Opening Scene:

It’s nighttime on a deserted highway.  We see a car swerving along at a top rate of speed, the road is wet from a recent rain when we hear a cell phone within the car ringing.  The car takes the turn rather fast.  We hear the voice of a woman inside.

Woman:  “Harry, thank God you called!”

There is a man taking something large and boxed shaped out of the back of his van.  He’s parked on the shoulder of the same road.

Man:  “Kate!  Where are you now?”

Woman: “Ohhh ahh…I’m on my way!”

The man proceeds to drag the box out to the road as thunder and lightening are witnessed behind him.

Woman:  “I’ll be there in twenty minutes, how is she?”

The man is now in the middle of the road with the box.

Man:  “I don’t know, the veternarian won’t let me see her!”

We see the woman now inside the car, she looks frantic as she drives while talking on the cell.

Woman:  “Well, what did they say?”

We hear the man over her cell.

Man: “She was hit by a car – that’s all they know!”

The woman looks distressed by the news.

We see again the road with the man, the box is a metal ramp that he places next to one already set down on the asphalt.

Woman, barely in a whisper, we hear the metal placed on the road: “Oh – oh God!”

Man: “They think her back legs are broken!”

Now we see the actual dog in question, 100% fine, an attentive little Yorkshire terrier watching her master from the van setting up what now is apparently a trap.  The dog is whining at the sound of her mistress’s voice over the phone and standing up on the seat, a leash attaching her to the door.

Woman: “My poor baby!”

Woman in the car again, tears in her eyes:  “I don’t – I don’t know how it happened, how did she get out of the yard?!”

The man is concentrating on placing the ramps, there is a little earphone in his left ear:  “Oh, I don’t know – Maria must have left the gate open!”

We see the car approaching a bump and coasting along, still at top speed.

Woman: “No, I don’t think so!  I checked it myself!”

Man: “Where are you now?”

Woman: “Oh, I’m – ah – going past the ranger’s station!  Oh God, if something has happened to her I will never forgive myself!”

The man is looking up eagerly, seeing the car in front of him.

Man:  “Just hurry!”

Woman: “I’m going as fast as I can!”

The man sees the crash eminent, and runs back out of the way to his van.  The car is ever approaching and the rain has picked up.

The woman sees the ramps, is jettisoned off of them and airborne, she screams and forgets the phone and the car disappears from view.  The man runs past a sign that shows caution because of falling rocks – indicating a cliff, he looks off the side of the road – an evil smile crosses his face.

*Opening credits*

We see the outside of the SFPD, as some people are walking in the front door, a siren is heard very intermittently as a black and white cop car goes past in the scene.

There is a police press conference going on inside, several important people and reporters are milling around looking for a seat before the precedings.  We pan across the scene to see suddenly next to a flagpole, Sharona running in from off to the side and Adrian immediately going over to the US flag in the corner of the hall.

A police officer puts out his arm, stopping Sharona at the entrance.

Officer: “Whoa!  Press pass?”

Sharona:  “No!”

Adrian is playing around with the tassels on the bottom of the flag.

Officer: “Are you on the list?”

Sharona, looking at him incredulously:  “No!”

Officer:  “Sorry, I can’t let you in!”

Sharona holds her hand out to Adrian to her side: “Officer, this is Adrian Monk!”

Officer looks up realizing his mistake:  “Sorry, sir,  I didn’t know!”

Adrian looks up from smoothing the tassels of the flag to give him a grievious and serious face.

Sharona:  “Ah – could we stand over there – we don’t like to be touched!”

The officer now holds out his hand to direct them to the seats.  By now, she realizes Adrian isn’t even paying attention to her, still distracted by the flag.

Sharona:  “Adrian! Adrian! Come on!”

Adrian turns to his side to avoid the officer touching him in any way and follows Sharona into the press conference, which by now is getting under way.

There is a man at the podium addressing the crowd.

Man:  “As you can imagine, the past three days have been very difficult, very painful for the entire department.”

We see Sharona appearing to listen, and then Monk beside her to hear what is being said.

Man: “…Our prayers are with the Ashcombe family.  The former commissioner is here and has asked to say a few words!  Commissioner!”

Commissioner comes up to the podium, it’s the man who killed the woman in the rain in the opening segments.

