Character Relationship Map: Stripped to Kill

Characters

• Detective Cody Sheenan (played by Kay Lenz) — protagonist

  A police officer working undercover in Skid Row, Cody investigates Angel’s murder by posing as a dancer at Rock Bottom. Though she is not an experienced performer, she wins amateur night and gains emp...

• Detective Heineman (played by Greg Evigan) — supporting

  Cody’s police partner and investigative colleague, Heineman helps pursue the murders and examines several suspects, including Mr. Pocket. He has romantic feelings for Cody, and their relationship beco...

• Ray (played by Norman Fell) — supporting

  Ray is the owner of Rock Bottom, the club where Angel and the other dancers work. After Cody wins amateur night despite her limited dancing ability, Ray offers her a job, unknowingly helping her conti...

• Roxanne (played by Pia Kamakahi) — supporting

  Roxanne is a stripper at Rock Bottom and Angel’s lover, making her an important figure in the murder investigation. Heineman considers her a potential suspect, while Cody later visits her apartment wh...

• Cinnamon (played by Carlye Byron) — supporting

  Cinnamon is one of the dancers connected to Rock Bottom. Ray dismisses her from the club because she is addicted to pills, and she is later strangled with a metal cord by the assailant. Her murder dem...

• Angel (played by Michelle Foreman) — supporting

  Angel is a stripper employed at Rock Bottom and Roxanne’s lover. She is witnessed being thrown from a bridge and set on fire, an event that launches Cody and Heineman’s investigation. Her murder draws...

• Mr. Pocket (played by Peter Scranton) — minor

  Mr. Pocket is a young man who is frequently present at Rock Bottom and becomes one of Heineman’s suspects. Heineman believes Pocket may be the killer and confronts him, but discovers that he is missin...

Canonical Relationships

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

• Angel → Roxanne (Romantic Lovers) — Their relationship becomes central to the killer's stated fear that Roxanne would leave for Angel.

  The plot identifies Roxanne as a stripper who was Angel's lover.

• Ray → Cinnamon (Professional Employer Who Dismisses Her) — Ray dismisses Cinnamon from Rock Bottom before she is later murdered.

  Ray lets Cinnamon go because she is addicted to pills.

• Detective Cody Sheenan → Ray (Professional Undercover Employee And Employer) — Ray hires Cody without knowing that she is posing as a dancer to investigate the club.

  After Cody wins amateur night at Rock Bottom, Ray offers her a job.

• Detective Cody Sheenan → Detective Heineman (Romantic Partners) — Their professional partnership is strained by Heineman's feelings and their brief sexual relationship, but they reunite during the final confrontation.

  Heineman has romantic feelings for Cody. They have sex, then argue the following morning.

Story Dynamics

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

• Detective Cody Sheenan → Roxanne (Narrative Investigator And Suspect) — Cody's visit to Roxanne's apartment leads her to search the residence and discover a corpse.

  Cody visits Roxanne's apartment while investigating, but encounters someone presenting as Roxanne.

• Detective Heineman → Mr. Pocket (Conflict Suspect And Investigator) — Heineman's suspicion leads to a direct confrontation that undermines his theory about Pocket.

  Heineman believes Pocket may be the killer and confronts him, then discovers Pocket is missing a hand and his genitals from a war injury.

• Detective Cody Sheenan → Angel (Narrative Investigator And Victim) — Angel's murder draws Cody into the undercover investigation at Rock Bottom.

  Cody and Heineman witness Angel being thrown from a bridge and set on fire; the murder launches their investigation.

Story Analysis

An undercover investigation into murders at a Los Angeles club leads Cody from a hidden identity to a deadly confrontation and a hard-won reunion with Heineman.

Plot Progression

1. A Murder Draws Cody In — Cody and Heineman witness Angel's murder in Skid Row. Cody goes undercover at Rock Bottom, wins amateur night, and is hired by Ray.
2. Trust and Escalating Danger — Cody earns the dancers' trust while Ray dismisses Cinnamon, who is then murdered. Cody's superiors order her to stop, but she stays undercover and clashes with Heineman.
3. Suspects and Misread Clues — Cody and Heineman pursue different leads, including Roxanne and Pocket. Heineman's confrontation with Pocket reveals injuries from war, while Cody's visit to Roxanne's apartment exposes a deeper myste...
4. The Mask and the Motive — At Roxanne's apartment, Cody finds a corpse and discovers that someone has been posing as Roxanne. The killer explains the motive connected to Roxanne and Angel, then shoots Heineman.
5. Fire at Rock Bottom — Cody escapes the apartment with the killer pursuing her back to the club. The killer opens fire, Cody uses gasoline against him, and Heineman survives his wounds and saves Cody before they embrace.