Return
by Disherona
Captain Leland Stottlemeyer paced back and forth on the well manicured lawn of the vast estate which was easily worth millions of dollars. On the front lawn near a marble fountain was the lost life of a middle aged man, wearing boxer shorts and slippers and clutching a rolled up newspaper. "Where is he?" Stottlemeyer growled.
"Sir?" Lt. Randy Disher asked, looking up from his notebook.
"Monk! Where the hell is he?"
"I called Natalie half an hour ago. She's on her way." Randy answered dutifully.
As if on cue, a silver Hyundai Genesis, aka the Teeger-mobile pulled into the driveway, looking conspicuous among the police cruisers, emergency vehicles and unmarked police cars, mostly Ford Crown Vics, in the spacious driveway and along the street.
Natalie Teeger, the sassy blonde assistant of the famous detective, Adrian Monk, emerged from the driver's side. She appeared cool and classy in a bright teal sweater and dark slacks and black pumps. A large black bag was slung over her shoulder carrying the necessities she would need for her job, including a cell phone to keep in touch with the SFPD or any private jobs, hand wipes, plastic baggies and the standard contract for consultants for hire. Natalie pushed her sunglasses down over her eyes, ready for whatever may come as she ably assisted Mr. Monk.
Adrian Monk followed soon after, emerging as usual from the passenger side. He looked less cool and confident, wearing a brown suit and an off-white dress shirt, a variation of the same outfit he would probably always wear. Perfectly spotless brown shoes, laced with a perfect bow on each foot. His shirt was buttoned to his chin and his jacket was buttoned as well. He steepled his fingers together and performed a somewhat nervous cursory glance around the property, searching with sad brown eyes for something familiar. This was usually people he knew or a corpse.
"Monk, Natalie, over here" the Captain called. "Where have you been?"
Before he could go on, the rear passenger door opened and Sharona Fleming, Monk's former nurse and assistant, stepped out. She wore a vintage, short and fitted dark blue denim jacket with scalloped lapels and tails, over a printed off-white tee shirt and a leather skirt. Calf-length patent leather boots, and a large black hobo purse completed the look.
"Sharona!" The Captain strode up to the car and embraced Monk's former nurse in a bear hug. She was unprepared for the hug and her arms were pressed between his body and hers. "It's great to see you. How long are you in town?" The Captain asked.
"A couple of days," She explained with a big smile. " I need to file that personal injury lawsuit, and I'm going to meet with my lawyer."
"Great," The Captain said, "You need to come to dinner and meet T.K."
"Oh, I have plans for the evenings, but I'd like to meet her. Maybe we can meet for lunch."
"Sure. There are a few places near the station."
"Okay. Text me when she's free."
"I'll do that." The Captain promised.
"Sharona." Randy said, dutifully, "Lieutenant." Sharona replied. Not quite like old times, Randy gave her a warm yet cautious hug and a kiss on the cheek.
"Your cast is off already?" Randy tried not to sound concerned, but he was. He knew she was supposed to keep it on for at least another week. They had been talking together for a little over a month on the phone, Skype and texting almost constantly, after a rocky 3 days together in San Diego, so he knew she was coming, but also that medically she should still be wearing her cast or at least a sling.
"I worked with my doctor. I'll be fine as long as I'm careful." She answered, softly.
"So, no stunts for you." Natalie warned her, playfully.
"So, lets solve this homicide!" Adrian Monk said, uncomfortable with socializing and ready to get to work. It wasn't long before he started to do his Zen crime scene dance, focusing all of his attention on what he saw between his hands. The Captain was watching over Monk, and Randy was supposed to be taking notes. Instead he watched Sharona as she walked away from the scene and leaned against the Teeger-mobile, well away from viewing the body, and her arms crossed in front of her.
"Lieutenant, the crime scene is over here" He gently jabbed Randy in the arm. "Pay attention."
