Character Relationship Map: Cold as Summer

Characters

• Rachel (played by Sarah Grappin) — protagonist

  Rachel is a mother raising a young daughter while trying to manage work and life on her own. When her daughter becomes seriously ill, she leaves the child in others' care and continues working. She la...

• Claire (played by Nathalie Richard) — supporting

  Claire is a police officer involved in investigating the death of Rachel's daughter. Deeply affected by the case, she questions Rachel's mother and speaks with the woman who had cared for the child. T...

• David (played by Eric Bonicatto) — supporting

  David is Claire's partner. The case and disagreements between them make Claire consider ending their relationship. After a difficult moment on duty, she tells him she would like to take a holiday, and...

• La mere de Rachel (played by Catherine Ferran) — supporting

  Rachel's mother is questioned by Claire during the investigation into her granddaughter's death. She says she barely knew what was happening in Rachel's life, revealing how little she understood about...

Canonical Relationships

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

• Claire → Rachel (Professional Investigating Officer And Suspect) — Claire is affected by the case and remains involved in the search for Rachel, whose fate is unresolved.

  Claire is a police officer involved in the case of Rachel's dead child, and she says she has seen Rachel at choir practice.

• Claire → David (Romantic Partners) — The case and their disagreements strain their relationship, but they remain together at the end of the described dialogue.

  Claire struggles with her relationship with David, and their disagreements make her consider ending it. Later, she asks him about taking a holiday, an...

• Rachel → La mere de Rachel (Family Mother And Daughter) — Rachel's mother is largely unaware of Rachel's circumstances, a distance that becomes apparent during the investigation.

  Claire questions Rachel's mother, who says she barely knew what was happening in her daughter's life.

Story Analysis

A child's death exposes Rachel's disappearance and deeply affects Claire, while the possibility of finding Rachel remains unresolved.

Plot Progression

1. Care Under Pressure — Rachel tries to balance work and raising her young daughter alone. When the child becomes seriously ill, a doctor gives care instructions, but Rachel continues to rely on others for childcare.
2. An Absence With Consequences — Rachel spends several days with a man she met at a reception without telling him she has a child. When he leaves on business, Rachel disappears, leaving the child alone in the apartment.
3. The Child's Death — A report of continuous music leads police to enter the apartment, where they find the child dead. The investigation identifies dehydration and a hypoglycemic coma as the cause, despite findings of a b...
4. A Case That Follows Claire — Claire questions Rachel's mother and the woman who had cared for the child, while remaining deeply affected by the death. The case also strains Claire's relationship with David, and she asks him to ta...
5. An Unresolved Sighting — Claire says she has seen Rachel at choir practice, suggesting that Rachel may still be found. The dialogue ends without revealing Rachel's fate.