Cary Hilliard, an attractive woman in her early thirties, is a production assistant for Barron Harkness, the anchor of the news program for Continental Network. Stone Barrington meets Cary when he interviews Barron regarding the fall and disappearance of Sasha Nijinsky. Stone and Cary begin an intimate relationship almost immediately, one that Stone finds all-consuming. Very early in the relationship, Cary becomes a bit combative while speaking to Stone about Barron, but ends the night by telling him that she believes she is falling in love with Stone.