Adrian and Natalie settled back into day-to-day life after their anniversary, and almost five weeks later, it was time for another ultrasound. They were just past the halfway point of the pregnancy, and today, Natalie was especially excited. Not only would they once again be granted a chance to see their little one through the miracle of ultrasound, but they would also find out the gender of their baby. She smiled as she watched her husband organize the magazines in the waiting room once again. His nerves were under greater control than they had been during their first visit there, but he would never be completely comfortable visiting a woman's doctor. As she looked at the photos of smiling babies gracing many of the magazine covers, she remembered the moment she told Adrian they were expecting. She would never forget the surprised look in his eyes, nor the subsequent smile which, for a while, seemed permanently etched into his face.
When Natalie's name was called, Adrian leaped to his feet and helped her stand. She smiled, knowing it pleased him to take care of her, even though he was a tad overprotective. They were led down the familiar hallway to the ultrasound room where they would await the ultrasound technician who would be performing the scan. Natalie laid on the table and prepared herself. Adrian sat beside her and took her hand. After a minute, he noticed Natalie smile and move her free hand to her belly.
"Is the baby moving?" he asked.
She nodded and placed his hand on the space her hand had previously occupied. "Can you feel it?"
Adrian waited, then shook his head.
"You will soon. He just has to get a little bigger and stronger."
"You're still convinced we're having a boy, aren't you?"
"Yes, I am."
"What if you're wrong?"
She shrugged. "Then I'm wrong, but I guess we'll find out soon."
Adrian furrowed his brow.
"What's wrong?" Natalie asked.
"Well, I know the baby's na…na…"
"Naked? Of course, he's naked. I can grow a baby, but I can't grow clothes in there."
"Yes, I know. I just don't know if we should be examining his or her private parts that closely."
"So, how are we going to change diapers? We change Sophia's diapers and bathe her."
"I know, but…but that's us. We are her parents. I just don't like the idea of someone else looking."
"Who, the ultrasound tech?"
"Yes."
"Adrian, she or he is a doctor or kind of a doctor. You know there are going to be other doctors and nurses who will see our baby naked when he or she is born, and then during check-ups too, and what about anyone who babysits?"
He furrowed his brow again. "I…I guess it can't be helped, but that doesn't mean I like it."
Natalie just patted his hand. She supposed it didn't matter how long they were married or how many babies they had, her husband would always be modest.
They heard a knock on the door followed by a cheery, "Good afternoon. How are you folks today?" as the ultrasound tech entered the room. She was a robust, middle-aged woman and got right to work preparing Natalie's belly with the special gel and getting the wand ready to perform the ultrasound. Right off, they heard the baby's heartbeat, which brought a smile to all three of their faces. "That sounds nice and strong," the tech said.
Before they knew it, Adrian and Natalie were staring at the image of their precious baby on the monitor screen. They were both astonished at how much growth had occurred since the last scan. The baby was also quite active, turning from side to side and kicking little legs. Tears formed in their eyes as they could clearly see their little one's facial features. To their untrained eyes, the baby looked perfect.
The ultrasound tech moved the wand around to different points on the screen, drawing lines from one to another as she took the measurements. After a couple of minutes, she proclaimed that everything measured just as it should, and the baby looked healthy. The couple breathed a sigh of relief after being reminded more than once of the dangers of pregnancy at Natalie's age.
"So, do we want to know the gender of the baby?" the tech asked.
"Yes!" said Natalie.
"No," said Adrian, but after seeing Natalie's face, he changed his answer to a yes.
The tech moved the wand against Natalie's belly, as she tried to zero in, but when she got close, the baby rolled away from her. She tried again, hoping the baby would change position, but it didn't happen. No matter what the tech tried, the baby would not cooperate.
Natalie's disappointment was evident as the tech said, "I'm sorry, but it doesn't look like we're going to be able to determine the gender at this time. If Dr. Lee determines another scan is necessary later on, we'll try again."
