This story starts off a little slow, but given the title, I'm hoping you'll be patient with me to see just how this comes about. Constructive crit and reviews are more than welcomed. Just please no out and about flames, tell me why you hate the story or what isn't working for you. Many thanks.

Also forgot to mention...I own nothing, I am making no profit from this. Just for fun.

Mr. Monk Gets Shot

Chapter 1

The day was sweltering, everywhere a person turned one could see the dogs panting lazily, children chasing after ice cream trucks, and the city's finest could be seen wiping their brows and opening up their neck collars slightly, as if such would help.

Only one man seemed to be comfortable in his three piece suit, but the key word here would be seemed, those who knew him knew he was never comfortable.

"Hey Captain, what do we have today?" As soon as the man in the three piece suit opened his mouth he immediately regretted it and began to gag. "That's the body's stench?"

"Yea Monk, what did you expect on a hot summer's day?"

"Ugh" the man shut his eyes as if he were in pain and began quickly snapping his fingers "Natalie! Natalie! Wipes! Wipes!" To his right appeared a lean woman, nicely dressed for the summer day with a skirt, long enough as to not attract the gaze of certain officers, but short enough to attract the gaze of the other officers. She was searching through her purse mumbling angrily about something or other and handed the wipe to her boss with just a hint of frustration.

The man placed the wipe over his nose and mouth and mumbled.

"Ok, I'm ready." He stepped ahead of Natalie and Captain Stottlemeyer, and turned to them "Are you coming?" The Captain and Natalie exchanged glances and rolled their eyes and went to follow their defective detective.

As Monk entered the room he was met with the ever stronger stench, and stopped in front of a table which had magazines such as Home Gardening, Cats, and Fitness scattered about. Monk brought up his sleeve to cover up his palm, still holding the wipe with his left, and gently rearranged them into a neat stack. Satisfied, he looked up to see that his assistant and the Captain were waiting for him at the crime scene.

He lowered the wipe from his mouth slightly, and gave a tight smile at their exasperated gazes. He then went in, his mind taking everything in. To him it was as natural as breathing. He saw the stereo and noticed the small type etched into the screen…CD. He cocked his head at it and gently pushed the button with his sleeve again and saw the disk drive open up.

"She was listening to Sinatra when she died…" Obvious, he stared down at her body and saw her eyes still open, staring at some unknown terror. Blood was scattered all around, her clothes were in shreds, her face hardly recognizable. But that didn't stop Adrian Monk from recognizing the familiar look or horror on her brows.

"Died instantly…"

"Now how do you know that? Monk there are multiple wounds…she was slashed over and over." As the Captain grows frustrated with Monk, the reverse holds true.

"Here, this strain of muscle on her forehead…it only appears when a person feels fear, had she a slower death her body would have relaxed." Monk frowned through his wipe and looked at the blood patterns.

"Too organized."

"You call this…mess…too organized? You?"

"Look at it Captain! There's blood every where there should be! No drips, no shoe slips, no footprints, no stains on the table or stool, obviously this person had strength, not that old…"

"What makes you say that?"

"If the killer killed her instantly and wanted to stage a show he would have been squatting or kneeled over her, creating the slash marks. No knee patterns in the pools of blood suggest squatting, for a long-long" He turned his head looking from each angle "Long time. Here. Notice the absence of blood, all the slashing was done from this spot right here, right next to this stool, which you see, has not been cleaned and there is no blood on it. With the amount of blood, the killer had to have his gloves dirty…someone older squatting for such a long time would have needed the stool for support as he got up…"

A pause as the Captain took all of this was broken by the cheery voice of Lieutenant Disher.

"Hey guys let me introduce you to the victim's neighbor, Jenny Frost…" Randy leaned into his boss and whispered "She's the one who found the body"

"How are you today ma'am?" The Captain began but noticed how the woman's eyes were open in slight shock at the image of the body, and Stottlemeyer placed his hand on her back and steered her away from the scene of the crime.

"I-I just can't believe it…" Her eyes wavered and she bit her index finger. "Mary was a friend, who-who would do this to her?"

"I don't know ma'am , but we will find whoever did this." At this moment Monk walked in, wipe still over his nose, and the Captain made his way to introduce him. "Ah, Jenny is it?" The woman nodded slowly "This is Adrian Monk, he's the force's private consultant, with him on the job I'm sure we'll find the killer." Jenny held out her hand, Natalie got the wipes ready, and Monk slowly placed his right hand into hers.

"Thank you." She whispered, as she shook hands and Monk winced at the handshake.

