Lavinia Rickman is the director of public relations at the Museum of Natural History. Rickman is in charge of making sure all publicity regarding the museum is good. Rickman takes this job a little too seriously; therefore, she makes a quick enemy of Smithback when she continuously edits his manuscript for the book about the Superstition Exhibition. The reader learns later that Rickman is close friends with both Cuthbert and Wright. In the end, Rickman goes with Wright and Cuthbert when they decide to rise rather than go into the basement with D'Agosta and his group. Rickman is killed by the creature.