Commissioner:  “It’s been 72 hours since my wife Katherine disappeared!  I want to thank everyone for their prayers and good wishes.  It’s meant the world to me!”

Monk looks moved by the commissioner’s words, Sharona is biting her lip pensively.  She looks thorougly unimpressed.

Commissioner:  “There is someone out there who knows what happened to my wife!  I’m asking you to look into your heart, and to come forward with any information you might have!”

Monk looks rather broken up as he thinks no doubt of Trudy in the back of his mind.  We get a close up of his face as we continue to hear the commissioner’s words.

Commissioner: “To Kate, if you can hear this – hang in there, babe!”

Monk starts rubbing the bridge of his nose as his emotions begin to disturb him.

Commissioner:  “…I love you.  Don’t give up!”

The commissioner abruptly leaves the podium, a reporter stands up in the crowd.

Reporter:  “Sir, has anyone threatened…?”

More reporters chime in like she did.  He plows through the crowd without another word, Adrian quietly watches him.  We then see Stottlemeyer doing the same thing and approaching Adrian and Sharona.  He seems surprised to see Adrian.

Stottlemeyer:  “Monk, what are you doing here?”

Monk: “I want to help!”

Stottlemeyer:  “You want to help – say a prayer for the man!”

Sharona gives the captain a rather insulted look, but says nothing.

Monk: “I can do more than that captain, you know I can!”

Stottlemeyer:  “Can you imagine what that man is going through?”

Monk looks at him with a veiled anger in his eyes:  “Yes – I can!”

Sharona looks at the captain with an ‘I told you so!’ look.

Stottlemeyer: “Come on!”

He walks towards the door.

Stottlemeyer:  “Follow me!”

Sharona puts her hand on Adrian’s back and they walk from the room.

Stottlemeyer in the main station hallway, they see the commissioner turning to them.  The captain holds out his hand to Monk behind him, Sharona pacing them at his side.

Stottlemeyer:  “Commissioner!  Harry!  Adrian Monk.”

Commissioner:  “Yes, of course!  How are you detective?”

The commissioner holds out his hand for Adrian to shake, Sharona immediately dives into her purse for a moist wipe.

Monk:  “Former detective.”

Commissioner:  “Not for long I hope, we miss you!  Thank you for coming.”

Monk:  “Sir, if there’s – anything I can do, I’m available 24/7!”

He begins to pinch pieces of lint off the commissioner’s jacket.  The commissioner looks at him in surprise.

Commissioner: “We appreciate that…”

Monk: “I’ve become pretty familiar with this type of crime.”

Stottlemeyer glares at Adrian, his hands on his hips:  “There’s no crime – yet, Monk!  This is a missing person’s case!”

Monk begins to concern himself with the commissioner’s other lint on the opposite lapel:  “Of course, I know…I know that – um – I’m sorry!”

He keeps fussing with the lapel, and Sharona grows a little nervous.

Sharona:  “Adrian!”

He stops.

Monk: “…I just mean, if worse comes to worse – and I pray it never does, I think I could be a real asset here!”

Sharona:  “You won’t be sorry, sir, he is the best.”

Commissioner:  “Well, how could I not accept an offer from Adrian Monk?”

Both Adrian and then Sharona beam with very proud smiles at his compliment, each accepting it as their own.

Commissioner:  “Leland, see that he gets a copy of the file and full access!”

The captain looks on to Adrian rather jealously, but remains quiet.

Stottlemeyer:  “Yes, sir!”

Commissioner:  “Welcome aboard detective!”

Monk:  “Thank you, sir! – thank you…”

As he says these words, he proceeds to brush more lint off the commissioner’s jacket as he starts to follow Stottlemeyer and Sharona already walking between the cubicles of the station.  The phones are ringing in the background.  He takes one last swipe and quickly follows the group, the commissioner looks a bit disgruntled.

*Change of scenes*

We’re outside on a coast line down the side of a cliff, seagulls are flying overhead as we see the water crashing into the rocks.  There is an old sedan parked in the sand.  There is a woman sleeping inside, her head resting on the seat to one side, she wakes up.  Her head lulls around at first, trying to come to.  She looks around, down at the dash and behind her to figure out where the hell she is.

Woman:  “Where am I?”

She looks around one more time and then opens the door of her car.

Woman:  “Where the hell…?”

