Author's Note: We are now at the halfway point of our story, and once again, I want to thank all of you who are following along. Thank you also to those who have left reviews. Feedback is important to any writer. I appreciate your kind words, thoughts, and critiques and would love to hear from more of you. I hope you will all enjoy this lighter, fun chapter after the last intense one. After this little break, we'll be back to the mystery and we'll see how the Monks fare regarding the shocking news they just received. Stay tuned as we unravel this tangled web.

Adrian and Natalie dropped off their children with Leland and T.K. Stottlemeyer and continued on to Berkeley, to the community theater performance of The Sound of Music. Julie had been ecstatic to earn the role of Liesl, the oldest of the von Trapp children. Adrian was glad Natalie had decided to come. As much as they both would have rather stayed home, he knew they would have regretted the decision.

Adrian glanced at his wife. She looked beautiful in her sleeveless black dress. He couldn't help but smile as it reminded him of another time they watched Julie perform together before they even dated. Julie's performance had been outstanding, and Natalie had used that fact to frame the critic. She had looked beautiful then too. He wished he could have told her, and he wished he could have told her how proud he was of her ability to solve the murder. But now, she was his wife, and he would never have to fear or conceal his feelings again.

"You look beautiful," he said as she checked her appearance in her visor mirror.

One side of her ruby lips tilted upward. "Thanks. I didn't think I'd ever get the puffiness around my eyes covered.

"I'm glad you decided to come."

She closed the mirror and lifted the visor. "Me too. I'm still scared … but, I'm hopeful." She reached across the center console and squeezed his leg. "You gave me that hope."

"Let … Let's try not to worry tonight. Let's just go enjoy Julie and her play." He hoped the twitch in his neck didn't give him away. He didn't want Natalie to worry. But he would. It was one of the things he did best.

They made it to the historic theater in the heart of Berkeley. At once, Adrian recognized the blonde, curly head on the right side of the lobby. Sharona saw them and gestured for them to join her.

"Look at you," she said, eyeing Adrian's rather fashionable choice of dark jeans, gray shirt, and black jacket. "Don't you look nice?"

Adrian blushed. "Natalie picked it out."

"Good taste," Sharona said to Natalie. "You look great too."

Natalie smiled at her friend. "Where's Randy?"

"He's parking the car." She looked over their heads and waved. "There he is."

Adrian turned to see Randy, who he was expecting. What he wasn't expecting was who entered through the glass doors with him. Could it be?

"Benjy?" he asked as the young man approached.

"Hi, Mr. Monk." He wore jeans paired with a striped dress shirt. His thick hair had been neatly combed, and his brown eyes reflected a kind warmth. Sharona's son was no longer a pre-teen kid. He had grown into a handsome man.

Adrian was at a loss for words. Natalie noticed and stepped forward. "It's nice to meet you, Benjy." She put out her hand. "I'm Natalie, Adrian's wife."

Benjy smiled and shook her hand. "Nice to meet you, Mrs. Monk. I've heard a lot about you."

"I hope all good," she said.

"Yes, ma'am." His eyes dropped, suddenly shy.

Sharona stepped beside her son and wrapped her arm around his waist, her head barely meeting his shoulder. "Benjy came out to spend the rest of the summer with us. When I told him we were going to see you tonight, he just had to come. It's been a while, hasn't it?"

Adrian's mouth still hung open. "Yes. I … I suppose so." He looked up at a grinning Benjy. "How … how?"

"How did he get so tall and grown-up?" Sharona asked. "You got me. I think it happened overnight."

Randy joined the group and handed out programs. "Hey Benjy, did you tell Monk why you're here this summer?"

Adrian turned to Randy, then back to Benjy. "You're not just here for a visit?"

"No." Benjy shifted his feet. "I … I'm applying to UC Berkeley for college."

Monk smiled. "My Alma Mater. Our daughter, Julie is there too." His smile faded. "Aren't you almost done with college in New Jersey?"

"I am … I was," Benjy stammered. "I only had one year left, but I'm switching my major. If I get in, I'll have to add another year."

"You're changing your major?" Adrian asked.

Benjy stuffed his hands in his pockets then pulled them back out. "I am. I'm going into Criminal Justice." He swallowed hard, his eyes not leaving Adrian's.

"Criminal Justice," Adrian said. "That was my major."

"I know," Benjy said. "I want to be a detective, like you and Randy."

Adrian looked back to Sharona who smiled and nodded. "It's all he can talk about."

"I … I was hoping you could give me a reference," Benjy said. "If you don't mind … that is."

