Author: DragonLady
Spoilers: none
Disclaimer: Monk is the property of USA Network
and Mandeville Films.
Rating: PG-13
Chapter 4
Faulkner smiled at the woman sitting across from him. She was so brazen! Allie
had been just like that. "Why do you care why I killed her? Is this a delve into
psychology, are you attempting to uncover the mysteries of my mind?" Sharona
leaned back. "No, it's just that there ain't a whole lotta reading material around, I
thought maybe you wouldn't mind some conversation." Faulkner actually laughed.
"Why not? Tell you the truth, had nothing to do with any past trauma, I was raised
in a good home, I was never beaten as a child. I got good grades..." Sharona
scratched her arm. "In other words, you were a healthy, well-adjusted child." The
man smiled again. "Healthy anyhow. Actually, I really didn't have a reason for
killing her. I guess, I just wanted to see if I could. Tell ya something, it felt so
good." Sharona slid back at the sudden coldness in his eyes. He noticed the motion,
and calmly grabbed her arm, sliding her back. "Are you afraid of me?" He twirled
a finger through a curl of hair, then suddenly yanked down, eliciting a sharp cry.
"You should be trembling. Don't think we can become friends. And don't ever, ever
think you'll get me off guard, I've planned this for too long." With a shove, he pushed
her back onto the bed. Then he stood and strode from the room, as always, calmly
closing the door behind him.
Sharona clenched her teeth together to stop them from chattering.
Monk slumped over the small worktable in his living room, the phone clutched tightly
in his right hand. "Yes, Benjy, I promise, she'll be just fine... yes, yes I swear, now
please, let me talk to your aunt." There was silence for a few seconds as a tearful
Benjy left the room. Then the voice of Sharona's sister came on the line. "Adrian, I'm
so glad to hear from you. How're you holding up?" Monk closed his eyes. "I-I'm fine,
just fine. I just wanted to check up on Benjy, you know, see how he's doing." He
could hear the smile in her voice as she responded. The Fleming women couldn't be
fooled. "Benjy's alright, he misses his mom, we all do." Monk ran a hand through his
hair. "Yeah, so do I. Look, I'm not going to be reachable for the next coupla days, will
Benjy be alright with you?" The voice on the other line assured him that would be more
than ok. Shortly thereafter, they hung up. With the phone out of his hand, Monk placed
both of his palms over his eyes. He was so tired. But sleep would have to wait, he could
sense he was on a timetable. It was only a matter of time before... Riiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiing!
Adrian sat up sharply, staring at the phone as though it had turned into an insect.
Tentatively, he reached for it. "Hello? Captain, what... yes, yes, I'm ready now. Ok, I'll
see you in a few minutes." Monk carefully set the phone onto the table. Slowly he stood
to his feet. Stottlemeyer would be there to pick him up in a few minutes. They had to
move quickly, there'd been another murder.
The scene was absolutely littered with officers. Curious neighbors stood just outside
the boundaries of police tape. The second Monk got a look at the body, he knew who
had taken Sharona. The body was a young woman. She had curly blonde hair, a delicate
build, and a dent in the upper right side of her forehead. "Oh my god." Stottlemeyer
turned to look at the detective. "What is it?" Monk clasped his hands together. "Check
her right arm." Stottlemeyer knelt by the woman and carefully lifted her arm from the
tangle of grass it was buried in. A long scratch adorned the flesh near the elbow.
Stottlemeyer turned to address Monk only to see him striding back to the police car.
"Hey, hey, watta ya doin'!" Monk didn't answer as he proceeded to open the driver's side door.
"Woah, hey, stop right there!" Just as Adrian was closing the door, Stottlemeyer
grabbed the frame. "Monk, stop! What the hell are you doing! What did you see?"
Adrian crossed his arms. "If I tell you, Sharona is dead." Stottlemeyer bent closer. "If
you don't tell me, I lock you up for attempting to steal my car, now what is going on!"
Monk looked away for a minute, then looked back. "I know who has Sharona."
Stottlemeyer, for once, didn't seem surprised. "I gathered by the way you stormed outta
here." The Captain leaned on the door. "Who is it." Adrian rubbed his arms. "You
remember our first murder?" Stottlemeyer paused, dredging up the memory. Then he
gasped. Monk nodded at the comprehension. "If I don't get to him, Sharona will be the
next victim."
She heard him return. The thin walls allowed her to hear his entrance into the building.
Soon, she heard the sound of running water. A few minutes later, the door to her room
rattled, and he entered, hands dripping from the faucet. She bit her lip at the dried
blood between his knuckles.
"Oh, now I've let you see my dark side." He chuckled as he wiped his hands dry on
his shirtfront. "You wondering who this was?" He suddenly jumped to her bed, leaning
over her as he whispered in her ear. "Maybe it was your beloved Monk, huh?" With-
out warning, Sharona bit viciously into his ear. Faulkner screamed, tearing away from
her and falling from the bed. Quickly, Sharona leaped to her feet and kicked him in the
gut. As he fell to the floor, she grabbed at his belt, desperately grasping for the keys to
her cuffs. Her fingers had just closed around them when she felt a stone grip twist her
arm at an odd angle. Instantly her hand went numb. Distantly, she heard the clink of
the keys hitting the floor. A moment later, Faulkner's face filler her vision. "Last
mistake." She had just enough time to wonder 'mine or his' before his fist struck her
face, knocking her cold.