Edwin Drood — dead (standing by this)

— Resting comfortably in the Sapsea vault.

John Jasper — choirmaster and murderer!

— Murdered his own nephew in an opium induced fog.

— hid the body in Sapsea’s tomb after drugging and quizzing Durdles.

— Made a mistake when he threw the watch and pin into the lake — didn’t know about the RING!

— Jasper is found out when Datchery follows him to the vault after Jasper learns of the missing ring. He plans to retrieve the ring in order to pay off Princess Puffer.

— Unfortunately, he disappears in the night before he is brought to account.

Princess Puffer — opium witch and blackmailer

— Finds out about Jasper’s murder of his nephew in one of his moments of “unintelligible” opium induced mutterings.

— Begins to blackmail him to keep his addiction and his murderous secret quiet.

Mr. Tartar — sailor with a history in Ceylon? (hold on this one’s wild and maybe a bit too fairytale ending for Dickens)

— Is the Landless twins’ actual father.

— Their mother had an affair with Tartar which resulted in the twins’ birth after which she married their stepfather and promptly died.

— He only discovered their existence when he retired from sailing and returned to Ceylon in hopes of finding their mother to travel to England with him to claim his inheritance.

— He claims to live in London to avoid all the rambling spaces of his new property, but I think he’s there looking for his children.

Neville Landless — is cleared and lives happily ever after with Rosebud

— Jasper is discovered for a murderer and Landless is cleared.

— Crisparkle has remained faithful to him and works to continue Neville’s education.

— Neville eventually goes to work for Grewgious as an assistant when Mr. Bazzard’s play is bought and produced!

Helena Landless — relentless pursuer of justice

— On the morning that Jasper is discovered missing, Helena packs her meager things and immediately begins a pursuit of the man who tried to ruin her brother.

— Dick Datchery joins her quest — he has his own bone to pick with Jasper.

Dick Datchery — determined to pursue and destroy Jasper

— in disguise because Jasper killed his brother in London (remember the opium den and visions of phantom knives and impalings)

— follows Jasper back to Cloisterham and begins to see his vengeance

— follows Jasper to the Sapsea’s tomb and discovers Edwin’s body.

— he and Helena strike out the morning after Jasper disappears to chase their own vengeance on him.

First published in "Revisting Dickens" Blog