Authors Note: Thank you all for your reviews. I'm glad you like Asher's name! Welcome, thesunisup! Tremendous hearing from you! A lot is packed into these last few chapters and this one will be no exception. It's a little long, but I think a lot more will be made clear by the end of it. Enjoy!

Natalie rolled over in bed and sighed as she felt the same emptiness next to her that she had felt several nights over that last two weeks. She thought for sure that Adrian's greatest concerns regarding the baby had been quelled and wondered what he was doing up at two o'clock in the morning. She decided to investigate.

Walking into their living room, a floorboard creaked in their two-hundred and fifty year old home alerting Monk to the fact his wife was up. He immediately asked if she was okay.

"We're fine. Just missing my sweet husband and wishing he'd come back to bed and keep me warm." she said as she wrapped her arms around his neck.

The corner of Adrian's mouth lifted. "Our bedroom is like a furnace, particularly thanks to the little furnace inside you. You're checking up on me."

"Okay. You've got me there. Are you still looking at medical journals?"

Monk shook his head. "Yes, among other things. But not for the reason as before. I'm trying to check into Ianovsky's background. Something's not fitting with this case."

"Anything I can help with?" she asked.

Monk put his hand over hers. "No, sweetheart. You need your rest. Plus, it's seeming like a fruitless search. His name is on a lot of medical studies through the years, both as the chief researcher as well as a contributor. But nothing stands out to me as particularly interesting outside of his professional work."

"He went to school with Dr. Neal." Natalie said. "Maybe Sebastian will know more."

"I hope so. Because, truthfully, the charges that the Feds are trying to levy at him, any good lawyer could beat. How can you say it was murder when the patient is already within days of dying and the intent isn't there to kill? If what Joseph says is true, I think the charges will be dropped and at most he's looking at a reprimand from the hospital and a slightly tarnished reputation - which is no reason to kill Kelsey."

"So, you don't think he did it?" she asked.

Monk shook his head. "The more I think it through, no. I don't think he's the guy. However, I want to be 100% sure one way or the other and this isn't helping."

Natalie stood up straight and walked toward her tablet which was plugged in near the sofa. "I'll tell you what. Let me search more on Dr. Ianovsky and you look more into Kelsey. Maybe there is something in her background."

"Already did that early on. She had no enemies that anyone knew of. David might be able to help but he's clammed up. He seemed scared. He said that whoever killed her did so without a care."

"Whoever?" Natalie asked. "That doesn't sound like he suspected anyone specific at the hospital."

Monk agreed. "Which underscores my thought that Dr. Ianovsky didn't do it - not that he's a good guy, mind you, but he lacks motive. The question, therefore, is who?"

Inside the professional building for General Hospital, a man in a leather jacket, surgical mask, gloves and fine leather shoes made his way towards the Hematology Suite and let himself in. The offices were closed and at two o'clock in the morning the area was desolate – a perfect time to accomplish his task. Crossing the waiting area, he made his way directly to Ianovsky's office and went in. He did not turn on the lights lest he attract attention from patients whose floor-to-ceiling windows in their hospital rooms directly faced the offices. He moved with stealth to the wall where the object of his pursuit resided. Taking out a small penlight that he utilized for exams, he shined it on the wall and located the picture. Removing it, he placed the photo under his arm and replaced it with another one from Zola's bookshelves then, he quietly left the facility.

The next morning, the Monks were eating breakfast when the doorbell rang. Natalie was standing and began to make her way to the door but was stopped by Adrian who indicated that he knew what it was. Seconds later, he returned with a large FedEx Box from Texas marked overnight shipping.

"What on earth is that?" she asked as Monk set the box down on the counter.

"Is it for me?" Lee asked.

"Why it be for you?" Abby replied. "It not your birfday. Probly for me."

"Hey you two! Let's not be selfish." Natalie scolded. "Whose it for?" she asked, looking anxiously at the box as he broke open the tape. Perhaps it was for her.

Monk opened the lid and removed the newspaper packing material. "Thank heaven he didn't use bubble wrap." He remarked. Then, reaching down into the box, he pulled out a singular box, read the label on it and set it to the side. He then dug inside and pulled out a box marked Leland, one marked Abigail, one marked Natalie, one marked Asher and one for himself."

"Oh, goodness! It's like Christmas in May!" Natalie said. "Who is all of this from?

