detective

KN, p. 344 “Crime Interrupted by a Stroke”

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The Mayo Clinic tells us: a brain stroke occurs when blood flow to part of the brain is blocked (ischemic) or a blood vessel bursts (hemorrhagic), starving brain cells of oxygen. This leads to sudden symptoms like numbness, confusion, trouble speaking, and vision problems.

The symptoms of a TIA are similar to those of a stroke and include:

  • Numbness or muscle weakness, usually on one side of the body.
  • Trouble speaking or understanding speech.
  • Dizziness or loss of balance.
  • Double vision or trouble seeing in one or both eyes.

A TIA doesn’t cause permanent damage to brain cells or the brain. A regular stroke causes a prolonged blockage that may lead to lasting brain damage or disability.

What does all that mean for a practicing criminal or a dedicated investigator? Nothing good for either.

There are a number of great books/TV series these days that feature amateur investigators of a certain age. Remember Angela Lansbury in the “Murder She Wrote” series? Or the two quite different “Matlock” TV series? Many cozy books are happy to point out that just because a person is collecting social security or is retired, doesn’t mean their brains have retired as well. But, aside from the occasional nod to aches and pains of aging, I rarely hear about knee replacements or heart attacks or strokes getting in the way of solving a case or committing a crime. The aging heroes and heroines are amazingly agile and healthy, IMO.

In 1998, “Safe House” (TV movie) starred Patrick Stewart as a former intelligence officer who was quickly falling under the grip of Alzheimer’s. His family was concerned about the memory issues, but had been unaware that he had been an agent. When he began to warn them about ‘dangerous people being after him’ he was not believed. The hit 2026 TV series, “Memory of a Killer,” starring Patrick Dempsey, deals with a hitman at the beginning of his Alzheimer’s struggle, trying to keep it together while still carrying out his assignments. He isn’t always successful.

Alzheimer’s isn’t a TIA or a stroke, but symptoms of forgetfulness, frustrations with the simplest activities, and trying to cover it up, do overlap with those of TIAs.

Take a look at my cousin’s experiences:

On February 11, he was in the hospital, having suffered a TIA after his BP jumped to 246/140. He ceased being able to speak. The excellent ER care stopped the stroke in its tracks and he spent the night while they conducted many, many tests to discover the extent of the damage, if any. For the next month at home, he was exhausted by the smallest things and slept half of every day, in between watching some mind-numbing TV shows. He was lightheaded and dizzy, so walking never happened in a straight line. He felt close to fainting a couple times a day as his blood pressure shifted from waaaaay too high to dangerously low (90/55). He knew full well that he wasn’t out of the woods yet, but he was alive.

A thief planning a heist would have to postpone any involvement in the crime. Recovery doesn’t happen overnight and the brain is too busy healing to do anything new. My cousin could have conversations and interact fairly well, but any chats longer than 20 minutes made his brain hurt. It would shut down, needing to recharge before engaging again. A Detective would be placed on medical leave, perhaps be able to consult on a case he had worked on, but not be capable of coping with 12-16 hour days in a murder investigation. He would nod off during the briefings.

February 28th:
Two and a half weeks after the TIA and the life-saving hospital stay my cousin’s BP was fairly stable (in the 130s over 70s) for five days. His gait was better (less staggering and longer strides) and he looked forward to walking for five minutes at a time outside when the weather cleared. Seemed like a wild goal at the time to him, but knowing him all his life, I knew it was possible.

His brain could only handle one task a day, and only for 20-30 minutes, before a brain buzz set in, his vision clouded, and he felt like he was going to pass out. But, this was an improvement from 10 days before when sleeping all day and night was all his body/brain could handle. Small victories. In order to maintain some kind of muscle strength, he walked for 60-90 seconds when he could inside the house, in a controlled circuit without tipping over, high-stepping when possible.

An insight to the internal action of a healing brain: whenever he watched TV, read a book, or had a conversation during the first two months, his brain went on speed dial and recalled every single memory about that topic for the next few minutes. As if the computer was checking to see what was still there. He would be physically tired afterwards and need to sit, focus, and regroup.

