By Spyro :o)
Chapter 1 The Fishing Trip
"Crooked." Mr. Monk said, half to himself, as he stared out of the car window.
"What's crooked?" Sharona asked, turning into the other lane of the highway. She wondered what little thing Adrian noticed now. He nervously pointed out the window. "The fence around that field. It- it's crooked."
Sharona smiled. "Adrian, calm down. One week of camping isn't going to kill you."
"I'm calm. Camping's no problem for me." He looked out the window again. "But that fence, I- I really think we should drop by that farmer's house and tell him-"
"Adrian, I'm sure he's getting it taken care of." Sharona said, patting his shoulder. She knew that taking Mr. Monk on a camping trip was a bad idea. Mr. Monk, who was also her boss, was so obsessed with germs, he had to vacuum her entire car and wipe the dash boards before he got into it for the four hour drive to Whispering Woods Cabins where she, he, and Benjy were going for vacation. Sharona insisted Adrian come. He needed as much vacation as possible.
"Mom, I thought you said four hours. We left at 10:00 and now it's 2:45." Benjy whined from the backseat.
"We're almost there Benjy. In fact, here it is." Sharona turned the car down a gravel drive that was smothered on both sides by a thick forest. They finally reached a clearing and Sharona parked the car. Benjy quickly opened his door and raced into the cabin they would be staying in. It was a small wooden house with a few windows. Adrian supposed, if it was cleaned, it would do. Adrian opened the car door and stopped, then looked at the ground.
"Sharona."
"What?" She said, impatiently getting out of the car and walking over to his side. "Is there a puddle or something?"
"No, I'm just not wearing the right shoes."
"I thought you wore those to walk out to the car."
"I did but- this- this is- is dirt. I- I need my other pair." Sharona folded her hands. "Dirt is everywhere, Adrian. There was dirt on my driveway just like this dirt."
"No, this is- dirty dirt. If I could just have my other shoes- " His voice trailed off as he looked up at Sharona. She sighed hopelessly and finally said, "The blue or the black?"
"Black, please." Adrian said taking off his other shoes. As soon as Sharona went back to the trunk, a man with greasy black hair and a charming smile approached the car. "Mr. Monk, Sharona! Hey!"
"Oh, hi Calvin." Sharona said digging in the trunk. She finally found the shoes and then pulled herself out and shook Calvin's hand. Calvin put out his hand for Adrian and he cautiously shook it. When he was finished Adrian whispered, "Sharona."
"Oh yeah, right. Here you go and-" Sharona handed him his shoes and then pulled out a wipe from her purse. "-here you go."
"I guess my hands are a little dirty." Calvin said watching Adrian hurriedly wipe his hands and then slip on his shoes and stand up. Benjy ran out of the cabin. "We got TV in there!"
"And who is this?" Calvin asked as Benjy ran over to Sharona. "This is my twelve-year-old son, Benjy."
"Well, hi Benjy." he said shaking his hand. "I'm Calvin Holmes. And you better take care of that TV over there. We just got digital cable on it."
"You own this place?" Benjy asked amazed. Sharona smiled again. "Yeah Benjy, he's the one we're renting this cabin from."
"Wow, it must be fun living out here!"
"Yeah, I really don't live out here, but I like to come out and look at the scenery sometimes. Now why don't we unpack all this stuff?" Calvin, Benjy, and Sharona walked back to the car and grabbed some suitcases and bags.
"Ahhh!"
Everyone stopped and turned around to see Adrian hopping on one foot by the car. His other foot was clasped in his hands. "Adrian what happened?" Sharona said earnestly. "I think I just scuffed my shoe!" Adrian said steadying himself so he could examine the damaged attire. Sharona turned back around with another hopeless sigh and finished carrying her luggage.
**********
"Mr. Monk! Mr. Monk wake up! We're going fishing!" Benjy shouted in Adrian's ear shocking him awake. He slowly sat up and yawned. "Hurry! We're leaving right now!"
"Al- alright Benjy." Adrian got out of bed and got ready to go fishing.
**********
(two hours later) "Should we check on him?" Calvin asked Sharona as they both sat on the boat dock. "It seems kind of a long time for him to be getting ready to go fishing."
"It's not long for Adrian. You should've seen him when he was getting ready for this trip. He started packing two months ago, and yesterday, he took two baths to make sure he was 'fully clean for the toxic environment out here." Calvin laughed, "Yes, Mr. Monk is quite a character."
"Yeah, so- uh- where's Mrs. Holmes? I thought she liked fishing too. Don't tell me she's like Monk." Calvin's smiled faded. "Actually she died about two years ago. Lung cancer."
"Oh my God. I'm so sorry."
"Don't be. She was ready for it. I guess I wasn't though."
"Back to a bachelor's life right?"
"Right," he said looking straight into Sharona's eyes, "but hopefully not for long."
"Okay, I'm ready." Sharona and Calvin twisted around to see Adrian wearing his usual gray suit, a fisherman's hat, and a wide grin. He walked out to Calvin and Sharona. "Let's kick some serious fishing butt." Sharona couldn't help but laugh. "Adrian, I had no idea that you would go all out for fishing. Geez, you got the hat and everything." Adrian nodded in gratitude. "I try."
**********
Soon, Benjy, Sharona, Calvin, and Adrian were out in the middle of the lake. After an hour of fishing, Calvin decided to change their spot.
"Yeah, we should head over there to that shadowy area. The big ones tend to hide there."
Calvin pull his hands on the steering wheel of the pontoon boat.
"Uh- could I?" Adrian said pointing to the wheel.
"Sure Monk. Just don't run into a tree or anything." Adrian smiled happily. He wiped off the chair and the steering wheel, and then sat down and began to drive.
"I've wanted to do this all my life." Adrian said.