The tech helped Natalie clean up, handed Adrian a new string of ultrasound pictures, and left.
Before Natalie could adjust her clothing, Adrian leaned down and kissed her bare belly. "I love you," he said to his unborn child. When he lifted his head, Natalie could see the raw emotion in his eyes. "We have a beautiful, healthy baby."
Natalie lifted her hand and wiped his tears. "Yes love, we do." She swallowed her disappointment in not being able to find out the gender, determined to be grateful for the good health she and the baby were both experiencing.
Returning home from the ultrasound appointment, Adrian and Natalie started to recognize the cars parked on the street near their house. By the time they pulled into their driveway, they concluded almost everyone they knew must be at their house. They parked and climbed the porch stairs with a growing fear of what event had brought everyone to their home. As they hesitantly opened the door and walked in, almost a dozen voices shouted, "Surprise!" Natalie grabbed Adrian's hand as they beheld pink and blue streamers and balloons occupying much of their living and dining rooms. A large cake sat in the middle of the table.
"What is going on?" asked Natalie.
"I hate surprises," mumbled Adrian.
Julie ran up to them and grabbed their hands, leading them further into the living room. "It's a surprise gender reveal party," she said.
"What's a gender reveal party?" asked Adrian.
"It's a party where you reveal the gender of your baby to your family and friends. Since you found out today, I thought I'd have everyone over so we could all celebrate together." She noticed her mother's disappointed look. "I…I hope that was ok."
Natalie slumped into the space on the couch T.K. and Nicole made for her. "I'll tell you what we're having," she said. "We're having a Monk."
Randy chuckled. "Yeah, we're going to have to call your house the monastery."
"Randy!" Sharona, said, elbowing him in the ribs.
All eyes turned to Randy, Leland rolling his.
"Well, you know, if they keep filling it with little Monks…." He laughed with gusto, but then he noticed no one else was laughing. "You know, little monks...their name is Monk...monks live in a monastery..."
"We get it, Randy!" said Leland, interrupting him.
There wasn't a sound in the room as all present waited for Natalie's explanation. She sighed, then spoke. "The baby was too modest. He or she kept rolling around and wouldn't let the tech get a good look. So, we still don't know the gender."
One by one, all heads turned to Adrian who was grinning and looking like he was about to pop a button off his shirt. He was obviously pleased with his offspring's modesty.
"I'm sorry sweetie," said Nicole, patting Natalie's knee.
"How was everything else?" asked T.K. "Is the baby doing well?"
Natalie found herself smiling at last. "Yes, the baby is strong and healthy."
"Then, we do have something to celebrate," said Jack.
Everyone went back to talking and laughing, but Dwayne was listening to his stomach. "Hey, who wants cake?" he asked.
After an enjoyable time of eating and celebrating a thriving baby, whatever gender that may be, most of the guests left, but Leland and T.K. stayed behind to help Julie clean up. Natalie had been shooed upstairs for a much-needed nap, and Leland and Adrian took a moment to sit down together. Sophia crawled into Adrian's lap with one of her favorite books. She pointed to the pictures and told the story to herself in her own toddler gibberish.
Leland smiled at the toddler. "She sure is growing fast."
"Yes, too fast," said Adrian, dropping a kiss on his daughter's head.
Leland shook his head and chuckled.
"What? What is it?"
"You. You amaze me sometimes," said his friend.
"I do?"
"Look at you. The man who, fifteen years ago, couldn't leave his apartment, is now married and the father of two with another on the way. So tell me, how are you really handling the whole pregnancy thing?"
Adrian looked at Leland with widened eyes. The question surprised him, but it shouldn't have. His best friend of almost thirty years knew him well. "I worry. Natalie tells me not to, but I can't help it. There's a lot that can go wrong."
Leland smirked. "I know. I've been there twice, remember?"
Adrian ran his hand through Sophia's dark curls. "How did you handle it?"