-RS-
Within an hour, the majority the investigation had been dealt with, Monk having pointing out what was painfully obvious to him. Sharona tried to keep out of the way. She had certainly seen mangled and violated bodies, both before becoming Monk's assistant and afterward, at the VA. She had always been vocal about her shock of particularly brutal murders. She never got used to it. Even if she didn't say anything, she still silently protested the violent way that many of the poor victims were dispatched by their cruel murderers.
Sharona was glad when Monk and Natalie were excused by the Captain, their consulting paperwork was signed by Lieutenant Disher, and they all headed straight for Sharona's hotel to make plans for her few days in San Francisco. She already had an agenda, well, two agendas. She planned to meet and work with her new attorney. She also planned to spend as much time as she could Natalie and Adrian and take up where she left off with her Lieutenant, since their long weekend in San Diego.
A short drive and a quick check-in later and Sharona was in the suite she would be occupying for the next few days. It was small, with antique furniture and was well appointed with a queen sized bed with a beautiful quilted comforter. Inside a beautiful antique armoire was an up-to-date entertainment center, and there were hidden outlets and usb chargers hidden in the room, and a small chest of drawers with a false facade opened into a mini-bar. The bathroom had a beautiful claw footed tub, big fluffy towels, and assortment of bath salts, bubble baths as well as shampoos and body soaps. Adrian began to examine the hotel suite as if he were going over a crime scene, but looking for dirt and dust as clues of an inattentive housekeeper. Having found neither dirt nor dust, he joined Sharona and Natalie in the sitting area. Sharona had brought some soft drinks and water for her guests and they worked out how she would spend her time while she was in San Francisco.
"So, I was thinking that if you wanted to take a half a day off, I could spend some time with Adrian, and then when Adrian is seeing his new psychiatrist, what's his name...?"
"Dr. Bell."
"Right, Dr. Bell. While Adrian is in with Dr. Bell, you and I can go to lunch or something."
"That would be great!" Natalie smiled, and Monk echoed the sentiment in his more Monkish way. "Mr. Monk sees Dr. Bell on Wednesdays, so you and I can get together tomorrow."
"Sounds great." An alarm beeped on her phone and Sharona quickly checked her phone, "Oh, I'm running late, and I need to get ready for my meeting."
"I understand. We still have errands to run ourselves."
"Okay, I'll see you both tomorrow."
Natalie gave her a quick and friendly hug goodbye. "Good luck with the lawyer."
"Thanks. See you tomorrow, Adrian," she said, gently touching his shoulder.
-RS-
Sharona dressed in a white, button down blouse with silver buttons that ran down the front and arms under a black vintage jacket, a slim, calf length black skirt with similar decorative buttons running in an asymmetrical line up her left leg. Black pumps with a cheetah accents on the heels and toes and a thin cheetah scarf around her neck and a black clutch with decorative swirl stitching completed the look.
She put her hair up into a neat updo, with a gold clip in it and matched her eye makeup to her outfit, with her lipstick which was just a shade or two above nude.
She might have rented a car, but with Natalie and Randy, she didn't feel the need for the extra expense. She took a taxi. It was a short ride, and didn't cost much.
-RS-
Attorney Lee Conrad was a handsome 40 something man with dark hair, warm brown eyes and a smile that could melt a glacier. He was a partner in Spencer, Guster, Scott, Scott, and Bean. He had a beautiful office in a beautiful building in a nice neighborhood. Upon entering the office, Sharona was greeted by an attractive, friendly and competent secretary. This was a huge step up from her last attorney, whom Adrian Monk made it known was an opportunist and it turned out, a criminal.
When Sharona was ushered into the office, Lee stood and took her hand between his hands. They were large compared to hers, and were soft and well manicured.
"Ms. Fleming, we finally meet in person," He said in his warm voice. "Can my receptionist bring you anything? Mineral water? Espresso? Tea?"
"Espresso." She answered, thinking, this was much more than a step up.
