CHARACTERS
The following files contain information on individuals connected to the events documented in Collateral Death.
These profiles have been compiled from witness statements, official records, and investigative observations. They are presented as factual summaries without editorial commentary.
Access to this section is restricted to newsletter subscribers in accordance with Bellwick Council directive SP-LIC-H/647/B/22.
FILE: MEURA KWIATKOWSKI
Professional Summary:
Officially: municipal data auditor.
Actually: systemic anomaly detector.
Known to run unsanctioned monitoring tools. Never proven.
Finds patterns where others find noise.
Colleagues uneasy. Boss unsettled. Systems clean.
Could work in Zurich or London tomorrow.
Stays in Bellwick. No one knows why.
Origin:
Second-generation immigrant. Parents from Poland.
Raised somewhere inland, not relevant.
Name was chosen to blend in. It didn’t.
Came from little. Bought a flat in cash.
People wonder how. She doesn’t explain.
Appearance:
Mid-twenties.
Goth phase never ended – it just stabilised.
Black coat, silver buttons, gloves year-round.
Hair: sharp, blue-black, jaw-length.
Nails: polished. Boots: unreasonably heavy.
Makeup like a contract: clear, precise, not open to negotiation.
Behavioural Notes:
– Requests nothing.
– Offers help before asked, but only to selected individuals.
– Known to observe before acting. Sometimes doesn’t act at all.
Relation to Subject Hoover:
Trusted. Fixes his tech.
Teases him deliberately. Calls him Perci. He hates it.
Only person he lets into the flat without reservation.
Has never asked for thanks. Keeps helping.
Risk Assessment:
High intelligence. High autonomy.
No observable weaknesses.
Motivations unclear.
Loyalty confirmed – so far.
FILE: MARTHA KELMOR
Professional Summary:
Director, Bellwick Children’s Home. Twenty-five years in role. No formal training in child psychology. No interest in reform. Runs the Home like a logistics hub: schedules, inventories, headcounts. Seen by some as a stabilising force. By others as the problem no one confronts. Has outlasted every council initiative so far. And every challenge to her authority.
Origin:
Former administrator, Leeds. Took over after the sudden death of Bellwick’s previous director. Was meant to be temporary. Never left.
Appearance:
Grey hair, tied back without care. Cardigan sagging, biro behind the ear. Permanent frown, carved deep. Clothes chosen for habit, not style. Smells faintly of cold smoke and wool. Voice flat, but carries.
Behavioural Notes:
– Prefers rules to reasoning.
– Offers nothing she isn’t asked for.
– Notices everything.
– Does not apologise. Has never tried.
Affiliations:
Keeps her distance from staff. Avoids external involvement. Particularly resistant to therapeutic oversight. Conflict with Dr. Vivian Leyton noted. Officially professional. Unofficially personal.
Personal Notes:
Lives on-site. Keeps a cat named Klaus. Only being she speaks to softly. Klaus is not on payroll.
Relation to Subject Hoover:
Distant. Occasionally obstructive.
Allowed access to records—but only what she deemed necessary.
Open Questions:
How did she hold the position for so long—through complaints, inspections, failed audits? Why was she neither shocked nor visibly shaken by the deaths? What does she know, and what has she chosen not to?
Risk Assessment:
High influence, low transparency.
Not easily rattled.
History—heavily redacted.
FILE: DR. VIVIAN LEYTON
Professional Summary:
Psychologist. Council-contracted.
Treats complex cases at the Children’s Home.
She pushes for change. Not everyone wants that.
Origin:
Born in Connecticut.
Moved to England for a man.
The man is gone. The job stayed.
Drives a convertible. Not ideal for Bellwick’s climate.
Appearance:
Mid-forties. Looks younger.
Red hair, tied back.
Neutral clothes. Quiet makeup.
Striking without trying.
Turns heads. Doesn’t invite attention.
Behavioural Notes:
– Listens closely. Speaks with care.
– Her office is bare. Her presence isn’t.
– Children trust her.
– So do most adults. Sometimes too much.
Relation to Subject Hoover:
Former therapist.
Helped him through something difficult.
He ended the sessions early.
They’re not friends. Not just acquaintances either.
They speak rarely—but when they do, nothing is routine.
Open Questions:
One of the dead children was in her care.
Did she see it coming? Could she have?
Risk Assessment:
High empathy. High control.
Motivations appear noble.