"Well, whenever I caught myself beginning to worry, I would force myself to think of the end goal. I would just picture myself holding that little baby and remember that it will all be worth it."
"But…."
"Listen, buddy, no matter how much we would like to, we can't keep our loved ones in a bubble. There is risk everywhere, every day. In our profession, we should know that more than anyone. In fact, our profession puts us at risk all the time. The question remains, is it worth it?"
Adrian remained quiet while Sophia squirmed off of his lap and walked across to Leland, eager to show her honorary uncle the book she still held in her hand. Adrian watched as Leland set her on his knee.
"Ead," she said, pointing to the well-loved picture book.
Leland granted her request, delighting her with animated character voices as he went. The toddler's laugh bubbled out of her, and soon, Adrian was smiling too. After a while, Leland put her down, and she ran off to find someone else to show her book to. Both men watched her go, then Leland turned to Adrian.
He leaned forward on his knees. "Let me just give you this piece of advice, my friend. I know worry is a part of life for you, but don't let this special time pass you by because of it. Keep remembering that end goal and enjoy it."
Adrian nodded, knowing his friend was right, but also knowing it was difficult to just turn off his thoughts like he would a light.
Leland stood, but before he left, he put his hand on Adrian's shoulder. "I'm here anytime you need me." He took a couple of steps, then turned, looking back at him. "Um, when I say anytime, you know, not anytime, anytime."
Adrian just stared at him.
"Oh, never mind," he said, turning to go.
Natalie came downstairs with a yawn, just in time to say goodbye to their friends. Once they were gone, she sat down next to Adrian, then Julie sat on the other side. Soon, Sophia was climbing into his lap. He looked at his family and sighed a contented sigh. "How about a movie tonight?" he asked to their surprise.
The next day, Adrian opened his eyes to Natalie's intoxicating scent and the comforting weight of her head on his chest. After a moment, she woke up, but she didn't move, content to be in her husband's arms for as long as possible. Adrian didn't move either while he thought about the advice Leland had given him. He was determined to move beyond his fears and enjoy this special time he and Natalie were sharing. This was their first pregnancy together, but with Natalie's age, he was also aware that it might be their last. After a little while, Natalie readjusted her position so she could see Adrian's face. When she did, she saw his smile and a twinkle in his brown eyes.
"Good morning, love," Natalie said. "You look happy today."
He leaned over and kissed her forehead. "I am happy. I have no reason not to be."
She twirled one of his curls around her finger. "So, it's Saturday, we have no plans, and Julie's home for the weekend. What would you like to do today?"
He gathered her closer. "After we finish our usual Saturday chores, I'm all yours. Whatever you want to do, sweetheart."
"All mine, huh?" she purred, inching her face closer to his. "I'll have to remember that." Her lips met his and she kissed him. It wasn't long before the light, tender kisses lengthened and deepened while they held each other close.
Then, Adrian heard his phone ring. Not breaking their kiss, he reached over and fumbled for it on his nightstand. He cracked open one eye to look at the caller ID. It was Ambrose. He was tempted to decline the call, but the rational part of his brain reminded him that his brother would never call so early unless it was important. He forced himself to break the kiss. "I'm…I'm sorry Nat…I have to…take this," he managed between her kisses. She exhaled and settled against his shoulder as he answered it just before it went to voicemail.
"Hello? Ambrose?"
"Hello Adrian," came the voice on the other end. "I…I know it's early. I hope I didn't wake you."
"I was awake," said Adrian, dryly.
"Well, I wouldn't bother you so early, but you need to come over."
"Why? What's going on?"
"Do you remember our neighbor, Bob Sanders?"
"Yes."
"Well, he's dead."
Adrian sat up in bed, causing Natalie to tumble off of him. "What happened?"
"Dad found Bob unconscious this morning when he went to meet him at his house to walk the dogs. He let himself in as he often does, and Bob…was…was lying on his kitchen floor. Dad called 911, but it was too late. By the time the paramedics arrived, he…he was already gone."