She closes her door, we now see that she’s still in her dressing gown but otherwise in day clothes, she looks behind her in surprise.  She is obviously lost.   She sees something off in the distance and proceeds to climb up through some undergrowth.  Inspecting it a little closer, we see that she notices the dead body of the commissioner’s wife, Katherine, blood down her forehead and resting against the cracked door of her damaged car.

Woman:  “Ohhhhh…!”

*Next scene, same setting*

We see the full scope of the cliff now and sirens off in the distance.  We pan down to the totalled car with Katherine at the bottom of the rocks – it’s now a crime scene.  Two paramedics go over to remove and inspect the body, while a forensic photographer snaps pictures in the background.  There is a stretcher on the ground.

We move around to see Stottlemeyer with his hands on his hips listening to their only witness – the woman, Dolly Flint, a psychic of less renowed credentials.  Lieutenant Disher is taking notes as she speaks.

Dolly:  “She was calling me, she lead me here!  See, that’s the way it happens sometimes!  I was driving the car, but her aura was guiding me!”

She points to Disher’s blotter.

Dolly:  “Write that down, lieutenant, it was her aura!”

Disher seems unsure of this woman and where she’s coming from.  He looks up at the captain who gives him a bemused expression.

Dolly:  “And, then I woke up and I was right here.  See, she wanted me find her!  She didn’t want to lie for eternity under all that mud, I mean, can you blame her?”

Disher looks at her again like she’s from another planet.

Disher:  “And, you never met Mrs. Ashcombe?”

Dolly:  “No, never met her.  Not until this morning.”

Disher:  “And, do you know her husband at all?”

Dolly:  “Never had the honor.”

The captain looks like he’s getting tired of her little act.

Stottlemeyer:  “Is there anything else you can tell us, Ms. Flint?”

Dolly comes up and acts very casual to the captain, putting her hand on his arm.

Dolly:  “Oh hells bells, captain, you can call me Dolly.  You’ve known me for twenty years!”

Stottlemeyer:  “Hellooo Dolly!”

Dolly starts laughing at his little joke, Disher doesn’t know what to make of the alliance just yet – he looks at his superior, strangely.  Dolly points at the captain as she talks to Disher.

Dolly:  “Did he tell ‘ya?  He arrested me three times – bonco and fraud!  You always thought I was a quack, didn’t ‘ya, captain?  Never thought I’d actually find somebody…”

She sees them moving the body and starts running over to the paramedics.

Dolly:  “…Oh hi!   Excuse me, can you get a picture of me with the car – I’m just going to…”

Stottlemeyer interrupts seeing her disturbing the crime scene.

Stottlemeyer:  “Hey!…Hey!  No!  Dolly!  Dolly!”

He comes over and grabs her away by her upper arm.

Stottlemeyer:  “He is a police photographer – he’s not from the National Enquirer!”

He hands her off to Disher.  Disher leads her out of the picture.

Disher:  “…Right this way!”

Dolly:  “Can’t I have just one shot?”

Stottlemeyer looks off to the open ambulance behind him and then notices up on the cliff face is Sharona and Monk examining the scene.  Monk is looking at the ground, Sharona is looking down at the captain.

Stottlemeyer whispers to himself and sighs:  “…What the hell?”

*Up on top of the cliff*

Adrian is leaning over to his right side, his whole body titled and his hands forming an angle as he stands in the middle of the road.  Sharona is just watching him without question, doing his little thing.  He runs backwards towards Sharona, she sidesteps out of his way and then Adrian turns doing the same thing facing her, but not looking up…he’s still eyeing the road.

He bends down and then dashes back and forth, his hand up to his mouth, biting his knuckles as he grows excited by what is revealed only to him.  Eventually Stottlemeyer walks up to him in the scene.  Adrian is bending down, not noticing anyone and eyeing the road closer on his haunches.

Stottlemeyer:  “What are you doing?”

Monk:  “Look at this!”

We see scratch marks all along the stretch of highway that he’s been examining.

Stottlemeyer:  “What?”

We see Sharona come up to him to see what he sees.

Monk:  “Looks like something – was - maybe dragged along here - something metal…”

Stottlemeyer:  “That could be anything!”

Monk:  “But – you see – you see where the car ended up…”

He is directing their attention towards the edge of the cliff, they all look in the same direction together.  Now they are all in the middle of the road.

