Chapter 6
Ernie sawed through the ropes with an old pocketknife. Behind the cage door, the angry bear thudded its heavy paws, but couldn't penetrate the solid steel. "Thank you so much for helping us. Who are you, how'd you know we were here?" Ernie straightened stiffly, holding his back as he moved to the door. "I'm a friend, was a friend, of Josh Erickson. He uses my bears for his station." Sharona and Adrian stood, following the old man out of the room. "I was already starting to get suspicious of Josh, I thought he was doing something to my bears. I followed him here and saw him throw you in here with Jerry."
Adrian checked around a corner nervously. "We're very grateful for your help. If you wouldn't mind, could you call this number and ask for a Captain Stottlemeyer, and tell him it's urgent? Tell him Adrian Monk and Sharona Fleming need his help." Ernie took the card Adrian handed him. "Well where are you gonna be?" Sharona also looked at Adrian with a question in her eyes. Adrian pushed open the door. "I think it's time we paid another visit to the police station."
Josh hefted the bag in his hand, gauging its weight. Smiling, he passed it over to the man seated across from him. "Pure as the driven snow." The other man didn't smile. Instead, he passed the bag to an assistant while keeping his eyes trained on Josh. "We'll be the judge of that." There was terse silence as the assistant took a sample of the white powder and sifted it into a test tube with a liquid medium. After a few seconds, he nodded, satisfied with the results. At this point, the other man finally smiled. "Well, looks as though I don't have to kill you after all." Tipping two fingers, he signaled his assistant, who brought forward a large briefcase. "One hundred thousand, as agreed upon." Josh reached for the case, then suddenly felt a hand grip his wrist. It was Ross. "What the hell do you think you're doing!" Ross smiled. "As I see it, I caught you in the middle of a drug deal. Two of the suspects escaped, but I managed to corner you." Josh's face twisted in anger. "You son of a bitch!" Ross continued, pulling his gun. "Unfortunately, you resisted, and I was forced to defend myself." With that, he fired. The bullet caught Josh in the abdomen, causing him to drop the briefcase. The case burst open upon hitting the ground, scattering bills everywhere. The two other men at the meeting merely stepped back from the commotion, unaffected by the changes taking place around them. As Josh fell, he grabbed for Ross's hand, missing by inches. Before he could cry out, Ross fired again, striking Josh in the chest. Josh's body went limp. Brushing hair from his eyes, Ross looked at the two men that remained. "Sorry bout' that." Bending, he retrieved the case and began gathering the scattered bills. "You gentlemen lay low for awhile. I'll let you know when it's safe to resume business."
As the men nodded and exited, Ross finished scraping up the last of the bills.
Outside, Adrian crouched next to Sharona. When the gunshots went off, she jumped, biting off a cry. "Oh God…" Adrian shivered in the chill air. "Sounds like there's been a change of management." Sharona turned to him. "What do you mean?" Adrian nodded to the building. "That gunshot was made by a police issue revolver. I'm guessing Ross got greedy." A few moments later, two men emerged from the building. "Josh's contacts. No doubt on their way back home." Sharona nodded. "With the drugs. Now what?" Adrian shrugged, opening his mouth to speak. A voice on a bullhorn stopped him. "This is the police, throw down your weapons and raise your hands over your heads, do it, now!" The two men paused, then bolted. "Stop!" A scattering of gunshots rang out, hitting nothing. Adrian and Sharona ducked. "How did Stottlemeyer get here so fast!" Adrian shook his head. "That isn't Stottlemeyer, it's Officer Dodge!" Sharona stared at him. "What?"
Officer Dodge raised the bullhorn to his lips once more. "Ross, come outta there, hands on your head! Move it!" For a moment, the only sound was the cries of other officers in pursuit of the fleeing drug dealers. Then, cautiously, the door to the police station swung open. Ross stepped out, hands on his head. "Dodge, thank God! They got the jump on me! I managed to get Josh, but the other two escaped…" Dodge leveled his revolver. "Save it Ross, I know everything! You two officers, take this man into custody!" Two nearby officers holstered their revolvers and took hold of Ross's arms, cuffing his wrists behind his back. Another officer relieved Ross of his weapons. Adrian and Sharona approached the group of officers, keeping their hands in the open. Dodge caught sight of them and jogged up to them. "Hey, you ok? Ernie told me what happened!" Sharona nodded. "We're fine. How did you…" Dodge smiled, looking back at the scene behind him. Adrian spoke first. "You planned this, didn't you." Dodge nodded. "I was suspicious of Ross for a long time, but had nothing to pin on him. That's when Ernie approached me. He was having some problems with Josh, problems with the bears."
