William Rice

William Rice is the father of the jumper David Rice and the ex-husband of Mary Drake. He is an alchoholic and was a very abusive husband and father. He learns of his sons ability to teleport when he gets mad at David and attempts to beat him. David gets scared and instinctivly jumps away to safety in the book. In the movie, William doesn't know about David's ability.

William Rice had an abusive relationship with his wife and with his son, David. On a trip they took, William constantly wanted to have sex with Mary and forced her into doing it with him several times while David waited outside. Once, Mary refused to do it and later William broke several bones in her face. Mary left him soon after that. William refused to give any of the letters or gifts that Mary sent to David. William constantly drank and made David do lots of chores, beating him for doing it wrong or too slowly or for complaining. William would whip David with his belt, using the buckle on the end of it to inflict further pain on his son. David hated his father. One day, William tried to beat David for not mowing the lawn and David teleported away. William put up posters asking if anyone had seen David. He also left a note for David asking him to come home and promised not to hurt him anymore. Regardelss, David never returned home other than to retrieve/steal a couple items. He stole several hundred dollars from William, but paid him back later. David almost killed William with a bottle when he was asleep, but wasn't able to bring himself to do it. Eventually, David made his father feel bad about what he had done by bringing him to Marys grave and saying that if he hadn't drank all the time and beat her and hurt him that she would still be alive because she wouldn't have left him. David made his father go into counseling, and paid for the counseling in cash, to make sure that William would be able to recieve the treatment.

In the film, William Rice is asked about his sons whereabouts by Roland Cox. William says he doesn't know where his son is, and refuses to give Roland any information on his ex-wife, Mary. Roland badly injures (or kills, it is unknown) William and leaves. David comes to the house to find Williams body and teleports him to a hospital for help. WIlliams fate in the film is unknown.