Mr. Monk Goes To The Rez 3rd in Series
CH. 1
Prologue
Seeking The Blessing
The phone rang at Dwight and Marcia Ellison's home, late one evening. They were still up, but they were winding things down from the day. Dwight was finishing some last questions for his game show. He was sitting at the desk in his study. It was a simply decorated room, with books lining the built-in shelves. The books were historical, intermixed with a variety of themes, from political to theatrical. All references he would use for the game show he produced. Marcia brought him a cup of Chamomile tea, sitting down in the seat to his left. They enjoyed this tea ritual every night before closing the books on each day. As he answered the phone, he looked at Marcia and smiled at her offering.
"Hello?" Dwight answered.
"Hello, Dwight. This is Adrian. Monk."
"Adrian! Hi!" Dwight said in surprise and joy. Marcia brightened when she heard who was on the other end of the line. "How are you?"
"I'm surprisingly well, I think," Monk replied with a slight chuckle.
"Wait, let me put you on the speaker phone, so Marcia can talk to you as well."
"Okay," Adrian agreed, as Dwight punched a button on the base unit and replaced the receiver.
"Hello, Adrian!" Marcia smiled at the phone. "It's good to hear your voice."
Adrian's heart skipped a beat as he listened to Marcia's voice. It sounded so much like Trudy's. "It's good to hear yours," he said slowly, his voice almost breaking. He wasn't expecting that from himself, but he cleared his throat and forged on.
"So, to what do we owe this phone call?" Dwight inquired curiously.
"Well, I have something very important to talk to you about, and I was wondering if you wouldn't mind, you know, flying up here." Dwight and Marcia, exchanged worried looks and were silent for a long moment. "I know it's inconvenient, but I'd really rather do this in person," Adrian explained humbly.
"Of course, Adrian," Marcia assured. "We can be on a flight tomorrow morning, if that will work."
"That would be great," Adrian breathed out in relief.
"Is everything alright?" Dwight asked with concern.
"Yes, Dwight. Everything is alright," he confirmed. "I just have something really important that I would like to include you and Marcia in."
"We'll see you tomorrow morning then," Dwight responded.
"Goodnight, Adrian," Marcia finished.
"Yes, goodnight, Adrian," Dwight finished.
"Goodnight," the detective said, hanging up the phone next to his bed. He slid himself down from the headboard he'd been leaning against, adjusted his pillow, pulled the covers to his chest, and closed his eyes, letting sleep take him.
Adrian Monk stood on a barren plateau looking out across a rocky, terrain dotted with scrub brush. There was a wind that gusted across the plateau where he stood, slapping at his clothing, pressing it against his body. Dust billowed around him, as he put his hand up, straining to discern the figure coming toward him, seemingly from beyond the edge of the plateau ridge. Slowly a horse, carrying a lone figure approached him. Adrian was curious but not afraid. As the horse carried its rider closer, he could see that the rider was a very old Indian. A Navajo Elder, from what he could ascertain by his attire. The horse stopped, without any evident cue from the man, just fifteen feet from Adrian.
The dust settled, but the wind continued to blow in Adrian's direction. He held his ground, studying the Old Man. His headdress was modest, yet ornate and he wore a long robe that draped the horse's back and sides. His pants were leather, and his shirt was that of the Plains Indians, a pull over with ribbons dancing down the front of a delicate and tiny floral pattern.
He carried a long straight spear, across his lap. The horse was a Dapple-Gray Mustang and wore an intricately designed breastplate made of bone, bloodstone, and beads of brown, black and red. In his mouth was an Oglala Indian bridle made of thickly twined hemp. The Mustangs mane was decorated with two feathers, each with a scene of some sort, painted on them. Both horse and rider stood there in unity and harmony conveying an unspoken partnership.
Neither Adrian, nor the Elder said anything, but somehow the Elder was communicating with Adrian. Adrian got a sense of urgency and concern. Slowly the horse moved close and stopped five feet from Adrian's right side. Adrian stood still, curiosity holding him grounded. The Elder held out his spear to Adrian. On the end of the spear was an eagle feather. He looked at the feather, then the Elder. The Elder nodded once, indicating that Adrian was to take the gift. Slowly, uncertainly, Adrian untied the offering from the spear and looked at it. On it was painted a soaring eagle. There were words there as well, but they were in the tongue of the Elder, which Adrian couldn't make out or understand.