Adrian clasped his hands. "You suspected that Josh was behind the murder of that man found in the lake." Dodge nodded. "He was an FBI agent named Peyton Ritter. Josh caught on to him, had him killed, then fed to one of his bears. I wasn't sure where Ross fit in, until the coroner recovered a bullet from the remains. It matched Ross's revolver." At that moment, the other officers returned with the two drug dealers in tow. Adrian folded his arms. "So you came up with the story about visiting your sister, in order to flush out Ross." Dodge nodded. "Ernie kept in contact with me. When Josh and Ross grabbed you two, he gave the signal. We were here before Josh was."
At that moment, Ernie arrived, his expression unreadable. He walked up to Officer Dodge, who shook his hand. "Ernie, I want to thank you for your help. I'm indebted to you." Ernie shrugged. "It was nothing, I just wanted to make sure that the right thing was done." Adrian looked down a moment, then up again at Ernie's face. Slowly, he held out his hand. Ernie shook it. Adrian smiled softly. "We could use more like you."
Hours later, Sharona had the car packed and her two charges loaded. As she slid into the driver's seat and buckled in, she glanced at Adrian. "How you doin' boss?" Adrian looked over at her, his expression gentle. "I'm good, I'm great." Sharona smiled as she started the car. "Did you talk to Stottlemeyer?" Adrian nodded. "He said to tell you that he may have a job for us when we get back." Sharona raised her brows. "That- that's good! What sort of job?" Adrian shrugged. "Something about getting a cat out of a tree…" Sharona turned to glare at Adrian. "Funny, he's funny this guy. Was he this funny when you guys were partners?" Adrian's face scrunched in concentration. "Hmmm, no, he seemed more interested in stakeouts than stand-ups as I recall." Sharona laughed as they drove down the dirt road. "Well, tell him not to quit his day job."
In the back seat, Benjy suddenly sat forward. "Hey! There's a sign for a water park, can we stop?" Sharona glanced at Adrian, who returned her look. As one, they turned to Benjy.
"No!"
Benjy smiled as he sat back in his seat. It was good to be going home.
-End
Ernie sawed through the ropes with an old pocketknife. Behind the cage door, the angry bear thudded its heavy paws, but couldn't penetrate the solid steel. "Thank you so much for helping us. Who are you, how'd you know we were here?" Ernie straightened stiffly, holding his back as he moved to the door. "I'm a friend, was a friend, of Josh Erickson. He uses my bears for his station." Sharona and Adrian stood, following the old man out of the room. "I was already starting to get suspicious of Josh, I thought he was doing something to my bears. I followed him here and saw him throw you in here with Jerry."
Adrian checked around a corner nervously. "We're very grateful for your help. If you wouldn't mind, could you call this number and ask for a Captain Stottlemeyer, and tell him it's urgent? Tell him Adrian Monk and Sharona Fleming need his help." Ernie took the card Adrian handed him. "Well where are you gonna be?" Sharona also looked at Adrian with a question in her eyes. Adrian pushed open the door. "I think it's time we paid another visit to the police station."
Josh hefted the bag in his hand, gauging its weight. Smiling, he passed it over to the man seated across from him. "Pure as the driven snow." The other man didn't smile. Instead, he passed the bag to an assistant while keeping his eyes trained on Josh. "We'll be the judge of that." There was terse silence as the assistant took a sample of the white powder and sifted it into a test tube with a liquid medium. After a few seconds, he nodded, satisfied with the results. At this point, the other man finally smiled. "Well, looks as though I don't have to kill you after all." Tipping two fingers, he signaled his assistant, who brought forward a large briefcase. "One hundred thousand, as agreed upon." Josh reached for the case, then suddenly felt a hand grip his wrist. It was Ross. "What the hell do you think you're doing!" Ross smiled. "As I see it, I caught you in the middle of a drug deal. Two of the suspects escaped, but I managed to corner you." Josh's face twisted in anger. "You son of a bitch!" Ross continued, pulling his gun. "Unfortunately, you resisted, and I was forced to defend myself." With that, he fired. The bullet caught Josh in the abdomen, causing him to drop the briefcase. The case burst open upon hitting the ground, scattering bills everywhere. The two other men at the meeting merely stepped back from the commotion, unaffected by the changes taking place around them. As Josh fell, he grabbed for Ross's hand, missing by inches. Before he could cry out, Ross fired again, striking Josh in the chest. Josh's body went limp. Brushing hair from his eyes, Ross looked at the two men that remained. "Sorry bout' that." Bending, he retrieved the case and began gathering the scattered bills. "You gentlemen lay low for awhile. I'll let you know when it's safe to resume business."
