Madison's room completely wasted to rant at her for accepting the role Susan was intending to audition for.
Hypocrite: In college, he was rather possessive of Susan and constantly argued with her about her allegedly flirting with other men. Keith himself was cheating on Susan with numerous girls, including one of her own roommates. He tended to project his own insecurities and shortcomings onto Susan, in particular feeling that he was never good enough for her and so tried to 'knock her down a peg', so to speak.
Insecure Love Interest: He never felt that he was good enough for Susan - a beautiful, clever, popular and multi-talented girl who was set for a bright future - and was all too aware that many people, including Susan's mother, believed this too. This led to him mistreating Susan (including cheating on her) and constantly accusing her of wanting to leave him, which he later admits was to make himself feel better about his own inadequacies.
Recovered Addict: He was on his way to full-blown alcoholism in his youth, if he wasn't there already. After joining Advocates for God, he managed to get sober and has stayed that way for years; he's now The Teetotaler. When Madison meets up with him at a bar, she's surprised that he's drinking club soda rather than alcohol, given that when she last hung out with him regularly he was rarely without alcohol.
Screw This, I'm Outta Here: During a preliminary interview, Keith becomes infuriated over Laurie and Alex questioning him about his poor treatment of Susan and the reliability of his alibi, prompting him to quit the show and storm out; when Laurie reminds him he already signed a contract with them, Keith yells "So sue me!". However, when Keith tells Reverend Collins what happened, the reverend orders him to stay on the show to keep an eye on things, so he reluctantly returns and stays for the rest of the production.
Took a Level in Kindness: In college, Keith was a selfish, manipulative and hedonistic jerk who spent most of his time partying and hooking up with other girls behind his girlfriend's back; he would then get angry and suspicious over her allegedly being unfaithful to him with no proof. Twenty years later, while Keith is far from perfect, he's made a real effort to become a better person and is disgusted by how he behaved in college; he attributes this to a lack of maturity and low self-esteem, taking out his insecurities on others. He now tries to be kinder and more honest and helps people in need via his church.
Two-Timing with the Bestie: He was cheating on Susan with her friend Madison (though she was far from the only one and it was technically Nicole who was Susan's best friend). Keith and Madison mutually agree to not let the Under Suspicion crew learn of this, as it could look bad for them; Keith initially doesn't want to hide it as he's made an effort to take responsibility for his past mistakes, but Madison desperately doesn't want it to come out given she's already suspected of killing Susan and if people found out she was sleeping with her friend's boyfriend it would only worsen matters, so she convinces Keith it would be bad for his image too. The crew suspect there may have been something going on between them but it has no relevance to Susan's murder.

Martin Collins

Reverend Martin Collins

The founder and leader of the controversial megachurch Advocates for God.

