Monk turned around and saw the members of Wink 242 dragging Sharona off
with them.
"Adrian! Help me!" She cried as she disappeared into the crowd.
"Sharona! SHARONA!!" Monk shouted, his heart tightening. The Captain entered from the outside looking worried that Sharona was taking so long.
"Monk! What's going on?" he asked but Monk was already running after Sharona in the thickening crowd. The Captain, Randy and several uniformed officers rushed inside after them.
Monk tried to keep them in sight but he quickly lost them. Darn those throngs of punk rockers. Their spiked jewelry stabbed him at least a dozen times as he rushed through. Going on a hunch, he figured they had taken her through one of the side doors.
But which one?
He stuck his nose up to the first door he saw. A girl wearing all black and bright purple eye shadow stared at him funny as she walked by.
"What?" He said, "You're the one that looks weird." But she had already been swallowed into the crowd. He began sniffing for Sharona's scent of Elizabeth Arden's White Musk which she always wore.
Not this door.
He tried again. Yes! He smelled it faintly and burst through the door.
A guy grabbed him as soon as he entered and he looked ahead to see Sharona passed out and slumped over in a chair. Monk felt his heart in anguish, "Sharona!" He couldn't bear to see her hurt.
The guy behind him put a gun to his temple. Monk made a face; he couldn't help it, even in times of trouble he was worried about where that gun had been.
"No wait Joey!" One of the guys standing next to Sharona said. "Let's kill her first and make him watch," he sneered.
Monk started shaking, "No no! Don't TOUCH her!"
"Whoa, hold it there Buddy," Joey tightened his grip on Monk.
"Shoot me! Let her go. . . I'm not afraid of death, well not TOO afraid. . . well actually I am a little. It is about fourth on my list of things I'm afraid of. After you know germs and needles and-"
"Dude! Shut up!" The guy across the room said shaking his head in disbelief.
Joey started laughing, "What a character."
Monk caught him off guard and elbowed Joey in the gut. He leaped across the room towards Sharona. Shots rang out.
Suddenly, the door was forced open by a crowd of blue uniforms.
"Nobody move!" Stottlemeyer shouted.
"Captain, get Sharona!" Monk yelled.
The police quickly rounded up the band members and Monk raced over to Sharona.
"Is. . . is she ok?" he asked close to tears.
"Yes, she's just got a bump on the head. Oh, here, she's waking up," The Capt. said and he and Monk pulled her to her feet.
"Sharona, Sharona, are you ok?" Monk brushed her hair back from her face.
"Oh Adrian!" Sharona couldn't help but start sobbing, "I was so scared! But then you came after me . . . and I found that very odd" she added in thought.
"Of course, I had to. I'd never leave you. Even though I worry about germs, I worry about YOU more." Monk pulled her close to his chest.
At this she reached up to him and kissed him passionately for several long moments.
Randy and the Captain shifted uncomfortably.
Still no signs of them stopping.
Randy pulled out a stopwatch.
Finally they pulled apart and Sharona whispered sexily to Monk, "I'll thank you more later."
Monk's eyes widened.
The Captain and Randy exchanged horrified glances after overhearing this.
Feeling lightheaded, Monk walked Sharona to the front entrance; she leaned on him the while way.
"C'mon let's get outta here," Stottlemeyer muttered, "This music's giving me a headache. Musta been hell for you Monk."
Monk smiled, grateful for the empathy.
Outside, Monk explained the story, "Wink 242 was jealous of The Naked Puppet's fame. So they had the idea that if they started murdering a person every show while The Naked Puppet was playing, their popularity would dwindle because everyone would be too afraid to come to their shows and then Wink 242 could take over the tour. They randomly selected Marvin Sneeds for their first murder but they purposely were going to select Sharona and me for their next attack because I had found out what they were up to."
"Good work Monk," Stottlemeyer nodded, "that badge of yours is looking closer all the time."
Monk beamed at him.
"And. . ." Stottlemeyer paused, "What . . . is that what I think it is in . . . no I must be mistaken. I think it's a trick of the light . . . that can't be an-earring?"
Monk blushed, "Um well I meant to take that out and I uh-"
"Hey!" The Capt. threw his hands up, "It's your business, not mine. Whatever you want to do with your . . ." he stifled a chuckle, " your ear is uh fine with me. Nice look though."
Monk made a face.
"No uh really. It is. Very uh hip for you, Monk. By the way. . . what's going on between you and Sharona?"
Monk walked over to where she was waiting and took her hand in his, "Nothing that wasn't already there." He said over his shoulder. Sharona smiled up at him and they walked out.
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
"I feel like driving," he said to her once they'd gone outside.
"Well that's great," she replied, "But you ain't driving my car."
"Oh come on. I'll be careful," he protested.
"Yeah, your "careful" last time got me a busted headlight. I don't think so."
Monk didn't reply.
"Oh no you don't, you're not giving me the Adrian sad-faced look. You're just going to get in the car and I'M going to drive us home," she ordered.
"Can I beep the horn?" He asked.
"Maybe," she replied grinning.
"Well. . . ok then. . . maybe you know after we clean it with a wet wipe. . .at least once or twice and-"
"Adrian?"
"Yeah?"
"Shut up and get in the car," Sharona glared at him.
"Um. . . yes your highness." He smiled at her and obediently got in.