Appearances can be managed.
File remains open.
FILE: FESTER PRITCHLEY
Professional Summary:
Maintenance operative. Unofficially permanent.
Fixes what breaks. Doesn’t ask questions.
People call him when something jams, leaks, or flickers.
No contract on file. No complaints either.
Origin:
No one remembers when he started.
No one remembers him leaving.
Rumour says he was once a child here.
Never confirmed. Never denied.
Appearance:
Same patched work jacket, every day.
Smells like oil, dust, and old detergent.
Voice low, gravel-edged. Posture slouched. Eyes down. Hands steady.
The children rarely speak to him — but some look away too quickly when he enters.
Behavioural Notes:
– Avoids contact unless necessary
– Doesn’t linger. Doesn’t interrupt
– Rarely seen in shared spaces
Collegial Relations:
Nods instead of speaking. Helps without warmth.
Crosses paths with Kelmor. Speeds up when he does.
Considered reliable. Not liked. Not disliked.
Relation to Subject Hoover:
Minimal.
Open Questions:
Has keys to every room. What does he use them for?
What has he seen, moving quietly through the Home, year after year?
Risk Assessment:
Low profile. Low visibility.
Not overlooked — just faded into the background.
File remains open.
FILE: JULIAN W.
[SURNAME WITHHELD]
Deceased
Professional Summary:
Resident at Bellwick Children’s Home.
No formal diagnosis. No disciplinary record.
Known for composure, control, and calculated presence.
Rarely neutral. Rarely understood.
Origin:
No known relatives.
Shared a room. Didn’t share much else.
Rarely spoke about his past — but when he did, people listened.
Sometimes when they shouldn’t have.
Appearance:
Fifteen. Looked older.
Dark blond hair. Sharp features. Always composed.
Dressed with care. Eyes steady. Smile optional.
Handsome enough to unsettle staff — and aware of it.
Social Dynamics:
Some feared him. Some followed.
Rarely alone, but close to no one.
Could charm, provoke, vanish — whatever the moment required.
Labelled “difficult” or “gifted,” depending on who was asked.
Behavioural Notes:
– Moved like someone used to being watched
– Tested boundaries, especially with Director Kelmor
– Enjoyed attention — but gave little in return
Relation to Subject Hoover:
No formal connection.
Crossed paths during tutorial sessions.
After the incident, Subject Hoover took a personal interest.
By then, it was too late.
Open Questions:
How did he obtain alcohol strong enough to kill?
Why the docks? Was there a plan — or an audience?
What else was he keeping hidden?
Risk Assessment:
Posthumous.
File marked confidential.
Reclassification pending further review.
FILE: CHLOE D.
[SURNAME WITHHELD]
Deceased
Professional Summary:
Resident at Bellwick Children’s Home.
No known relatives.
Bright, observant, trying to grow faster than the world allowed.
Sometimes noticed. Sometimes ignored.
Neither worked in her favour.
Origin:
Placed at the Home without known family links.
Showed promise — quietly, insistently.
Appearance:
Thirteen. Often wore the same green dress — slightly too small.
Marker on eyelids, shirt knotted too high, one shoulder bare.
Moved like someone who wanted attention, then regretted getting it.
Somewhere between child and whatever came next.
Behavioural Notes:
– Laughed too loud, then checked if anyone heard
– Walked with sway she hadn’t yet grown into
– Talked fast, then stopped when she noticed
– Learning to read — slowly, stubbornly, like it owed her something
– Wanted to be older. Or seem older. It wasn’t the same thing
Educational Notes:
Severe dyslexia. Weekly tutorials with Subject Hoover.
Progress noted as steady, engagement high.
Described by Hoover as “bright, determined, more patient than most adults.”
Last session noted as “normal. Pleasant. Nothing flagged.”
Peer Relations:
Well-liked, not loud.
Strong attachment to one older boy — not clearly reciprocated.
Some staff noticed. Most looked away.
Relation to Subject Hoover:
Student. Thursday sessions.
A routine that became something more.
Not sentiment. Not quite.
After her death, Subject Hoover reported: “She mattered.”
Open Questions:
Why was she at the docks that night?
What did she know — and what did she hope for?
Could someone have stopped her?
Risk Assessment:
Posthumous.
File marked confidential.
Reclassification pending further review.
FILE: LT. VERNON ASHFORD
Professional Summary:
Lieutenant, Bellwick Police.
