Among the Living

Heir to the Raden textile fortune, John returns for his father’s funeral after twenty-five years away. He is cautious and burdened by hidden family truths, gradually drawn into a tangled web of deception surrounding his brother and mother. His identity becomes a question as the truth about Paul emerges.

Paul, thought dead since childhood, has been secretly housed in the family manor. Mentally unstable and vengeful, he murders Pompey and Peggy and seeks to reclaim control over the family’s past. His volatile fixation on Millie further destabilizes the community.

Elaine is the widow and John’s stepmother, who navigates the family’s interwoven loyalties and resentments. She pushes for the truth to be revealed, balancing survival with a desire to break free from the Radens’ legacy.

The Radens’ African American caretaker, who guards the family's secrets. He becomes a casualty of the siblings’ spiraling war, killed by Paul in a moment of anger and fear. He represents loyalty amid a volatile household.

The family doctor who enables the deception by falsifying Paul’s death certificate. He is caught between professional duty and family protection, contributing to the tragedy while attempting to manage consequences.

The landlady’s daughter who befriends Paul, later becoming a key witness to the killer’s whereabouts. She is compassionate but becomes entangled in danger as Paul’s fixation on her friend grows.

A cafe patron who is charmed by Paul but is eventually murdered in a dark alley. Her death links Pompey’s and Peggy’s cases in the public eye and fuels the vigilante response.

A disenchanted local resident and former mill worker who forms a vigilante group to track down the killer. He embodies the townspeople’s impatience with legal processes and their desire for direct action.

The local judge pressed by the townspeople to issue an immediate hearing against John, reflecting the community’s hunger for swift justice amidst complex family secrets. His role forces a confrontation between truth and public pressure.