"No. No, I don't mind at all," Adrian said. "But, I don't understand. What made you decide to go into police work?"

Benjy cleared his throat. "Well, when I first went to college, I thought I wanted to do graphic design. Then, I could make movies with all the superheroes I dreamed up, but all along, I never forgot. I never forgot all the cases you and my mom used to go on and how you would solve the crimes and catch the bad guys. Then one day, I thought, why make up heroes when I can be one. I want to help people. I want to make a difference like you and Randy and Captain Stottlemeyer. You guys were the real heroes growing up." He looked down, then back up. "Well, I guess you still are."

Adrian blinked, his eyes growing misty. He turned to Natalie who held tightly to his arm. She was beaming with pride. "That … that's great," he said. "I hope you get in." Then, he surprised his young friend by patting him on the back. They continued to talk and reminisce about old cases and old times as the group found seats near the front of the theater.

Before long, the lights went out and the curtain opened. Natalie held tight to Adrian's hand as they watched Julie perform. They grinned as she sang and danced her way through Sixteen Going on Seventeen and nearly cried when she sang Edelweiss. Natalie was right. She had the voice of an angel. Adrian knew she would get some good reviews this time.

When it was over, the group gathered again in the theater lobby while Adrian and Natalie waited for Julie to join them.

"Oh my goodness," Sharona said, saddling up to Natalie. "Julie was so good. She sounded just like the girl from the movie."

Natalie laughed. "Thank you. She's been singing those songs her whole life almost. This was the first musical she ever saw in a theater. Her grandparents took her when she was eight, and she's wanted to perform in it ever since."

"What?" Sharona asked Randy in response to his confused expression.

"The movie came out a long time ago, like in the 1960s or something, right?"

"Yeah."

"Well, how did Julie see it in a theater when she was eight? She hadn't even been born yet."

Sharona rolled her eyes. "You're right, detective. She wasn't born yet, but The Sound of Music was on Broadway before it was ever a movie. She probably saw it on stage, like we just did. Right, Natalie?"

Natalie laughed. "Right."

"Hey, I'm not much of a Broadway musical kind of guy." Randy rubbed his cheek, then turned to look around.

Sharona gave Natalie a hug. "Randy and I have to get Lilly from my sister's. Thank you for inviting us. It was fun."

She turned to go, but Natalie grabbed her arm. "Hey, we're going to the Stottlemeyers' to pick up our kids. Why don't you guys come for a bit? I'm sure they wouldn't mind."

Sharona looked to Randy. He shrugged. "Sure, why not."

Adrian looked up to see Julie enter the lobby from a side door. She received hugs and congratulations from her parents and the Dishers while Benjy stood to the side, his eyes never leaving her.

Sharona turned to her son, who stood with his hands stuffed in his pockets, shifting from one foot to another. She took his arm and pulled him into the group. "Julie, I would like you to meet my son, Benjy Howe. Benjy, this is Julie Teeger, Mr. Monk and Natalie's daughter."

Julie put out her hand. "Nice to finally meet you, Benjy."

When Benjy only stood with a silly smile on his face, Sharona elbowed him in the ribs. "Ow! Mom!" He rubbed his ribs.

"Don't be rude. Talk to the girl."

His face turned a few shades of red before he was able to speak. "I … I'm sorry, Julie. It … It's very nice to meet you … too." He shook the hand she still held out.

Julie giggled. "It's okay."

He relaxed at the sound of her laugh. "You were really great in there." Then, he looked down.

"Thank you. I'm glad you came." It was her turn to look down.

Natalie watched the exchange, a smile growing on her face. "Julie, do you have any plans for the rest of the night?"

Julie turned when she heard her mother's voice. "I might go …"

Natalie jumped in. "We're all going to the Stottlemeyers'. Why don't you come? They would have been here tonight, but they watched Sophia and Timothy for us."

Julie waved to some castmates. "I …"

"Please come," Natalie said, interrupting again. "I know they'd love to see you."

Julie watched the castmates leave, then turned back to Benjy. "Are you going?"

He looked to his parents. "They're my ride, so if they're going, I guess I am too."

"Okay. Then, I'll go too." Julie said with a smile.

"What was that all about?" Adrian asked Natalie as they drove to the Stottlemeyers' house.

"What was what all about?"

"You know. First, you invited the Dishers over to Leland's. Then, you invited Julie. I don't know if Leland and T.K. want all of us coming over tonight."

"Don't worry. I asked T.K. before I invited everyone."