Adrian looked to the Elder and nodded his thanks. Then the horse moved still closer, right beside Adrian and the Elder put out his right hand to him. Again, there was a silent and strange communication between him and the Indian. Adrian grasped the Elder's upper arm and in an easy, smooth motion swept himself onto the back of the horse. Adrian had never been on a horse, but knew they were usually mounted from the left side. The right side was called the Indian side and somehow, for his first time being on a horse's back, he felt strange, yet oddly in place, and by some miracle, completely unafraid. Maybe it was the presence of the Elder, or maybe it was the gentle calm of the horse. Whatever it was, as the horse began to move, Adrian Monk felt suddenly exhilarated.
There had been no sense of travel, but suddenly Adrian and his mystical companions were at the bottom of the mesa plateau, the flatlands of Arizona before them. It was quiet, except for the breeze through the weeds and the echoes of an eagle's cry bouncing off the mesa walls.
He looked up and watched in amazement as the Eagle circled high above. The Elder held out his spear over the land and Adrian could see a reservation materialize, almost like a mirage, before him. There in the close distance, a group of Navajo men danced around in a methodical circle, singing in their native tongue. Adrian could feel in his own spirit, it was a song of mourning.
The Elder held out his arm again, indicating that Adrian was to dismount. Once again, grasping the Old man's arm, he slipped down off the horse. He slowly approached the dancers yet kept a respectful distance. He listened, he watched, he felt what they were feeling. The rhythmic beat of the drums blended into his mind, will and emotions, his heart.
Suddenly a strange and foreign presence, coming from somewhere beyond the circle, invisible and yet tangible, came with force at Adrian. Though it was unseen, he ducked reflexively and turned to see where the strange essence was headed. As he turned, the Elder and his Horse were gone. He looked in the distance but could see only scrub and flatlands. He turned back to the dance circle, but they were all gone.
Adrian Monk shot bold upright in his bed, eyes wide, gasping. He looked around the receding darkness of his room and realized it had been a dream. He looked at his clock. It read Six-thirty am. He threw the covers off and padded into his bathroom and started the shower. He studied his face in the mirror for a moment, his mind running through the dream.
As he showered, the dream was all he could think about. He couldn't shake it. He ran over it again and again, trying to discern its meaning. He remembered the feelings he had while there and the urgency he felt coming from the Elder. He had to discover the meaning of the dream, but how?
Finally, he shook himself out of it, finishing his shower, he dried off, dressed, and called Natalie.
"Hello?" came a very sleepy voice on the other end of the phone.
"Natalie, why are you up so early?" he asked.
Natalie looked at the phone and twisted her face. "Adrian, because you just called me. What do you need this early?" she inquired, trying to be polite, yet staying close to her pillow.
"I just called to tell you to go ahead and sleep in. I'm giving you the day off," Adrian informed matter-of- factly.
"Okay, great, see you later," she said, not really registering what he'd told her. She hung up and promptly went back to sleep. Adrian smiled to himself and, as he thought about her, his smile grew.
It was 8am when Natalie woke with a start. "Oh great! I'm late again!" she snarled to herself. She knew Adrian would harass her about it, even though, these days he did it with a smile on his face. She knew he could never really be mad at her. Still, she liked to be prompt, to see him happy. As she blew through her house like a tornado, trying to get ready, these days, thank God, Julie could get herself to school- she had something nagging in the back of her mind.
She grabbed her keys and as she took hold of the doorknob. She stopped short. "Wait a minute!" she said confounded. "Did he say what I think he said?" Natalie picked up her phone and called Adrian.
"Natalie, I told you, you have the day off," Adrian answered without thinking.
Natalie looked at her phone. Adrian didn't have caller ID. "How did you know it was me?" she asked with a chill.