"Now you might want to turn it this way a little. I don't think you want to bother Mr. Tithers." Calvin advised putting a hand on the steering wheel.
"Oh like this?" Adrian turned the wheel and aimed the boat at a bunch of trees. "No, the right! Hurry!" The boat whirled around in a circle and then drove right into an old creaky dock. CRUNCH!
"Oh no!" Calvin got out of the boat and tried desperately pushed the boat back out into the water and then hopped in. "AHHH! Ah! Ah!" A scream perched the calmness of the lake. It came from the small sea green cottage next to the dock Adrian had managed to hit. Calvin, Benjy, Sharona, and Adrian all looked at each other and then got out of the pontoon and rushed to the house.
The door's window was broken and the door was wide open. Adrian, being a former detective raced right into the house and into the small kitchen where he guessed the screaming had come from. There, dead on the tile floor, was an old man with a knife stuck in his heart. The others followed Adrian and saw the same scene. Sharona covered Benjy's eyes.
"Mr. Tithers." Calvin said unbelievably.
Hours later, Captain Stottlemeyer and Lieutenant Disher, along with a few detectives and other officers, arrived on the scene. As they investaged it, Adrian and Sharona listened to Captain Stottlemeyer question Ms. Summers, the woman who had been screaming.
"So why, exactly, were you in Mr. Tither's house?" Captain Stottlemeyer asked the shaking woman. She had brown hair with a few gray strands. She looked about forty-five. It was obvious she'd never seen anything like this before.
"I- I wasn't really in the house. I was right out side looking in."
"So what were you doing there?" Stottlemeyer asked putting his hands on his hips.
"I work- I mean worked- for him. I was his caretaker. Whatever he needed- groceries or the flowers to be watered- I did it for him."
"So you and him were good friends?"
"Yes we- are you trying to say I did it?" Captain Stottlemeyer only stared back at her. "Captain, I'm sure he had a few enemies but I was certainly not one of them."
"Do you know of anyone who can be classified as an enemy?"
"Well let's see...... he was a little rude with the other people who live up here. He didn't like other fishermen fishing on his property. Actually, I don't think he liked anyone doing anything on his property. Most of his enemies were probably his neighbors." Ms. Summer's said trying to be as polite as she possibly could.
"Anyone in particular who threatened Mr. Tithers or yelled at him?"
"No, no I think they all had their fair share of fights with Mr. Tithers."
"Do you know there names?" Stottlemeyer asked taking a pad of paper and a pen out of his jacket to prepare to write down the names.
"Uh- Mr. Ford, Mrs. Harley, Mr. and Mrs. Wayne, Mr. Holmes, Mr. Monk..."
"Wait- Monk?"
"Yes. Mr. Monk. He lives about three cabins down. He's lived there for about two years now."
"What's his first name?" Adrian asked cautiously. He had to wonder why a Monk would want to live up here with all this dirt and filth.
"Daniel. Did he do something wrong?" Ms. Summers looked around at everyone bewilderedly.
"No Ms. Summers, he's fine, but are you sure none of these people up here did anything to Mr. Tithers?" Stottlemeyer asked.
"I- I wasn't up here every day. Only when he needed me. I suppose Mr. Ford and Mr. Holmes were the ones who were bothering him more then the others but not enough to kill him I don't think."
"Well, thank you for the information Ms. Summers, we'll get back to you." Ms. Summers nodded her head and put a tissue over her mouth as tears began to come down her eyes. An officer lead her away.
"Captain Stottlemeyer, Monk, I think you need to see this." Lieutenant Disher rushed over to them and handed Stottlemeyer a paper.
"What's this?" Stottlemeyer said staring at the document.
"We found a footprint in the garden bed right next to the door that was broken into. The shoe appears to be a size ten and a half. The brand might be Dr Scholls. It definitly isn't Mr. Tithers."
Disher then handed the captiain a bag with the bloody knife in it.
"The weapon has fingerprints on it and look at this." Disher flipped the knife over inside the bag showing the name "Whispering Woods Cabins" written on it with a permanent marker.
"You know, Adrian wears a size ten and a half in Dr. Scholls." Sharona blurted out.
"Sharona!" Adrian whispered angrily.
"Well - you do Adrian."
Stottlemeyer and Disher looked at each other and then Disher said, " Monk, could you come in the house for a second?"
*
Sharona, Captain Stottlemeyer, Lieutenant Disher, and Adrian entered the victim's house weaving in and out of other officers and detectives working on finding clues. Adrian followed the captain and lieutenant all the way into the dining room. They all sat down except for Adrian who began to straighten the pictures on the wall and clean the glass with the sleeve of his jacket.
"Monk - MONK!" Stottlemeyer said. Adrian turned around and looked at the captain who was pointing at an unoccupied seat. " Sorry, I - " he quickly turned around and wiped the last picture and then sat down.
A few seconds later an officer came in with an ink pad, a lap top computer and a piece of paper. He sat down next to Adrian and opened the ink pad.
"Wait, what-"
"We're just checking your fingerprints, Monk."
"Fingerprints? But I couldn't have done it. I was fishing."
"And crashing the boat that we now have to pay for." Sharona added under her breath.
"Well, it'll take an autopsy to make sure, but we believe Mr Tithers has been dead for at least twelve hours." Stottlemeyer said sadly. "You could've killed Mr. Tithers at night when everyone was asleep." He would've never thought Adrian would ever be a suspect for anything.
"Captain, I didn't do this. This is crazy. You know I could do this." Adrian said as the officer with the ink pad grabbed his reluctant hand. Adrian stared at the pad of ink as if it was a pool of sharks and his hand was being lowered into it. "There's no need to-" The officer smashed Adrian's fingers into their inky hell.
"I NEED A WIPE!! "