May 11th – Three months after the TIA occurred:
Recovery at home had its ups and downs, with my cousin’s blood pressure sometimes jumping back to 185/90 and on other days dropping down to 90/55. There was no apparent cause for any of it. Like mine, his normal diet is heavy with veggies, fish, and chicken and the most sodium in our diets comes from restaurant food, not home-cooked-never-processed meals. He ate out once in the middle of the third month and his BP shot up to the 180s again, needing medication to drop it down.

Brain fog and head buzzing alternates with weakness in the limbs, but testing has revealed no clogs, no blockage, nothing. Recovery includes resting for an hour after every activity instead of the non-stop routine of always on the go. Can you imagine a detective taking a nap at the back of a squad room or an assassin staggering toward his/her target while being zapped by brain fog?

In my cousin’s case, both the brain and the body were jolted by the TIA. He is  stronger than the day he left the hospital, but a long, long way from traveling anywhere or binge-watching TV or binge-reading his favorite thrillers. It took a while before he could read more than 2-3 pages at a time, but he is now up to 10-15 pages at a time. Small victories.

Best advice cuz and I can share? If you are experiencing stroke symptoms, get to the hospital inside two hours from the time of onset. That window of time for treatment can save your life.

Treatment and Recovery
Treatment depends on the type of stroke but is highly time-sensitive. Ischemic strokes may be treated with clot-busting drugs (tPA) or mechanical thrombectomy, while hemorrhagic strokes focus on reducing pressure and stopping the bleeding.

Symptoms: Think B.E. F.A.S.T.
Immediate action is crucial if you notice these signs:

  Balance: Sudden loss of balance or coordination.

  Eyes: Sudden vision changes or trouble seeing.

  Face: One side of the face droops when smiling.

  Arms: Weakness or numbness in one arm.

  Speech: Slurred speech or difficulty understanding.

  Time: Time to call emergency services (911) immediately.

Special Note: The major symptom cuz had was that he could not speak. He could understand everything that was happening and was being said to him. The speech returned about an hour after the treatment began. The lack of coordination appeared later. The face drooping happened later. This is his third mini-stroke in 12 years, the first two with clear cause & effect.

Three months after the fact, with some continuing symptoms cuz is experiencing, and no apparent reason for any of it, I can’t see how anyone could successfully run an investigation or a heist without tremendous support from everyone in their circle. It sure does throw a wrench into ‘working alone’ or ‘covering up’ your identity for the foreseeable future. Multiple passports? Hiding from the law? HA!!! But, it certainly makes for interesting complications in a novel.  🙂

 

 

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KN, p. 329 “What Do Private Investigators and Police Detectives Do?”

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Private Investigators and Police Detectives are so popular as fictional characters that they are depicted in movies and TV in several different subcategories. There’s a lead character for every type of viewer: hard-boiled, amateur, dark, cozy, humorous, and everything in between. If a writer can come up with a detective or investigator that strikes a cord with any part of a crime-focused audience, he/she will be in demand for a very long time. There is a crime-solving series on TV almost every night of the week, and a mystery hungry audience out there that will watch reruns of favorite shows for years.

Investigator or Detective?

A Private Investigator is a person who works directly for clients to chase down witnesses, investigate fraud cases, provide evidence for marriage conflicts and civil suits, and find missing persons. Attorneys who handle criminal cases frequently have an investigator on staff. Both the prosecution and the defense might use investigators. The moniker ‘private detective’ is sometimes used interchangeably with Private Investigator, but it’s not the same as a ‘police detective.’ P.I.s have no arrest powers. Investigators may work for private companies, or be in business for themselves.

A Detective works for a police department or other law enforcement agency to solve crimes. They investigate, determine who the perpetrator was and discover why the crime happened. Detectives gather evidence, interview suspects and witnesses, create reports, prepare arrest warrants, and make those arrests.