"It's from dad." he smiled softly. "When I talked to him yesterday afternoon, he felt really bad that he couldn't be here with us right now -not sure why since he's never exactly been here for anything else. But, we had a good talk and I asked him for a favor for a friend. He told me that he had just the thing and said he'd also be sending some little trinkets for all of us. So…I guess, Merry May 3rd from Grandpa Monk, kids! Go ahead, open up!"

Abby and Lee both smiled as they broke into their boxes, but smiles turned to confusion when Lee unveiled a full-sized Dallas Cowboy's foam finger and Abby had a matching adult-sized foam hat. Natalie watched with uncomfortable amusement as Monk attempted to explain what their grandpa had sent.

"It's an um...It's...what the heck is it?"

Natalie took over and explained it was memorabilia to cheer on their grandpa's favorite team. Then she showed them how it was used.

Lee shook his head. "So dat's where it come from." He mused reflecting on some of the past gifts he'd received from Adrian.

"Where it comes from?" Monk asked.

"Yeah. Not eberyone can be good shopper." Abby said. "But we love you anyway."

Natalie burst out laughing and Monk gave her an embarrassed smirk, but not half as embarrassed as he felt when he opened his gift.

"Are these shorts?" he said, as he pulled out a pair of Cowboys boxers. "Oh gosh!" He said as he realized his mistake. Shoving them quickly back into the box, he hid it behind his back.

"What?" Natalie asked.

"It's nothing. What did you get?" he asked.

"No, tell me!" she replied, standing to see what it was as his face was turning red.

"No. I'll show y – I'll TELL you about them later. See what he got you." He replied.

"I want to see." She said, ignoring him and going for box. Monk squeezed his eyes shut as she pulled out the boxer shorts and held them up in front of the kids.

"Daddy got Underroos!" Lee cackled and Abby scrunched her nose just like her mother and began to roll on the floor. "Daddy got Underroos. Daddy got Underroos. Daddy got Underroos."

Monk placed his hand over his face and then took them back from her.

"You satisfied?" he asked.

"Oh, no." she said teasingly. "You're definitely going to have to model them for me."

"I don't think so." He replied.

"You'll thank me later." She winked.

"Natalie Jane. Remember the children." He said, putting the underwear away, then glancing over at her with a barely suppressed grin.

Natalie opened her gift and the baby's. The one for Asher consisted of six Cowboys onesies, a pacifier and a plush toy for infants. When she opened her own gift, she saw it was a large mug stuffed with satchels of high-end herbal tea. Included, was a note.

Natalie. This is just something to help you relax a little. With all that is happening, you need it. Thank you for being the best daughter a man could wish for and for being there for my son and grandchildren. All my love, Dad.

"Awe, isn't that sweet!" she said. "We need to go back to Texas after the baby is born. Let the kids see where their grandpa lives."

Monk shook his head. "I guess that would be okay."

"What? Don't you want to go see your dad?" she asked.

Monk thought for a moment. "It would be good to see him again. I guess I'm just a little hesitant about making that trip. You know how he is when things get hard. I will have no patience with him if he doesn't treat Asher right."

Natalie reached out and took his hand. "Was there any indication that he wouldn't?" she asked.

"No. Not really. He was shocked but seemed pretty normal."

"Well, he can't be any worse than my parents. We should at least give it a try." She replied. "He won't be around forever."

Monk looked at her for several seconds. "Okay, for you, I'll try."

Later that morning, Monk called the agency office and told Heather that he wouldn't be in until later that afternoon, that he was running to the hospital to check out some information on one of his doctors. He then called Joseph Kieta to see if he could meet him at General around lunch. He knew that the Feds had given Neal a questionnaire to fill out concerning his knowledge of Ianovsky and that it was to be ready Monday morning. He figured by bringing Joseph along, it would add legitimacy to his request to collect the questionnaire. Visiting Ianovsky's office one last time was the real purpose of his quest.

"It's funny that you called." Keita said. "We were going there today anyway to talk to the hospital administrator. Now that the conference has left town, he is suddenly anxious to address my daughter's groups' grievances."

In the background he heard Sam's cheerful voice. "Newspaper headlines which say Hospital Jails Disabled Woman might have had a little to do with it."

Joseph laughed. "It might have indeed. Anyway, our appointment is at two in the Administration building just a couple of doors down from the professional building. We can meet you there at noon – that is if you don't mind a few extras."

"Extras?"

"Yes, it'll be me, Sam, Eddie, and their friend Harriet who has Spinal Muscular Atrophy. She also uses a wheelchair.

"Eddie? Is he the giant?" Adrian asked.

"Yes. He's only sixteen years old and has giantism. He met Sam at PT."

