Long Time Gone

Ryder Hillier is a reporter with her own podcast, Unsolved, in which she investigates cold cases with the help of her listeners. Ryder is dedicated to her craft, but she is unconcerned by the ethics of responsible reporting. When Ryder gets a tip from Zoe about Sloan, she begins a media rampage that traps Sloan and her family without any thought as to the effect on their lives. Though Ryder’s motivation is superficially helpful, as she promises to present the narrative according to the wishes of those involved, her real intention is to exploit the story for fame and profit. Ryder finds Margot’s room at the Cedar Creek Inn, at which she risks her own life and the life of her cameraman to get footage of Sloan, showing a clear disregard for the dangers of her choices.

Ryder is a minor antagonist, a flat, static character who specifically highlights the theme of The Problematic Ethics of the Profit-Driven Media, since she provokes the media onslaught that leads Sloan to flee to Margolis Manor. Ryder harasses Dolly and Hayden as well, showing that she is willing to violate people’s privacy to secure her story. Though Ryder’s message to her listeners inspires Margot to confess to Sloan, that same message leads to Margot’s death at Ellis’s hands, again emphasizing the dangers of irresponsible reporting. In the end, Ryder is forced to focus her story on Margot, since she was unable to secure an interview with Sloan. This conclusion is framed as a punishment for Ryder, and it highlights how Sloan’s decision to limit her media interactions was a wise one.

Nora Margolis is Sloan’s aunt and a member of the Margolis family through her marriage to Ellis. Nora is a photographer, and she values her role in the Cedar Creek community, noting how she photographs births, weddings, and funerals, which makes her a vital historian within the town. In addition to documenting the town, Nora is an avid amateur genealogist, which leads her to reach out to Sloan early in the novel. Nora’s role in the novel is two-fold: Her interest in history makes her a valuable resource in Sloan’s investigation, and she also becomes a crucial ally in navigating the Margolis family. Nora’s own story is one of struggling to assimilate into the Margolis family standards, a struggle that leads to her befriending Annabelle before Preston and Annabelle’s disappearance. Nora repeats the process of welcoming a new woman into the family when Sloan comes to Cedar Creek, allowing Sloan insight into Annabelle’s life and serving as her guide in Cedar Creek.

Although Nora is a supporting character in the text, she serves an important role in her contrast with the remaining Margolis family. While Tilly, Reid, and Ellis are controlling and uptight, Nora is warm and welcoming, often explicitly disagreeing with her husband and in-laws. Much as Nora welcomed Annabelle, she helps Sloan in her investigation and even provides the critical clue that unveils the mystery: Annabelle’s camera. Though Sloan ultimately returns to her life in Raleigh, Nora provides the camera and a framed photo of a hawk, taken by Annabelle, to remind Sloan of the good parts of her trip to Cedar Creek. Nora’s presence in the novel highlights the importance of solidarity, even within a family dynamic.

Sandy and Eric Stamos are a father and son who both hold the title of Harrison County sheriff during critical times in the novel’s mystery. Sandy Stamos is the sheriff in 1995, when Baker Jauncey is killed and Annabelle, Preston, and Charlotte go missing, while Eric is the sheriff during Sloan’s investigation into her past in 2024. The men exhibit common traits: They are both serious, talented detectives with a willingness to hear people out and connect with others. Sandy, for example, invites Marvin inside for a beer even after Marvin followed him to his cabin, and he repeats this process with Preston Margolis despite suspecting Preston of murder. Eric similarly forms a connection with Sloan, even after she sprays him with pepper spray, and forms a new friendship with Marvin.

Sandy and Eric are both supporting characters in the text, taking the role of hardened detectives burdened by the power structures of their town, Cedar Creek. As elected officials, they pride themselves on their honesty and dedication, working against the manipulative Margolis family to sustain a sense of justice in their small community. Sandy is removed from the present-day investigation, but he lives on through Eric, who reaches out to Sloan, supports her in Cedar Creek, and ultimately alerts the authorities when Sloan is out of reach and in danger. Eric also serves as Sloan’s ally and potential love interest; they first connect through the investigation, but they also share a common purpose: to uncover the truth about their families’ pasts, which adds a layer of camaraderie between them.

Ellis Margolis is a lawyer at Margolis & Margolis law firm, husband of Nora Margolis, son of Tilly and Reid Margolis, and brother of Preston Margolis. His alternate identity is Guy Menendez, the lawyer responsible for embezzling funds from Margolis & Margolis and kidnapping Charlotte Margolis for adoption. Ellis is a flat, static character who does not receive much characterization in the novel, but through his past actions, the narrative develops his character. Ellis is revealed to have opioid and gambling addictions, which led him to start embezzling under an assumed identity, Guy, which led to his conflict with Baker. Killing Baker did not end the threat to Ellis’s criminal work, however, and he saw no other option than to kill his brother and sister-in-law, as well as Sandy. In Ellis’s mind, these were all necessary acts, and he claims to compartmentalize them to avoid guilt. However, taking steps to avoid guilt is an admission that Ellis understands his crimes to be immoral.

Ellis is the primary antagonist of the novel, as he is the source of the conflict that drives the narrative forward. As Guy Menendez, Ellis escalates his crimes whenever anyone comes close to catching him, making him a particularly dangerous adversary. When Ellis concludes that someone needs to die, he kills them without hesitation, culminating in the deaths of Margot, Tilly, and Reid, and his attempts to kill Nora and Sloan. In the end, Ellis dies at the hands of Lester Strange, the very man he intended to frame for all the murders. Although the novel doesn’t excuse Ellis’s crimes, it does complicate his character and motivations by framing them as a result of his addictions.