"Asked her? I didn't see you make a call."

Natalie smiled. "Text, Adrian. I sent her a text."

"Oh … but, I think Julie had other plans."

"Well, she agreed to it, didn't she?"

Adrian stole a glance at his wife. "You're up to something."

"I don't know what you're talking about." Her voice was innocent, but the twinkle in her eyes said otherwise.

The Monks and Dishers arrived at the Stottlemeyers' a short time later. Leland congratulated Julie and greeted Benjy, who he was excited to see. After a few minutes, the group began to disperse, but before they did, T.K. caught their attention.

"I've got two kinds of pie," she said. We've got peach and apple, and there's vanilla ice cream and whipped cream, so tell me what you want … and please eat up. Leland and I don't want any leftovers."

Leland sighed as he took a seat in the living room along with Monk and Randy. "She doesn't want any leftovers. I would love some, but she's not going to let me have them because she put me on a diet."

"A diet?" Randy asked. "Why?"

"My doctor wants me to lose a few pounds," Leland said. "My blood pressure's been up."

"These latest cases can't be good for that." Monk's concern was evident in his tone.

"Monk, you've been like a mother hen lately. Doc's got me on some medication and T.K. is watching what I eat. I just need to exercise a little more and I'll be fine."

Randy relaxed, leaning back into the couch. "Any progress on your cases?"

"Not much." Leland lifted the footrest of his recliner. "Everyone's story is checking out so far, but Monk and I still think they're connected to your Gomez case somehow."

"I kind of hope they are," Randy said. "We're not making much progress either."

"I've had Dwayne working on it today. He's out in the Mission trying to get something out of the local cholos."

Randy chuckled. "If I was going to send anyone out there, it would be him."

"Hey, let's not ruin our night off talking shop, but let's schedule a time to get together and talk over these cases. If they are connected, I think it would be helpful to compare notes from both departments."

Adrian didn't comment. He knew his colleagues were talking about the latest homicide cases, but he wasn't paying much attention. His focus was on Natalie, who was seated at the kitchen table, Sophia on her lap. Julie stood next to Benjy, holding a sleepy Timothy while Sharona helped T.K. with pie and ice cream.

Leland glanced his way, then followed his gaze into the kitchen. "Hey, how was the play?"

Monk turned to his friend. "The play?"

Leland raised an eyebrow. "The play you just came from. Julie?"

"Oh," Adrian said, trying to shake himself out of his thoughts. "It was great. Julie was very … poised."

"Yeah, she was great," Randy said.

Leland followed his friend's gaze as it went back to the crowd in the kitchen. "Something bothering you, Monk?"

He shook his head but didn't turn his eyes. "I'm fine."

"I've known you for too long to believe that, buddy. What's up?"

Adrian sighed as he turned his attention back to his friends. He took a moment to gather his thoughts. "Something … something came up today … Randy, did everything check out with that army vet from Luke's recovery group?"

"Hayes?" Randy asked. "Yeah, as far as I can tell he was telling the truth. Both parents and his sister confirmed he was with them the night of the murder."

"What about the college connection with Gomez?"

"That too," Randy said. "He's taking classes at the community college as he said."

"And his army background?"

"Everything was verified. What's the sudden interest?"

Adrian opened his mouth to make an excuse but was relieved when T.K. and Sharona arrived with plates of pie and ice cream. He started on his slice of apple before Leland or Randy could ask any more questions, taking tiny bites to make it last longer. Leland finished his pie and set his plate on the end table beside him.

He stroked his mustache as he watched his friend. "It's not going to work, Monk."

Adrian pointed to his mouth and shrugged.

Leland sighed. "You can only take so long to eat that, and we'll still be here when you're done. So, why don't you just finish that up and tell us what's going on."

Adrian ignored him, continuing with the tiny bites of pie, but eventually, he had to finish, and as promised, his friends were still there, waiting. He took his napkin and wiped his mouth and hands before neatly refolding it. Then, he stood with his empty plate and picked up Leland and Randy's plates. He carried them into the kitchen where T.K. took them from him. He said hello to Natalie and Sophia, then took the now-sleeping Timothy from Julie.

Leland watched from the living room, waiting for his return. When his patience reached its limits, he yelled, "Monk, get back in here."

Curious faces from the kitchen looked his way, but with Timothy on his shoulder, Adrian followed his captain's command. He returned to his seat and rubbed the baby's back, but still didn't speak. After a few minutes of enduring the stares of his friends, he shifted in his seat. "Okay. Okay, something happened, but Natalie doesn't want to talk about it tonight."

