Thirteen

Joshua Kane, known to the FBI as Dollar Bill, is the novel’s antagonist. He is a highly intelligent, meticulous serial killer whose congenital analgesia, a rare genetic condition preventing him from feeling physical pain, makes him a daunting foe for Eddie Flynn. This inability to feel pain creates a deep detachment from his own body and the bodies of others, allowing him to inflict and endure extreme violence without flinching. He breaks his own nose to better impersonate a victim, for example, and treats a deep stab wound to his thigh with cold indifference, noting only that “those pants [are] ruined” (80). His body is a canvas of scars from past injuries, which he views as trophies of his achievements. This physical otherness symbolizes his complete lack of empathy and positions him as an almost inhuman force within the narrative.

Kane’s motivation is ideological, rooted in a twisted mission to dismantle what he perceives as The Illusion of the American Dream, a key theme in the novel. Scarred by his mother’s desperate and failed struggle for a better life, he targets individuals who have recently achieved sudden success or fame, such as winning the lottery or, in Bobby Solomon’s case, achieving stardom. By murdering innocent people and framing these successful individuals for the crimes, Kane believes he is exposing the “great American lie” that hard work or luck leads to happiness (289). His calling card, a $1 bill marked with symbols from the Great Seal, connects his murders to the nation’s foundational ideals, turning a symbol of aspiration into one of death. This mission is a perverse form of revenge on a societal scale, punishing those who attain the dream his mother could not achieve.

As a character, Kane is the ultimate manipulator, and his methods directly challenge The Fragility of the American Jury System. He is a master of disguise, using elaborate makeup, wigs, and behavioral mimicry to steal the identities of potential jurors. This allows him to infiltrate the heart of the justice system, becoming a juror in the trials of the innocent people he has framed. From this position, he can steer deliberations, eliminate dissenting jurors through murder, and ensure a guilty verdict. His true victims, in this sense, are not necessarily the people he has murdered, but the people he has framed for these murders. His meticulous planning is evident in every action, from his initial surveillance of the courthouse mail to his careful manipulation of his fellow jurors. Kane’s success in carrying out this pattern for years, across multiple states, reveals the vulnerability of a system built on the assumption of good faith. He is a saboteur of justice itself, turning the jury box into his personal theater of cruelty.

Harper is Eddie Flynn’s trusted private investigator. A former FBI agent, she possesses the skills, instincts, and official connections that Eddie lacks, making their partnership highly effective. She is resourceful and tenacious, capable of navigating the bureaucratic worlds of both federal and local law enforcement to get the information they need. It is her contact at the FBI’s Behavioral Analysis Unit that provides the initial breakthrough in the Dollar Bill case, demonstrating her important role in moving the plot forward. Her pragmatism and law enforcement background provide a grounded counterpoint to Eddie’s more intuitive, con-artist-driven methods.

Despite her tough exterior and professional competence, Harper also reveals a more personal side. Her loyalty to Eddie is unwavering, and she is willing to bend rules and put herself at risk to help him. Her developing relationship with Holten (Russell McPartland) introduces a layer of dramatic irony, as she is unknowingly involved with Kane’s accomplice, a mark against her professional ability to measure a person’s character. Her ability to balance her professional duties with her personal life, however complicated, adds depth to her character. By the end of the novel, Harper shows a form of justice that, like Eddie, operates both inside and outside the lines, using her past and present connections to uncover a truth that the official investigation has missed.

Robert “Bobby” Solomon functions as the central victim of the plot, both of the murders and of Joshua Kane’s elaborate attempt to frame him. As a famous movie star, he is the perfect target for Kane’s mission against the theme of The Illusion of the American Dream. Initially, Bobby is a figure of suspicion; he has a history of reckless behavior and a weak alibi for the night his wife, Ariella, and her lover, Carl, were murdered. His wealth and fame make him an unsympathetic defendant in the public eye.

As the narrative progresses, however, Bobby’s vulnerability and genuine grief become clear. Rather than a cold, calculating killer, he is actually a “scared kid with the prospect of life in jail hanging over his head” (47). The pressure of the trial exposes his deepest secrets, including his epilepsy and his homosexuality, which he has hidden to protect his career. His refusal to reveal his true alibi—that he was with a secret male lover—stems from fear and shame, creating a significant obstacle for his defense. This internal conflict makes him a complex and sympathetic character. His transformation from a guarded celebrity into an honest man who chooses to risk everything to catch his wife’s killer demonstrates significant growth, as he learns to value truth over his public image.

Appearing for most of the novel as Holten, a stoic and professional security guard from Carp Law, Russell McPartland is the secondary antagonist. In his guise as Holten, he provides security for Bobby Solomon and later assists Eddie Flynn. This role places him in a position of trust, which he exploits as Joshua Kane’s accomplice. He is the “man on the inside” (290), feeding Kane information and assisting in the plot to frame Eddie for murder. His motivation appears to be self-preservation, as Kane likely blackmailed him over his past as a campus rapist, but he takes to his new role with relish. McPartland is a foil to Kane; while Kane is an ideologue, McPartland is a more common type of criminal, driven by baser instincts and fear. His eventual unmasking is an important twist, revealing the true depth of Kane’s manipulative network and his ability to corrupt others to serve his mission.

Rudy Carp represents the cynical, high-stakes world of celebrity legal defense. He is the “litigator to the stars” (11), more concerned with managing public relations and serving his true client, the movie studio, than with genuine justice. He hires Eddie as an expendable asset, a pawn to be sacrificed if the defense strategy of blaming the police backfires. While he initially professes to believe in Bobby’s innocence, his loyalty is ultimately to the “seventeen million dollars in legal fees, per year” that the studio provides (164). When Bobby’s epilepsy becomes public, threatening the studio’s investment, Rudy abandons him without a second thought. He is a foil to Eddie, whose commitment to his client is moral and personal, whereas Rudy’s is purely transactional.

Special Agent Paige Delaney of the FBI’s Behavioral Analysis Unit provides exposition and institutional legitimacy for the serial killer theory. She is the first law enforcement official to recognize the pattern in the Dollar Bill murders, connecting a series of cold cases across the country through the killer’s unique signature. She is intelligent, perceptive, and represents the best of federal law enforcement: An analyst capable of seeing the “monster” (261) by looking past the wreckage of his crimes. Though she is bound by the rules of her live investigation, she forms an uneasy but effective alliance with Eddie and Harper, sharing information that is critical to unmasking Joshua Kane. Her expertise provides an important framework for understanding the scale and sophistication of Kane’s crimes.

Judge Harry Ford serves as Eddie Flynn’s mentor and moral compass. A Vietnam veteran turned respected judge, Harry represents the integrity and humanity of the law. His appointment to the Solomon case creates a professional conflict, as his close friendship with Eddie could be seen as a liability. However, Harry navigates this with fairness and authority. He acts as a father figure to Eddie, offering guidance and support, particularly in relation to Eddie’s alcoholism and crumbling marriage. Harry’s presence in the story reinforces the idea that even within a flawed system, individuals of principle can uphold justice.

Art Pryor is the special prosecutor hired to convict Bobby Solomon and is a foil to Eddie Flynn. He is one of the “courtroom gladiators” (156), a charismatic and highly effective lawyer who views trials as a performance or a contest to be won at all costs. With his Southern charm and mastery of courtroom psychology, he is a formidable opponent. Pryor’s “shotgun prosecution” style, which favors speed and impact over exhaustive detail, is designed to overwhelm the jury and secure a quick conviction. His focus on victory over truth and his cynical detachment from the human tragedy of the case provide a stark contrast to Eddie’s more justice-oriented approach.