"So, what does this have to do with me?"
"The first responders are saying it was heart failure, but Dad doesn't believe them. He's insisting they call you. He's saying Bob was murdered, and he knows who did it."
Monk ran his hand over his unshaven face and mentally calculated how long it would take him to shower, shave, get dressed and drive over to their house. "I just woke up. I'm going to need to shower….
"Oh, for Pete's sake!" shouted Ambrose. "Just get dressed and come! I don't know how much longer I can keep Dad calm. He's getting louder by the minute, and I'm afraid they might arrest him or something."
Monk rolled his shoulder at the thought of getting dressed without showering first. Natalie noticed and scooted over to sit beside him. "What's going on?" she whispered.
He put his hand over the phone. "Dad's neighbor died, and he thinks he was murdered even though it looks like heart failure."
"Then, we need to get over there," she said, jumping out of bed. "Come on! Get dressed!"
"But Natalie," he whined. "I haven't showered."
She put her hand on her hip and gave him the look that told him there would be no discussion on the matter.
Monk had been in Bob Sanders' house once before when visiting his father, and the house looked exactly as he had remembered. The nineteenth-century home looked as though it had not been renovated since sometime in the mid-twentieth century. Some of the features were probably original. While, the house was clean and not terribly cluttered, peeling wallpaper, chipping paint, and aging fixtures indicated a need for some renovation. It was obvious Bob had not cared about current home trends, choosing instead to allow his home to be almost a time capsule of the past.
It didn't take long for Monk and Natalie to find Jack or the officer in charge. Both voices could be easily heard over the rest of the din.
"I'm telling you, you need to call my son!" insisted Jack Monk.
The officer leaned in closer. "Mr. Monk, you need to calm down. We would call the homicide division if there was any indication of foul play, but everything here points to natural causes. You yourself said Mr. Sanders had heart trouble."
"What about Stottlemeyer, Captain Stottlemeyer? Call him and see what he thinks." Jack continued.
Ambrose walked up to his father. "Come sit down, Dad. Adrian will be here any minute."
"You called him?"
"Yes," said Ambrose, "now please sit down before you get yourself arrested or have another stroke."
Jack pulled his arm out of his son's grip. "I'm fine." He crossed his arms. "Adrian will show them I'm right."
Officer Jim Beckett looked up when he heard footsteps. A look of relief washed over his face when he recognized Adrian and Natalie Monk, then connecting the dots between the detective and his father.
"What's going on Beckett?" asked Adrian, while Natalie found Jack and Ambrose in the front living room, a room that would have served as the home's parlor at the time it was built.
"Well, the deceased is a 68-year-old male, the homeowner. Your father found him here in the kitchen at approximately 6:30 a.m. this morning. We think he may have still been alive at that point, but by the time the paramedics arrived, he had passed, and they couldn't revive him."
"Were they able to determine a cause of death?" asked Monk.
Beckett shrugged. "Looks like heart failure as near as we can tell. Your father indicated he had a heart condition, and he was actually clutching a bottle of pills when your father found him."
"Do you still have the bottle?"
"Yes," said Beckett, walking across the squeaky kitchen floor to where the bottle had been placed. "Everything looks legit," he said, handing it to the detective.
"Were there any signs of forced entry?"
"No, your father said the door was unlocked, but he didn't think that was unusual because Sanders evidently never locked his door."
"Yes," said Monk, interlacing his fingers and looking around. "My dad usually came in to have a cup of coffee with him before heading out…so I wonder why he thinks Bob was murdered?"
"He kept talking about a Brian Hamilton. Does that name sound familiar to you? He seemed to think it would."
"Brian Hamilton? Oh yes, he's a real estate investor. He asked me to look into him. I guess he had tried to get Sanders to sell to him, but Sanders refused. My dad thought something fishy might be going on."