P.I.s and Police Detectives sometimes work together.

Real or Fictional? There are differences between the real-life version and the purely entertainment types of investigators. In a fictional scenario, let’s say that the body of a regular customer is discovered in the back of a hair salon when the owner opens the shop in the morning.  She shrieks and when calm enough to think, calls 911 to report the death. The police detective on call might arrive at the scene, close the shop (it’s a crime scene) gather information about the behavior of the customer and relationships with other customers, but would not ask the hairstylist to ask questions on his/her behalf. That’s the job of the police.

Part of the fun of watching/reading a mystery that involves an amateur is second-guessing the pros who seem to be missing the clues. Means and opportunity must be proved, along with motive, and some official law enforcement character should provide part of the solution in a realistic story.

So…what does a REAL, professional, Private Investigator do?

  • Uncover facts and assess financial and personal information for clients
  • Conduct interviews in order to obtain information
  • Do computer searches or look at public records to do background checks
  • Do surveillance work by taking photographs and/or following a possible suspect to check out their deviation from the normal routine
  • Write and present reports to the client
  • Work for lawyers, private citizens, and companies

While P.I.s work on cases dealing with a client’s personal issues, a Police Detective only works on criminal cases.

What skills does a P.I. need to be successful?

  • Ability to look at clues and analyze how they fit (or not) into the investigation
  • Communicate with people from all walks of life
  • Ability to investigate without breaking the law

Whether working as a P.I. or a Police Detective, the jobs are not glamorous. The guys/gals work odd hours, including weekends and nights. It’s common to have to eat on the run, in the car, or at the desk. This is definitely not a 9 to 5 job and they often work more than one case at a time. The TV show, Magnum, P.I. (2023 version) was great fun to watch, but bent reality a bit with the always available helicopters and snipers and the ‘I know a guy’ connections.

Despite what prime-time entertainment indicates, both police detectives and private investigators must follow the law. Avoiding contamination of evidence during its collection and then following chain of custody rules is essential. The evidence must stand up to scrutiny in a court of law.

Best Route to becoming an Investigator There is no speedy way to become a fully licensed, practicing private investigator, but here are some paths others have taken after demonstrating active interest and ability:

  • Work in law enforcement until retirement, then apply for the license.
  • Work as a paralegal where similar skills are needed to that of an investigator in the office part of the job
  • Have a career in the military first, setting up a path to private security and drug/gun related investigations in the private sector.
  • Work for an insurance company and move into fraud investigations.

Education Needed A P.I. working at the level of background checks may not need a college degree, but there are a number of two and four-year courses at criminal justice institutions that would help with the knowledge needed to complete the common tasks – where to find information, methods for conducting successful interviews, etc. Computer literacy is a must.

Path to become a Detective The work can sometimes be dangerous, but if this looks like a great career, there are a few ways to make yourself look more appealing as a candidate. They also give you a better idea of what you’re getting into.

  • As cases become more demanding and applications for positions become more competitive, departments in bigger cities require at least a two-year degree in criminal justice. Some departments point to a bachelor’s degree for those interested in reaching rank.
  • Obtain the required level of education, then submit the application. If accepted, then police academy training is next.
  • After the academy training, working as a patrol officer for several years is required before being allowed to become a police detective. Some departments will send you for additional training if you have the aptitude for detective work. Some departments allow officers who demonstrate an interest/capability, to shadow detectives on the job and will then put talented candidates right to work.

 

(Some information from the Bureau of Labor Statistics)

 

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KN, p. 314 “Does Your Protagonist Need Total Knee Replacement?”

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Twelve years ago, Kerrian’s Notebook came to life because of several bullets that managed to find their way into my body during a drug bust gone bad. Yup, I was injured on the job. The bullet holes healed, but bones were broken during that same shootout and intense rehab began. I was out of commission for over a year, bored and with a bad attitude, until I found that people were interested in what I had to say about life as a law enforcement officer. I could focus on something besides quad lifts and stretching.

