The sun was lazily rising in the San Francisco sky, scaring away the morning fog and waking up the many sleeping Friscoans. Of all the people the sun was giving a wake-up call to, few were more recognized or as good of a detective as Adrian Monk, private consultant for the SFPD. The investigator, or as he was known around the police precinct, the "defective detective," got up, admiring the weather outside.
This lasted for approximately eight seconds (he counted) before he was being forced up by the small fingerprint left on his bedroom window. After making a few nervous whimpers and pacing for a few seconds, Adrian noticed it was on the inside of his room, and quickly calmed down. He was sure if he had to call his apartment complex's maintenance crew again to borrow a ladder, he'd be evicted.
While Monk was busy carefully making sure his hot dishrag was the perfect temperature, an old Volvo Wagon pulled into the parking lot of his building. Out of the dated vehicle popped Monk's private nurse, Sharona Fleming. She quickly made her way up to her employer's apartment, unlocking the door and calling for her boss in her distinct New Jersey drawl. Monk peeked his head out of the cabinet he was looking for some window spray in, saying a quick greeting before going back to his search. "Adrian, we've got somethin' mohe impohtant t'an youh window! We've got ah new case, all t'a way fom Japan!" She held up a large manila envelope, then pulled out it's contents. On top of some police documents, there was a handwritten letter. It read,
"Dear Mr. Monk, my name is Yuichiro Tajima, and I'm a freshman at Nishiura High School in Japan. I'm writing you this letter because me and my team desperately need your help. Our baseball team's ace pitcher... was kidnapped! We have almost no idea where he is, or what happened! You have to help us, we're begging you! Sincerely, Tajima."
After digging around the envelope a bit more, Sharona found two plane tickets to Japan. "Monk, t'ese expihe in a few houhs! Let's go!"