Sam is the oldest of three siblings. He lives with his young sister Sarah, with occasional visits from his lover Terry Nelson. The girl called Nicky Porter also lived there for a few months, when she was Sarah’s girlfriend.

Sam earns his living as a proofreader, working for a temp agency. It’s an uncertain source of income, but the work is fairly easy and Sam is not much for changing things unless he has to.

The middle sibling is David, who lives in another apartment in the same building. Someone once pointed out that it was funny they were named Sam and Dave, like the soul singers, but Sam and David only laughed. Their parents had been very religious, and only sacred music had ever been played in their house. They had never heard of Sam & Dave.

Both parents had been murdered, together, in church, by a lunatic woman who had apparently only come in to use the bathroom.

David and Sarah are both gay, and Sam is not likely to ever marry his lover, so he is secretly just as glad his parents aren’t around to see what their offspring are up to.

Sam’s first appearance in A Sane Woman is right near the beginning. He is on a bus, with Terry, bringing her for a weekend visit.

He only appears briefly in U-town.