As the men nodded and exited, Ross finished scraping up the last of the bills.
Outside, Adrian crouched next to Sharona. When the gunshots went off, she jumped, biting off a cry. "Oh God…" Adrian shivered in the chill air. "Sounds like there's been a change of management." Sharona turned to him. "What do you mean?" Adrian nodded to the building. "That gunshot was made by a police issue revolver. I'm guessing Ross got greedy." A few moments later, two men emerged from the building. "Josh's contacts. No doubt on their way back home." Sharona nodded. "With the drugs. Now what?" Adrian shrugged, opening his mouth to speak. A voice on a bullhorn stopped him. "This is the police, throw down your weapons and raise your hands over your heads, do it, now!" The two men paused, then bolted. "Stop!" A scattering of gunshots rang out, hitting nothing. Adrian and Sharona ducked. "How did Stottlemeyer get here so fast!" Adrian shook his head. "That isn't Stottlemeyer, it's Officer Dodge!" Sharona stared at him. "What?"
Officer Dodge raised the bullhorn to his lips once more. "Ross, come outta there, hands on your head! Move it!" For a moment, the only sound was the cries of other officers in pursuit of the fleeing drug dealers. Then, cautiously, the door to the police station swung open. Ross stepped out, hands on his head. "Dodge, thank God! They got the jump on me! I managed to get Josh, but the other two escaped…" Dodge leveled his revolver. "Save it Ross, I know everything! You two officers, take this man into custody!" Two nearby officers holstered their revolvers and took hold of Ross's arms, cuffing his wrists behind his back. Another officer relieved Ross of his weapons. Adrian and Sharona approached the group of officers, keeping their hands in the open. Dodge caught sight of them and jogged up to them. "Hey, you ok? Ernie told me what happened!" Sharona nodded. "We're fine. How did you…" Dodge smiled, looking back at the scene behind him. Adrian spoke first. "You planned this, didn't you." Dodge nodded. "I was suspicious of Ross for a long time, but had nothing to pin on him. That's when Ernie approached me. He was having some problems with Josh, problems with the bears."
Adrian clasped his hands. "You suspected that Josh was behind the murder of that man found in the lake." Dodge nodded. "He was an FBI agent named Peyton Ritter. Josh caught on to him, had him killed, then fed to one of his bears. I wasn't sure where Ross fit in, until the coroner recovered a bullet from the remains. It matched Ross's revolver." At that moment, the other officers returned with the two drug dealers in tow. Adrian folded his arms. "So you came up with the story about visiting your sister, in order to flush out Ross." Dodge nodded. "Ernie kept in contact with me. When Josh and Ross grabbed you two, he gave the signal. We were here before Josh was."
At that moment, Ernie arrived, his expression unreadable. He walked up to Officer Dodge, who shook his hand. "Ernie, I want to thank you for your help. I'm indebted to you." Ernie shrugged. "It was nothing, I just wanted to make sure that the right thing was done." Adrian looked down a moment, then up again at Ernie's face. Slowly, he held out his hand. Ernie shook it. Adrian smiled softly. "We could use more like you."
Hours later, Sharona had the car packed and her two charges loaded. As she slid into the driver's seat and buckled in, she glanced at Adrian. "How you doin' boss?" Adrian looked over at her, his expression gentle. "I'm good, I'm great." Sharona smiled as she started the car. "Did you talk to Stottlemeyer?" Adrian nodded. "He said to tell you that he may have a job for us when we get back." Sharona raised her brows. "That- that's good! What sort of job?" Adrian shrugged. "Something about getting a cat out of a tree…" Sharona turned to glare at Adrian. "Funny, he's funny this guy. Was he this funny when you guys were partners?" Adrian's face scrunched in concentration. "Hmmm, no, he seemed more interested in stakeouts than stand-ups as I recall." Sharona laughed as they drove down the dirt road. "Well, tell him not to quit his day job."
In the back seat, Benjy suddenly sat forward. "Hey! There's a sign for a water park, can we stop?" Sharona glanced at Adrian, who returned her look. As one, they turned to Benjy.
"No!"
Benjy smiled as he sat back in his seat. It was good to be going home.
-End