"I see." Monk said. "It's fine if Sam and her friends are there." He said, eyeing the remaining box that Jack sent. "In fact, that will work out just great."

"So, noon?"

"Yeah. I'll have Natalie with me. She's meeting with her endocrinologist for a routine followup on some bloodwork she had done a couple of weeks ago. So, if we meet at the hospital entrance, we can drop her off there and that will be that much less walking she has to do. That is, if it's okay for Sam and her friends."

"Sam's friends get along fine. Let the pregnant lady have dibs on convenience." He said.

"She's been very tired as of late, so I'm sure she'll appreciate it. See you then." Monk replied before hanging up the phone.

The Monk's dropped the twins off with Julie for the afternoon then made their way to the hospital. Pulling into the first available spot, Monk got Natalie's purse and a medical diary that her doctor was having her keep notes in, then he helped her out of the car. She took him by the arm and walked with him up onto the sidewalk where his new friends were waiting. After introductions, Monk produced the remaining box from Jack's care package and handed it to Sam.

She was clearly confused. "Huh? What's this for?"

"Go ahead and open it." Adrian said.

Joseph looked on with curiosity as his daughter lifted the lid of the package and fished through the wrapping paper.

"A football?" she said, lifting it out of the box. "Oh my gosh! You. Did. Not!"

Adrian smiled proudly as with wide eyes she turned the ball so her father could see it.

"It's autographed by Dak!"

"Wow! I see that!"

"I was talking to my dad about our son yesterday and mentioned you and the center. I also mentioned your favorite player. He happened to have two footballs in his own collection that Dak signed and agreed to overnight one to me so that I could give it to you. It's kind of a thank you for opening our eyes to the truth."

"Oh, goodness! I'll cherish it forever! You…you really didn't have to, though."

"I know. But I wanted to. Just be careful with it. That black on there is ink, not smudges. I made the mistake once of wiping the ink off of a ball signed by professional basketball player Michael Jordan during some big playoffs or something. The owner of the ball wasn't too happy with me."

"Trust me. I will keep it safe. Thank you, Mr. Monk! Thank you so much!"

Adrian handed Natalie her things and gave her a kiss on the cheek, telling her that he would meet her in the hospital lobby at one o'clock, then the group then made their way to the Professional Building. Entering, Monk turned to Sam and her friends.

"Now, I'm going to ask you all to hang out in the waiting room. We shouldn't be too long." Monk said. "Joseph, you and I can go check on Neal. I made an appointment to stop by with the receptionist. Everyone knows me here. We shouldn't be suspected."

"Okay. I will follow your lead, Adrian."

"Great. I'm ready to play Rock 'n' Roll, as they say." he responded.

"Who says that?" Eddie asked.

"Everyone." Monk replied.

"I think the phrase is 'ready to rock 'n' roll. Not play rock 'n' roll." Harriet said.

Sam stopped her chair. "If Mr. Monk says it's ready to play rock 'n' roll, then it's ready to play! Don't want anyone saying different." She said, hugging the football.

Leland Stottlemeyer walked into the agency with Randy at his side. They had just finished discussing Simon Cass's medical papers with Steve Rock. The association with Monk's physician was a huge curiosity for them, driving them to look harder for any deeper connections. It took the better part of an hour for the station's expert researchers to return with an answer, but return with it they did. The two were very excited to share their findings with Monk.

"Morning, Leland and Randy!" Heather said as they walked through the door. "The mayor called but beyond that it's been mostly cranks or cases we're not interested in like wayward spouses. I referred them on."

"Thank you." Leland replied as he picked up his mail. "Randy and I are heading back to my office. Tell Monk to join us. We have some information we think he's going to want to see."

"Adrian isn't here. He said he's out working on a case." Heather replied.

"What case is that?" Leland asked.

"Don't know. Don't think it's one of ours."

"Well, did he say where he was going to be?" Randy asked.

"Mass General. Is there an issue?"

Stottlemeyer looked up at Disher. "Call him and see if he answers his phone."

Randy nodded then did as directed. Several seconds passed by. "No answer. Want me to try Natalie?"

"Please do."

Receiving no answer from Natalie, Leland felt uneasy about his partner's venture and decided that he and Randy should make the trip to General as well, just to keep Monk out of trouble. His thinking was such that if Adrian were with his doctor, it would make it all the easier to scope the man out.

Monk and his team arrived at their destination at fifteen past the hour and he and Joseph went directly to the suites. They were surprised to see that nobody was there, not even Neal's secretary. Not being sure what to make of that, they took a seat and waited.

