Shock

A distressed wife who arrives at a hotel hoping to find her husband, only to be thrust into a web of shock and uncertainty. Her grip on reality grows fragile as Cross's influence looms and the truth seems increasingly elusive. Her resilience keeps the narrative moving as she demands answers in the face of manipulation.

A physician whose clinical exterior hides a murderous act and a manipulative mind. He attempts to control Janet's narrative while struggling with guilt and fear of exposure. His dual role as healer and killer drives the central tension of the story.

Janet's husband, recently revealed to be alive after years as a prisoner of war. His return unsettles the household and his presence becomes a catalyst for the investigation and for Cross's precarious calculus. He embodies a mixture of relief, worry, and complicating questions about the past.

Cross's assistant and lover who pushes for keeping Janet unsettled and into Cross's plan. She relishes control and uses psychological pressure to sway outcomes, amplifying the danger and lengthening the path to truth.

A disturbed inmate at the sanatorium whose actions provoke panic and complicate Janet's perception of danger. His unpredictable behavior adds to the claustrophobic intensity of the setting.

Legal authority driving the investigation into Mrs. Cross's death. He pushes for formal autopsies and concrete evidence, representing the pursuit of truth beyond personal fears.

A second physician who weighs in on treatment decisions and the pursuit of truth through medical means. His perspective adds to the tension over whether medicine should reveal or suppress reality.

The murdered wife whose death initiates the plot. Her memory haunts the investigation and cements the fear that crosses danger lies beneath outward respectability.