The King and Four Queens

A roguish, middle-aged drifter who relies on charm and calculated lies to pry information and money from others. He enters Wagon Mound under the guise of escape and quickly pivots to pursue the hidden fortune. Kehoe skilfully manipulates Ma McDade’s trust, using stories to stay alive and map the loot’s location, even as the danger grows.

The formidable mother-in-law who rules the McDade household with vigilance and authority. She keeps a constant lookout for her surviving son and enforces that the women appear married until the signal is given. Ma McDade is protective, sharp, and not easily swayed by outsiders, especially when a stash of gold might endanger the family.

One of the four widows who embodies flirtation and cunning. Sabina pretends to be married to a husband she never had to secure the loot, and she is not afraid to use her charm to influence others. Her true motives remain ambiguous until the story’s climactic twists reveal how far she will go for independence and wealth.

A widow whose flirtatious demeanor masks cautious ambition. Ruby tests Kehoe’s intentions and contributes to the household’s volatile dynamics. Her interactions reveal how desire and suspicion can intertwine in a tight-knit frontier family.

One of the younger widows who participates in the complex social play around the money. Birdie’s presence adds a layer of playful danger to the seduction games and the shifting alliances within the house.

Another widow in the house whose actions contribute to the web of deception. Oralie’s involvement hints at the varied ways each sister navigates power, loyalty, and the lure of the gold.

The lawman who arrives with a posse to seize Kehoe, embodying frontier justice and authority. He negotiates with the drifter and tries to keep order, while the danger of the loot intensifies the stakes for everyone involved.

A supporting figure in the saloon who bears witness to the town’s rumors and schemes. He adds color to the frontier life and helps move conversations that reveal character motives.

The town's spiritual guide who encases the frontier’s roughness with a sense of mercy and restraint. His presence offers a moral counterpoint to the greed and deception that drive the plot.

An undertaker who witnesses the consequences of the town’s pursuit of wealth. His role underscores the ever-present danger and the finality of the frontier’s violence.