"Well, you can have a look around if you want to," said Beckett, "but at this point, I'm not sure it's worth waking the captain up on a Saturday morning for."
"Thanks," said Monk, holding up the prescription bottle of pills. "Let's go ahead and bag this, just in case."
"You got it."
Monk began to closely examine Sanders' body and home in his characteristic style. After a while, he wandered into the front living room. Jack popped out of his seat upon seeing his son.
"What did you find?" asked Jack.
"Nothing, Dad" replied Adrian.
"Nothing? Nothing? What do you mean nothing? You always see something! Can't you tell Bob was murdered!?"
"Dad, your blood pressure," said Ambrose, rising from his chair.
Adrian let out a sigh. "I'm sorry. There's just nothing here to indicate a murder."
"But that Brian guy, the investor. What did you find out about him?"
Adrian put a hand on his father's shoulder. "Let's go back to your house and have a cup of coffee. We'll talk there."
Jack's shoulders slumped, the loss of his friend feeling real for the first time. "Let me get the dogs. I'll take care of his for now."
Jack and Adrian took seats at the kitchen table while Ambrose got to work on a bowl of batter for buttermilk pancakes.
"Let me help you," said Natalie, walking up beside Ambrose.
Ambrose looked at her. "No, no Natalie. You go sit down with Adrian."
"It's okay. Let me help you."
"No, no. You should stay off your feet as much as possible." He smiled. "Go take care of that future niece or nephew of mine."
Natalie shook her head, but she couldn't help but return his smile. "You're as bad as your brother."
"So what did you find out about that investor?" Jack asked while Natalie set coffee cups on the table.
Adrian smiled at Natalie as she sat down beside him. "I looked him up like you asked me too," he said, stirring cream and sugar into his cup.
"And?"
"He was clean."
"You mean there was nothing?"
"No, nothing," said Adrian, sipping his perfected drink.
Jack set his cup down hard enough for the coffee to slosh over the edges. "But he's the guy. I'm sure of it!"
Adrian grabbed a napkin and wiped up the spill. "What makes you so sure he killed Bob?"
Jack leaned across the table. "Okay, first of all, when Hamilton offered to buy Bob's house, he offered him over a million dollars for it. That sounded crazy, so Bob had his house appraised, and the appraisal came in at $750,000, far below what Hamilton was offering."
"I would have taken it," said Ambrose.
"Why didn't he?" asked Natalie.
"The money wasn't important to him," said Jack. "The house has been in his family for over fifty years. His father first bought it, and he wanted to pass it down to his son."
"Okay, but that doesn't seem like a strong enough motive for murder. What could be so special about that particular house to drive him to that?"
"We almost got killed over a house one time," Natalie said, touching her husband's arm.
Adrian patted her hand. "Yes, that's true, but that was a special circumstance. Unless Bob's house holds some sort of hidden treasure no one has found in decades, there's nothing there worth killing someone over."
"What about the way Hamilton kept buttering Bob up after he refused? It's like he was trying to get close to him or get on his good side."
"Do you mean why was he being nice?" asked Ambrose.
Jack looked at his older son, then back to his younger. "Ambrose thinks he was just being nice, but I find his actions highly suspicious."
"What was he doing that you find suspicious?" asked Adrian.
"Well," said Jack, running his hand through his long, grey hair. "I know Hamilton took Bob to a couple of expensive dinners, then he took him to a Giant's game. He said he had season tickets, but still."
"Don't forget that signed Louis L'Amour he gave him," said Ambrose.
"He would also call almost every day to supposedly just shoot the breeze," added Jack.
"He sounds very nice," said Natalie, rubbing Adrian's back.
"That doesn't sound like a man intent on murder," said Adrian.
Jack exhaled. "I know it doesn't sound like it, but he made Bob really nervous. That's why I asked you to check him out. I mean, why would a thirty-something, single, well-to-do guy suddenly want to be buddy-buddy with a senior citizen on a fixed income?"
