Fan Fiction Challenge #2: Monk spots an item in the window of a shop. He recognizes it.
The day was cold and windy. Natalie Teeger and Adrian Monk, her boss hustled quickly down the street on their way to a framing shop. Coat collars turned up, shoulders hunched and faces to the ground, the two hurried to the entrance of the little shop.
Catching their breath, for a moment, looking up to make sure they had found the right place, they both pushed on the door. Monk went first of course and with Natalie at his elbow, they arrived inside Porter's Framing.
"Hello, may I help you?" asked the girl behind the counter.
Natalie, still just a little breathless, answered, "We are here to pick up pictures."
"Name?"
"Adrian…Monk. Adrian Monk," said the famous detective, his eyes red and teary from the wind.
"Adrian Monk," repeated the clerk as she rifled through a file of receipts. "Here you are." She turned from the counter, and carrying the scrap of paper, went through a door to a back room. The two customers supposed she had gone to find the order and Natalie looked at Adrian.
"I hope they turned out well," she spoke.
"So do I."
The pair stamped their feet, and finally warming up to being reasonably comfortable they stopped fidgeting and stood. As the minutes on the clock ticked by they began surveying their surroundings. Looking at the displays and framed work on the walls, they were silent for several minutes.
Looking now at his watch, Adrian started to move toward the front of the shop.
"Something's not right," he said as he moved to the front window.
"Not right?" echoed Natalie.
"Something's not right, here," he repeated.
"How can you say that?" she responded, "We've been here five minutes and you say something's not right?" Natalie couldn't help giving a frustrated little sigh. Nothing was ever straightforward and easy with her boss. Of course, there was a problem! Mystery and death followed her boss wherever he went. She was used to it, but not exactly happy that it was happening this morning.
He was cocking his head first to the right, and then the left, as he looked at the front window. The display was hidden by a back board to the case which held part of it. In order to see what was in the window, he walked to the right, near the door and looked into the window at an angle.
"Its gone," he looked at Natalie now.
"What's gone?" she responded.
"I saw a beautiful old pocket watch in the front display last time we were here. It reminded me of one I used to look at in a portrait of my grandparents. I wanted to look at it more closely this time when we came back for the pictures of Trudy's parents. I was wondering where it came from and if it was for sale."
"Oh," Natalie became less frustrated and more interested in what was in the window. She stood beside him rubbing his back. "We can ask the girl when she comes back. If she comes back," she murmured looking back at the counter.
"It's been 10 minutes. Do you think she got lost?" Natalie said sarcastically after another minute went by. And at that exact moment the young lady returned carrying a package wrapped in brown paper and taped closed.
"I am so sorry for the delay. We received a shipment of framing materials and things were quite mixed up back there. I am sorry you had to wait so long."
Returning to the counter, Monk asked the girl, "Where is the watch that was in the front window?"
"The watch? Oh, I know what you are asking about. That watch was an antique borrowed from a customer to display with those old tintypes and that rare Ambrotype that is there. The owner is very interested in the history of photography."
"Where is it now?" Monk repeated.
"It has been returned to the customer. It was delivered to him, yesterday."
"I would like to know more about the watch. Would you give me the owner's name?" Monk continued to press her for information.
"Let me see if Mr. Porter would come and talk to you about it," responded the girl and again she disappeared through the doorway.
Almost immediately, the shop owner walked through the door. "May I help you?" he asked.
Natalie quickly explained their interest in the watch. They could see him hesitate to give out information about it.
"Mr. Ahh…," he searched the papers on counter for a hint as to the customer's name, and then he drew back for a moment in surprise, "Mr. Monk?" he looked up at Adrian now.
"Yes," Adrian replied.
"Why, this is unbelievable, but the watch that I borrowed belonged to a Mr. Monk," Mr. Porter was getting excited now, "A Mr. Ambrose Monk. Do you know him?"
Mouth open for a second, "Adrian responded quickly, "Of course. He is my brother."
"Well, Mr. Monk, Mr. Ambrose Monk, and I correspond concerning some research he is doing and he mentioned the watch. When I put together the display of antique photographs, he offered to let us borrow the beautiful timepiece. It is no longer here. It has been returned to him."
"Where did he get the watch, I wonder?" Adrian spoke to himself.
Mr. Porter overhearing of course, answered him. "Ambrose told me that he discovered the watch in an old wooden box which was stored in the attic of his home. It matched a watch worn in a family portrait and he realized its age and value."
Turning back to the counter, Adrian withdrew his wallet, ready to pay for the framed photos, and spoke, this time to Natalie. "Let's pay a visit to Ambrose. I think he found my grandfather's watch!"
Natalie smiled and rubbed his back for a few seconds. "I can't wait to see it."