Leland sighed and rose from his chair. He walked into the kitchen and spoke to the ladies. Then, he tapped Benjy's shoulder and gestured to the door leading to the patio. Benjy looked to Julie and they went out, taking Sophia with them. A moment later, Leland returned with Natalie, T.K., and Sharona in tow. They took seats next to their spouses, Natalie looking at Adrian with a stern expression.

"Don't blame him," Leland said. "I just know him too well. Now, do you want to talk about what's going on? If you don't, we'll respect that and you can go about your business, but we're your friends and we would like to help if we can."

Adrian searched Natalie's face for approval. She gave a small nod in response. "We got a surprise visit from Ryan Hayes today."

"And?" Leland asked.

"And …" Monk took in a breath. "He thinks he's Sophia's birth father."

T.K. placed her hand over her mouth and Sharona gasped.

"What?" Leland asked. "I thought Sophia's father was killed in a drug bust before she was born."

"Tyler Richards, who is named on her birth certificate was killed in a drug bust, but Hayes has some pretty convincing reasons why he wasn't her father."

"Who is this guy?" T.K. asked.

"He knows Luke and Molly," Leland explained.

"I don't understand. How did he suddenly decide he's Sophia's birth father?" Sharona asked.

"He saw a picture of us on Molly's phone," Adrian said. "Sophia looks a lot like his sister did at her age."

"A lot?" Natalie said. "They could be twins."

"But that doesn't prove anything," Sharona said. "Lots of people look alike."

"Yeah, remember Monk's hitman doppelganger," Randy said.

Adrian cringed. "Don't remind me."

"There's more," Natalie said. "He spent a night with Sophia's mother at the right time … for her to be conceived." She cleared her throat, seeing Adrian blush. "The guy on the birth certificate was in jail at that time."

"You're kidding," Randy said. "So, what does Hayes want?"

Monk sighed. "He wants to do a paternity test. He says he has a right to know if he really is her father."

"You're not going to do it, are you?" Randy asked.

"I don't know …"

"If someone else came along and claimed to be Lilly's father, I wouldn't let him near her."

"Randy," Leland said. "That's not going to happen because Lilly is your biological child. She's not adopted like Sophia."

Randy raised his hands. "I know, but if someone ever does, I'll tell him a thing or two."

Sharona rolled her eyes. "You do that, Randy."

He furrowed his brows at her. "What? I could take him. I know I could take him."

Natalie gripped Adrian's arm. "I don't want to do the test either. Adrian is the only father Sophia has ever known. He can't just walk in and claim her because he had a one-night stand with her mother."

Leland wiped his hand over his face. "I'm sorry, guys. This isn't easy news to take, but I will tell you that if Hayes makes a court petition for custody, you will have to cooperate. I will also tell you that if you cooperate, it will go much better for you when they decide who she should stay with."

T.K. had been quiet as she stood by Leland. She took a seat on the arm of his chair. "Listen, I have a friend from college who is a family lawyer. She specializes in adoption issues. If you would like, I can call her and see if she can talk to you guys."

"That would be wonderful." Natalie looked to her husband. "We would love to talk to her, wouldn't we, Adrian."

Adrian scowled. "I don't think we need to get a lawyer involved just yet."

"I'm not proposing we hire her. I just want to talk to her, for advice. Please."

Adrian studied his wife. He knew this thing was scaring her. While he hated the thought of getting a lawyer involved, he hated to see her worry. He did enough worrying for both of them. "Okay, if it will make you feel better …"

She kissed his cheek before he could say any more. "Thank you," she said with the smile he couldn't resist.

"You might want to consider going ahead with the paternity test anyway," T.K. said. "There are benefits to having a biological family history, especially for medical reasons, and Sophia will probably want to know about her birth parents when she gets older. It might be nice for her to have that connection."

Natalie lowered her head. "I don't know if I can."

"But, what about Molly?" Leland asked, his voice soft. "What if she hadn't been told about her birth parents? She wouldn't be a part of your lives."

Natalie lifted her head and wiped an escaped tear. "That was different. Molly was an adult. She chose to meet Adrian. Sophia's just a little girl. I … I don't want to confuse her."

"You two will have to decide what's best for your family," T.K. said, "but I know you'll make the right decision."

Timothy woke up and began to fuss, so Adrian handed him to Natalie and went to find his bottle. When he returned, the ladies had joined Natalie on the couch, so he went to find Julie and Sophia. He stopped at the glass patio doors and watched. Julie held Sophia on her lap by the fire pit while she and Benjy were apparently laughing at something.