Adrian blinked twice and shrugged his shoulders. He didn't have an answer for that. He just knew. "It . . . felt like it was you," he offered uncertainly. 'That was strange' he thought to himself; he wasn't one to say things like that or even to think like that. He occasionally went on gut instinct as all cops did, but this wasn't gut instinct. He just knew.
"Well, are you sure about the day off?" Natalie redirected.
"Yes, Natalie, trust me, I know what I'm doing."
"Okay, thank you. Consider yourself hugged," she said with a quick laugh of delight. Even in their budding relationship he wasn't always so generous.
"Ah, no, I'm afraid you'll have to owe me for it," he warned her with a smile she could hear.
"Put it on my tab," Natalie replied.
"Enjoy your day," he offered and hung up.
The past few months, after their defining conversation, following the Beiderbecke case, things had been slightly strained. But as Natalie and Adrian kept talking through it, and Adrian had allowed some safe physical contact, things between them began to become comfortable again. Adrian seemed happy to just have her sit enfolded in his arms, and Natalie seemed content with that, never pushing him for more. She started to accept the arrangement, keeping the hope alive that the right time would come someday. He had assured her of it, and he wasn't one to break his promises.
It was noon when Adrian's doorbell rang. Adrian had lunch prepared for his two visitors. He answered the door with excitement and trepidation. He loved Trudy's parents almost as much as he had loved Trudy.
"Dwight, Marcia!" he said with love in his voice. He really wanted to hug them. They stood awkwardly for a moment, then he stepped aside, letting them in. He took Marcia's coat and hung it beside the door. Adrian looked at Marcia for a moment and then stepped up to her and hugged her. Dwight and Marcia were quite surprised and even more so when Adrian broke the hug and offered his hand to Dwight. Dwight shook Adrian's hand firmly. Adrian smiled with a slight wince in his eyes at the big step he'd just taken.
"It's good to see you Adrian," Dwight said.
"It really is," Marcia confirmed, touching his arm, and handing him a large gift bag.
"What's this?" Adrian asked curiously. "You didn't have to get me anything."
Marcia waved at the air with her hand. "It was one of Trudy's favorite books as a teenager. "For some strange reason, I felt I just had to bring it to you," she answered.
"Thank you," Adrian said, leading them to the living room. He put the bag on the coffee table and carefully pulled out the contents. He was grateful for their thoughtfulness at using a gift bag, rather than wrapping it. Nothing had to be torn. Adrian stood stunned by the book he now held in his hands. The coffee table type book was called, "How The West Was Lost." The front cover was a black and white photo of An Old Navajo Indian Elder. The man in his dream. Not smiling of course, but in his eyes, Adrian could read sorrow. Adrian still didn't speak as he stared at the cover. Dwight and Marcia were a little confused by his stunned silence.
"Is something wrong?" Marcia asked.
Adrian tore his eyes from the cover, not sure he heard someone speak. "What?"
"Is something wrong?" she asked again.
"Oh, no, It's just that." He paused. "It's nothing," he smiled and placed the book back in the bag. "It's great, I'll enjoy reading this," he assured. Dwight redirected the mood. "You've definitely got our curiosity piqued!" he said.
Adrian ushered them into the dining room, glad at the distraction. "Are you ready for some lunch?" he offered. They both nodded, impressed at how nice the table and the food looked.
As lunch progressed, they moved from catch up conversation to the issue Adrian wanted to discuss. He wiped his mouth and cleared his throat indicating a change of direction. "I really am glad you could come up. You know, because I like to avoid planes when absolutely necessary."
Dwight and Marcia looked at each other briefly. This too was a new one on them since he wouldn't ever fly, even when necessary. "Well, we hope you're going to tell us why we're here pretty soon. the suspense is almost killing us!" Marcia smiled.
Adrian returned her smile. "Here's the thing," Adrian started as he sat up straighter in his chair. "As you know, I've had a new assistant for the past five years now." His in-laws nodded. Then Adrian got a gleam in his eye. "Oh, wait," he said and rose from the table quickly. He disappeared for a moment then returned with a small frame in his hand. He handed it to Marcia who shared it with Dwight. "That's Natalie and her daughter, Julie."
