Heather Reed

Heather Reed is a transgender woman and seasoned law enforcement professional, working for the Metropolitan Police and the Irish Gardai, and plays a central role in the latter half of the story as both protector and confidante to Charlotte Kominsky.

Background

Heather’s backstory is layered with hardship, discipline, and transformation. While her past is only alluded to in fragments, it is clear that Heather has overcome significant institutional and societal challenges to rise within police and intelligence structures. She is introduced as a cold, calculated figure, an unknown woman appearing to Charlotte during a time of extreme vulnerability.

Initially perceived as a stalker or even an enemy, Heather’s approach is confrontational, mirroring the hostile and uncertain world Charlotte inhabits, as she quickly frames her. But Heather quickly turns that perception around, revealing not just information about threats around Charlotte, but about her reasons for caring. Their first meeting (unannounced, cryptic, and emotionally intense) sets the tone for a relationship rooted in ambiguity, honesty, and strategic alliance.

In the outcome of All the Battles I Have Lost, Heather becomes Charlotte's employer and forms what is to be known as Taskforce 12. Heather works at the Charing Cross Police Precinct with Marc Beauregard, Michael Whittingham and Vasara Romeka. She is the team leader for the human trafficking investigation as she is a specialist in the Organised Crimes Unit.

Personality and Appearance

Heather is described as stunningly beautiful, with meticulous makeup and an athletic build that commands respect. Her appearance is striking but never stereotypical; it reflects pride and intent rather than vanity. She presents femininity not as a performative trait but as an integrated part of her identity, an identity forged through conflict, secrecy, and control. Suffering from gender dysphoria, she transitioned at age 19.

Her personality is equally multifaceted: deeply composed, intelligent, and always several steps ahead. Heather rarely raises her voice and is known to be always calm and an acute negotiator. Her power lies in her ability to make others listen without needing to demand it. Beneath her steely exterior lies a survivor who has seen both personal and institutional violence, and chose to resist it by becoming formidable herself.

Relationship with Charlotte Kominsky

The relationship between Heather and Charlotte is one of complex intimacy and evolving trust. When they first meet, Heather presents herself as a looming, all-knowing stranger. Her introduction (at once menacing and intimate) was designed to rattle Charlotte, forcing her to reckon with how much control she has over her own life.

But as the truth unfolds, it becomes clear that Heather is not an enemy but a lifeline. She warns Charlotte about surveillance, manipulation, and betrayal, gently nudging her towards agency and vigilance. Rather than coddling her, Heather insists Charlotte learn how to fight back, emotionally, strategically, and even physically.

Heather never oversteps her role; instead, she offers the tools and perspective that Charlotte needs to survive. Their friendship is not based on comfort but on respect. Charlotte learns to see Heather not just as a cop, not just as a woman, but as a guardian, someone whose strength was built in shadows but whose loyalty shines through when it matters most.

Heather deeply hates Joris Laurent, whom she says does not represent what the Police should be standing for.

Symbolism and Themes

Heather Reed symbolises strength through authenticity. As a transgender woman in a violent and patriarchal environment, her presence in the story disrupts every assumption about gender, authority, and protection. She does not “pass” as anyone other than herself. Her femininity is not diluted by her strength, rather, it’s what gives her an edge.

She also represents Charlotte’s ability to trust again, not blindly, but with discernment. Heather’s character challenges readers to rethink what a protector looks like and asks whether trauma, when properly channelled, can become power.