Help! Need creative thinkers!

Okay, so in my story I'm having a writer going to investigate a few crimes trying to find a connection with them so he could write a crime novel but I can't seem to find a good way for him to find out more information on the crimes from the police if he is a mere civilian. I thought about making him being an ex New York Times reporter but that will only get him the information that the media would get not the other smaller, finer details. So what should I do?! Would greatly appreciate help!

Perhaps he's a relative of one of the officers working the case, and the officer tells him about all those little details?

Ah, that could work for one case but I forgot to mention that all the 'cases' are in different states in the US. That's my big problem. I'm thinking about making him a ex police officer or ex-Fed. . .

Is there any reason why he can't be a Fed who also happens to be a writer? And that he gets his information firsthand from working on those cases?

Ooh I like Kyll's idea. But another idea I had was something more sinister...like maybe he has blackmail-worthy info on his sources and so they give him information. That could be tricky to work out though if you're using cases from all over the country.

Hm, good ideas. Might try changing his background to make him a Fed. It would make things more easier.

You can make him a friend of a FBI officer or the best thing is that his girl friend is in the Bureau, so it can add twists as well as romance.

i'm writing a fantasy story with a love twist and I want to describe a scene when the boy is carrying the girl and I want to describe how his muscles felt. someone give me some advice please.

From which perspective? His or hers? How is he carrying her? What particular muscle groups are you trying to describe? What's his body type? What's her body type?

Need a bit more detail before anybody can help.

he is craddleing her like a baby and I want to describe his arm muscle and abs.

Against the chest cradling (so her head is against his shoulder) or her tucked into his arm and him supporting her knees? And is the narration from the guy's perspective, or the girl's? Because that determines if you're describing how muscles feel or if you're describing how heavy the girl is.

i'm describing it from the girls perspective and i'm describing how his muscles feel to her.

Under what part of her body? Her hands, butt, back, legs? Does she have her arms wrapped around his neck, hanging by her sides, or curled against her chest? Is she chest to chest with him, or is he carrying her so her arm is against her shoulders and one under her knees? How strong is he, and how many muscles show? Some guys are really strong, but wiry. Therefore you can't actually see their muscles even though they have them.

Also, if he's cradling her, wouldn't she be closer to his chest muscles than his abs?

The reason I'm asking all these questions is, they are what's known as variables. All of these questions have different, wildly varying answers. If it's a wiry guy who has no trouble carrying her weight, his muscles will feel different than if it's a buff guy struggling to carry her. The former will feel more like a smooth rock, the latter will feel well defined, but they'll be trembling and she could feel that. There would also be a difference in breathing between the two. If he's not struggling, then his breathing would be even. If he is, it'll be laboured and deep.

There is no "standard" way to describe muscles, or a girl being carried. There are different ways she could be carried, different types of bodies (for both the guy and the girl), and different amounts of strength the guy could have.