A while later, some more officers had gotten the situation under control.
Captain Stottlemeyer walked into the nonsmoking area, where everyone had
been gathered. "Ladies and gentlemen, this is now a contained area. No one
goes in or out until we get some idea of what happened here. A few people
protested, but luckily many of them realized the quarantine was necessary.
After all, if the killer or killers got out now, they might never be seen
again.
As Monk watched from the sidelines, Michelle joined him. "So what's going on?" she asked. "The victim's name was Eli Jones. That's pretty much all we know, hopefully the interrogations will give us more." He stepped into the room, but when Stottlemeyer saw him he motioned Monk to the side. "Listen," he said. "I know you were here already, and you're willing to give us some help, but so far I don't see any reason to think we'll need you. Why don't you take a breather for now, and I'll let you know if we hit a wall."
Monk nodded, and went back to the others. Sharona instantly set off with, "They gave you the brush-off, huh? Come on, this is an easy paycheck, go do your thing!" Monk replied, "They don't seem to need my help here. There were lots of people around, odds are someone saw who went into the kitchen before the body was found, and I was nowhere near this area." Michelle piped up with, "Yeah, because that moron didn't put us in the right section. Where is he, anyway?" Monk surveyed the crowd but didn't see the waiter. "I guess they're interrogating him now."
In an area of the kitchen away from where the body still lay, Disher questioned that very man. He began with, "State your name for the record, please." "Ira Jones," he said while choking back tears. "Eli was my brother." "All right, and what were you doing just before he was found?" "I'd just gotten back from seating you, and I got the order for a pretty big party in the nonsmoking section. I was still unloading it when we heard the scream. I froze and dropped one of the dishes." Disher noted the statements, then said, "Okay, that's all for now. You can go back out."
As Ira walked out, he was met by Michelle, who shouted, "Hey, remember me? What did I say to you just before you seated me?" Momentarily flustered, he replied, "You wanted a seat in smoking?" "Try the exact opposite. Once this is over, I'm telling everyone I can about that." Sharona walked over and said, "Maybe this isn't the best time for this, Michelle. Let's go sit down." Michelle acquiesced, but looked back at Ira and said, "This isn't over."
They walked over to Monk, who was busying himself by sweeping crumbs off of a table. As he saw the women approach he said, "Look at all this. How are the health inspectors letting this go?" "I'm sure a busboy would have done that," said Sharona. "But after how long? People shouldn't eat on dirty tables. I'm going to the papers with this." Michelle said to Sharona, "So are you going to say something about this? I think my complaint was a lot more valid." Sharona sighed, and said, "There's not even anything dirty on that table anymore. Let's all just try to wait until this is over."
As time passed, more and more people were taken aside by the police, and finally Stottlemeyer came back out and said, "Thank you for being so helpful. All the customers are free to go; I'd like the staff to hang around a while longer." As the mass of people surged from the room, Stottlemeyer made his way over to Monk and said, "We might need your help after all."
As Monk watched from the sidelines, Michelle joined him. "So what's going on?" she asked. "The victim's name was Eli Jones. That's pretty much all we know, hopefully the interrogations will give us more." He stepped into the room, but when Stottlemeyer saw him he motioned Monk to the side. "Listen," he said. "I know you were here already, and you're willing to give us some help, but so far I don't see any reason to think we'll need you. Why don't you take a breather for now, and I'll let you know if we hit a wall."
Monk nodded, and went back to the others. Sharona instantly set off with, "They gave you the brush-off, huh? Come on, this is an easy paycheck, go do your thing!" Monk replied, "They don't seem to need my help here. There were lots of people around, odds are someone saw who went into the kitchen before the body was found, and I was nowhere near this area." Michelle piped up with, "Yeah, because that moron didn't put us in the right section. Where is he, anyway?" Monk surveyed the crowd but didn't see the waiter. "I guess they're interrogating him now."
In an area of the kitchen away from where the body still lay, Disher questioned that very man. He began with, "State your name for the record, please." "Ira Jones," he said while choking back tears. "Eli was my brother." "All right, and what were you doing just before he was found?" "I'd just gotten back from seating you, and I got the order for a pretty big party in the nonsmoking section. I was still unloading it when we heard the scream. I froze and dropped one of the dishes." Disher noted the statements, then said, "Okay, that's all for now. You can go back out."
As Ira walked out, he was met by Michelle, who shouted, "Hey, remember me? What did I say to you just before you seated me?" Momentarily flustered, he replied, "You wanted a seat in smoking?" "Try the exact opposite. Once this is over, I'm telling everyone I can about that." Sharona walked over and said, "Maybe this isn't the best time for this, Michelle. Let's go sit down." Michelle acquiesced, but looked back at Ira and said, "This isn't over."
They walked over to Monk, who was busying himself by sweeping crumbs off of a table. As he saw the women approach he said, "Look at all this. How are the health inspectors letting this go?" "I'm sure a busboy would have done that," said Sharona. "But after how long? People shouldn't eat on dirty tables. I'm going to the papers with this." Michelle said to Sharona, "So are you going to say something about this? I think my complaint was a lot more valid." Sharona sighed, and said, "There's not even anything dirty on that table anymore. Let's all just try to wait until this is over."
As time passed, more and more people were taken aside by the police, and finally Stottlemeyer came back out and said, "Thank you for being so helpful. All the customers are free to go; I'd like the staff to hang around a while longer." As the mass of people surged from the room, Stottlemeyer made his way over to Monk and said, "We might need your help after all."