Ali Cross

The Alex Cross mystery series is one of the most successful in history, and the Ali Cross stories stem directly from them. Ali’s father, Alex Cross, PhD, is a renowned detective whose specialty is profiling, or the creation of psychological descriptions of crime suspects. Accused of assault against a witness in a murder case, Dr. Cross must stand trial knowing he’s innocent but with little evidence to prove it. Often, he faces hostile reporters, and his calm authority in the face of taunts teaches Ali how a pro handles the press without flinching or lashing out.

Dr. Cross has a major role in the book—effectively, he’s the second protagonist behind Ali—and he uses his expertise to help locate Gabe, successfully present his testimony to the jury in his assault case, and teach Ali how to think and act like a detective. Dr. Cross is brilliant, compassionate, loyal, and thoughtful, despite high-stress challenges. He takes the trouble of bringing Secret Santa gifts to the family that has accused him of assault. His example is a powerful influence on Ali, who greatly admires his father, works hard to learn from him, and wants to follow in his footsteps.

Slight of build and shy but brilliant, Gabe Qualls comes from a family with two active career criminals. Gabe’s only friend is Ali, who’s greatly troubled when Gabe suddenly disappears. Forced by his father, Dante Qualls, to take up burglary alongside his brother Ramon, Gabe does what he can to minimize the damage, sometimes returning stolen goods to their owners. Gabe and Ali communicate briefly through the online game Outpost, but Gabe fears for Ali’s safety and begs his friend to drop his search. Gabe’s disappearance launches the plot, and his decisions, though understandable, complicate Ali’s attempt to free him. Gabe finally learns that he should trust those who care about him.

William Qualls—called Dante by those who know him—recently completed a term in prison, and he continues his criminal ways by forcing his youngest child, Gabe, to work with his older son, Ramon, as a cat burglar. He has a temper and treats others as objects to exploit, including his wife, whom he knocks over when escaping the police, and his sons, whom he expects to do his dirty work. His sociopathic ways make him the chief antagonist in the story. Set in his ways, he learns nothing from his encounters; thus, he’s effectively a force of nature rather than a feeling person. His actions power the story’s main plot, teaching Ali much about the risks of dealing with criminals.

Ali’s stepmother is Brianna “Bree” Cross, chief of detectives at the Washington DC Metropolitan Police Department. She and Alex have worked together on major crimes and support each other unflinchingly. Bree loves all her stepchildren, and she supports Ali’s investigation by bending the rules to bring him police traffic-cam footage of Gabe on the day the boy disappears. Alex’s legal troubles put great stress on the Cross children, but Bree reminds them always to remain noble and that when others “go low,” they should go high. Bree is a minor character but a major foundation in Ali’s life.

Ali and Gabe play the online video game Outpost with three others. Cedric is a big kid who “kind of looks like Lebron, but without the beard” (79-80). Ruby and Mateo are sister and brother; Ruby is especially smart and perceptive and devotes more time to finding Gabe than anyone except Ali. When the three kids learn that Ali has kept critical information from them, they reject him, but when they realize he did so to protect Gabe, they relent and send messages to the missing boy via Outpost, urging him to come home. Ali’s dilemma about lying to them is a no-win situation that teaches him that life can be painfully unfair and that keeping secrets can make detective work a lonely pursuit.

For years a thorn in Ali’s side at school, Kahlil Weyland looks down on him and loves to taunt Ali about his father’s legal troubles. Ali finally can’t stand it and punches Kahlil, who promptly gives Ali a black eye. Ali later defuses a potential fight with Kahlil by remarking that the two of them are similar in their doggedness. Kahlil personifies the hostility that the public sometimes visits on the families of prominent persons. Ali’s conflict with Kahlil echoes Dr. Cross’s encounters with a hostile press; in his interactions with the bully, Ali learns to control his knee-jerk reactions to insults.

Nana Mama is Alex Cross’s nickname for his grandmother, who raised him when he was orphaned and, now in her spry and feisty nineties, lives with the family. Wise and loving but no-nonsense and possessed of a bracing ability to speak her mind, Nana keeps an eye on her great-grandchildren—especially Ali, whose hot-headedness sometimes needs quenching; “you need to check yourself, young man,” she says when Ali spouts off at the press (17). Though Alex and Bree set their household’s moral tone, Nana seconds it, providing steady anchoring, especially when the kids are home in the afternoon and need counsel. Regardless of the mischief Ali gets himself into, Nana supports him wholeheartedly, her occasional scoldings leavened with words of encouragement: “Anything is possible, Ali. And I mean that” (153).

Ali’s half-brother Damon is the oldest of the Cross kids. He attends Davidson College and plays on the school’s Division 1 basketball team, where he specializes in the three-point shots made famous by another alum, Stephen Curry. His team appears in a game on ESPN, where it comes from behind to win. The large assembled group watching at the Cross residence goes into an uproar, which helps Ali hide his momentary absence when he goes to the basement to contact Gabe via a game console. Damon is a minor character whose brief appearances demonstrate the loyalty and support within the Cross family.

Janelle “Jannie” Cross, Ali’s half-sister, is an excellent high-school athlete specializing in the 400-meter race. At an invitational event, she beats her cross-town rival for the win, and college recruiters take notice. Janelle is a minor character with only a few scenes, but the support she gets from her family is typical of the Cross family’s way of backing its members.

Father of murder suspect Tyler Yang, Stanley Yang gets into an argument with Alex when the detective interviews him, tries to throw Alex out of his home, stumbles, hits his head, and now lies in a coma. Charges are brought against Dr. Cross for assault. Except in flashbacks, Yang isn’t directly present in any of the book’s scenes, but his grim situation hangs over the story. The public clamor surrounding Yang’s condition forces Ali to deal with his anger about public misperceptions and learn to be patient in the face of unfairness. Dr. Cross’s concern for Yang’s family during the crisis is an example to all, especially Ali, of the most constructive attitude to take when dealing with interpersonal conflicts.

Detective Isaac Olayinka works the burglary cases near the Cross house. He gives Dr. Cross updates and informs him when Ali’s school ID card is found at one of the crime scenes. Olayinka is Dr. Cross’s main link to police department information during his assault trial; Olayinka represents the loyalty and trust that police extend to one another during difficult times for the department.

Detective Wendy Sutter works at the MPD’s Missing Persons unit. She handles Gabe’s case and deftly manages Ali’s impatient desire to find his friend. She and Detective Olayinka confront Dante Qualls, and she’s injured slightly during a scuffle with the suspect. She serves as an object lesson for Ali in professionalism and methodical police work. 

At age 20, Ramon Qualls already has a long juvenile rap sheet, and he serves as Dante Qualls’s enforcer, keeping his young brother Gabe in line as they systematically burgle local residences on behalf of their father. He appears only in one scene, threatening Gabe and Ali and locking Ali in the Qualls’ storage unit. Though an adversary, he’s an agent of Dante Qualls, the main antagonist. As such, he’s an extension of Qualls’s will and a minor, one-dimensional character.