Mr. Monk And The House Of Phobias 2nd in Series
CH. 1
"So, Adrian, who is it that said he knows who 'The Judge' Is? Natalie asked as she read the directions on a sheet of paper she held in her right hand. She and Adrian were navigating through Modesto, California after he had received a cryptic message about more information about 'The Judge.' Modesto was not known for rural lighting, and she was glad there was a full moon that night.
"Will you please watch the road!" Adrian hissed, pointing nervously out the windshield.
"Adrian, I am watching. I'm watching and reading."
"Well, watch more, please," the nervous man insisted.
Natalie looked at him in complete disbelief. "Maybe you could help a little?"
"How, I'm not driving?"
"Exactly!" she said emphasizing the fact by shoving the paper in his face. "You can help by reading the directions."
"Why do I need to read the directions? I know where we're going," he stated plainly as if she should have known.
"Argghh!" Natalie growled in frustration. "Then why am I reading the directions?"
"Maybe so you won't have to watch were you're going?!" Adrian piped back. With that, Natalie punched his arm forcefully.
"Ow!" Adrian whined.
"You deserved that!" his friend said, eyes straight ahead on the road.
Adrian, after a moment, looked at her with a big smile.
"You really are cute when you get angry," he said.
Natalie, astonished and flattered that he would openly, willingly compliment her like that could only soften and smile. "Adrian, that was nice."
"Well, I'm trying."
"So, try some more, shall I stay angry?" she asked coyly.
Adrian looked at her again, confused. "No!"
Natalie considered her friend slash boss. "So, is that the only time I'm cute?" she pressed.
"Ok, I can see where this is going. Don't push it," he warned.
"No, really, Adrian, you can't just leave a girl hanging like that."
"Like what?" he asked innocently.
Somehow Natalie knew he wasn't all that innocent right now.
"You sly dog!" she said playfully, hitting his arm again.
"Natalie, Ow!"
"C'mon, give!" Natalie demanded playfully with a grin, Looking at him for a long moment.
.
"Watch the road!" he hollered.
"Nope, not till you tell me more," she said, holding her stare with a big grin. It was, after all, a two-lane country road in the middle of nowhere. The worst that could happen would be that the car would end up touching the dirt shoulder.
Adrian glanced at her, then at the road, then at her. She wasn't budging and he wasn't about to die that night.
"Okay, okay!" he conceded.
Natalie's grin changed to a triumphant smile, and she obediently turned her attention back to the road. "I'm waiting."
"Give me a second. This isn't easy y'know," he pleaded shyly.
"Yeah, right, who started the whole thing? You knew exactly what you were doing." Natalie teased.
"And what was that?"
"Flirting."
"Flirting?" Adrian feigned resentment, "Flirting?"
Natalie, amused, picked a wide-open stretch of the road, it wasn't difficult. At 2 A.M., nobody was on the streets, especially in Modesto. She then turned her attention to Adrian and let the car drift this time. Her look was a challenge to him.
"Well, you're cute when," at that cue Natalie looked back to the road, bringing the car back to the right side of the road. "When . . ." she helped.
Adrian thought for a moment and couldn't pick just one emotion or moment. He let a soft smile play on his lips. He looked at her and the smile grew. "All the time," he shrugged helplessly.
Natalie chuckled, flattered. "You sly dog, you."
"I'm trying," he shrugged. With that Adrian Monk put his full attention to their surroundings and instructed Natalie to take the next left turn. There at the end of the road was a small building, almost a shack really, but with two stories, and beyond it an open field. A single farm light cast shadows over the building with its illumination.
Natalie pulled up to the shack as Adrian assessed it through the windshield. "Are you sure this is it?" Natalie asked with concern. Adrian looked at her. "Of course, sorry."
"Stay here," he said carefully. "I mean it."
"Adrian, the last time you said that you ended up in Wyoming
with Amnesia!" she hissed.
"Good point, stay here anyway," he ordered. Natalie let him go so far and then her gut feeling kicked in along with the remembrance of leaving him in the hospital also, and she could take it no more. Adrian was already inside when she jumped from the car and followed. Natalie stepped through the door to a dimly lit, dirty, open first floor. She found Adrian and without a sound she slid her hand into his. Adrian hadn't heard her come in behind him and was startled, but he tightened his grip, glad she hadn't listened to him. "Stay close," he whispered.
"Don't worry," Natalie agreed, and clung to his arm with her other hand as well. After looking around for a few minutes they saw a crude note scrawled on one of the walls. They moved closer. "It's only up from here?" Natalie read quietly. "What's that supposed to mean?"
"I guess it means we're supposed to go upstairs," he said, pointing to a set of stairs beyond the wall. Natalie tightened her grip on Adrian's hand and arm. He glanced at her with slight discomfort at the pressure. "I can't feel my arm," he whispered.
"Sorry," she said, not realizing how tightly she held him.
"That's ok," he whispered, "there'll be plenty of time to practice," he forgave with a hint. Natalie could only smile and shake her head as she watched her friend come out of his shell slowly but surely. He led her up the stairs cautiously. At the top there was only a landing and a small room to the right. The door was open.
Natalie pulled on Adrian to stop him. "Adrian, wasn't someone supposed to meet you?"
Adrian glanced at his watch. "He's late," he answered, stepping into the room with her. They looked around. Nothing, except another message on a wall. It was written smaller, causing Adrian and Natalie to have to move close to the wall to read it. Adrian pulled a pen light from his shirt pocket. "I am the Judge!" Adrian read, then looked at Natalie, his mind racing. Suddenly the door slammed closed behind them. They ran to it, Adrian trying to open it. "Hey!" he yelled at the door.
Natalie suddenly lurched toward the door next to him. "Adrian, my arm!" she yelped, grabbing her left arm. Adrian looked and found a tranquilizer dart firmly planted there. He quickly pulled it out, but she was already going down. Then he heard the 'shoop' of another dart and he felt his neck sting! He tried to raise his hand to remove the dart he knew had hit him, but it was too late. He fell to the floor unconscious, taking Natalie's lifeless body with him.
A dark figure entered the room to survey the work. He looked to the ceiling of the far-left wall and into a camera. He pressed an earpiece to his ear to listen.
"Aren't they a sight!" crackled a thick, male, New Jersey accent. I especially loved the part when Natalie fell across Adrian Monnnnk!" The voice seemed to hiss with distain when it voiced the detective's name. "How romantic." The voice spit. "Get 'em into the truck and over to the warehouse." The voice ordered. "I can't wait to see how my little experiment unfolds." Then maniacal laughter.
The dark figure pulled the earpiece out and lifted Natalie over his shoulder.