The Embezzler

An elderly, quiet bank cashier whose respectable facade masks a plan born from desperation. Facing a terminal prognosis, he schemes to embezzle money to fund a rest of his days in South America. He travels with a suitcase and chooses a Friday after the heist, hoping to remain undiscovered until Monday. The plan unravels when his boss returns and he dies from a stressed heart condition during a confrontation.

The hotel owner who runs a seaside establishment in Eastbourne. She provides a welcoming, practical hospitality and becomes the anchor of the residents, including the embezzler, who checks in under an alias. Her stable, social presence highlights the contrast between outward civility and hidden motives among the guests.

A resident being blackmailed by her former lover, who seeks to keep her past secret. She is married to Dr. Forrest and becomes entangled with Paulson's plan as she seeks money to satisfy Johnson. She hides her vulnerability behind a poised exterior while trying to protect herself and her marriage.

A former lover who manipulates others to extract wealth, tricking Miss Ackroyd into giving him her pearls and later exploiting her savings. His schemes drive the blackmail network and create danger for everyone at the hotel. He drinks and fights as the confrontation with Paulson escalates into a deadly snare.

A resident who is naive and vulnerable, easily lured by Johnson's deception. She is duped into handing over her string of pearls and later withdraws her savings, complicating the web of crime at the hotel. Her trust in others becomes a pivotal element of the plot.

A GP who is married to Mrs. Forrest and already knows about Johnson before their marriage. He acts with calm suspicion, assists Mrs. Forrest in confronting the danger, and ultimately confronts Johnson. His insight and restraint contrast with the more impulsive actions around him.

A police inspector who arrives as the investigation intensifies. He represents authority and order as the confrontation between Johnson and Paulson escalates, culminating in the police intervention when the fight ends. He embodies the procedural response to crime in the town.

A minor but present character who adds texture to the hotel setting. She serves guests and participates in the social atmosphere of the seaside town that frames the main action.