Leland and Randy walked up beside him. "What are you looking at?" Leland asked.

Adrian pointed outside.

"Wow. They sure look like they're getting along well," Randy said.

"They're talking about me," Adrian said.

"Now, what makes you think that?" Leland asked.

Adrian rolled his shoulder. "It just makes sense. That's the common ground. Both of their mothers worked for me. They're probably out there sharing a bunch of embarrassing stories."

Leland patted his back. "You worry too much. That's not the only thing they have in common. They're about the same age. They're both college students, and they might be going to the same college soon."

"Yeah, but they're talking about me."

Julie laughed. "You were so mean. You gave him two puzzles at the same time to see how long it would take him to solve them?"

Benjy nodded. "Yeah, and he did it. I can't remember the exact time, but it was fast."

"I taught him how to do email," she said.

Benjy smiled. "You did? I can't imagine Mr. Monk using a computer."

"Well, it didn't go so well, so he leaves most of the computer work for my mom to do."

"But, he's using a cell phone and driving. That's amazing."

"Yeah, he's doing a lot of things we never thought we would see him do."

Benjy was quiet for a moment, then shook his head. "You know, I think Mr. Monk is what I missed most about San Francisco. He spent so much time with my mom and me, he was practically like family."

Julie smiled. "Us too."

"He's actually your stepdad now. How crazy is that?"

Julie shrugged. "It was a pretty easy transition for me. Since my dad had passed away, Adrian became kind of a surrogate father from early on. At least, that's how I thought of him."

Benjy looked at Sophia, who was growing sleepy in her sister's arms. "And now you have a brother and a sister. That's so cool."

Julie stroked Sophia's curls. "I love it. You have a little sister now too. Do you like being a big brother?'

"Yeah, it's great. Lilly's great … So is Randy, don't get me wrong. I love having him as my stepdad. There were a lot of years I didn't really have much of a dad." Benjy leaned forward, resting his forearms on his knees. "Even though my dad was alive, he wasn't really involved in my life. I looked up to Mr. Monk, and he was always nice to me. There was one time, my mom and I went on vacation, and we brought him with us. I ended up seeing someone get murdered in the hotel we were staying at, and he was the only one who believed me. But, he solved the crime and proved me right. He never gave up on me."

"You're kidding," Julie said. "The same thing happened with my friends and me. Our basketball coach was killed, but everyone said it was an accident. We just couldn't believe it, so we asked Adrian to help us."

"And, he proved you right?"

"Of course."

Benjy sat up and chuckled. "What a guy. He kind of played that dad role more than once for me. Can you believe he filled in as umpire once for my baseball team?"

Julie smiled. "Oh, I can beat that. My mom convinced him to give me "the talk" a few years back."

"Mr. Monk?" Benjy smiled wide. "That must have been interesting."

"It was, but it was good. I really took to heart what he said."

Benjy arched an eyebrow. "What did he say?"

"He told me not to be in a hurry. He told me to wait for my true love … my Trudy."

Benjy smiled knowingly, then he gazed at Julie who lowered her eyes. "Julie …"

She looked back up. "Yeah?"

"Have … have you met him?"

Her cheeks grew pink. "Who?"

Benjy cleared his throat. "You know … your Trudy?"

Julie turned her eyes back to her sleeping sister. "No."

Benjy exhaled. "Good."

"Good?"

"Well, yeah … I mean, not that I don't want you to, but I … I um, would like to see you again sometime … but if you don't want to …"

Julie raised her eyes, catching his with a smile. "I would like that, Benjy."

It was his turn to blush. "Good … good. I'll call you sometime."

Adrian watched as Julie and Benjy both pulled out their cell phones and began typing into them. "What are they doing now?"

Leland's mustache twitched with his smile. "I think they're exchanging phone numbers."

"Why do they need each other's phone numbers?" Randy asked.

Leland chuckled as he patted his two best friends on their backs. "You guys will get it one of these days. Just wait."

Randy looked at Adrian. "What's that supposed to mean?"

Natalie joined Adrian and looped her arm through his. "They're sure hitting it off well."

"Too well," Adrian said with a pout.

Natalie looked up at him. "What do you mean?"

"They're talking about me, Natalie."

"All good things, I'm sure. Julie loves you, and I can tell Benjy admires you very much."

"But Nat-a-lieee."

She kissed his cheek. "Come on, Mr. Monk. We've got two sleeping babies we need to take home and put to bed."