Free Clouded Rainbow by Jonathan Sturak Page A

success at detecting. Having no emotional involvement would be the best approach to solving the case, and he knew this was going to be a much harder one to crack. This mentality kept the brazen man fresh and probably explained why he rarely had any time to date, let alone find someone who could put up with his particular way of thinking.
    Nurse Ann didn’t let up from her empathy, which made Det. Cleveland uncomfortable. He wanted to end the conversation, but was respectful enough not to simply walk away. He knew he had to say something.
    “Will the woman be okay?” he finally said, ending the silence.
    “I guess you could say the worst is behind her. She just needs to pull through this coma.”
    Nurse Ann turned as Det. Cleveland grinned at her, not looking at the sleeping beauty. Finally, she led him out of the room as he eagerly followed. They stepped into the hall as the door to Lois’ lair closed, sealing her inside until another visitor.
    “Thank you, again. Please let me know if her status changes. Here is my card with my direct cell number. I hope she awakens to solve this conundrum,” Det. Cleveland said as he handed the nurse his business card.
    Nurse Ann graciously accepted it. She trusted Det. Cleveland even though he showed no emotion, the way one trusted a surgeon to remove a brain tumor.
    A focused man is a man who gets things done , she thought. The thing that needed to be done needed to be done quickly, accurately, and brazenly.
    “You’re welcome, sir. I am the fifth floor head nurse. Please let me know how I can help,” she responded as she offered her hand.
    “I will certainly let you know of any updates,” Det. Cleveland replied cordially.
    Both departed, going separate ways on the floor. A sudden silence engulfed the hallway. Faintly, the sound of Lois’ beating heart resonated through her room’s closed door.
    After a few minutes, Det. Cleveland walked off the busy elevator into the lobby. Thoughts of his best approach to the case were racing through his logical mind. He was trying to sort things out like a computer sorting a jumbled array. Det. Cleveland knew the first step was to check for Jane Doe’s potential mate from the accident. Hopefully, he thought, the man was alive and could shed light on the puzzling situation. Det. Cleveland stopped in the hallway on his way to his parked car. He was anxious to check with his research assistant back at his precinct. The young man’s name was Charlie, and he was a great tool in Det. Cleveland’s toolbox, providing wonders with database query searches and cross-department interviews. When Det. Cleveland tasked Charlie with an action item, the researcher gave his heart to accomplish the task, and above all, was loyal to the venerable detective. Det. Cleveland lived by the adage “actions speak louder than words” and this proved Charlie’s trustworthiness during the early part of their relationship. In the middle of a heated murder investigation, the precinct’s captain grilled the entire office about Det. Cleveland’s methods of interrogating a murder suspect. Det. Cleveland knew the man was the culprit and pressed him during the heated examination. Charlie had been taking notes through the one-way glass and, when asked by the captain, he covered for Det. Cleveland and simply said, “I didn’t see anything against policy.”
    The side hallway was secluded as Det. Cleveland speed dialed Charlie.
    “Yello,” Charlie slanged as he sat at his desk consumed with mountains of paperwork.
    “Hey, Charlie. I stopped by Southern General to follow up on that Jane Doe. She’s still in a coma and unconscious. Uh, can you pull up all cars involved in yesterday’s crash? I’m looking for a man involved. Could be her boyfriend or husband,” the detective asked as he glanced in his notepad.
    The police station buzzed with the evening shift holding down the fort. The night seemed to bring out the worst in a city; the petty criminals, drunks, and