The next morning, Officer Tommy Briggs quickly carried an envelope into Captain Stottlemeyer's office as he and a sleepless Adrian Monk were diagramming the course of events and what they knew thus far. "Captain Stottlemeyer", said Briggs, "those results you were looking for are in.
"Great, let me see the envelope." Stottlemeyer replied.
Opening its contents he read a few words under his breath and then informed Monk and Briggs that the Fire Marshall had been right. The fuel used in the car fire was not gasoline but something that burned much hotter – it was rocket fuel.
"Rocket fuel?" said Monk, furrowing his brow and then walking away with his hand on his forehead. Suddenly, he had an idea. "Hey, wait a minute, let me see that insignia that we found on the scene."
Stottlemeyer handed him the evidence bag and watched as Monk looked closely at the lapel pin.
"What do you think?" Leland asked.
"The initials in the insignia, A.A. What is A.A.?" Monk responded.
"You really think that has something to do with the crime?"
Monk looked at Leland and then nodded, which was good enough for his friend.
"Briggs, run a check on all rocket fuel companies in the area that might have the initials A.A." Stottlemeyer ordered.
"Yes, sir." Briggs said, leaving the room.
"So, now what?" the captain asked.
"Something doesn't feel right, Leland." Adrian proclaimed. "Why burn my car? Why use something as incendiary as rocket fuel? I didn't have anything other than Natalie in that car that was of value. Why the big show?"
Leland reached into his pocket and retrieved a toothpick, putting it in his mouth. "I wish I knew the answer. I just have a feeling the way things are going, the evidence is right there in black and white right before our eyes."
Monk stopped again and leaned against the side of a desk as another thought hit him."Black and white. Black and white." Monk said as he turned thoughts around within his head. "Black and….Hey! That's it!" he said with his knowing grin.
"What's it?" asked Stottlemeyer.
"Where's that newspaper you showed me earlier today, you know the one with the governor's pardons?" Adrian asked.
"Over here." Leland said handing Monk the paper. "What is it?"
Monk didn't immediately respond, rather, he scanned through the list and then got that knowing look on his face his friend had seen so many times. "Here! Here it is!" he exclaimed. "The outgoing California governor issued pardons to the following convicts… There it is. Steve Wagner. Steve Wagner! That's the guy!"
"Steve Wagner, the astronaut? The one that murdered his ex-girlfriend when she was going to write a book about their affair?"
"One and the same. He worked for the civilian group called Altman Aeronautics. A.A. and remember, he was an expert craftsman of mechanical devices. He made that device that made it look like the girlfriend hung herself by using cables and a garage door opener hidden within a doll."
"I remember he was one cocky son of a gun. That would explain the rocket fuel too. Surely Altman wouldn't have rehired a convicted murderer." Stottlemeyer proclaimed.
"Only one way to find out. Let's run this guy down and find out where he was yesterday and what he's been up to since the governor's pardon." said Monk.