Chapter 3 Another Monk
"Adrian, Adrian calm down." Sharona said putting a hand on Adrian's back as he wiped vigorously at the skin on his hands. His face was scrunched up and almost began to sweat.
"No doubt about it Captain Stottlemeyer. "The officer with the ink pad said after he scanned Adrian's fingers with the ones on the knife. "The fingerprints are the same."
Captain Stottlemeyer sat up and leaned over to see the screen for himself. "I wouldn't have believed it if I hadn't seen it with my own eyes."
Adrian stopped wiping and looked up at Stottlemeyer. "They- they match?"
"Yup. I'm sorry Monk but I'm afraid we have to take you into custody until-"
"They can't match. That's impossible."
"Monk, it's right here on the screen. Lieutenant Tanner has been doing his fingerprint scanning for five years. There's no mistake. They match."
"Captain Stottlemeyer if you take Monk away from here you might never find out who killed Mr. Tithers." Sharona said. She couldn't believe hear ears. He was actually going to take Adrian away.
"Sharona, I know Monk couldn't have done this but my job overrules friendship. I'm really sorry."
Adrian thought for a while. "Could you keep me in custody at the Willowing Wounds?"
"He means Whispering Woods. It's the cabin place we're staying in." Sharona added when she saw the confused looks on the Stottlemeyer, Disher, and Tanner.
"Well, I suppose. But we have to have an officer with him wherever he goes." Stottlemeyer said after a while of thinking. "And he can't work on the case."
"Captain-" Adrian said.
"Monk, you don't work in the department anymore. You can only look. Not investigate."
"I know but- that cabin is really dirty inside. I was wondering if I could borrow a vacuum. Mr. Holmes doesn't seem to have one."
*
"Adrian I can't believe you backed down so easily." Sharona said after they went back to Whispering Woods. "Sharona it's fine. I know what's happening over there. I'll go over there and 'look' when I need to." Adrian said vacuuming under couch.
"Adrian that's the crime scene. Why would you look somewhere else? Oh, don't tell me it's too dirty over there or the trees aren't planted in the right place."
"I'm not going to investigate it yet. Although, now you mention it, those trees were a little- "
"Just get to the point Adrian." Sharona said her temper shortening. Adrian turned off the vacuum cleaner and simply said, "Someone's trying to frame me."
Sharona sighed loudly folding her arms. "Yeah, Adrian, that's kind of obvious."
"Okay so usually, when someone frames someone else, they have a reason that they want to do frame them- right?"
"Right. Adrian, what exactly is the point of this conversation?"
"I don't know anyone up here. But someone up here knows me." Adrian pulled out his wallet, opened it, and pulled out a picture of a man with round glasses and Adrian's curly hair. "Him."
"Who's that?"
"Daniel Monk. The guy who lives up here. He's my cousin."
"No kidding- your cousin? He looks exactly like you. You look like brothers. Twin brothers." Adrian smiled. "Yeah, we get that alot."
"So, you think he did it?"
"Well, no." Adrian said putting the picture back in his wallet and the wallet back in his pocket. "But we'll have to visit him to find out."
"Alright. Do you think he's home?" Sharona said slipping her purse over her arm. "Yeah, he�" Adrian stopped.
"What? What is it Adrian?" Adrian stared down at the floor. Without breaking his eye contact, he grabbed the vacuum, turned it on and rolled it over the spot in which he was staring. Then he turned it off and sighed. "There was a piece of fuzz on the -"
"Yeah, yeah I see well we better get going." Sharona said grabbing Adrian's shoulders and leading out of the cabin.
"Oh! Wait, there's another spot."
"Adrian- go."
"But it's-"
"GO Adrian!"
"Bu-"
"Go!"
"I-"
"GO!"
Chapter 4 The Escape
"Excuse me, where are you going?" The officer who was outside of the cabin said when he saw Sharona and Adrian walk out.
"We're just going to visit his cousin. Do you have to come with or something?" Sharona asked.
"People who are in custody are not allowed to visit family members." The officer said sternly.
"But Captain Stottlemeyer-"
"Captain Stottlemeyer would agree with me. The person in custody cannot leave this building." The officer's tone of voice became very angry.
"But-"
"Sorry, You'll have to go back in." Adrian looked into the cabin and then asked, "Do you know what happened to Mr. Tithers?"
"Of course I know what happened. The old man was killed and somebody was taken into custody because we think they did it. Now get back in there."