They looked at the two beautiful women in the picture and nodded approvingly. They were starting to get a hint at where Adrian was going, even though it seemed impossible. "They're quite beautiful," Dwight complimented. Marcia smiled in agreement as she handed Adrian back the picture.
He set it down next to him and smiled at it for a moment. Dwight took Marcia's hand under the table. "Here's the thing," Arian started again. Then he hesitated. "I, I, I, . . ." he stuttered, shrugging his shoulders. "I, I, think . . ."
"You love them." Marcia finished for him. Adrian smiled shyly with a big sigh of relief.
"Yes," he shrugged again as if he could do nothing about the revelation, and, he couldn't.
"We think that's wonderful, Adrian," Marcia said.
"Here's the thing," Adrian sat forward now, not sure how to tell them. "I think, that maybe-" He breathed again and started again, shoulders dancing. "I want to marry Natalie," he finally let out.
Dwight and Marcia's eyes grew wide and filled with pleasant surprise. Again, they exchanged a smile and a look and turned back to Adrian. Suddenly Dwight was up and beside Adrian, his arm in a semi-hug, shaking his hand, Marcia was on his other side patting his left hand.
"Adrian, we are so proud of you!"
He shifted uncomfortably not expecting the overjoyed reaction he was getting. "You are?"
"Of course, we are, why wouldn't we be?" Dwight asked. Tears of joy were glistening in Marcia's eyes, when Adrian looked at her. He looked back at the table, wanting to escape the touches. He was still in a place where too many touches from too many people were an overwhelming scenario for him. He nodded tensely. He pushed his chair back and got up. The Ellisons stepped back, understanding his discomfort. "I Thought you might think I was betraying Trudy," he said, leaving the dining room and crossing into the living room that was Trudy's shrine.
He stopped at the mantle and looked at his beautiful Trudy. "I struggled with it for a while, but, now . . ." He stopped and turned to look at her parents. "I know she's okay with it. She always wanted me to be happy and, I am." He shrugged again with a smile. "For the first time in a long time."
Marcia and Dwight were still smiling and yet, they felt the pang of new loss. They loved Adrian Monk. Now, with a possible new life ahead of him, they felt they might be losing him.
"I'd like your blessing," he asked. Marcia began to cry, making Adrian uncomfortable, yet he felt a compassion for what she must be feeling.
Adrian handed her a box of Kleenex and a baggy. He had learned that if people were going to cry, he needed to accommodate them. So, he kept baggies with the Kleenex, so he could be a good host.
"You have it!" Dwight smiled big. Marcia smiled through her tears.
"I still love Trudy," he said looking at Marcia. He stepped up to her again and hugged her for the second time in an hour. This time, he wasn't afraid. She felt it and so did he.
"I know, Adrian. So do I."
"You are inviting us to the wedding, aren't you?" Dwight inquired with a raised eyebrow that said he better or else.
"Of course, it would be an honor to have you there. But, I haven't even asked her yet," Adrian confided.
"Well ask her, son!" Dwight enthused.
The Detective smiled as Dwight smacked his arm in encouragement. 'It felt good to be called son', Adrian thought. "I will, but I need to ask her parents first."
"You were always a gentleman," Marcia beamed. "I remember when you asked us for Trudy's hand."
"Oh, yeah." Adrian smiled fondly.
"It took you nearly three hours to get it out on the table," Dwight reminisced.
"I don't remember it taking that long," Adrian replied not believing that for a minute.
"Trust me, you did," Marcia laughed.
"Really?" he asked squinting his eyes trying to remember.
"Really. So, where is the wedding?"
"Well, like I said, I haven't even asked her yet. . . "
"If you think she won't say yes, you're fooling yourself," Marcia said.
"If I take three hours to pop the question then she just might say no," he laughed nervously.
"Then don't take three hours," Dwight stated the obvious.
Adrian smiled with amusement, nodding his head. "Right." He paused for a moment. "I was thinking, maybe Hawaii."
"Can you do that?" Dwight asked incredulously. Adrian looked confused at the question.
"You mean can I do that?"
"Yeah, you on a plane for five hours?"
