Detective Jake Proctor always suspected that Eric was guilty of killing the other girls and that he had fabricated his abuse story.

Now Proctor is determined to prove Eric’s guilt and put and bring him to justice, this time as an adult.

Proctor hopes this will put an end to his nightmares of murder victims denied justice that keep him up at night.

Maria Valdez The beautiful dark-haired, dark-eyed Hispanic girl who fits the usual look of Eric's victims.

Jimmy The young cop who helps Proctor catch Eric in the act, whether real or framed.

Dexter An ex of Lori's mother who beat her, giving her a black eye and then fled soon afterward.

Phyllis Kendall A beautiful old woman with white hair who is also the caretaker and mentor at the teen pregnancy center, Harmony House.

Tiffany A frail tiny girl who is also Lori's rival, she tries to frame her for theft at Harmony House.

Crystal A plump girl who is a member of the gang, later becomes pregnant, and attends Harmony House teen pregnancy center Bantam A skinny little kid who wants to act tough and is also part of the gang In 1998, the American Library Association named Tenderness one of the top ten Best Books for Young Adults to be published that year.