Asshole Victim: After Martin throws him under the bus to cover up his involvement in his crimes, Steve breaks into Martin's house, waits for him to come home and then shoots him twice before turning the gun on himself. Martin ends up surviving, just, which means he can go straight to prison for racketeering, child sex abuse and various other crimes. No one is remotely sympathetic about him being shot and in fact, the emergency services being called to his home enabled them to find evidence of his crimes.
Domestic Abuse:
- His father was physically and psychologically abusive towards his mother, using beatings and threats to control her. He would also beat Martin, with his mother being too afraid and broken to defend him.
- Martin himself was emotionally and psychologically abusive to his ex-girlfriend, taking advantage of her low confidence and desire to belong to manipulate her into doing anything he wanted, though she didn't initially realise it, especially as Martin was more subtle and calculating than his father. For starters, Martin was much older than his girlfriend Nicole (who was only eighteen and rather naive) and he was in a position of authority over her as her church leader. Susan picked up on the power imbalance, asking Nicole why someone like him would even be interested in a college sophomore. Martin also had Nicole soliciting her friends for donations to the church and encouraged her to distance herself from her friends, telling her that those who questioned their relationship were "trying to corrupt [her]".When Nicole discovered Martin was a paedophile, he threatened to kill her and everyone she loved, even saying he'd hunt down and kill her as-yet-unborn children and grandchildren, if she ever told anyone... and Nicole knew he meant it. Even twenty years later, she remains petrified he will follow through on his threats.
Greedy Televangelist: He's obsessed with power and control, both in the form of amassing wealth and in having complete dominion over his followers. He claims that the generous donations to the megachurch he founded go to helping the poor and needy, but he also frequently dines at fancy restaurants, goes on expensive holidays, wears pricey clothing and owns multiple homes, including having a mansion all to himself. Martin claims that it gives him a better image and that a bit of indulgence to reward his hard work for others is harmless, but many people wonder just how much of the donated money really goes to the poor.
Never Be Hurt Again: He provides a pretty dark example. Growing up, he witnessed the way his abusive father controlled his mother with violence and coercion; she was unable to leave him or protect Martin from being abused too. When he grew up, Martin vowed that he would never be controlled by anyone. He studied domestic violence and coercive control in college, and applied what he knew to founding his own church and manipulating hundreds of people into obeying him unquestioningly so he would always be the one in power.
The Sociopath: He has many sociopathic traits: he is obsessed with controlling and dominating others, views people primarily as tools to get what he wants, has zero remorse for hurting and deceiving people, sees himself as above the law, is skilled at charming and manipulating people and intentionally targets vulnerable people to take under his wing. He has learned to be patient and calculating over the years rather than acting recklessly, although on one occasion after he receives some bad news in a phone call, he impulsively flings his phone at a wall. He also has few qualms about conspicuously spending church donations on personal luxuries, confident that he can get away with it.
The Svengali: He positions himself as a mentor to members of his congregation, in particular the inner circle of Advocates for God, who tend to be vulnerable, lonely people desperate to improve themselves and find purpose. Under the guise of helping them craft a closer relationship with God and find the purpose and belonging they seek, Martin manipulates people into becoming his unquestioning followers, willing to do anything in service to God: i.e. him. Martin forces the reluctant Keith Ratner to participate in Under Suspicion and report back to him, telling him that it would be selfish to refuse. He also has Steve Roman, a mentally unstable former drug addict, commit criminal acts in his service and coldly casts him aside when Steve's actions catch up to him, claiming that Steve acted alone.
Would Hurt a Child: He's revealed to be a paedophile who has sexually abused dozens of young girls over the years. Luckily, his crimes are discovered and he's arrested before he can do anything to harm the twelve-year-old girl he intends to make his latest victim.

Steve Roman

A member of Advocates for God's inner circle and one of Martin Collins' right-hand-men.

Addiction Displacement: He's clearly replaced his drug dependency with the gym and obsessive devotion to his church, the latter of which Reverend Collins heavily exploits to get him to do his bidding. It backfires when Collins cuts Steve loose from the church, with Steve having a complete mental breakdown and violently turning on his former mentor.
Ax-Crazy: He isn't the most mentally stable chap and has a tendency to become violent when he's angered and stressed. Steve is well aware of his issues and expresses he doesn't want to hurt people anymore, which is why he joined the Advocates for God in the first place, hoping to get control of his anger and become a better person. The immense pressure he's under from Martin causes his self-control to slip; when Rosemary's neighbour Lydia Levitt catches him snooping around her house, he snaps and beats her to death when he can't convince her he's meant to be there. Then, when he's unexpectedly caught by Jerry rifling through the production team's notes for any mention of AG, he badly beats him too. When he realises Martin has only ever used him and is now washing his hands of him, Steve shoots him twice before killing himself.
Bald of Evil: He keeps his head shaved and while "evil" might be a bit harsh considering he doesn't want to be this way, he's definitely a shady guy with a tendency towards extreme violence and a willingness to do anything the corrupt Reverend Collins asks of him. Timmy Moran notices Steve watching him and his family at a restaurant and remarks on his bald head, saying that in a way he's trying to hide his hair to disguise himself.
Broken Pedestal: Steve does anything and everything Martin asks of him, seeing him as someone with a direct line to God and the man responsible for changing his life for the better. He continually makes excuses for Martin's excessive spending of church donations and other shady acts. After Steve makes some terrible mistakes trying to follow Martin's orders and Martin publicly condemns Steve as an unhinged man who "somehow found his way" into the church, absolving himself of any responsibility, Steve does not take it well.
Recovered Addict: He was a drug addict many years ago but managed to kick the habit by joining Advocates for God, which is part of the reason he's so devoted to the church and Reverend Collins.
Stalker without a Crush: Martin Collins orders Steve Roman to monitor Nicole's movements and to keep a close eye on everyone else involved in Under Suspicion, just in case Nicole mentions anything to do with Advocates for God. Steve subsequently stalks just about everyone connected to the show. He's not exactly subtle about it though, including using the same cream-coloured pick-up truck and even wearing his work uniform with the Keepsafe security logo on it, which eventually leads to Leo and the police putting two-and-two together.

REACH

Dwight Cook

Susan's programming research partner at UCLA, who had unrequited romantic feelings for her. He dropped out of UCLA to found the successful tech company REACH.

