A/N - i dont own DP, but i do own whatever you don't recognize

aaaand another fast-ish update!!! ;)

Four: Interview

Sam gritted her teeth at the demeaning name he had given them, but held back a snappy comment. She pulled her recorder from her pocket and flicked it on. "Mr Monk, is it true that you left your house at eight for a party being given by a friend of yours?"

"Yes, or, about ten past eight, really – I'm always late, you see, my girl."

Again, Sam fought against her urge to rebuke him for calling a name that she really outgrew ten years ago. "Alright, and what time did you return from the party?"

"Not too late, about midnight, perhaps a little after. The party was getting a little mundane."

"I see. And when you got home, what did you do?"

"I went to bed."

Danny cocked an eyebrow. "So, how did you discover the jewel was missing?"

Gerry barked. Sam started in surprise, before realizing it had just been some sort of strange laugh.

"I, uh, went up there to check on my designs. The ones I keep in my safe? I'm quite fond of them, you see. I dislike admitting it. It's rather, well, pathetic, don't you think?"

She smiled at the strange man. "'Pathetic' is not the word I would choose, Sir. You care about your work. There's nothing wrong with that."

"Care? I suppose. It's all so boring though. I've been designing computers and weapons for over thirty years now. They find a talent and they really squeeze it to death. I desperately want to quit."

"What would you do if you did quit?" Danny asked, leaning forwards.

The man shrugged. "Take a vacation, probably."

"To the sun?"

The odd man barked with laughter again. "Of course not! I'd go skiing, or bungee jumping. Something I never got to do."

Sam grinned. "Bungee jumping isn't all its cracked up to be. You want to do something interesting? Learn to fly a plane."

"You fly, my dear?"

Sam did not even notice the name this time. "No," she looked out at the sky. "I've always wanted to fly. It was the one thing I never got round to learning as a SEAL."

"You were a SEAL?"

"Yes."

"Now that," he said, his interest evidently piqued. "Takes guts. I find I have a new respect for you, my girl."

"Please don't call me that."

He held up his hands in surrender. "Certainly. What should I call you?"

"Sam."

"Good, then, Sam."

"So, Mr Monk, uh, Gerry," Danny said, remembering why they were there. "What did you do when you realized the sapphire was missing?"

"I ran right downstairs and called the police."

"Were the security systems on?"

"No, all turned off."

Sam touched her finger to her lip. "Where is the panel to turn off all the systems?"

"Well, there's one in the room. And one down here, with me, but it's hidden. That's all."

"Were there any signs of entry when you returned here?"

He paused for a second. "Not that I saw."

"Have your maids been?"

He paused again. "Yes."

Sam frowned. That meant that they could have cleaned up any signs of entry. "Who were they?"

"I don't know. I didn't see them. And they send different ones each week it seems. It gets tedious, I must tell you."

"Of course." Sam was annoyed. "So have you seen anyone recently who's shown an interest in the jewel?"

"Oh yes, many. Who wouldn't?"

"Anyone particularly interested?"

"No, nobody more so than anyone else."

"Did you tell anyone any codes?"

"Well, one of my men knows the code for the laser, and one knows the safe room door's, but only I know them both, plus the one for the safe, of course. They would have had to team up to be able to shut down all the systems. They each installed a different component of my system, you see."

"Well, the safe room door wasn't opened; a hole was welded through it. So it could have just been the man who knows the laser code."

"No. Absolutely not. I trust Higgins implicitly."

"Well, could he have told someone the code?"

"He's sworn to secrecy . . . but I suppose he might have let it slip."

"Are the codes written anywhere?"

He huffed. "Certainly not."

Sam sighed. She stood, Gerry rising before her. They shook hands goodbye. "Bye Mr Monk, please tell me if anything comes up, or if you find or remember anything useful."

"Of course. Thank you, my de–" he smiled. "Sam."

Sam went to open the door, but was stopped by a small cough.

"Uh, Sam?" She turned to see Danny, sitting with his legs splayed out on the sofa like an overgrown teddybear, a sheepish grin on his face. "Can't get up."

She sighed with laughter, walking back and wrenching him up onto his feet.

The pair left the building, and Sam darted across the street, Danny right next to her. She turned and looked up at the hole in the window, just visible from where they were. She folded her arms.

"What is it?" Danny asked.

"How did this person get the codes?"

"Maybe they didn't." Sam looked up at him. "Maybe they got through the lasers and just turned them off there."

"Maybe. We'd be dealing with a buff, brave, thrill-seeking master contortionist and gymnast here, then. Great."

Danny sighed. "Let's report back to the others."

The pair walked down the road to the grand hotel a few hundred feet away, where all the cabs had congregated. Sam was silent, and Danny kept giving her worried looks.

They got a cab a few minutes later, and when they were inside, Sam crossed one leg over the other and peered out the window.

Danny sighed. "What are you planning, Sam?"

"Planning? I'm not planning anything."

"Sam. I already know you too well to believe that. Come on, tell me, what are you thinking of doing that you shouldn't?"

"I can't tell you – if I did, you'd just stop me, and then we wouldn't get anywhere with this case."

He sighed intolerantly at her. "Sam, just promise me whatever it is won't guarantee you a trip to the hospital – or prison."

"It won't."

"Will it possibly end in a trip to the hospital or prison?"

"It shouldn't. Why are you so afraid that I'm going to get in trouble?"

"You take chances. Chances only comic book superheroes can really deal with. Like jumping for that woman? Attacking that lunatic so that the two of you fell off the bridge? I can't help but to worry about you."

"Uh, how did you know I attacked him?"

"It, um, seems like something you'd do. And, you just confirmed it." He pointed accusingly at her.

"Right. Well, that's sweet of you, Danny, but I'll be fine. Besides," she said, turning back to look out of the window. "If I do get in trouble, we have the town hero to save me. Again." Her voice had more than an edge of sarcasm to it, and Danny silenced himself on the touchy subject.

The two sat in silence for a little while, before Sam's voice drifted to his ears.

"What's the deal with that guy anyway?"

"Uh, who?"

"Phantom. I mean, is he even human? Because I would stake my life on the fact that he was flying that day with the bridge."

"I, uh, don't know. I really don't know whether he's human or not."

"And who is he?" She turned to look at him. "He must have a secret identity. I just can't picture him walking along the street or around Wal-Mart in that spandex suit thing of his."

Danny chuckled. "No, neither can I. But that sure would be a sight worth seeing."

Sam smiled at him. "That might make my day." She turned once more to look out the window once more, and sighed to herself.

He confused her. She still thought he was no good, but to see him flying had really shaken her up. The first time he had saved her, in the warehouse - it had been surrealistic. She had had her eyes closed, and it had been harder to register everything that was going on around her. But when he had caught her on the bridge, she had been looking right into his eyes the whole time, aware of everything happening, aware of the fact that he was actually saving her from death. It was closer, more personal.

It was more real.

She regarded him both as a mystery to be solved and as a person to be unraveled.

She could not figure out which would be easier to attempt.

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FunkyFish1991