Adrian sat the couple down on his couch and stood before them as if to make a presentation. "I think I need to tell you some things," he started and then related everything that had happened to him in the past year, skipping the intimate details about him and Natalie. He told them enough to know, he wasn't so afraid of affection anymore and that he hoped to improve as time continued on. "I'd love for you to remain in my life. As you know, I don't have any parents," he trailed off quietly.
The couple stood together. "Adrian, we would be honored to have you as our son. Always," Marsha said tenderly, taking his right hand in hers. Adrian smiled with tears in his eyes.
The afternoon passed quickly, they shared dinner and then the Ellisons said their goodbyes to Adrian, reminding him about the invitation.
As Adrian Monk closed the door, he leaned against it with a smile. He hadn't lost a set of wonderful parents, he had kept them and he felt their friendship would only grow stronger now. The next thing was to talk to Natalie's parents.
Adrian had conspired with Julie to distract her mother while he talked to The Davenports. Natalie, Julie, and Adrian had gone to the Davenport's for the weekend, to get out of the city and enjoy the ocean breezes. Julie strongly suggested that Natalie take her to the local outlet mall in Monterey with the money her grandmother had just handed her. Natalie agreed and left Adrian to her parents, nothing suspected.
The three sat outside, just having finished breakfast, Natalie and Julie happily on their way to the mall. Adrian fidgeted for several moments, looking at his watch, bound and determined not to take three hours this time. "Mr. and Mrs. Davenport," he began. They looked up from their morning, shared paper, eyes on him.
"Yes Adrian?" Peggy Davenport asked kindly, she already knew what was coming.
"I would like to ask you a question," he hesitated. Bobby Davenport's eyes were a steely color, so the look in them seemed harsh, though Adrian knew it wasn't meant to be. Adrian felt them on him though and had to clear his throat and avert his eyes. Peggy kicked her husband under the table, knowing full well what he was doing to Adrian.
He smiled. "Well, out with it," Bobby ordered.
Adrian coughed nervously, his mouth suddenly going dry. He lifted his glass of water and drank it down as if it were some intoxicating drink that would relax his now very tense nerves. "Well," he fidgeted. "Here's the thing. I would like your permission to marry Natalie," he said quickly. There, he said it, in record time!
Bobby and Peggy shared a smile and a glance. "You have it, my boy!" Bobby Davenport announced, standing and reaching out his hand to Adrian, who flinched at the sudden hand in his face. He slowly took his hand and shook it.
"Thank you. Don't you want to think about it?"
"Why do you say that?" Peggy asked, as her husband took his seat again.
"Well, I'm not perfect, I mean, I know I've got some . . . issues." he offered.
"Adrian, no one is perfect. We like you. You're a good man. Lord knows, you're not rich."
"No," Adrian agreed.
"But we know you'll take care of our daughter and granddaughter, and they love you. We used to think it was the money. We're overriding that theory with you," she affirmed. "Besides, You'll never have to worry about money again, you'll be part of the family and we don't mind sharing with you."
"Oh, no, I couldn't ever ask . . ." Adrian spoke declining the thought that he would ever need to mooch anything.
"Adrian Monk!" Mrs. Davenport raised her voice in a motherly way.
"Yes Ma'am," Adrian replied quietly, feeling scolded, but in a good way. He allowed a small smile to creep onto his lips.
"We are paying for the wedding and everything. We would like to give some of our good fortune away and you'd better take it when we offer. Consider it a blessing. Don't even think about robbing us of our blessing," she stated firmly. She stared at him, Adrian looked at her, then away, then to Bobby, who pretended not to want to contradict his wife, and gave a look of suggestion to Adrian.
Adrian looked back to Mrs. Davenport. "Yes, Ma'am, thank you," he finally answered.
"There. Then its settled. Where's the wedding?" she asked all in one breath.
"Well, I was thinking, Hawaii."
"Can you do that?" They both asked in surprise. There was that question again. He deserved it really.
"You mean, fly, for five hours?" he questioned back.
"And deal with sand and the ocean and . . . etc." Mrs. Davenport confirmed, rolling one hand in a gesture of ad-infinitum.
"Yes," he answered firmly. "For Natalie, I can pretty much do, anything."