Et Tu, Brute?: He realises that Hathaway - his former mentor, his business partner and oldest friend - had something to do with Susan's murder after watching footage of Alex's interview with Keith, Nicole and Madison. When Nicole mentions that Susan couldn't find her lucky necklace in her room and stormed off to look it before heading to her audition, Dwight recalls that Susan had walked into the computer lab while he was in there with Hathaway, having what was supposed to be a private conversation about REACH. Realising that Susan went to the lab to retrieve her necklace and that Hathaway could've killed her for what she overheard, Dwight furiously confronts him with his suspicions. Unfortunately, his suspicions are confirmed when Hathaway kills him, too.
Innocently Insensitive: His difficulties with social interaction sometimes result in him coming off as blunt or overly-forward with people, even though he doesn't intend to be rude. The first time he meets Laurie, he rather suddenly brings up that her husband was murdered, which Laurie finds a bit off-putting; later Dwight feels bad about the way he brought it up, as he'd only been trying to establish a rapport with Laurie due to him also feeling a deep sense of loss over Susan's murder, and hopes he didn't upset her.
Loving Details: He knew how much Susan's lucky necklace meant to her and that she was rarely without it (a detail only her parents and best friend tend to acknowledge). She'd also once confided in him that the computer lab was sometimes the only place she felt she could relax and escape from life's stresses, which he still remembers twenty years after her death. Consequently, when Dwight overhears Nicole mention that Susan couldn't find her necklace in her room the night she died, he realises she must've left it in the lab and went back for it. And then he realises she must've overheard Hathaway trying to persuade him to take credit for REACH, something Hathaway wouldn't want anyone else to know...
Morton's Fork: Dwight faces a dilemma after Jerry is attacked in Dwight's home; Dwight has secret surveillance footage of the attack, but revealing he has it will also mean revealing he's been spying on the production crew, which could mean him being kicked off the show and not being able to help uncover who killed Susan, plus it could wreck his reputation. Dwight ultimately decides not to reveal the footage, as the attacker is wearing a ski mask and the video is too poor quality to reveal any distinguishing features, so he figures it wouldn't help much.
The Mourning After: He says that Susan Dempsey is the only woman he's ever truly loved, even twenty years after her death. It helps that Susan was one of the few people who never judged or tried to take advantage of him, and he's always regretted never being able to tell her how he felt about her. Dwight is willing to do anything he can to bring Susan's killer for justice.
No Social Skills: He tends to be highly awkward in social situations, sometimes coming off as abrupt or blunt, not always picking up on social cues, and rapidly switching from one subject to another, unrelated one. He's also extremely introverted; he doesn't enjoy hanging around large crowds and finds interacting with people over a long period of time to be exhausting. He does recognise emotions in other people, but tends to pick up on so much it becomes overwhelming for him. It's speculated he's on the autism spectrum, though personally Dwight doesn't like to label himself as such.
Rich Genius: He was a teen prodigy at computer science, who created an at-the-time cutting-edge search engine at the age of nineteen and dropped out of college to release it in the private sector, quickly making millions off it. Under Dwight, REACH continues to create new tech, allowing them to stay relevant and prosperous even though the search engine is now considered obsolete.It's revealed that it was technically Dwight's mentor, Professor Hathaway, who came up with the idea for the search engine, although Dwight did the majority of the coding and it doesn't diminish his intelligence.
Stalker without a Crush: He uses hidden surveillance equipment to keep tabs on the production crew while they're staying at his house, which he offered for them to use for the shoot to save money, and hacks into the participants' cellphones; in his case he wants to monitor everyone's conversations to see if they've learned anything new about Susan's murder or if Susan's killer will give themselves away, believing he can figure things out faster than the Under Suspicion team this way.
Why Couldn't You Be Different?: He recalls that his father would get annoyed and criticise him as a child for being "weird", snapping at him to stop pacing (which he does when he's nervous) and to stop being awkward, especially as it made other people uncomfortable.

Richard Hathaway

Professor Richard Hathaway

A former computer science professor at UCLA, who taught Susan and Dwight. He now heads the tech company REACH alongside Dwight.

