Frankie is a 50-year-old recovering alcoholic who travels the country searching for missing persons from marginalized communities. She operates as an amateur detective, taking on cases that professional law enforcement agencies have abandoned. Haunted by her past trauma and the memory of her late boyfriend, she takes a bartending job in the Mattapan neighborhood to fund her investigation into a missing Haitian teenager.

Angelique is a highly intelligent Haitian teenager who disappeared from her Boston high school. She possesses a natural instinct to protect her family, especially her younger brother, and is fiercely loyal to her friends. A pragmatic planner by nature, she worked diligently to graduate early and secure a student visa to protect her family from the threat of deportation.

Emmanuel is Angelique's younger brother who immigrated to Boston following the devastating earthquake in Haiti. He refuses to give up hope of finding his sister, keeping her memory alive even after the police hit a dead end. He possesses the unique ability to recognize and decipher the subtle clues and codes his sister leaves behind.

Detective Lotham is the lead Boston police investigator assigned to Angelique's disappearance. Unlike many officers Frankie has encountered, he genuinely cares about the marginalized victims in his community and refuses to simply dismiss the case. Though often gruff and overworked, he remains dedicated to his job and eventually shares resources with Frankie.

Paul is Frankie's late boyfriend and former AA sponsor. He played a crucial role in helping her achieve sobriety and offered a deep, empathetic understanding of human struggles. His memory acts as Frankie's emotional compass, heavily influencing her relentless drive to save others in an attempt to make up for his tragic death.

Livia is a technical genius with a talent for three-dimensional design who goes missing three months after Angelique. She attends a summer fashion program where she forms a quick bond with Angelique. Her family's involvement in criminal activities prevents her mother from formally reporting her disappearance to the authorities.

Deke is Livia and Johnson's older brother, recently released from prison after serving a sentence for armed robbery. He attempts to reconnect with his family, though his criminal history causes significant friction. He desires to protect his sister but struggles to escape his past behaviors and dangerous associates.

Johnson is Livia's older brother who supports his family through local drug dealing. He is fiercely protective of his mother and sister, refusing to trust the police with Livia's disappearance. He harbors deep resentment toward his brother Deke for failing to support the family during his incarceration.

Guerline is Angelique and Emmanuel's aunt and primary guardian. After the devastating earthquake in Haiti, she took the children in and raised them in Boston, providing them with a stable home environment amid the constant threat of expiring immigrant visas.

Stoney owns a local bar in the Mattapan neighborhood. Though initially reluctant to hire a white outsider, he gives Frankie a job and a room upstairs. He becomes a steady presence and a valuable sounding board as she investigates the local community.

Viv is the cook at Stoney's bar. She is protective of her community and initially suspects Frankie of harboring a white savior complex. However, she ultimately provides Frankie with valuable local context about the struggles of Haitian immigrants in Boston.

Officer O'Shaughnessy serves as the Haitian Liaison Officer for the Mattapan district. With his mixed Irish and Haitian heritage, he works to build trust between law enforcement and the residents. He shows genuine concern for the Badeau family's well-being and strictly guards their privacy.

Frederic is the executive officer of the local rec center. He oversees the summer programs that both Angelique and Livia attended. He presents himself as a community leader trying to shepherd at-risk youth toward success in life, though he claims to know little about the missing girls' personal lives.

Charlie is a fellow recovering addict who volunteers his time at the local rec center. He provides Frankie with important observational clues about the neighborhood's youth and helps connect her to the staff at the facility where Angelique spent her summer.

Marjolie is Angelique's best friend from high school. She persuaded Angelique to attend the summer program at the rec center to get closer to a boy, which inadvertently led to their friendship fracturing over a dispute about fake identification cards.

Rosaline is Livia, Deke, and Johnson's mother. She lives in constant fear for her family's safety due to her sons' criminal connections, which prevents her from reporting Livia's disappearance to the authorities. She warns Frankie to stay away for her own safety.

Lani is an Indigenous single mother who went missing during one of Frankie's previous investigations. Because of her troubled past, local law enforcement quickly dismissed her disappearance as a runaway case. She serves as a haunting reminder of the marginalized women Frankie tries to save.

Dommy is an older boy who frequents the rec center and sells low-quality fake IDs to teenagers. His actions spark a major confrontation with Angelique during the summer program, creating a rift between her and Marjolie.

Mr. Riddenscail is a computer teacher at Boston Polytech who taught Livia. He recognizes her immense talent for three-dimensional visualization and design. He helped arrange for a 3D printer at the rec center through a specialized educational grant.