"Ah, quite a grip." He chuckled nervously as his hand shook for the wipe. Once in his grasp he wiped himself the best he could with one hand and held it out for Natalie to take back. The woman smiled slightly at his actions and responded to his comment.

"I have two German Shepherds, they're quite hard to control when they're out on their walk, and I have to have a tight grip." She smiled and the Captain chuckled, willing to lighten this lady's mood.

"Randy got your statement correct ma'am?" The woman looked confused and saw that the Captain was pointing at Lieutenant Disher, her mouth formed a small "oh" and she nodded.

"That's right sir, it was the fourth one I gave today."

"Well, I'm afraid it's going to be just one more time for Monk here, if you would be so kind."

"Of course, anything to find Mary's killer."

"Thank you, now Lieutenant Disher tells me you're the one who found the body?"

"That's right, I was walking my dogs when I noticed that Mary's car was still in the driveway…I got excited that maybe she had a day off from work and we could gossip about Mr. Danube and his divorce, when I get closer to the door though, there was this- stench…it wasn't as bad as it is now, it was really faint…and so I thought nothing of it, and I knocked on her door, she didn't answer…" Tears started to fall across her face "I let myself in with the key she gave me, you know, because she tends to travel and she asks me to water her plants, oh she loves-loved them."

She bit her finger again in thought and Monk flinched at the sight and thought of any question he could ask so the finger could just get…out of her mouth.

"And where were you last night?"

"Oh!" Jenny exclaimed a blush creeping up her neck "I was with Peter, Mr. Danube, all night…if you know what I mean."

"She's right!" Randy piped up, looking back and forth at all the eyes on him "I checked it out, Mr. Danube commented Jenny was with him from 6 p.m. last night to 7 a.m. this morning." Randy winked at the woman who just blushed and smiled bashfully again.

"Do you know anyone who would want to hurt Mary?" Monk continued questioning, because every time he stopped, her finger would rise up to her mouth once more.

"No…she was a very quiet person, though, now that I think about it…her ex-husband did come around here about a week ago, they got into a pretty nasty argument. I could hear it from my house, Zeus and Hades too."

"Zeus and Hades?"

"My two German Shepherds."

"Oh."

"Excuse me ma'am." Stottlemeyer interrupted, "But would you happen to know the name of Mary's ex?"

"Of course! Mary complained about him often enough, his name is Bradley Carr, two 'R's."

"Thank you ma'am, do you have any more questions Monk?"

"Ah, just one more." Monk rubbed his brow, "The chain" he moved his finger in a horseshoe shape "around your neck, are those dog tags?" The woman fingered her chain in surprise and she gave Monk a gentle smile.

"Yes, they belonged to my husband, a casualty of war."

"Oh, I am so sorry, I know what's it's like to lose someone." Natalie spoke up, understanding and concern in her eyes as she placed a hand to her chest.

"Yes…me-me too…" Monk whispered.

"Thank you, but he died protecting our country. I couldn't be prouder."

"Thank you ma'am, Randy will walk you back home; we may be back later for follow-up questions."

"Of course, you do what you have to."

As Randy and the woman left the room, the Captain turned to Monk and raised his eyebrow.

"So what do you think?"

"Did you see that? She chews on her finger like it's a corn dog! And then that-"

"Monk." Stottlemeyer warned, "I meant about the case."

"Oh, well…it had to be a professional, the way everything was set up…it was as if he knew how cops think, so we're not dealing with someone stupid either."

"A professional killer? Like a hit-man?" Monk tilted his head to the side in thought

"Maybe, or maybe he was in a military sector, or maybe he's just killed more than one person. There could be so many ways as to how a person can get so good at killing."

Stottlemeyer raised his eyebrow in question and Monk nodded earnestly. The Captain sighed and nodded, "I'll check it out."

Monk gave the Captain another smile in appreciation and leaned in and whispered to the side.

"When you're done with the crime scene, could you call me back? There's some dirty dishes in the sink…Randy wouldn't let me touch them, and I-"

Monk trailed off as he saw familiar growl on the Captain's face, and he gave another quick smile in hopes it would appease him.

"But you know, only if you're not too busy…" Monk hurried out the door, already following Natalie, and the Captain got out his yo-yo from his pocket and nearly snapped it in two as Monk popped his head through the door jam again.

"Please? I mean, don't forget if you're not too busy? To call me?" Monk's eyes trailed to the yo-yo that was spinning faster and faster. "Right. I'll-um, I'll hear from you later."

And the only sound that was left behind was the silent fuming of the Captain of the San Francisco police force and quick zooming of the yo-yo going up and down.

To be continued…