Augustus "Gus" Landor

Gus Landor is a 48-year-old man who was a police constable in New York. He now lives in Buttermilk Falls, having moved here for his health. He is a widower. He tells Poe that his daughter Mattie ran away with someone, but she actually committed suicide after being attacked and raped by three cadets from West Point. Landor now lives alone with the occasional companionship of a barmaid named Patsy.

Landor is highly capable as an investigator. In this story, he has an advantage because he killed Leroy Fry, but he sets out to find who took Fry's heart. He proves that he has a keen eye for detail, zeroing in on the clues that lead him in the right direction. He also realizes that he needs help because the cadets will not talk to officials, and he garners the aid of the young cadet Edgar...