John J. Macreedy

Living… in Black Rock temporarily, where the one-armed stranger isn't welcomed one bit. No one pays John or his troubles any mind, to the point where they won't even rent him a jeep. John is frustrated about the town’s skewed priorities: “I wish others in this town were as scrupulously devoted to law and order as the rent.”

Profession… army veteran looking for Komoko, a Japanese farmer. Never had a chance to thank him for the bravery of his son. According to John, “[Komako] got here in '41 – just before Pearl Harbor. Three months later he was shipped to one of those relocation centers. I wrote these letters to Komako. They weren't forwarded. They were returned: address unknown.” So he’s decided to come find Komoko himself.

Interests… getting as much information as he can from the residents. John believes that a man is as big as the things that make him mad. Nobody around here has been big enough to make him mad. He’s here for one thing only and he won't be riled to violence. 

Relationship Status… single, evidently. For now, Macreedy is single-minded in his pursuits. He makes no mention of the women in his life.

Challenge… pinning Smith for the crime. He killed Komoko. Sooner or later he'll go up for it, John believes: “Not because he killed him – in this town he probably could have gotten away with it – but because he didn't even have the guts to do it alone. He put his trust in guys like Hector; not the most dependable of God's creatures.” Sooner or later they'll get the idea he's playing them for saps. What'll he do then? Kill them off, one by one?

Personality… self-pitying. His arm stopped working after the war. Now, at his worst, he considers himself as dead as Komako. He also knows that it's not enough to feel guilty. It's not enough to confess. It's not enough to say, "Forgive me, I've done wrong." He knows he’ll live with those horrors forever.