Manziuk

Age: 47

Birthday: January 18th

Physical Description: A big man, six-foot-five and 235 pounds, with dark brown hair, balding on top. Grey eyes. Strong features: perhaps not handsome, but definitely interesting.

Clothing Preferences: Loose-fitting, long-lasting, economical. He goes to Mr. Big and Tall with his wife Loretta and she chooses most of his clothes..

Car: A Chevie station wagon on its last legs

Eating Habits: He loves Ukrainian food like the kind he grew up with, hates fast food, but eats it when he’s on a case and hasn’t time. Also likes steak, baked potatoes, but not crazy about salads

Medical History: Healthy in general; has a few scars from past injuries, has to watch his cholesterol. Has had knee problems in the past but they are okay now.

Education: Grade 12

Occupation: Detective Inspector with homicide in Toronto

History & Home Life: Parents were Ukrainian and they emigrated to Toronto in 1946, before he was born. His father and mother are still living, as are his two sisters and brother.

Friendships: Most of his friends are cops, plus a few couples Loretta has met in neighbourhood, etc. Woody Craig, his ex-partner, and his wife Alicia are their best friends despite an age difference.

Marital Status: Manziuk has been married 25 years to Loretta, who he knew as a teen. She is five foot four, 120 pounds.

Children: Conrad age 23, Oxford–working on MA in ancient history, hopes to do a doctorate at Oxford. Daughter Lisa, age 21, a college student. Son Michael, age 17, in last year of high school

Hobbies or Activities: Some wood-working when he has time–likes finding antiques, older neglected pieces, etc. and refinishing them

Favorite Books: Mysteries and action books (Dick Francis, Robert Ludlum, Donald Westlake, Tom Clancy) Doesn’t like police procedurals–prefers to get away from that part.

Future Plans: He would like to keep doing what he’s doing, maybe take Loretta on a real holiday, see his kids lead happy lives

Summary: Paul Manziuk is a born cop who is tired. Maybe it’s a bit of mid-life crisis. Maybe recent changes in the department. Maybe just too many bad guys and too much work.

His parents emigrated to Canada from the Ukraine right after World War II and he was born and brought up in Toronto. Being “foreign” made an indelible mark on him – and perhaps is the clue to his unstinting effort to do his job without mistake or failure. Yes, he’s a workaholic who hates incompetence and strives always to produce, not simply an acceptable solution, but the right solution.

It hasn’t been easy for him. A high school graduate, he started at the bottom, as a lowly cop on the beat, and has worked his way up to Inspector, which is as much responsibility as he wants.

Because of his size and his thorough attention to detail, at first glance he appears slow and ponderous of body and of mind, but actually he has fluid body movement and a quick mind with a dry sense of humor. He cares, not only about people but about stopping evil, and since a caring cop is an easy mark, he uses gruffness as a wall of protection.

He will work until he has to retire. He can’t imagine what he will do then.