Two for the Dough characters

Appears from the start

A Trenton apprehension agent still learning the occupation after completing her first major case. She works from her cousin Vinnie's bail-bond office, relies on neighborhood contacts and persistence, and is now equipped with some training but remains prone to entering dangerous situations before she has a plan for leaving them.

Appears from the start

A Trenton vice cop and Stephanie's former lover. Their earlier contest ended with Stephanie returning him after he skipped bail, but the attraction and rivalry between them remain. The new fugitive is his cousin, giving Morelli both personal knowledge of the Mancuso family and reason to involve himself in Stephanie's investigation.

Appears from the start

A professional apprehension agent who works for Vinnie and continues to train Stephanie. His calm preparation and extensive contacts contrast with her improvised approach, and he is available when an arrest calls for experience or force she does not have.

Appears from the start

A former street worker now employed as a file clerk at Vincent Plum Bail Bonds. Lula is direct, sociable, and eager to leave the office for field work, often accompanying Stephanie on surveillance and interviews despite having no more formal apprehension training than Stephanie began with.

Appears from the start

Stephanie's cousin and employer, the owner of Vincent Plum Bail Bonds. He assigns her the Mancuso failure-to-appear case because recovering the defendant protects his money, while keeping his own distance from its family complications.

Also known as Connie

Appears from the start

The bail-bond office manager who controls the case files and keeps Vinnie's business functioning. She briefs Stephanie on open failures to appear and draws on a wide network of Trenton family and neighborhood knowledge.

Appears from the start

A young army veteran and gas-station attendant from Morelli's extended family who is wanted after shooting his friend in the knee and failing to appear in court. His sudden access to money does not fit his ordinary employment, and his disappearance pulls Stephanie toward a larger scheme.

Also known as Moogey

First appears in chapter 2

Kenny Mancuso's friend and the man he is accused of shooting in the knee. His reluctance to explain the dispute suggests that the assault grew out of shared business he does not want examined.

First appears in chapter 3

The young manager of the Stiva funeral home. Nervous about irregularities at the business and about the scrutiny they may attract, he becomes an important source as Stephanie's fugitive search intersects with missing caskets and disturbed corpses.

Appears from the start

Stephanie's grandmother, an enthusiastic attendee of funeral viewings and an eager observer of anything that looks like police work. Her familiarity with local funeral customs and lack of inhibition make her an unlikely but useful companion when the case turns toward Stiva's funeral home.

First appears in chapter 5

Joe Morelli's formidable grandmother, who views Stephanie through family history and folk belief. Her pronouncements carry great weight with the Morelli relatives and unsettle Stephanie even when she rejects their supernatural implications.

Appears from the start

Stephanie's mother, who tries to anchor her volatile household with meals and routine. She worries about the risks of bounty work and about Stephanie's continuing involvement with Morelli, while Grandma Mazur treats both subjects as entertainment.