Character Relationship Map: Nightmare

Characters

• Leslie Stafford aka Butch (played by Diana Barrymore) — protagonist

  Leslie Stafford is frightened when Daniel Shane breaks into her home, but asks him to stay and help her. She says she is trying to reach her cousin in Abbington and insists her story is true. Daniel t...

• Daniel Shane (played by Brian Donlevy) — supporting

  Daniel Shane is a hungry American burglar who breaks into Leslie Stafford’s home and admits stealing valuable eggs. He joins Leslie on her journey, grows suspicious of the danger around them, and tell...

• Capt. Edgar Stafford (played by Henry Daniell) — supporting

  Capt. Edgar Stafford is Leslie’s relative and, according to Daniel, discovered that Lord J.B. Abbington was working for the German government. Daniel cites this discovery as Abbington’s motive to sile...

• Lord J.B. Abbington (played by Gavin Muir) — supporting

  Lord J.B. Abbington is identified by Daniel as a German-government collaborator who had a motive to silence Capt. Edgar Stafford. Daniel suspects Abbington or one of his men arranged for a body to rea...

• Angus (played by Eustace Wyatt) — supporting

  Angus is encountered by Leslie and Daniel during their journey north. Along with Jock, he provides them with a place to stay, offering the pair temporary shelter as they travel through increasingly su...

• Jock (played by David Clyde) — supporting

  Jock is encountered by Leslie and Daniel while they are travelling north. Together with Angus, he gives the pair a place to stay, providing temporary shelter during their flight through a series of un...

• Inspector Robbins (played by Stanley Logan) — supporting

  Inspector Robbins is the investigator to whom Daniel explains that Capt. Edgar Stafford discovered Abbington’s work for the German government. Daniel presents this as a motive for Abbington to silence...

• Carl aka Charles (played by John Abbott) — supporting

  Carl, also known as Charles, is the person to whom Hans explains the explosives scheme. He learns that bottles disguised as Scotch contain separated acids designed to mix and explode after being shipp...

• Hans (played by Hans Conried) — supporting

  Hans explains the explosives plot to Carl, also known as Charles. He says that bottles presented as Scotch contain separated acids that will eventually mix and explode. The bottles are intended to tra...

• Angus' wife (played by Elspeth Dudgeon) — minor

Canonical Relationships

Family, romantic, and professional connections based on plot evidence.

• Angus' wife → Angus (wife)
• Hans → Carl aka Charles (Professional Explainer And Listener) — Hans reveals the concealed explosive mechanism and its intended use to Carl.

  Hans explains to Carl, also called Charles, that the bottles presented as Scotch contain separated acids that will eventually mix and explode.

• Daniel Shane → Inspector Robbins (Professional Informant And Investigator) — Daniel gives Robbins information about Stafford's discovery and Abbington's suspected motive.

  Daniel tells Inspector Robbins that Capt. Edgar Stafford had discovered Abbington was working for the German government.

Story Dynamics

Alliances, conflicts, and narrative interactions that evolve throughout the story.

• Jock → Daniel Shane (Social Host) — Jock helps provide Daniel and Leslie with temporary shelter while they travel north.

  Angus and Jock provide Daniel and Leslie with a place to stay during their journey north.

• Angus → Daniel Shane (Social Host) — Angus provides Daniel and Leslie with temporary shelter on their journey.

  Angus and Jock provide Daniel and Leslie with a place to stay during their journey north.

• Leslie Stafford aka Butch → Lord J.B. Abbington (Conflict Suspected Framing Target) — Leslie becomes the apparent target of a suspected attempt to implicate her in the victim's death.

  Daniel believes Abbington or one of his men returned the body to a desk with a knife in its back to make it appear that Leslie had killed the victim.

• Capt. Edgar Stafford → Lord J.B. Abbington (Conflict Conspiracy Adversaries) — Stafford's discovery of Abbington's allegiance places him in opposition to Abbington and provides a stated motive for the conspiracy.

  Daniel tells Inspector Robbins that Capt. Edgar Stafford discovered Abbington was working for the German government, giving Abbington a motive to sile...

• Daniel Shane → Lord J.B. Abbington (Conflict Adversaries) — Daniel investigates Abbington's suspected involvement, while Abbington attempts to silence and intimidate him.

  Daniel suspects Abbington or one of his men moved the body to make Leslie appear to have killed the victim. Abbington later tries to buy Daniel's sile...

• Leslie Stafford aka Butch → Daniel Shane (Alliance Reluctant Partners) — Their uneasy partnership begins during Daniel's burglary and continues as they flee and investigate the danger surrounding Leslie.

  After Daniel breaks into Leslie's home, she asks him to stay and help her. On the journey north, she insists he remain involved until she is ready to...

Story Analysis

A burglar and a woman fleeing danger become reluctant partners as suspicious events lead them toward a German sabotage conspiracy.

Plot Progression

1. A Burglar Becomes an Ally — Daniel breaks into Leslie's home and admits stealing valuable eggs. Instead of simply calling the police, Leslie asks him to stay and help, and the two flee when danger arises.
2. A Suspicious Road North — Leslie says she is trying to reach her cousin in Abbington as she and Daniel travel north. Strange encounters and Daniel's growing suspicions complicate their journey, while Leslie insists he remain i...
3. The Body and the Accusation — A body is found and then appears again at a desk with a knife in its back. Daniel suspects that Abbington or one of his men is trying to make Leslie look responsible.
4. A Conspiracy Comes Into View — Daniel tells Inspector Robbins that Stafford discovered Abbington was working for the German government. Abbington tries to buy Daniel's silence and threatens to accuse him of murder, while Hans expla...
5. Abbington's Open Admission — The bottle scheme is revealed as a plan to sink ships carrying supplies. Abbington acknowledges that he is working for Germany and asks Daniel what he will do, but the excerpt ends before Daniel answe...