Meanwhile, Natalie entered her endocrinologist's office fifteen minutes before her scheduled time and immediately began to fill out paperwork. Seeing a sign on the wall about cell phones, she put hers on mute. She finished the forms in less than five minutes and was called back to the office right away. This was a new endocrinologist who specialized in in thyroid disorders during pregnancy so she was anxious to meet her and make sure all was well.

Back at Ianovsky's office, Monk looked at his watch. It was now 12:30 and there was no sign of Neal or his Staff.

"I don't think he's going to show." Adrian said, impatiently.

"Yes. It's as if everyone has gone on vacation." Keita replied.

Monk stood, walked to Ianovsky's office door and poked his head into the room to look around.

Resting against the doorframe, he raised his hands in front of him and began to peruse the area.

"What are you doing?" Keita asked.

"What I came here for. I'm getting another look at Ianovsky's office."

"From the doorway?" Keita said.

Monk shrugged. "Technically, I'm not a cop and not officially part of the investigative team of this case and therefore it would be trespassing for me to walk in there. But, a friend of mine in California once told me that I can lean wherever I want to. It's in the Constitution."

"No it isn't." Joseph replied.

"I know. But it sounded good." Monk replied.

"Why don't we just use my credentials? This is still a federal case and I am an authorized authority."

Monk stood up straight and adjusted his neck. "Yeah. We could do that too." They entered the office.

Scanning the room, he looked in Ianovsky's cabinets which appeared entirely normal save for the tale-tell signs of the government team having confiscated a few folders related to that last CRISPRed patient. Joseph watched him work with fascination.

"What is the thing you do with your hands there?" he asked.

"I'm blocking out the clutter. Helps me to concentrate." Monk replied.

"Does it work?"

"I've solved hundreds of cases, so yeah, I'd say it helps."

Monk moved to Ianovsky's desk and used an ink pen to sift through the doors while Joseph stopped by the bookshelves. Glancing at Monk, he raised his hands in similar fashion and began surveying the scene. Within seconds, he had a hit. "Oh! Mr. Monk, look here!"

Monk was fishing through the doctor's middle drawer. "What is it, Joseph?"

"I think I found something." Keita replied.

Monk exhaled. He'd seen it before. Rookie investigators tagging along on a case with him, emulating him and suddenly thinking they were the professionals. Keita was part of an advisory board for the FDA. Monk had been in this business for almost forty years. Finding clues was an art. It wasn't as simple as raising one's ha…"

"Dust. No dust." Joseph said pointing out a pattern on the shelf which clearly showed a line of demarcation between one area and another one. "Does it mean something?"

Monk looked at his own hands and then at Joseph. He lowered his hands. "Yeah. It means something was there. How did you…?"

"The Adrian Monk Method." Joseph smiled. "It works every time."

Monk shook his head then looked closer at the shelf, closing his eyes to call from memory what had been there from his last visit. "There was a photograph there of Ianovsky at his daughter's graduation. She had on a red graduation gown."

"Like that one over there?" Keita said, pointing to the wall.

Monk turned and looked at the photo. "Yeah. That's the one. But something else was there before. See, the frame isn't even the same size. The sun has faded the wallpaper here, but not there."

"I see! We found a clue!" Joseph said excitedly.

"Yes. We did." Adrian replied, again closing his eyes. "There used to be a group photo here. Maybe early eighties?"

"A college photo, perhaps? If it were the eighties, Ianovsky would have been around that age."

"Yes. But not a graduation. This was a smaller group. Ianovsky, Neal and three others were positioned around a carved bench near a large stone urn. Stone railings."

"Harvard Medical School?" Keita suggested. "It has stone urns at its entrance near the street."

"Google it." Monk replied. Joseph complied and brought an image up on his phone.

"That's the place." Monk said. "But why remove it? Unless Ianovsky didn't want people to know of his association with someone in the photo."

Monk moved over to the shelves and began to look for a year book.

At the endocrinologist's office, Natalie's vitals were taken and she had a brief chat regarding her thyroid levels which all were fine. The subject then switched to the baby whom Natalie mentioned had Down Syndrome.

The doctor nodded. "Well bless his heart. And bless you all for keeping him. He's really going bring a lot of joy to your family."

Natalie smiled softly. "You sound as if you have experience."

"Not me, personally." She said. "My niece Kelly. She is five years old and the most spunky, delightful member of our family. She was born with Trisomy 21 and our family would not be complete without her."

Natalie scrunched up her nose. "I'll bet she's a sweetie."

