The Partner

Eva Miranda is Patrick’s love interest. Like the other women in The Partner, Eva is not a complex character although her function in the plot is significant. She is a foil to Patrick and one meaning of the “partner” that the punning title refers to.

Eva was always motivated by money, success, and prestige. Her name makes reference to the biblical Eve: Although she isn’t the cause of Patrick’s temptation, she is a morally compromised character who ultimately gives into the temptation to put money before love. Absconding with the money suggests that she was never truly in love with Patrick and so she prioritizes her wealth over him. In leaving Patrick alone and poor at the end of the story, the narrative is enabled to show Patrick in a noble light, as man who has learned a lesson and a deeper understanding of himself.

Eva’s action serves as contrast to Patrick’s static plot in custody. His narrative centers around legal procedure and machinations in a tight setting; her character provides faster action and suspense, often in a glamorous location. Her action also helps to contextualize the anxiety and stress that she and Patrick felt before his capture. While he feels some relief at being in custody, she must still evade the criminals who wish to harm her. In some ways, she feels deserted by Patrick. When the stress mounts and the consequences come home to her with the abduction of her father and her own imprisonment, Eva begins to see that Patrick isn’t so romantic after all, especially when she feels that he is moving her around like a chess piece. When she returns the bulk of the money and Aricia is arrested, there is no longer anyone to pursue her, and she is free to walk away with the money. She can’t have both Patrick and the money and, as her love for him has diminished, the money wins out.

Jack Stephano is the most active villain of the novel. As the private detective in the pay of Patrick’s enemies, he provides a good deal of the momentum and action as the main pursuer of Patrick and Eva. His character makes Patrick more sympathetic to the reader: Patrick is a flawed character, but Stephano’s exaggeratedly bad qualities makes Patrick’s decisions appear more forgivable. His willingness to commit reprehensible acts in order to be paid makes his character key to the novel’s exploration of money and corruption. Stephano also illustrates the potentially redeeming importance of human connections as his decision to cooperate with the FBI is influenced by his wife.

Benny Aricia is 60 years old but looks younger. He is tanned and fit and lives with a Swedish woman young enough to be his daughter. Benny resented being assigned to a branch of Platt & Rockwood that he saw as limiting. He chose to retaliate by setting up a racket that will make the company appear to be cheating the government.

Benny might appear at first to be an honorable whistle-blower, but he is deeply corrupt, self-entitled, and sadistic. His character is part of the novel’s cynical treatment of success and the moral price that some will pay for it.

Trudy Lanigan is Partick’s estranged wife. She considered herself his widow until he was captured. She is physically beautiful, greedy, and amoral. She married Patrick for his financial prospects although she always loved Lance. Trudy’s character is really a caricature: She is the archetypal evil “femme fatale.” Her role in the story is to embody the corruption of the world Patrick wanted to escape. Trudy’s corruption highlights Patrick’s sense of responsibility. The narrative suggests that Trudy doesn’t deserve the life insurance payout, but portrays Patrick as noble for providing for her and her child in spite of everything he knows about her. Trudy also contrasts with the supportive families of “good” characters like Huskey and Sandy whose families give them a sense of meaning in life and incentivize them to live within the bounds of society and morality.