Adrian rubbed his hand across his chin, reminding him he still hadn't shaved or showered. "I don't know. Maybe he was lonely, but even if he had bad intentions towards Bob, it appears that Bob's time came before Hamilton could make his move."
Jack crossed his arms. "I still think Hamilton had something to do with it. I feel it in my gut."
Adrian set down his coffee cup and stared into it for a moment. "I appreciate listening to instincts, but here's the thing. We have to look at the evidence before we can start a homicide investigation. In this case, there is no evidence."
"Or you're just not seeing it," said Jack.
"Dad," said Ambrose, carrying over a platter piled high with pancakes. "You know as well as I do if there was any evidence indicating a murder, Adrian would find it."
"Yeah," said Jack, pulling a couple of pancakes off the stack, "unless he's losing his touch."
Adrian adjusted his neck as he bit his tongue. He took a deep breath. "Look, Dad, I'm sorry for your loss. I know he was a good friend."
"Yes, he was," Jack said, wiping away an escaped tear. "We used to walk the dogs twice a day, every day…what am I going to do…." His head dropped as his tears flowed more freely.
Natalie moved to his side and put her arm around his shoulders while Ambrose handed him a tissue.
"I'll tell you what," said Adrian, "I'll keep my eyes and ears open around the precinct in case anything else turns up, and if you see Hamilton poking around here again, let me know. That's all we can do for now."
Jack's nod was almost imperceptible.
Natalie was all too aware of her husband's silent brooding as they drove home. She reached across the center console and put her hand on his leg. "What's wrong, babe?"
Adrian sighed. "What if Dad's right?"
"Right about what? That Bob was murdered?"
"Yes that, and what if I really am losing my touch?"
"Adrian, I don't think…."
He cut her off. "No Natalie, listen. I went in there in a bad mood to begin with because I was looking forward to a day with you and the girls. Then, between the pregnancy and everything else in our lives, as good as it is, I have to admit it can be distracting at times. Maybe being a family man has made me soft."
"Well, if by soft you mean you're allowing yourself to feel again, that you're allowing yourself to love and be loved, then yes, but if by soft you mean losing your edge as a detective, then absolutely not. Remember, I've been with you for over eight years now. You are just as phenomenal at what you do now as you were then, if not better. Think of the Luigi Caprioli case earlier this year. You saw things and figured out things even the FBI was clueless on. I think there have always been things that had the potential to distract you, and sometimes did. It's just now you have good things distracting you instead of the hurt and sorrow you dwelled on for so long."
Adrian smiled at his wife, but then it faded. "Well, I think you might be a little partial, but what if I missed something over there today? My father just seems so convinced."
Natalie thought as she adjusted the seatbelt more comfortably over her growing belly. "Okay, let's think through the scene again. Was there any sign of forced entry?"
"No."
"Was anything stolen?"
"No, not that we could see."
"Was there any indication that Bob was subdued or killed by anything other than heart failure?"
"No, and he was clutching his pills. He probably had a heart attack and tried to take the pills, but passed out before he could."
"Did anything seem out of order or unusual?"
"I think I had only been inside his house once prior to today, but everything looked like I remember it."
"Were there any eyewitnesses? Did anyone see anyone go into or come out of the house other than Bob?"
"No."
"Well, ok then. You did your job, and you did it well. Not every death is a murder, even though I was beginning to think that when I first started working for you. Your dad seems to have a real disliking for that Brian guy. That, along with the shock of losing his friend probably clouded his judgment. He'll calm down and realize how silly he was being in a couple of days."
They pulled up to a stoplight and Adrian quickly reached over to grab Natalie's hand. "Thank you, sweetheart. That's why you're my partner." He lifted her hand to kiss it. "I don't know why I let my dad get to me sometimes."
"Because you want him to be proud of you. I know I act like I don't care what my parents think, but the truth is, I do. I think we all want our parents' love and approval, even long after we're grown."