▁trying ▁to ▁escape ▁from ▁police ▁in ▁New ▁York ▁City . ▁The ▁F . B . I . ▁had ▁also ▁entered ▁the ▁case ▁and ▁arrested ▁How ell , ▁from ▁whom ▁they ▁had ▁extracted ▁a ▁conf ession . ▁ ▁Char acters ▁As ▁in ▁all ▁his ▁" prof ession als " ▁nov els , ▁C oz z ens ▁uses ▁a ▁vast ▁cast ▁of ▁characters , ▁many ▁of ▁whom ▁appear ▁frequently ▁without ▁playing ▁important ▁roles ▁in ▁the ▁plot ▁adv ancement . ▁The ▁central ▁figures , ▁listed ▁below , ▁ ▁are ▁excell ently ▁drawn ▁from ▁the ▁out set , ▁but ▁minor ▁figures ▁are ▁often ▁used ▁without ▁reference ▁to ▁their ▁previous ▁role , ▁leaving ▁the ▁reader ▁the ▁choice ▁of ▁going ▁far ▁back ▁to ▁try ▁to ▁locate ▁their ▁initial ▁appearance ▁or ▁continu ing ▁to ▁read ▁without ▁understanding ▁their ▁purpose ▁in ▁the ▁scene . ▁ ▁The ▁trial ▁att or ne ys ▁ ▁Ab ner ▁Co ates ▁- ▁assistant ▁district ▁att orney . ▁ 3 1 ▁years ▁old , ▁Ab ner ▁is ▁tall ▁but ▁sto oped , ▁a ▁lawyer ▁of ▁ 6 ▁years ▁who ▁has ▁tried ▁hundreds ▁of ▁cases ▁but ▁never ▁a ▁murder ▁trial . ▁He ▁is ▁capable ▁but ▁ph leg m atic ▁by ▁nature , ▁one ▁of ▁the ▁" L aw yer ▁Co ates es " ▁of ▁Ch ilder st own ▁ ▁Martin ▁Bun ting ▁- ▁district ▁att orney , ▁Bun ting ▁is ▁head ▁pro sec utor , ▁short , ▁neat , ▁prem ature ly ▁gray ing ▁in ▁appearance , ▁with ▁a ▁careful , ▁precise ▁and ▁dry ▁de mean or ▁