The Teeth of the Tiger

Don Luis Perenna

Perenna moves through Parisian high society and police investigations alike, offering his brilliant deductions while a fortune in the Mornington inheritance hangs in the balance. He is a man of action and mystery, whose authority is constantly challenged by officials who suspect his true identity even as they rely on his genius. His desperate phone call from a hidden ceiling, warning of an imminent explosion, reveals both his physical daring and the mortal danger that shadows his every move.

Florence Levasseur

She exists in a space between victim and suspect, her composure under Perenna's intense scrutiny suggesting hidden knowledge and conflicting loyalties. Perenna is drawn to her even as he suspects her of being the accomplice orchestrating attempts on his life, creating a painful tension between his desire and his instinct for self-preservation. Her connection to the elusive Gaston Sauverand makes her a pivotal, unpredictable figure in the race to uncover the killer and claim the inheritance.

Sergeant Mazeroux

As a man of the law, Mazeroux is bound by procedure and his duty to the Prefect, yet he is also Perenna's trusted assistant, caught between two worlds. His solid, often clumsy, presence provides a grounding contrast to Perenna's dazzling brilliance, and his genuine concern for his chief's safety is a constant reminder of the human cost of the investigation. He is the reliable, if sometimes bewildered, anchor in the storm of Perenna's high-stakes adventures.

M. Desmalions

He operates at the highest level of the French justice system, responsible for the investigation into the Mornington murders and the safety of Paris. Though he respects Perenna's intellect, he is wary of his methods and the public's growing suspicion that his ally is the notorious Arsène Lupin. His decision to place Perenna under surveillance shows a man torn between using a valuable asset and containing a potential threat, making him a crucial gatekeeper in the official inquiry.

Gaston Sauverand

He is the object of a frantic manhunt, a man whose flight with Florence Levasseur convinces Perenna of his guilt and his role as a rival for her affections. Sauverand is a ghost haunting the investigation, a name that inspires both fear and hatred in Perenna, who sees him as the architect of a deadly conspiracy. His past and his connection to the other victims hold the key to unlocking the entire plot, making him the central, unseen adversary in the early stages of the hunt.

Arsène Lupin

Lupin is a specter from the past, a master of disguise and theft whose supposed death is as mysterious as his life. The public and the police see his hand in every brilliant deduction and audacious move made by Perenna, creating a legend that threatens to overshadow the man himself. His reappearance, whether real or imagined, raises the stakes of the Mornington case from a simple murder investigation to a national obsession, blurring the line between hero and criminal.