THE END
"Adrian! Help me!" She cried as she disappeared into the crowd.
"Sharona! SHARONA!!" Monk shouted, his heart tightening. The Captain entered from the outside looking worried that Sharona was taking so long.
"Monk! What's going on?" he asked but Monk was already running after Sharona in the thickening crowd. The Captain, Randy and several uniformed officers rushed inside after them.
Monk tried to keep them in sight but he quickly lost them. Darn those throngs of punk rockers. Their spiked jewelry stabbed him at least a dozen times as he rushed through. Going on a hunch, he figured they had taken her through one of the side doors.
But which one?
He stuck his nose up to the first door he saw. A girl wearing all black and bright purple eye shadow stared at him funny as she walked by.
"What?" He said, "You're the one that looks weird." But she had already been swallowed into the crowd. He began sniffing for Sharona's scent of Elizabeth Arden's White Musk which she always wore.
Not this door.
He tried again. Yes! He smelled it faintly and burst through the door.
A guy grabbed him as soon as he entered and he looked ahead to see Sharona passed out and slumped over in a chair. Monk felt his heart in anguish, "Sharona!" He couldn't bear to see her hurt.
The guy behind him put a gun to his temple. Monk made a face; he couldn't help it, even in times of trouble he was worried about where that gun had been.
"No wait Joey!" One of the guys standing next to Sharona said. "Let's kill her first and make him watch," he sneered.
Monk started shaking, "No no! Don't TOUCH her!"
"Whoa, hold it there Buddy," Joey tightened his grip on Monk.
"Shoot me! Let her go. . . I'm not afraid of death, well not TOO afraid. . . well actually I am a little. It is about fourth on my list of things I'm afraid of. After you know germs and needles and-"
"Dude! Shut up!" The guy across the room said shaking his head in disbelief.
Joey started laughing, "What a character."
Monk caught him off guard and elbowed Joey in the gut. He leaped across the room towards Sharona. Shots rang out.
Suddenly, the door was forced open by a crowd of blue uniforms.
"Nobody move!" Stottlemeyer shouted.
"Captain, get Sharona!" Monk yelled.
The police quickly rounded up the band members and Monk raced over to Sharona.
"Is. . . is she ok?" he asked close to tears.
"Yes, she's just got a bump on the head. Oh, here, she's waking up," The Capt. said and he and Monk pulled her to her feet.
"Sharona, Sharona, are you ok?" Monk brushed her hair back from her face.
"Oh Adrian!" Sharona couldn't help but start sobbing, "I was so scared! But then you came after me . . . and I found that very odd" she added in thought.
"Of course, I had to. I'd never leave you. Even though I worry about germs, I worry about YOU more." Monk pulled her close to his chest.
At this she reached up to him and kissed him passionately for several long moments.
Randy and the Captain shifted uncomfortably.
Still no signs of them stopping.
Randy pulled out a stopwatch.
Finally they pulled apart and Sharona whispered sexily to Monk, "I'll thank you more later."
Monk's eyes widened.
The Captain and Randy exchanged horrified glances after overhearing this.
Feeling lightheaded, Monk walked Sharona to the front entrance; she leaned on him the while way.
"C'mon let's get outta here," Stottlemeyer muttered, "This music's giving me a headache. Musta been hell for you Monk."
Monk smiled, grateful for the empathy.
Outside, Monk explained the story, "Wink 242 was jealous of The Naked Puppet's fame. So they had the idea that if they started murdering a person every show while The Naked Puppet was playing, their popularity would dwindle because everyone would be too afraid to come to their shows and then Wink 242 could take over the tour. They randomly selected Marvin Sneeds for their first murder but they purposely were going to select Sharona and me for their next attack because I had found out what they were up to."
"Good work Monk," Stottlemeyer nodded, "that badge of yours is looking closer all the time."
Monk beamed at him.
"And. . ." Stottlemeyer paused, "What . . . is that what I think it is in . . . no I must be mistaken. I think it's a trick of the light . . . that can't be an-earring?"
Monk blushed, "Um well I meant to take that out and I uh-"
"Hey!" The Capt. threw his hands up, "It's your business, not mine. Whatever you want to do with your . . ." he stifled a chuckle, " your ear is uh fine with me. Nice look though."
Monk made a face.
"No uh really. It is. Very uh hip for you, Monk. By the way. . . what's going on between you and Sharona?"
Monk walked over to where she was waiting and took her hand in his, "Nothing that wasn't already there." He said over his shoulder. Sharona smiled up at him and they walked out.
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
"I feel like driving," he said to her once they'd gone outside.
"Well that's great," she replied, "But you ain't driving my car."
"Oh come on. I'll be careful," he protested.
"Yeah, your "careful" last time got me a busted headlight. I don't think so."
Monk didn't reply.
"Oh no you don't, you're not giving me the Adrian sad-faced look. You're just going to get in the car and I'M going to drive us home," she ordered.
"Can I beep the horn?" He asked.
"Maybe," she replied grinning.
"Well. . . ok then. . . maybe you know after we clean it with a wet wipe. . .at least once or twice and-"
"Adrian?"
"Yeah?"
"Shut up and get in the car," Sharona glared at him.
"Um. . . yes your highness." He smiled at her and obediently got in.
THE END