42 pages • 1-hour read
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Meet the key characters, with insights into their roles, motivations, and relationships—spoiler-free.
Angie is a thirty-something wildlife removal specialist who runs her own business, Discreet Captures, in South Florida. A former state wildlife officer, she lost her job and spent time in jail after a violent physical altercation with a local animal poacher. She intensely dislikes the overdevelopment of the Florida environment and reacts fiercely to any form of animal abuse. Her strong sense of justice drives her to intervene when an innocent person is blamed for a local tragedy.
Stepmother of Joel
Ex-Wife of Dustin
Romantic Interest of Paul Ryskamp
Ally of Police Chief Crosby
Enemy of Pruitt
Contractor for Tripp Teabull
Advocate for Diego Beltran
Ally of Clinton Tyree
Friend of Spalding
The President is an erratic, self-absorbed politician who spends much of his time at his Winter White House in Palm Beach, Casa Bellicosa. He favors golf and personal aesthetic maintenance over his official governmental duties. He relies heavily on social media to spread false narratives, using a massive online following to create fake catastrophes that serve his political agenda. He exploits the financial loyalty of wealthy supporters to insulate himself from the consequences of his careless behavior.
Husband of The First Lady
Political Idol of Kiki Pew Fitzsimmons
Political Idol of Fay Alex Riptoad
Persecutor of Diego Beltran
Client of Christian
Enemy of Clinton Tyree
The First Lady is an astute, politically aware woman who openly despises the emotional constraints of her public role. She privately holds contempt for her husband's erratic behavior and focuses on maintaining her own peace of mind within a chaotic administration. Though she initially appears detached from the local mysteries unfolding in Palm Beach, her quiet intelligence allows her to manage sensitive situations behind the scenes.
Wife of The President
Romantic Partner of Keith Josephson
Protectee of Paul Ryskamp
Connected to Angie Armstrong
Acquaintance of Fay Alex Riptoad
Observed by Spalding
Clinton is a former Florida governor who abandoned his political career in despair over state corruption. He now lives as an eccentric recluse in the swamps, surviving on roadkill and engaging in radical environmental activism. He retains a commanding presence, marked by a deep voice and a movie-star smile. He uses highly disruptive, unconventional methods to force wealthy elites to face the consequences of their ecological destruction.
Ally of Angie Armstrong
Friend of Jim Tile
Enemy of The President
Headache for Police Chief Crosby
Enemy of Pruitt
Opponent of Kiki Pew Fitzsimmons
Diego is an educated young man from Honduras who returns to the United States after his visa expires to escape political unrest. He finds work on the mainland and attempts to blend in, but he becomes a hapless victim of circumstance after picking up a piece of jewelry on some railroad tracks. This simple act places him at the center of a national political narrative, leaving him helpless within a hostile justice system.
Protected by Angie Armstrong
Suspect of Police Chief Crosby
Target of The President
Falsely Linked to Uric Burns
Falsely Linked to Prince Paladin
Accused of Harming Kiki Pew Fitzsimmons
Paul is a Secret Service agent tasked with protecting the President and managing the fallout of local scandals. He is pragmatic, cautious, and deeply exhausted by the political administration he serves. While he possesses a strong moral compass, he constantly struggles between doing the right thing and keeping his secure government job.
Romantic Interest of Angie Armstrong
Superior of Keith Josephson
Protector of The First Lady
Colleague of Police Chief Crosby
Subordinate of The President
Investigator of Diego Beltran
Crosby is the police chief of Palm Beach, tasked with the nearly impossible job of policing the ultra-wealthy without offending them. He is sickened by the national political interference in his local cases but remains deeply afraid of losing his position. The constant stress of managing the elite class's demands pushes him to his professional limits.
Ally of Angie Armstrong
Arresting Officer of Diego Beltran
Colleague of Paul Ryskamp
Pressured by The President
Pressured by Fay Alex Riptoad
Investigator of Chase Cornbright
Kiki is a 73-year-old, twice-widowed member of the Palm Beach social elite. She is an ardent, generous supporter of the President and a founding member of an exclusive club of wealthy women who fund his campaigns. Her sudden disappearance sets off a chaotic chain of events that disrupts the insulated, wealthy community.
