Bernie Rhodenbarr - Friends and Associates

Friends and Associates

Carolyn Kaiser is Bernie's best friend, occasional partner in crime, and lesbian soulmate. She operates a pet-grooming salon called The Poodle Factory near Bernie's bookstore. The two meet over drinks on a regular basis, discussing their work and love lives; their conversations enable writer Block to display his wit and weakness for puns and authors. Carolyn has a set of keys to Bernie's apartment and bookstore in case of an emergency.

Ray Kirschmann is a plainclothes detective on the New York police force, and is described by Bernie as "the best cop money can buy," since Ray will allow himself to be bribed to overlook Bernie's occasional illegal activities. However, Ray does draw the line at homicide, and is usually present at the climax of each novel when the murderer is finally revealed. A married, middle-aged man, Ray's appearance is normally rumpled (despite having expensive clothes) and he tends to talk in a less-educated manner than Bernie. He and Carolyn are not friendly.

Wally Hemphill is Bernie's lawyer. The two initially met as jogging enthusiasts when Bernie took up the activity, and Bernie called him to bail him out of prison when he'd learned his previous lawyer had died. Wally has helped Bernie by negotiating the sale of the Barnegat Books building to him, and has also taken up martial arts, which came in handy in a later novel when he apprehended an escaping suspect.

Marty Gilmartin is a wealthy businessman and theatre patron who met Bernie shortly after the latter attempted to burgle his home. He occasionally helps Bernie out by identifying potential victims for him, usually rich people with a cash flow problem who would like to collect on their home insurance policy by reporting a burglary.