Nobby Cranton is a jewel thief who once was Jeff Deacon's accomplice in the attempted robbery of the Wilbraham emeralds. Cranton seems to be incorrigible - he has served time in jail several times for burglary but continually re-offends. He is impertinent to the police when questioned, and seems very adept at criminal activity - he arranges for a false passport for Deacon and helps him to enter the country under a false identity.