Best Friend of Fay Alex Riptoad
Mother of Chase Cornbright
Mother of Chance Cornbright
Supporter of The President
Fay Alex is an elderly, extremely wealthy member of the Palm Beach elite and a staunch backer of the President. She organizes political fundraisers and expects total compliance from the law enforcement and security teams that protect her social circle. She firmly believes the political narratives she consumes and refuses to question her privileged worldview.
Best Friend of Kiki Pew Fitzsimmons
Supporter of The President
Acquaintance of The First Lady
Pressures Police Chief Crosby
Tripp is the manager of the luxurious Lipid House estate in Palm Beach. He is highly anxious about his venue's reputation and goes to extreme lengths to conceal any incidents that might upset his high-society clientele. His attempts to quietly cover up a bizarre disaster lead to a spiraling series of crimes.
Uric is a dim-witted local criminal hired for odd jobs by desperate, wealthy clients. He is fundamentally lazy and turned to crime simply to set his own hours. His lack of foresight, combined with an impulse for betrayal, constantly creates new complications for himself and his employers.
Prince Paladin is an inept thief and Uric's partner in crime. He is driven by immediate greed, choosing to steal whatever valuables he comes across rather than properly completing the jobs he is paid for.
Partner of Uric Burns
Brother of Germaine Bracco
Employee of Tripp Teabull
Pruitt is a vengeful local poacher who previously lost a hand in a violent altercation with an arresting officer. He uses a prosthetic hook and spends his time stalking and intimidating the woman he blames for his condition, though his plans are often impulsive and poorly executed.
Enemy of Angie Armstrong
Target of Clinton Tyree
Keith is a young, reckless Secret Service agent assigned to the presidential detail. He is deeply infatuated with his protectee and willingly risks his career and safety to pursue a highly dangerous romance, believing naively that his secrets will remain hidden.
Romantic Partner of The First Lady
Subordinate to Paul Ryskamp
Client of Spalding
Chase is one of Kiki Pew's adult sons. He is greedy, impatient, and entirely focused on securing his share of his mother's massive fortune. He possesses a sense of extreme entitlement and rarely considers the consequences of his reckless behavior.
Son of Kiki Pew Fitzsimmons
Brother of Chance Cornbright
Investigated by Police Chief Crosby
Connected to Ajax Huppler
Chance is Kiki's other adult son, equally self-absorbed and eager to claim his inheritance. Like his brother, he lacks common sense and indulges in dangerous, expensive hobbies as soon as he anticipates a financial windfall.
Son of Kiki Pew Fitzsimmons
Brother of Chase Cornbright
Connected to Ajax Huppler
Spalding is a waiter from South Africa who works at the exclusive Winter White House. He is observant and well-connected, using his position to broker rare luxury goods and gather valuable intelligence about the private lives of the political elite.
Joel is a cheerful young man who maintains a strong, familial bond with his former stepmother long after his father's divorce. He is supportive, easygoing, and sometimes inadvertently drawn into dangerous situations through association.
Dustin is an off-screen presence whose past marriage leaves a lasting family connection between his ex-wife and his son.
Ex-Husband of Angie Armstrong
Father of Joel
Germaine is a small-time grifter who quickly gives up valuable information when threatened. He serves as a link to deeper criminal elements in the local area.
Brother of Prince Paladin
Interrogated by Angie Armstrong
Jim is an elderly, observant Black man who monitors the activities of an eccentric activist. He operates quietly in the background, facilitating communication and providing discreet assistance when environmental protests escalate.
Friend of Clinton Tyree
Ally of Angie Armstrong
Ajax is a local fisherman whose late-night boating accidentally introduces him to a dangerous wildlife threat, setting off a chain reaction of security protocols.
Connected to Chase Cornbright
Connected to Chance Cornbright
Mauricio is a groundskeeper who manages the landscaping staff at Lipid House. He is pragmatic and advises others to look the other way when high-society scandals threaten to disrupt their livelihoods.
Supervisor of Jesus
Acquaintance of Angie Armstrong
Jesus is an undocumented immigrant working as a landscaper. He accidentally witnesses a horrific event but is terrified to speak to the police due to his immigration status.
Employee of Mauricio
Christian is a technician tasked with the stressful job of maintaining cosmetic equipment for a demanding political figure. He constantly scrambles to fix sabotage without drawing attention to security breaches.
Employee of The President
Friend of Spalding