Trent’s Last Case

A powerful international financier whose death triggers a high-profile inquiry. He is portrayed as calculating and capable of manipulating others to protect his interests, casting a long shadow over the Hampshire estate. His murder exposes the fragility of a gilded social order and sets the stage for a web of alibis and deceit.

The Record's leading investigative reporter who defies the police by pursuing the case beyond the inquest. He believes the official verdict is wrong and relentlessly follows leads, interviewing suspects and witnesses. His pursuit of truth is entangled with a personal attraction to Mrs Manderson, complicating his judgment.

Manderson's associate who becomes the central suspect. He protests his innocence while explaining the envelope contained money and diamonds used to entrap him. He wrestles with his feelings for Mrs Manderson and the burden of an alleged crime that may be a ruse.

Manderson's wife, entangled in a complex relationship with Marlowe and under pressure from family to curb the investigation. She reveals a theatre outing involving Marlowe that hints at jealousy as a possible motive, though she leaves judgment to others. Her revelations underscore the tension between private desires and public scrutiny.

Mrs Manderson's uncle and a man of influence who initially tries to steer Trent away from the case. He later confesses that he encountered Manderson on the golf links and feared being implicated, revealing the night’s fatal confrontation and the gun incident that followed.

The police detective leading the inquest and subsequent investigation. He is methodical and professional, often clashing with Trent’s relentless pursuit for truth. He represents institutional authority as the case unravels complex personal motives.