"All right. Two espressos, please, Angela."
The young woman stepped outside of the office quietly and obediently, was quickly back with two demitasses of perfectly pulled espresso.
"Welcome, Ms. Fleming. Please feel secure in the knowledge that I will personally take care of this matter."
-RS-
The meeting had been more pleasant than Sharona could have hoped for. She left the office feeling positive about how the case would turn out. Lee Conrad seemed like a an incredibly competent man, and if she were not seeing Randy, she might have flirted with him.
When Sharona walked out of Mr. Conrad's office, she saw was Lt. Randy Disher, in the reception area looking through a photography magazine. He looked exactly how he did earlier, except with his tie off and the first couple of buttons of his shirt unbuttoned.
When Randy saw her, he stood and rushed towards her and gently wrapped his arms around her. He loved they way she fit into his arms and the way her body fit against his. He caressed her cheek, kissing her briefly, seemingly unaware that anyone else existed, except for Sharona.
Afterwards, arm in arm, Sharona introduced her newly hired attorney to her boyfriend. The two men shook hands cordially, but Randy was focused on Sharona.
"I still need to talk to the witnesses, and do some digging." He told Sharona, "I'd like to meet with you tomorrow afternoon after I write up my report, if you don't mind. Sharona agreed to the meeting, setting it for late afternoon.
As they left, Randy said, "He seems like a nice guy." Sharona looked back briefly as they left the office, saying, "Yes, he does." before giving her complete attention to Randy.
They walked to down a steep, tree lined street to Randy's car. Stopping in the middle of the sidewalk, Randy turned to Sharona, and wrapped his arms around her waist, and said, "Say it."
She murmured "I love you" before kissing him sweetly.
It had been a milestone for her. She had trouble trusting men, and saying those words. Hearing them was almost painful. They had been talking by telephone for a couple of weeks, and Sharona finally told him she loved him. Randy asked her to repeat herself, and she said it again. He never got tired of hearing it and hoped she was never tired of saying it.
"So, Lieutenant, What do you have planned for me?"
"How about dinner at my place." Randy said.
"Only if I can cook for you, tonight." Sharona offered. "I haven't cooked in weeks."
"Really? Will you be all right, with your arm?" he asked, and she gave him a curious look.
"It's fine, Randy," she said, "as long as I'm careful."
"As long as I can help. Do we need to do shopping first?" He asked.
"Yes and I'd like to change into something more comfortable."
"Sure." Randy said as he opened the car door for her.
They stopped by her hotel and Sharona changed into jeans and a t shirt, After Sharona changed, they drove to a nearby market where Sharona picked up what she needed for baked ziti, garlic bread and a fresh salad. and a bottle of wine.
-RS-
Sharona had never been to Randy's apartment. The building was a three story walk up on Treasure Island, a small man made island between San Francisco and Oakland.
Randy gave Sharona a quick tour, letting her know where everything was she might need was and Sharona looked around while Randy was in the bedroom locking up his gun and changing into more comfortable clothes.
It was a small one bedroom, sparsely furnished in warm tones. Some Indian and Asian items decorated the apartment, as well as some small framed artsy photos, and, inexplicably Sonny Chow kungfu-sploitation posters.
The living room was homey, with al comfortable brown tone couch, a coffee table and a couple of chairs that made up a sort of conversation area. Sharona wasn't sure that it was intended to be a conversation area, but that's what it looked like to her. A flat screen tv was attached to a wall, and a video game consoles underneath.
In one corner was a smallish fish tank, with a single betta, swimming vigorously in it. She found out later that his name was Buddy and was acquired after research into mini-sharks revealed that any tank that would accommodate mini-sharks would be way too big for his small apartment. Buddy was cool enough for Randy, and fit into a 3 gallon tank.
Two guitars, an acoustic guitar, and a bright red electric guitar, were both on display stands. He was really proud of them. A side table held a notebook with music notes written in it. Sharona wasn't able to read music, so she wasn't sure what it sounded like, but it looked like Randy was in the process of writing a song.