Greed: His motive for killing Susan (and committing other crimes). He came up with the idea for REACH, but as he was still employed by UCLA at the time, by law the REACH technology belonged to UCLA. Realising he could make a fortune off it if he claimed Dwight - a student - solely invented it and then went to work for him in the private sector, Hathaway manipulated Dwight into taking the credit, claiming that REACH would be more beneficial for people if it were released in the private sector; unfortunately for Hathaway, Susan overhead the conversation and saw right through him. Unable to persuade her to keep quiet and unwilling to lose out on the fortune REACH could make him, Hathaway murdered Susan. In the present, even when Hathaway knows he's about to be exposed and has a chance to run for it, he desperately tries to set up someone else for his crimes as he doesn't want to give up everything he's gained.
Evil Teacher: Although he put up a facade of being a charming and enthusiastic professor who looked after his students, Hathaway always had a dark side. Sleeping with his students - some of whom were in their late teens - and manipulating a vulnerable student into helping him commit intellectual property theft and fraud is already pretty bad. But Hathaway truly crossed the line into evil by murdering his student Susan Dempsey, after she found out about his plans and intended to report him.
Hot Teacher: During his tenure as a UCLA professor, he was one of the youngest teachers and was noted for his attractiveness; many female students had crushes on him and it's rumoured he had affairs with some of them.
The Svengali: He regarded Dwight as one his favourite students and they developed a close friendship, closer than the average mentor-pupil relationship. He also left his teaching position at UCLA to help Dwight run REACH. However, Hathaway has less than scrupulous intentions and took advantage of both Dwight's genius and his issues with social interaction (it's implied Dwight may be autistic) to benefit himself. Notably, Hathaway persuaded teenaged Dwight to take sole credit for REACH's founding technology so they could release it in the private sector; he claimed that REACH would better serve people this way, though in reality it was so he could make money off it. Hathaway continues to manipulate Dwight in the present, persuading Dwight to let him handle the business-side of the company so Dwight isn't overwhelmed trying to deal with investors and public appearances, and focuses largely on making profits. When Dwight proves he's not as gullible as Hathaway believes, figuring out that he murdered Susan and furiously confronting him, Hathaway is unable to convince him it was an "accident" and murders Dwight.
Teacher/Student Romance: It's rumoured that when he was a professor at UCLA, he had affairs with some of his female students. Laurie discovers that a student had reported him for inappropriate behaviour, but no proof was uncovered and the student dropped her complaint after no one else came forward to support her claims. Hathaway himself insists there's no truth in the rumours. Given Susan was one of Hathaway's favourite students, the Under Suspicion team wonder if Susan could've found out about the affairs, or if she was romantically involved with Hathaway herself. While Susan wasn't in a relationship with Hathaway, it turns out the rumours are true and that one of the students Hathaway was involved with was Madison Meyer, though she cut him off when he didn't show up for their intended date on May 7th 1994, which enabled her to attend Frank Parker's audition instead. The reason Hathaway missed the date was because he was too busy murdering Madison's roommate.
Tech Bro: He's older than many examples (being in his late fifties), but otherwise fits the archetype (especially compared to his nerdy business partner Dwight). He helped found a billion-dollar Silicon Valley tech company in the 1990s, getting in on the dot-com boom. He’s the brains behind the business side of REACH and is charismatic and extroverted, with Laurie noting he’s much more comfortable on camera than Dwight. He’s physically fit and handsome, often getting dates with younger women. Hathaway also has some of the sleazier traits associated with tech bros; it's rumoured he was involved with students - some of whom were in their teens - when he still worked at UCLA and he's mostly interested in using REACH to make money (while claiming he’s in it for the greater good). It's revealed he murdered Susan because she knew his plans for REACH were illegal and unethical, and is prepared to kill again so as not to lose his luxurious lifestyle.
Would Hit a Girl: He lost his temper and attacked Susan when she refused to do as he asked, culminating in him fatally strangling her with his bare hands. He later intends to kill Laurie, holding her at gunpoint and nearly shooting her; he even considers strangling her like he did with Susan.

Characters / The Cinderella Murder

Dempsey family and friends

Susan Dempsey

Rosemary Dempsey

Nicole Melling (nee Hunter)

Lydia Levitt

Hollywood

Frank Parker

Talia Parker

Madison Meyer (born Meredith Morris)

Advocates for God

Keith Ratner

Reverend Martin Collins

Steve Roman

REACH

Dwight Cook

Professor Richard Hathaway

Previous

Index

Next

Characters / The Cinderella Murder

Edit Locked

Dempsey family and friends

Susan Dempsey

Rosemary Dempsey

Nicole Melling (nee Hunter)

Lydia Levitt

Hollywood

Frank Parker

Talia Parker

Madison Meyer (born Meredith Morris)

Advocates for God

Keith Ratner

Reverend Martin Collins

Steve Roman

REACH

Dwight Cook

Professor Richard Hathaway

Previous

Index

Next