Lock and Key (novel)
After her drug and alcohol addicted mother abandons her, child services forces 17-year-old Ruby Cooper to move in with her sister, Cora, who had left for college when Ruby was young. Ruby is upset about this arrangement and continues to wear the key to her old home on a chain around her neck. After learning she will be transferring to a new high school, Ruby attempts to run away but is found out. Nate Cross, Jamie and Cora's next-door neighbor, covers for her. Over the span of the story, Ruby slowly becomes closer to Nate.
List of Shameless characters
Ruby Hepburn is the niece of Mimi Tutton (Tina Malone). She appeared in 18 episodes in total. She arrives from Glasgow to live with her aunt and cousins, Shane (Nicky Evans) and Micky Maguire (Ciarán Griffiths), in Chatsworth and her looks immediately attract the attentions of many residents, including Shane. She quickly gets involved with the family's criminal activities which leads her to be trapped underground with Shane, Jamie (Aaron McCusker), Aidan Croker (Robbie Conway) and Frank Gallagher (David Threlfall). Later, Mimi starts to make hurtful comments about Ruby's father, which angers her so much she holds Mimi hostage in the bedroom. Ruby reveals that she has always hated Mimi for her treatment of her father and threatens to kill her. Mimi doesn't take the threat seriously so Ruby stabs her in the leg. Meanwhile, Shane, Billy Tutton (Michael Taylor) and Jamie try to enter the room, but Ruby has placed furniture in front of the door. As the men push through the door the furniture topples over and knocks Ruby out of the window, where she falls onto the patio and is instantly killed. Later, Shane and Jamie bury Ruby in a shallow grave in the woods.