"She is and a bit stubborn. Don't let anyone tell you that children with Down Syndrome don't have their own personalities, likes, dislikes and minds of their own. They are just like you and me, except with a bonus chromosome. Hey, you know what? You need to meet Rachel Baumgartner. She's a nurse down in radiology just down the hall who helped us a lot with Kelly when she was born. Babies with Down's are often hypotonic, meaning they have low muscle tone. Until they build up strength they can have difficulty with breastfeeding because their oropharyngeal structures are underdeveloped making it hard for them to latch on. Rachel makes these adorable pillows that you can store in your diaper bag that will support your baby as he feeds. They also have little cloths built in that you drape over your shoulder that can keep things private." She said.

"Oh, that sounds wonderful. My husband doesn't like it when I breastfeed in public." Natalie replied.

The doctor furrowed her brow. "Breastfeeding is the most natural thing in the world!"

"Oh, I know that. He knows that. He just has a hard time with…nature." Natalie replied.

The doctor raised a brow. "Evidently not too hard of a time. You're expecting your third child together."

Natalie giggled and blushed. "Yeah, well…I guess he likes my nature – it's just the 'in public' thing he struggles with. When the twins were little I had to time things to where we were always home at feeding time or at least some place where I could be alone. Otherwise, he'd stand like a wall in front of me and put on his meanest face, which isn't very mean, daring any guy to look my way."

The doctor laughed. "He sounds like he loves you."

"And I, him." Natalie shook her head. "Never in a million years would I have ever thought I could be so happy. But, that's enough of that. I'm supposed to meet him at one and if I'm going to get down there and see the nurse I should be heading out. What was her name again?"

"Rachel Baumgartner. She's just down the hallway."

"Great. I'll stop and see her."

Arriving at the hospital, Leland and Randy walked into the lobby 12:45. Randy turned left but Leland grabbed his arm.

"I think it's this way." Stottlemeyer said.

"You sure?"

"Yeah. Hopefully, Monk is there."

Taking a few steps in that direction the men where suddenly confronted by two women in wheel chairs and a very tall man.

"Halt!" Eddie said with his arms crossed.

"Yeah, this is Monk's ward." Randy whispered to Leland.

Sam rolled her chair forward and glared at the men. "Who are you and what do you want with Adrian Monk?"

Leland twisted his mouth to the side, "Well, miss - my name is Leland Stottlemeyer. This is Randy Disher. We're Monk's partners. We came to give him some information that we think he'll be very interested in seeing."

Leaving the endocrinologists office, Natalie stopped by a map to see precisely where radiology was relative to her current location. As she turned the corner toward her destination, she stopped when she saw Dr. Sebastian Neal exiting the hematology lab carrying what appeared to be a bag of trash.

Aren't you supposed to be with Adrian? She thought to herself. She hid behind a plant and watched as the doctor walked to a trash can, looked both ways, and then promptly dropped the package into the container. He then turned quickly and re-entered the lab.

Suspicious, Natalie snuck down the hallway and quietly nabbed some surgical gloves from a hospital cart then made her way to the trash and opened the bag. Just as she suspected, the package was not full of paper towels or medical supplies, rather it was packed with what appeared to be folders full of hand-ripped documents. She looked toward the lab and bit her lip before withdrawing a handful of paper. She then began to quickly arrange the scraps on top of the lid and as the pieces came together, her eyes widened.

"Simon Cass was a patient of Dr. Neal's?!" She read further down the page "Patient became increasingly agitated while on Morphine. Prescribed 40mg of Methadone to ease withdraw, which patient refused to take. Study suspended."

Quickly, Natalie took a picture of the document with her phone and then slipped the torn paper back into the bag and shoved it and her gloves down into the container. She then texted the photo to Adrian along with a note of where she was and where he could find Neal. Immediately after pressing send, she turned to leave and came face to face with Dr. Neal. She gasped.

"Mrs. Monk." Neal said with a cold smile. "What a pleasant surprise to see you today. Can I help you?"

Adrian found the Harvard Medical School year book from 1983 and began to quickly thumb through it. It was Ianovsky and Neal's sophomore year so he didn't expect to find a whole lot highlighting their experience; however, when he reached the page demarcating their class, he ran into exactly what he was looking for.

"Here! Here it is." he told Joseph.

"What is it?" Keita asked.

"This is the picture that was on the wall. That's Ianovsky, Neal, and these men are…oh, my gosh! What is he doing there?"