Investigative Liaison under Regional Command North.
By the book — especially when it’s his version.
Prioritises tidy conclusions. Known to close cases quickly. Sometimes too quickly.
Origin:
Not much known.
No family mentioned. No personal anecdotes.
Carries himself like a man who edited his past — and deleted the parts he didn’t like.
Appearance:
Late thirties, early forties.
Clean record. Sharp suit.
Overdressed for local standards: dark coat, pressed cuffs, perfect knot.
Hair parted just off-centre. Never out of place.
Right ear damaged — old injury, never explained.
Photographed exclusively from the left.
Behavioural Notes:
– Times his sentences for effect
– Uses full names more than necessary
– Corrects others, even when wrong
Collegial Relations:
Respected by superiors.
Peers respond more quietly.
Tends to dominate briefings.
Occasionally confuses confidence with clarity.
Relation to Subject Hoover:
Tense. Frequently dismissive.
Publicly professional. Privately antagonistic.
Has questioned Hoover’s qualifications, methods, and living arrangements.
Treats the licence review as procedural.
Others saw pressure. No formal complaint — only consequences.
Open Questions:
What does he see when he looks at Hoover — competition, curiosity, or something else?
Risk Assessment:
Knows how to follow protocol — and how to shape it.
Not dishonest.
Just invested — in outcomes that match his version.
File remains active.
SUPPORTING CHARACTERS
Marvin Delacourt
Occupation: Owner of Beech & Barrow grocery
Relationship: Supplies provisions to Percival. Husband to Rollo Fenwick. Has key to Percival's flat. Even has access to his bank account and handles his monthly payments across town.
Assessment: Level-headed, discreet. Keeps shelves full and opinions brief. Watchful by nature. Knows who comes and goes in Bellwick. A fixture in Percival's routine — and one of the few constants.
Rollo Fenwick
Occupation: Record shop owner, Bellwick
Relationship: Husband to Marvin Delacourt. Occasional supplier of unsolicited musical wisdom.
Assessment: Loud, warm, theatrical. Scarf never straight, cheeks always flushed, cardigan possibly ex-curtain. Loves Japanese pressings, hates sad lyrics. Makes up for Marvin's precision with emotional overdrive. Together, they're chaos and calm in perfect sync.
Isabelle Thorne
Occupation: Councillor, Bellwick Council
Relationship: Political force in local government. Resides at Clifftop Ridge.
Assessment: Commands attention without raising her voice. Exercises quiet but firm control over local decisions. Skilled political operator who shapes council decisions through strategic timing and subtle pressure. Calls Percival an "unsupervised freak of nature." Knows more than she says?
Chief Edmund Harrow
Occupation: Chief of Police, Bellwick
Relationship: Senior law enforcement. Manages Ashford (poorly). Works with Percival (reluctantly).
Assessment: Tall, broad-shouldered, shaved head. Shoulders starting to slump. Walks line between law and local politics. Tries to keep Ashford in check without losing face. Appears exhausted more often than not. Trusts Percival — but not enough to say it out loud. Wears stress like a second uniform.
Maureen and Tom Hollis
Occupation: Working-class couple (Tom: shift worker; Maureen: works at Marvin's shop)
Relationship: Prospective adoptive parents. Frequent visitors to the Children's Home.
Assessment: Ordinary people doing something extraordinary. Offer warmth without condition. Quietly committed. Trying to reach a child who no longer knows how to be reached.
Gabriele "Greytail" Grattone
Occupation: Tailor
Relationship: Percival's personal tailor. One of the few people Percival trusts near his spine.
Assessment: Quiet, efficient, unflappable. From Italy — Florence or Milan (unclear, changes story often). Meant to settle in London. Bellwick got in the way. Understands fabric, silence, and discretion. Refers to Percival as "il cliente difficile" — always with affection. "Greytail" started as a joke, stuck as a brand.
Commentary by Percival Hoover
I will not comment on every individual listed here — although, for the record, I could.
There are names included I wouldn’t have approved.
Connections overstated. Judgements implied.
But one note in particular:
Gabriele Grattone, also known as Greytail, is my tailor. He is not a public figure. He did not ask to be part of this.
If you happen to be in Bellwick, do not visit his shop out of curiosity.
It is not a novelty stop. It is not a photo opportunity.
Buy something. Or stay outside.
P.H.