Mr. Monk and the Toddler
Chapter 2
There's a Kid
"Adrian...ADRIAN..." Sharona sighed in frustration. "Adrian, the peanuts are fine. We have to go...the Captain called us -" she checked her watch, "a half an hour ago. He's going to thing we were the ones murdered."
"Don't even say that," he said jiggling a plastic container of peanuts. "You know, I've never noticed this before...these peanuts were just thrown in here...it bothers me that there's no pattern. Doesn't it bother you?" he looked up at Sharona's angry face.
"No. It only bothers you, because you're the one with the problem. Adrian, come on, we have to go. The peanuts will be here when we get back, you can finish with them then - Adrian!" her boss had just dumped the entire container out onto the table and started stacking them up, counting them as he went.
"No...No...No, no, no, and no. We're going right now. Do it later."
"But, I can't leave knowing there are peanuts in my house that have been put into a container with no pattern whatsoever...11...12..." Sharona threw up her arms. After a full hour, Adrian finished, smiled at his work, and screwed the cap back on. Sharona opened her eyes, having fallen asleep while Adrian had been working on his peanut project and sighed.
"Thank God...you're finished." Adrian picked up the peanuts and went to his cupboard. He opened it and looked at the spot where it had been - on the top shelf. He reached up high and stood on the tips of his toes. Sharona's eyes grew wide.
"No...Adrian, No..." Then, the worst happened..the peanuts slipped out of his hand and fell onto the floor. The top popped up, and peanuts littered the floor. Adrian stayed in the same position and turned his head slowly, not wanting to see the condition of his madly polished kitchen floor. Sharona closed her eyes and took a deep breath.
"Where have you people been?" asked Captain Stottlemeyer when they finally arrived at the Police Station.
"You really don't want to know what happened, so it's as easy as this...I won't tell you." Stottlemeyer rolled his eyes and began talking.
"It's your basic murder situation..the guy killed his wife with a pocket knife in a locked bedroom. No one was there to witness it and we only have one suspect...obviously the woman's husband. What we have to do, is get him to confess and to find out exactly why he did it. What I want you to do is get down to the crime scene...Randy and I will meet you there. Okay?" Just then, Lieutenant Randall Disher burst into the door.
"Hey guys, we have a situation." Adrian stood up slowly.
"Oh God, I knew I left the stove on," he said nervously, "Someone call the fire department - "
"Adrian...calm down. Your house isn't on fire," said Sharona patiently. "What is it, Randy?"
"There's a kid."
"A kid?" asked Sharona, Adrian, and Stottlemeyer in unison.
"Yeah...the couple had a kid..the couple in the case," sand Randy looking around the room at everyone's stunned faces.
"Now, nobody told me anything about a kid," said Stottlemeyer.
"How old is it?" asked Sharona.
"Four," replied Randy, "She's here right now...we don't know how she got here...but we do know something else."
"Shoot," said Stottlemeyer.
"Her dad's gone...our suspect. He left for Colorado today. The kid said that he left, and we contacted the airport and they said that he left just two hours ago."
"Oh, well that's great. What's her name?" asked Stottlemeyer, rubbing his forehead.
"McKenzie," said Disher.
"Does she have any family she can go stay with? Like...in town?" asked Stottlemeyer.
"Nope. She has a few relatives in Nevada and a few in Georgia. "
"Well...Someone take her. Just for a few days...until we can get someone to look after her..." All eyes went to Monk. He just looked back at them like they were crazy.
"What? Why me? Sharona can take her...right, Sharona?"
"Adrian...I've got Benjy...he's like 10 kids."
"But..wh...what about Stottlemeyer?" asked Adrian desperately.
"You're kidding, right?" he said, chuckling.
"Disher?"
"Just take her, Monk. She's four years old," said Stottlemeyer.
"B - Wh -" Adrian sighed. "If I take care of this thing, Sharona has to help me."
"What do you mean, help you? She's four years old - how bad can she be?" asked Sharona. Disher took in a deep breath and opened the door that he had come in, and closed behind him. A little kid flew into the door and jumped on Adrian's lap. Adrian closed his eyes and tried to pretend that nothing was there.
"Man!" yelled the girl, in his ear, breathing all over the side of his face. Adrian held out his hand, and Sharona handed him a wipe.