Natalie looked at Neal and did her best to put on a casual smile. "I…I, um…I was just heading to radiology. Had a thyroid appointment and my doctor told me about a nurse that makes some lovely baby supplies I'd like to check out for baby Asher."

Neal's face did not move. "Radiology is that direction." He stated.

Natalie looked and feigned embarrassment. "Of course, it is. Call it pregnancy brain fog. Thanks for clearing that up for me, I'll just be going…"

Neal took her by the arm. "Oh please. Don't leave just yet. Come into the lab with me. I want to show you something."

Natalie's heart pounded hard in her chest as she tried to think of an excuse to say no. No words would come and so she followed him into the laboratory.

Adrian and Joseph scampered when they heard the door of the Hematology office suite open. Quickly shoving the yearbook back into the shelves, Monk pulled Joseph with him and they ducked under Ianovsky's desk in hope that whoever it was would not realize someone was there and would leave. Monk tensed and Joseph held his breath when they saw a human shadow pass beside the desk.

On the other side of the desk, Eddie, Sam, Harriet, Leland and Randy had all come into the room with Eddie venturing a little further to make sure they weren't missing the Monk and Keita. He looked at Leland and Shrugged.

"Where are they?" Harriet said softly. As the team turned to leave, Sam spotted a shadow. Rolling over beside them she signed. "Over here, guys! Pops, what on earth are you and Mr. Monk doing hiding under the desk?"

Both men exhaled and quickly crawled out from their hiding spot.

"Samantha Elisabeth, I thought I told you to stay where you…oh, hello." Joseph said, spotting her visitors.

Adrian stood up and spotted them too. "Leland and Randy, what are you doing here?"

"Looking for you." Leland said.

"We got something from Barry Pointer that we think you're going to want to see." Randy added.

Monk explained to Joseph that Leland and Randy were his partners at the agency and the four men and three young adults gathered around the papers that Randy held in his hand.

"Simon Cass was a patient of Dr. Neal's." Randy said.

"Who is Simon Cass?" Joseph asked.

"A man I believe murdered a shop clerk in Chelsea. What was he being treated for?"

"Multiple Myeloma." Leland replied. "Neal was the doctor in charge when he received a bone marrow transplant a little over a year ago. Guess who the donor was."

Monk thought only a second. "Daniel Bledsoe?"

"You've got it." Leland replied. "The prison guard."

"Says here he was being treated with Thalidomide, chlorpromazine, Depo Provera, Ranitidine and Prozac." Keita said. "Is that consistent with having cancer?"

"Thalidomide is an anti-rejection drug." Monk said. "I remember they considered putting me on it when I had my stem cell transplant in order to avoid graft-versus host disease. I think Chlorpromazine is an antipsychotic."

"And Depo Provera is a birth control drug made from women's hormones. They give it to sex offenders in order to lower testosterone. Chemical castration." Randy leaned in and whispered the last part and Monk rolled his neck.

"So, let me get this straight." Adrian said. "Simon Cass had myeloma and my doctor, Dr. Neal, was in charge of his bone marrow transplant?"

"That's right." Leland replied.

"Oh my gosh, Leland! I know how he did it!" Monk smiled, then pulled out his phone. "What's the number for police headquarters?" he asked, waking the phone up.

"Um, I can call them. I have it programmed." Randy said.

Monk nodded and started to put his phone away but saw the flashing message indicator light. While Randy dialed the police, Monk opened and read the content of the message. Blood drained from his face.

"What should I tell them?" Randy asked.

Monk looked desperately towards his partner. "Tell them to get here quickly! Tell them it's urgent." He rushed toward the door.

"What is it?" Leland asked, following.

"Natalie sent me a message. She's by the hematology lab with Neal. She's in danger. We've got to go."

"What are you doing here?" Natalie asked as she entered a lab that appeared to be in the middle of being torn down.

"Closing down forty years of research. Funny how a lifetime of effort can be condensed into a twelve by twelve box." He said.

Natalie looked around. "Oh. Are you retiring?"

"You could put it that way." He said. "But, really, I'm just relocating. You could say that I'm going into exile."

"Exile?" she asked nervously.

"Yes, I'm taking a little trip. Moving to China where the scientific community is a bit more, shall we say, open to my capabilities."

"Oh. I see. What did you want to show me?" she asked.

"Simply this." He replied, pulling out a nine-millimeter pistol from under his belt. She turned to run but he caught her by the arm. "Mrs. Monk, I do not plan on hurting you but I happen to know that your husband is in the building next door awaiting his appointment with me. Knowing him, he's probably already uncovered enough clues to put things together."

"About you and Simon Cass?" she stalled.

