Who is Robert and Elizabeth Rand from The Key to Midnight and what is their importance?

Robert and Elizabeth Rand are supposedly Joanna Rand's parents. The Rands died in a car accident twelve years ago, and Joanna inherited a large sum of money from their life insurance. Joanna used that money to buy the Moonglow Lounge and to live until the club began to make a profit. Joanna remembers her parents fondly. However, when Alex or Inamura asks her specific questions about her parents, she cannot answer them. It turns out that Robert and Elizabeth Rand are fictional characters that are part of the persona of Joanna Rand. In reality, the money Joanna used to start her club came from Thomas Chelgrin.