She found another book lying open on the coffee table and picked it up.
It was a handwritten journal. It was written in many colored inks and contained crime scene information, mundane thoughts and pictures throughout. She closed the book to look at the cover and found 2009 on the thin spine and front cover which was illustrated with serpents, some flying, sea serpents. There was a horse/snake hybrid with a figure seated on its back. She could see Randy's vivid imagination come through in the sketches.
She flipped back through the pages to the time of her visit. There were some gesture drawings some of her, some notes, and a recipe for Italian ice for some reason. It wasn't a cohesive journal. It was barely a cohesive entry. It just seemed to be free writing, just documenting whatever he was thinking about at the moment.
"How long have you been doing this?" She asked, when Randy came out of his bedroom.
"Since I was a rookie."
"Why?"
"I don't know. To help me deal with some of the really ugly things I saw as a rookie cop, and also some of the great stuff. It also helped me practice my drawing skills. You have to practice every day."
"Am I in any of these?"
"Well, yeah." Randy admitted.
"Is there anything I shouldn't see?"
"Probably. I apologize in advance."
She returned the book to the side table, and pulled Randy to the kitchen. Sharona worked as lead cook, and Randy assisted her when she needed it. They worked well together to make baked ziti for two.
After mixing the pasta, sauce and cheese together, it was spooned into a little baking dish and put into a hot oven to finish cooking. They then made a fresh, tossed green salad and prepared the garlic bread, and Randy set the small window-side table.
Afterward, they played Call of Duty until dinner was ready. Sharona was surprisingly good at it.
Dinner was informal and lovely. There was no fancy tablecloth, no crystal glassware, family china or old highly polished silver. Dinner wasn't particularly fancy but it was delicious and made with love. They ate where Randy normally ate, at the small dining room table near a window that looked out at the Golden Gate Bridge at sunset.
"So, have you told anyone about us yet?" Sharona asked, coyly.
"My mom," he admitted. "It cheered her up."
"It did?"
"Yeah."
"How is she doing?"
"She's better. At least she's not in the hospital any more. So, what about you?" He took a sip of Pinot Noir, wanting to change the subject. "Did you tell anyone yet?"
"I didn't tell him, but Benjy found out. I think he might have told Trevor." Sharona didn't know why she said something about Trevor. Who cares if Trevor knew that she was involved with someone. That ship had sailed long ago. "I'm glad he found out, though. I don't like hiding things from Benjy."
After an enjoyable and delicious dinner they made themselves comfortable on the sofa. Randy turned down the lights, and turned some music. "I love having you here." He said, softly, kissing her neck and caressing her. He moved to get closer to Sharona, and bumped her. "Are you okay?"
"Why do you keep asking me that?"
"I don't want to hurt your arm."
"I already told you, my arm is fine."
Randy bit his tongue. After a second, he gave and unconvincing "Okay,"
"Do you want proof? Do you want a doctor's note?" She challenged him. She was upset and Randy didn't know what to say. "I'm a nurse. I worked with my doctor and a physical therapist and I'm fine."
She stood and walked a few paces from him, crossing her arms in front of her, defiantly.
"Listen, Sharona." He paused and thought of what he would say, to try to diffuse the situation. "If you say that your arm is fine, I believe you. I was worried that you might have taken off the cast so that I wouldn't feel uncomfortable fooling around. I would rather wait than hurt you or make you uncomfortable, but if you say you're okay, I won't bring it up again."
"You won't?"
"No, because I trust you and hope that you trust me,"
She let what he said sink in and she smiled as she realized how lucky she was to have connected with such a thoughtful person. She returned to the sofa, and leaned over him and kissed him. Straddling his leg, they began kissing him breathlessly , saying love words to each other between long passionate kisses. They traded caresses, and began undressing and eventually made their way back to the bedroom.
To Be Continued.