"I see you've been digging through my trash – but yes. Me and Cass go way back. He, Zola and I were roommates in college but we drifted apart after graduation. I, of course, read about what he had done in the papers and was astonished. That wasn't the man I knew. And then, I received a phone call from the prison asking for my help. He had Myeloma." Sebastian said.

"Here's what happened." Monk said as he, Leland, Joseph and Randy made their way across the courtyard and toward the hospital with Sam and her friends in tow. "Simon Cass, Ianovsky and Neal all attended Harvard Medical School. They were in the same class together with different disciplines. After college they went their separate ways and lived considerably different lives. Ianovsky and Neal became well respected physicians in their field and Cass, of course, gained notoriety through different means. Their paths crossed again when Cass found out that he had cancer. Ianovsky and Neal were known to be working on novel approaches for disease in the lab using CRISPR gene editing and this would have been public knowledge in the medical community a year and a half ago. Cass called Neal who agreed to treat him for the cancer except rather than using the experimental methodology that he and Zola were working on, he resorted to more traditional means via a bone marrow transplant supplied by the prison guard who was a perfect match. That alone would account for the mismatch in DNA."

"How so?" Randy asked.

"Because, bone marrow recipients can take on the DNA of their donors." Leland said.

"That's right. There was a case of a man in Nevada who had Leukemia and received a bone marrow transplant from a donor in Europe. The DNA in his blood, cheeks, lips, and his…um, seed, contained the DNA of the Donor. In fact the latter was wholly that of the donor's. None of the recipient's remained."

"That's creepy!" Sam replied.

"Samantha, close your ears." Keita said.

"So that's how Cass could have killed the girl in the CBD shop and leave someone else's DNA." Randy responded.

"He didn't plant the DNA. The DNA was inside of him through a bone marrow doner." Leland replied as he pressed the button to call the elevator.

Monk continued. "Yes. He was what is known as a chimera. Something must have gone wrong with his treatments because Neal was treating him with anti-aggression drugs. He may have even tried treating him with gene therapy, which has been known to have unintended consequences."

"Which means, when Cass killed Shaw and Neal heard about it…" Randy said.

"…Sebastian Neal could have killed Cass. To destroy the monster he had created." Leland finished.

"I'd bet on it." Monk said, exiting the elevator. "Which is why Natalie is in danger, can't you hurry that thing up?"

"It's stopping on every floor." Leland said.

"Fine. I'm taking the stairs." Adrian replied, impatiently. "Should have gone that way anyway. Joseph, Sam, you all stay down here in case he tries to escape. I'm going to get my wife."

Three stories up, an angry Sebastian Neal held Natalie at gunpoint cautioning her not to pull any more tricks like she had when she got on the elevator and pressed every button.

"Mrs. Monk, I do not want to kill you, but I can if I have to and I will. No more games. Your husband has no doubt finished in our offices and is coming to pick you up. You will be my guarantee for safe passage to Beijing. You are going with me to the airport and I will leave you in the car in airport parking. Once I am safely flying aboard Air China, someone will find you. That is unless you want to make this messy. Please choose wisely."

"You're not going to get by with this." Natalie said. "My husband will see to it that the authorities know. Even China won't put up with that embarrassment."

"I'll take my chances." He replied.

Joseph Keita, his daughter and their friends waited outside the slowly descending elevator while Monk, Randy and Leland began to ascend the stairs. As they rounded the second flight they heard Joseph's voice below yell "Stop! Stop right there!" A gunshot rang out.

Below, Eddie, Sam and Harriet had gone to tend to Joseph who waved them off as it was only a scratch; and Neal, who now had everyone's attention, was briskly walking Natalie toward the front door.

"Don't anyone move or the lady gets shot." He said.

Monk bounded down the stairs just in time to hear his words.

"NATALIE!" he screamed from the stairwell door.

"ADRIAN!" she cried. Neal tightened his grip.

"Stay back Monk. You and your friends stay back. Don't do anything stupid."

"What do you want, Neal?" Adrian said. "You want a hostage? Take me. She's having a baby for crying out loud!"

"No, Adrian. Don't." Natalie wept.

Monk moved closer.

"Stop where you are, Monk! Don't go doing something stupid. I really don't want to hurt her, but trust me, I will."

The men stood still.

"Alright, I want all of you to go back there and stand. Stand by the short bus brigade."

"Well that was rude." Eddie said to Harriet.

Sam narrowed her eyes.