I did get back on the job on limited duty at first, then went back fulltime as a Detective when the doc cleared me around the 18 month point. Truth be told, I lost a step in the ‘racing after the bad guys’ part of the job when we caught a runner, so I mostly left that to younger partners with better knees. Light repair surgery took care of torn ligaments, but a few months ago, total knee replacement became a necessity when Osteoarthritis settled into my achy bones.

You know me, I asked the Doc a LOT of questions pre & post surgery. My surgeon builds the knee replacement device to fit the specific patient on the day of the surgery. Other surgeons take the one-size-fits-most approach.

During my total knee replacement surgery, any remaining damaged cartilage was removed. The end of the thigh bone and the top of the lower leg bone were sliced off to create a flat surface, then areas drilled out to accommodate the titanium implants. Those implants were press fit (inserted) into the bones where the two bones join together, then Palacos Bone Cement was used to permanently attach the implants to the existing bone. Fun fact: the cement is green.

My own ligaments and tendons are still there. A plastic spacer (replacing the long gone cartilage) was inserted between the metal pieces to create a smooth surface, making it easier for the bones to glide against each other. The result should be that my stride will return to normal.

 

Recovery has taken longer than the average Knee Replacement Surgery since I have bowed legs. Because of that, one of the bones needed to be turned a bit during the surgery, allowing the knee apparatus to line up properly with the thigh and calf bones.

Surgery took a little over two hours. The brochures state that each person/situation/surgery is different. Yup. I’ve had stabbing pain in my knee cap, like somebody stuck a screwdriver in it. Repeatedly. I had no feeling in a large section below the surgical spot for about three months, making rehab a tad strange at times. The knee was massaged, iced, rotated, pulled on, you name it, we tried it. Then finally, when feeling partially returned, I began to make real progress with stairs, standing to get out of chairs, etc.  After five months, my knee function is returning to normal, slowly, but getting there.

 

Physical therapy consists of strengthening the muscles above and below the knee. Quad lifts, leg lifts, all manner of moving that leg to get the body used to the new thing invading the space. Occasionally, the knee buckles, due to weaker-than-they-should-be quad muscles. We’re working on that. Sometimes, I hear/feel clicking when I walk. That’s normal.

Balance issues do occur as the body adjusts to its new position in space. One leg is marginally shorter than the other. After the other knee gets replaced in a few months, the body will adjust again.

If your legs are physically toned before the surgery, recovery is easier. If you sit around the house a good part of your day, then rehab will take longer. Sometimes, people are allergic to the metal being used in the implants, infection sets in, and the surgery has to redone. Sometimes, scar tissue builds up, locking the knee in place, and the surgery has to be redone.

 

Attitude is everything in recovery from any major surgery. Younger patients (below 50) will recover more quickly than older patients, based mostly on physical fitness and willingness to do the demanding rehab.

 

Several TV shows and movies have included injured characters in the storyline. The protagonist is reluctant to go under the knife ostensibly because the team will have to work without their leadership. People hem and haw over the decision, with lots of drama involved. BUT, what’s really going on with the reluctant patient is that they will miss doing the job they love to do if anything goes wrong. If you write an injured character into the plot, don’t forget the emotional toll that major injury causes. The worry and sleepless nights are real. However, if the character needs a legitimate excuse to leave the job, the damaged bones can be a hidden gem.

Think Jason Hayes in the popular military TV show, “Seal Team.” During the third season, to avoid going under the knife, he had PT after wrecking his knee. Eventually, he followed the doc’s initial advice and had the work done. He needed a minor, rather than major repair, only missed one mission, and his anxiety level dropped dramatically.

If you or anyone in your circle sustains an injury, use it in your stories. Courage in the face of months of recovery, fears, tension, the effect on loved ones (good and bad) who have to change their routines to help? It might not be fun in real life, but it all works on the page.

 

*Charlie Kerrian is a fictional character, but this knee replacement story is real and rehab is ongoing.

 

 

 

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