"This is where it happened," said Disher as Monk and Sharona walked with
him to the scene. "I was standing across the street there, and I saw them
right where we are now." Monk immediately got to work looking for clues.
After about ten seconds, he shook his head, saying "I'm not getting much
from this place. What happened next?"
"I chased him down this way, and then he went into that alley." The group went to the area that Disher indicated. "By the time I got here, he was gone." "All right," said Monk. "I'll have a look around." He went into the alley, looking for any sign of where the mugger might have gone. He soon found himself blocked in. There was a good amount of dust on the ground, but apparently a wind had gone through since it happened as there were no footprints anywhere. He kept looking, hoping for some sign, but came up empty.
As he came out of the alley, Monk saw Sharona and Disher's expectant faces. However, he had nothing to tell them. "There's nothing in there. I don't know how the guy did it, but there's no trace of him." Monk walked a little further down the street, then exploded. "How can there be a crime scene with no clues? It's not possible, it can't be done!" Sharona was worried; she had never seen her boss like this, and wondered if he should stop his investigation before things got any worse.
Suddenly, Disher's cell phone rang. He answered, saying, "Hello? Oh, captain. No, we haven't found anything; even Monk's stymied." There was a pause, then, "Oh. Well, I'll bring him in right away." Disher hung up and called Monk over. "Ms. Burningham just came into the station. The guy did it again." "Does she have anything new?" Monk asked. "Captain Stottlemeyer hasn't gotten a chance to question her yet. We'd better get over there."
"Was there anything different this time?" Monk asked Carolyn. "Yes," she said. "He had a gun. I guess he wasn't taking chances. Oh, and he got away with my purse, since no one was around."
"What was in the purse? Anything that he'd want in particular?" "Well, some money, of course. Then there was lipstick, sunglasses, and those pieces of paper I carry around in case I have to write something down." "Thank you," said Monk. "I'll do my best to find this guy."
Monk walked back to Sharona. "There's something I'm missing here, I just know it. I solved all those other cases so easily, why can't I do anything with this one?" "Adrian, don't do this to yourself," said Sharona. "You can't expect a solution to just jump out at you, no matter how long you work on something. Besides, that particular woman has to have something to do with it, right? I mean, why else would the guy target her twice?"
"There was nothing unusual in her purse, and if she knew anyone with six fingers she'd tell us. There is such a thing as coincidence, otherwise there wouldn't be a word for it." Sharona looked at him sympathetically. "I'm sure you'll figure this out. You always do. It just won't be right now." Monk started to head out the door, then stopped. "Wait a minute, I have an idea."
Monk caught Carolyn heading out herself. "Ms. Birningham, one more question. Did you do anything shortly before the first incident that could cause something to get into your purse without your knowledge?" "I don't quite know what that could be," she replied. "Anything unusual, it might make or break this case." "Well, the night before there was something unusual for me. I got a date."
Monk became intrigued. "Go on," he said. "We went out to dinner, then we went back to my place, but he left without, you know, anything." Now Monk was very interested. "And did you ever get a good look at his right hand?" Carolyn looked confused. "Actually, no. He kept it in his pocket most of the time. It seemed kind of weird but I didn't think much of it. Wait a minute, you don't think he did it, do you?" "Unless you can suggest anyone else, he's our only suspect."
Monk took Sharona aside. "I have an idea. This guy she went out with wasn't sure he'd get a second date, so he left something in her purse. When she found it, she'd think he dropped it there, so she'd call him and they'd get together again. Then he realized he needed it back for some reason." He turned back. "Ms. Birningham, what can you tell us about this man?"
"I chased him down this way, and then he went into that alley." The group went to the area that Disher indicated. "By the time I got here, he was gone." "All right," said Monk. "I'll have a look around." He went into the alley, looking for any sign of where the mugger might have gone. He soon found himself blocked in. There was a good amount of dust on the ground, but apparently a wind had gone through since it happened as there were no footprints anywhere. He kept looking, hoping for some sign, but came up empty.
As he came out of the alley, Monk saw Sharona and Disher's expectant faces. However, he had nothing to tell them. "There's nothing in there. I don't know how the guy did it, but there's no trace of him." Monk walked a little further down the street, then exploded. "How can there be a crime scene with no clues? It's not possible, it can't be done!" Sharona was worried; she had never seen her boss like this, and wondered if he should stop his investigation before things got any worse.
Suddenly, Disher's cell phone rang. He answered, saying, "Hello? Oh, captain. No, we haven't found anything; even Monk's stymied." There was a pause, then, "Oh. Well, I'll bring him in right away." Disher hung up and called Monk over. "Ms. Burningham just came into the station. The guy did it again." "Does she have anything new?" Monk asked. "Captain Stottlemeyer hasn't gotten a chance to question her yet. We'd better get over there."
"Was there anything different this time?" Monk asked Carolyn. "Yes," she said. "He had a gun. I guess he wasn't taking chances. Oh, and he got away with my purse, since no one was around."
"What was in the purse? Anything that he'd want in particular?" "Well, some money, of course. Then there was lipstick, sunglasses, and those pieces of paper I carry around in case I have to write something down." "Thank you," said Monk. "I'll do my best to find this guy."
Monk walked back to Sharona. "There's something I'm missing here, I just know it. I solved all those other cases so easily, why can't I do anything with this one?" "Adrian, don't do this to yourself," said Sharona. "You can't expect a solution to just jump out at you, no matter how long you work on something. Besides, that particular woman has to have something to do with it, right? I mean, why else would the guy target her twice?"
"There was nothing unusual in her purse, and if she knew anyone with six fingers she'd tell us. There is such a thing as coincidence, otherwise there wouldn't be a word for it." Sharona looked at him sympathetically. "I'm sure you'll figure this out. You always do. It just won't be right now." Monk started to head out the door, then stopped. "Wait a minute, I have an idea."
Monk caught Carolyn heading out herself. "Ms. Birningham, one more question. Did you do anything shortly before the first incident that could cause something to get into your purse without your knowledge?" "I don't quite know what that could be," she replied. "Anything unusual, it might make or break this case." "Well, the night before there was something unusual for me. I got a date."
Monk became intrigued. "Go on," he said. "We went out to dinner, then we went back to my place, but he left without, you know, anything." Now Monk was very interested. "And did you ever get a good look at his right hand?" Carolyn looked confused. "Actually, no. He kept it in his pocket most of the time. It seemed kind of weird but I didn't think much of it. Wait a minute, you don't think he did it, do you?" "Unless you can suggest anyone else, he's our only suspect."
Monk took Sharona aside. "I have an idea. This guy she went out with wasn't sure he'd get a second date, so he left something in her purse. When she found it, she'd think he dropped it there, so she'd call him and they'd get together again. Then he realized he needed it back for some reason." He turned back. "Ms. Birningham, what can you tell us about this man?"