"Let us pass." Neal continued. "I'll contact you and tell you where to find her unharmed if you let me go. But, I swear, one more move and I'll be forced to do the unconscionable."

"Is that what you've become?" Adrian said. "You were a well-respected doctor. What happened? Was it Cass? Did the temptation get too hard to withstand? Did it turn a healer into a murderer?"

"It wasn't murder what I did with Cass. It was responsibility. I treated him conventionally for Myeloma but added an additional treatment that Zola and I had been working on in order wipe out the gene that we believe made him susceptible. Something went wrong. He was in excruciating pain. I tried to give him enough pain meds to take the edge off but it just made him more and more aggressive, so I tried to step him down. I cut him off of the hard stuff and tried to prescribe methadone. That's when he became uncontrollable."

"Why did you kill Kelsey Gifford?" Randy asked.

"I didn't kill Kelsey. That girl was like a daughter to me." Neal replied.

"But she turned you into the authorities." Randy replied.

"I didn't even know about that." Neal said.

"I'm sure Cass did." Monk said. "Cass had hung around the hospital enough to know exactly what was going on. He must have overheard her on a call. He knew he was part of a special experiment that you made arrangements with corrupt prison officials - his release probably in exchange for money - and that to be found out would likely send him back to jail. That's why he killed her on a day he knew you were in surgery and Dr. Ianovsky was training interns. He snuck through the hallways, grabbed a box of used sharps and then injected her with insulin knowing that with her being hypoglycemic it would likely kill her."

"You're exactly right." Neal said. "I never meant for anyone to be harmed. But when Kelsey was killed, somehow I knew it was him. I had no idea where to find him or I might have been able to stop the second murder. But when the CBD wouldn't do it for him, he exposed his whereabouts when he called me for another 'hit'. I had to kill him, to keep him from killing again."

"But you don't have to kill my wife." Adrian said. "Neal, this isn't you. Think of our children. Think of the lives you'll be destroying. Just taking her with you is putting her and our unborn child in danger." Adrian said taking a step forward.

"GET BACK, MONK!" he yelled, pulling his pistol from Natalie's side and pointing it directly at Adrian's chest.

"NO!" Natalie screamed, slamming her body against him then kicking him hard in the upper thigh. Breaking free, she ran toward her husband. Neal fell backward and regained his footing. In anger, he raised his weapon and pointed it towards the Monks who now stood unprotected less than fifteen feet away.

"I WARNED YOU NOT TO FIGHT ME!" he yelled, putting his finger on the trigger. "You should have listened."

As his finger began to press on the trigger, from out of nowhere a signed football came sailing through the air and knocked the gun out of his hand. The bullet discharged but hit a nearby pillar, sticking in the plaster. Neal scrambled to retrieve the weapon but a size fifteen sneaker stomped on the gun keeping him from touching it. Sam and Harriet exchanged a high five.

"Not so slow after all, now are we, doc? I wouldn't' do that if I were you." Eddie's deep voice said to the doctor who looked up at him in fear. Just then, the police arrived and swooped in, arresting Neal and carrying him away from a shaken team who took a moment to sit down while hospital personnel were called in to examine them.

"Are you okay?" Adrian asked, Natalie.

"I think so." She said. "I was so scared."

"Natalie, you could have been killed! Promise me you won't ever do anything like that again!" he said, holding her tightly and rocking her.

"I promise."

Joseph Keita was taken back to the E.R. to have his shoulder cleaned and bandaged and Sam and her friends followed him. Meanwhile, Leland and Randy rejoined Monk and Natalie once they'd filled the local police in on what had happened.

"That was just too damn close!" Leland said. "But at least we got him."

"It's a miracle that we're all here safe." Randy added.

Monk just quietly shook his head, barely able to speak. He continued to hold his wife being overwhelmed by the day.

Leland looked at the couple. "Hey, what do you say we drive you two home. I can come with you tomorrow and pick up your cars."

Monk shook his head. "I…I think that sounds good. I'm literally shaking. I don't think I can stand to drive."

Leland patted his back. "That's okay. You're all going to be okay. I'll go pull up the car and meet you out front."

Adrian stood and put his arm around Natalie's back and the two began to walk. She laid her head on his shoulder. As he reached the door, he let go of her long enough to get the door for her and when he did she suddenly felt a pain in her abdomen.

"Ouch!" she said, grimacing.

Monk looked at her, disturbed. "What is it?"

Waving off the pain, she began to walk again but within two steps an even sharper pain hit. "Oohhhhhh!" she said as her knees began to buckle. Monk let go of the door and caught her in his arms and immediately cried for help.