Who is Paul Giacomin in the novel, Early Autumn?

Paul is the fifteen-year-old son of Patty and Mel and is being used as a pawn in the battles between the two. Susan describes him as "chattel" and that seems to be an accurate description. Paul is shy, introverted and awkward. Spenser says that Paul has no idea how he should behave in any situation, and that seems to be the case. Paul is also very dependent and wants to switch that dependence to Spenser, though Spenser won't let it happen. For example, when Paul is given new clothes by Spenser, he wants Spenser to tell him which of the outfits to wear. When Spenser refuses, Paul asks for help matching up the outfits though he was along when the purchases were made. That aspect of Paul's personality changes quickly, and when Spenser later tells him to go for sandwiches and to use his own judgment when selecting, Paul readily agrees.