"But, you see, I'm not the one in custody and- neither is Sharona." Adrian said pointing to Sharona when he said her name. Sharona looked back at Adrian as if he just fell out of the sky.
"Well, then who is?" The officer asked.
"He's twelve years old. His name's Benjy."
"Adrian!"
"Twelve?" The officer said unbelievably. "They think a twelve-year-old did this?"
"Yeah, yeah I know you- you hate to see our youth getting into things like that." Adrian looked back at Sharona for help. She stared at him but then turned away and looked at the officer. "Yeah, you know I'm kinda ashamed because he's my son."
"Aw, that's too bad. I'm sorry. Don't you think one of you should stay here with him. You know, keep him company?" The officer asked in a more friendly voice.
"Uh- no. He's not a real talker."
"We- we better get going. Come on Sharona." Adrian turned back around and he and Sharona headed for the docks.
"Wait!" They both turned back around. The officer was holding up a paper. "It says here the man in custody is named Adrian Monk. And he's 44 years old."
"Uh- his real name's Adrian. Well call him Benjy for short." Sharona quickly said.
"Yeah, he's- he's big for his age." Adrian added.
"Wait a minute- your name's Adrian!" Sharona and Adrian raced down until they reached the docks. Sharona hopped into a row and then beckoned Adrian in.
"No. I- I need to clean it first."
"Adrian, you either clean it later or never see your cousin or the light of day again." There was a short pause. "Well, I suppose I could clean it later-"
"Hey! You- Adrian!"
"Hurry he's catching us!" Adrian closed his eyes and jumped into the boat and Sharona hurriedly rowed it away leaving the officer alone on the dock yelling out to Adrian.
*
"Adrian, you're gonna be fine. This should be Daniel's house right up here." Sharona said. Adrian was scrunched up in a ball on his seat looking around at the boat is if it was crawling with snakes. "This is disgusting. How could Calvin stand this?"
"Adrian, would you calm down?"
"Yuck. I hope Daniel has a hose and soap."
"Adrian, please!" Adrian decided to drop it and look at something else. After awhile, he said, "You're- you're going a bit crooked."
"No, I'm not."
"If you just turn it-" Adrian stood up and tried to grab the paddles from Sharona. "Adrian, sit down!"
"But you're-"
"No, I'm not. Just sit down. You don't know what you're talking about."
"Yes, I-"
"Adrian! Sit DOWN!" The boat began to rock and Adrian froze. "Uh oh. What- what it this doing?"
"It's gonna tip over if you down sit down." Adrian immediately started to sit down but his sleeve got caught on the end of one of the paddles. He desperately tried to pull it off but it did nothing.
"Adrian, don't pull it! Don't- Ahhh!" The boat rocked even harder until it tipped completely over.
Sharona popped her head up and looked around. "ADRIAN! Adrian!" A few seconds later, Adrian's head came out of the water.
"Oh my God. Adrian, are you alright? Can you swim?" Adrian began to splash around like a fish, "I'm okay. I- I can swim."
"Adrian, you aren't moving." Adrian looked over at her. "As you might of guessed, it's not exactly a hobby of mine. I didn't say I was good."
"Adrian, you're gonna drown!"
"Hey there! What're you two doing out here? Let me help ya up." A man, who Sharona recognized as Daniel Monk, said as he ran out to the edge of his dock and threw out a lifesaver.
"Oh, thank you." Adrian said covering the lifesaver with his body over the lifesaver leaving Sharona to swim her way to the dock. She looked at Adrian angrily as she swam.
When they finally reached the dock and out of the water, Adrian looked up at Daniel. "Daniel? Is that you?"
"Adrian!" Daniel opened his arms to hug his cousin but Adrian backed away. "I'm sorry, but I really need to clean up first."
"Oh, yes. Right. I'll get you some of my clothes."
"Your- clothes? Did you just buy them?"
"No."
"Well, I don't think-"
"Oh, don't think anything of it. It's a gesture of kindness from your long lost cousin."
"Did you wash them with Clorox?" Adrian asked. Sharona rolled her eyes. "Well, no. I washed them with Bounty I think. Why, does that matter?"
"Adrian, you'll live." Sharona said. She then turned back to Daniel. "Hi, I'm Sharona. Adrian's my boss. We're going on a little vacation and-"
"We'll tell you later. Where're your clothes and your bathroom?" Adrian said.
"Inside." Daniel said turning around and heading towards his small cottage. "Follow me."
As Sharona and Adrian followed Daniel, Adrian asked, "Do you have a hose and some Windex I could borrow too?"