"Here's the situation," said Stottlemeyer as he and Monk walked into the
kitchen. "All the customers back each other up; they all stayed in their
seats the whole time. On the staff, based on who was in this room when, the
main suspects are Ira, the victim's brother who's a waiter here, and
Sheila, the waitress to supposedly discovered the body. Now-what are you
doing?"
Monk was searching around the whole room streadily, but snapped to attention at the question. "You don't often get a chance to check out a restaurant's kitchen. I'd like to make sure of how clean it is." "Do you mind if we solve the murder first? Now as I was saying,Ira and Sheila are the only ones whose schedules easily map to the time the murder could have been commited-""Oh, what is that?" Monk interrupted.
He ran over to the far wall, where a sizeable crack was partially covered by a piece of masking tape. "What is this? A big crack in the wall and this is all they do about it?" Ira suddenly appeared, saying, "That's only temporary, until we can get some caulking done to seal it up." Stottlemeyer, with a touch of growing annoyance, said, "Sir, can you please wait outside until we're done here? Disher, take him back out."
Once they were alone, Monk said, "All right, I'm okay now. So what's the problem?" "Each of them says that they were in that other room where the cooking's done, and the other was out here. And that's not all." He walked to the body and gestured to the wound. "At first glance it seems as normal as a murder can be, no fingerprints on the handle before you ask, but there's another wound, a bigger one, right next to it." "I see it," said Monk. "Looks like he got stabbed twice." "So we've got two people who could have done it with directly conflicting stories, and not enough evidence to convict either of them. I'm convinced this other wound is the key. Go ahead, do your thing."
Monk replied, "Have you looked for the other knife?" "Top to bottom. It seems like one of the big ones is missing, but it's anyone's guess where it is. And how much help can it really be?" "Well that depends on how good the killer is, and I think we're dealing with a total amateur." "What makes you say that?" "They took the first knife, the one that killed him, out of the body, and replaced it with one that's obviously a different size. Suggests total panic. And why would they be panicked and switching the knives in the first place? My guess is the killer's fingerprints were, and still are, on that knife. They pulled it out and hid it somewhere in here. Find that knife, and we've got 'em."
Stottlemeyer just stared at him. "Very impressive, but I told you, we've gone over the whole kitchen with a fine tooth comb. It's not in here." Monk simply said, "Well, look again. It never hurts to do things twice. I've got something else I'd like to do." He went back out, and approached Ira, saying, "Listen, do I know you from somewhere?"
"What?" Ira said. "It's been bugging me for a while now. I swear I've seen you before." "Well, I'm pretty sure I haven't seen you. Seems like you're more attuned to a past life or something." "I don't believe in that. I'm sure we've met before. Let me know if you remember, will you?"
Monk went back to where the ladies were standing. "You're still here?" he said. "You couldn't drag me away. So what's going on?" Michelle asked. "Oh the usual, but this time we're lucky. The killer's a beginner, he's bound to slip up sooner or later. I'd sure like to catch him tonight, though." "Well, I'm sure you will," said Sharona.
She went on with, "I've been watching some of the staff members. That guy that seated us and one of the waitresses definitely have a thing for each other. The way they look at each other, it's so obvious." She pointed out the girl, and Monk went over to her. "Excuse me, what's your name?" "Sheila Kats," she said. "Is that important?" "It might be," said Monk. "I'd like to talk to you and Ira alone, if you don't mind."
Monk was searching around the whole room streadily, but snapped to attention at the question. "You don't often get a chance to check out a restaurant's kitchen. I'd like to make sure of how clean it is." "Do you mind if we solve the murder first? Now as I was saying,Ira and Sheila are the only ones whose schedules easily map to the time the murder could have been commited-""Oh, what is that?" Monk interrupted.
He ran over to the far wall, where a sizeable crack was partially covered by a piece of masking tape. "What is this? A big crack in the wall and this is all they do about it?" Ira suddenly appeared, saying, "That's only temporary, until we can get some caulking done to seal it up." Stottlemeyer, with a touch of growing annoyance, said, "Sir, can you please wait outside until we're done here? Disher, take him back out."
Once they were alone, Monk said, "All right, I'm okay now. So what's the problem?" "Each of them says that they were in that other room where the cooking's done, and the other was out here. And that's not all." He walked to the body and gestured to the wound. "At first glance it seems as normal as a murder can be, no fingerprints on the handle before you ask, but there's another wound, a bigger one, right next to it." "I see it," said Monk. "Looks like he got stabbed twice." "So we've got two people who could have done it with directly conflicting stories, and not enough evidence to convict either of them. I'm convinced this other wound is the key. Go ahead, do your thing."
Monk replied, "Have you looked for the other knife?" "Top to bottom. It seems like one of the big ones is missing, but it's anyone's guess where it is. And how much help can it really be?" "Well that depends on how good the killer is, and I think we're dealing with a total amateur." "What makes you say that?" "They took the first knife, the one that killed him, out of the body, and replaced it with one that's obviously a different size. Suggests total panic. And why would they be panicked and switching the knives in the first place? My guess is the killer's fingerprints were, and still are, on that knife. They pulled it out and hid it somewhere in here. Find that knife, and we've got 'em."
Stottlemeyer just stared at him. "Very impressive, but I told you, we've gone over the whole kitchen with a fine tooth comb. It's not in here." Monk simply said, "Well, look again. It never hurts to do things twice. I've got something else I'd like to do." He went back out, and approached Ira, saying, "Listen, do I know you from somewhere?"
"What?" Ira said. "It's been bugging me for a while now. I swear I've seen you before." "Well, I'm pretty sure I haven't seen you. Seems like you're more attuned to a past life or something." "I don't believe in that. I'm sure we've met before. Let me know if you remember, will you?"
Monk went back to where the ladies were standing. "You're still here?" he said. "You couldn't drag me away. So what's going on?" Michelle asked. "Oh the usual, but this time we're lucky. The killer's a beginner, he's bound to slip up sooner or later. I'd sure like to catch him tonight, though." "Well, I'm sure you will," said Sharona.
She went on with, "I've been watching some of the staff members. That guy that seated us and one of the waitresses definitely have a thing for each other. The way they look at each other, it's so obvious." She pointed out the girl, and Monk went over to her. "Excuse me, what's your name?" "Sheila Kats," she said. "Is that important?" "It might be," said Monk. "I'd like to talk to you and Ira alone, if you don't mind."