Monk:  “…Imagine the trajectory, it doesn’t make sense!”

Stottlemeyer is unconvinced:  “Don’t complicate things, Monk!  She was probably doing 70 or 75 miles an hour when she missed the turn.  Hey!  Did you hear who found the car?”

Monk looks very unimpressed, he already knows:  “I heard!  Dolly Flint!”

Stottlemeyer:  “Crazy Dolly!  Can you believe that?”

Monk: “No – I can’t!”

Sharona rolls her eyes.

Sharona:  “Monk doesn’t believe in psychics…”

Monk:  “I believe in what I can see!”

He looks down at Sharona, she’s visibly upset.

Monk:  “I believe - in – what’s in front of me!”

Sharona:  “You know how I found out that my ex was still seeing his old girlfriend?”

Monk is rather flippant as he says:  “Please – tell us!”

Sharona is now thoroughly pissed.  “A psychic told me!”

Monk looks over and raises his eyebrows and gives a false shocked expression to the captain.

Sharona:  “…now that’s a true story and was the best $35 bucks I ever spent!”

Monk looks at her laughing to himself and the captain is doing the same:  “$35 bucks?”

Stottlemeyer surprisingly is supporting her:  “There have been cases, documented cases, where psychics have found missing kids – “

Adrian is holding his head in his hands, the conversation giving him a headache.

Stottlemeyer: “ – bodies.  It happens!”

Sharona is strumming her fingers on her purse strap, Adrian shrugs in disbelief.

Monk:  “It ah yah ah…Of course it happens!  A thousand psychics making ten thousand predictions a year – two or three of them have to be right!”

Stottlemeyer sighs loudly as he hears the sirens behind him.

Stottlemeyer: “Ahh…Here he is!”

We see a plain-clothed police officer stopping on the dirt road down from where the trio stands, he opens the door for the commissioner.  They chat briefly, but we can’t hear what is being said, it’s too far away.  As Stottlemeyer, Sharona and Adrian walk closer to the approaching visitors – the captain fusses with his tie, nervously, he straightens it out.

Stottlemeyer:  “Ahh…You know, I was the best man at their wedding!”

Monk:  “Really?”

Stottlemeyer:  “This is going to kill him!”

Stottlemeyer under breath as he begins to walk away:  “Kill him…dah*“ (*can’t make out this bit)

Sharona and Adrian look on, Sharona makes a rather ‘this will be brutal’ look and looks up at the sky.  We then shift over to focus on a rather bare tree on the horizon.

Monk:  “That’s strange!”

Sharona: “What?”

Adrian levels his hand out to show Sharona where he is focussing his attention.

Monk:  “She went off the road here – look at the tree!  The tree’s intact!”

The tree is shown again, it’s a pathetic little tree.

Monk: “…No broken branches...”

*Scene switch*

We move down where the commissioner and Stottlemeyer stand in the open back end of the ambulance.   They are standing in front of the body of Katherine, covered by a white sheet and bound to the stretcher.

Stottlemeyer:  “Harry, I really don’t think you should look!”

Commissioner:  “Why not?”

Stottlemeyer: “Because you should remember her as she was.”

Commissioner: “Leland, I have to see!  I have to say goodbye.”

Stottlemeyer looks down, knowing he’s going to regret his actions.  He strips back the cloth covering Katherine’s torn and battered face, her neck and head are resting in a brace of orange foam.  The commissioner reacts immediately, raising his hand to his mouth.

Commissioner: “Katherine!”

The captain sees that he isn’t looking at her anymore, and quickly covers Katherine’s body again.  Dolly approaches the commissioner slowly and tries to show her sympathy.

Dolly: “Hi!”

Stottlemeyer:  “Commissioner, this is Dolly Flint, she found your wife’s body!”

The commissioner tries to show some sort of false front of bravery and shakes her hand.

Commissioner:  “Yes, of course.  It’s amazing!  I can’t thank you enough.”

Disher is standing off to the side, his arms crossed listening, intently.

Dolly:  “I just wish I could have found her before she crossed over.”

Dolly is holding the commissioner’s hand in both of hers, he slowly lets go and walks off by himself a bit.  He covers his mouth again, trying to look grieving, but possibly covering a sly smile.  Adrian notices it and watches him puzzled.  By this time, he’s growing skeptical.

*Moments later, same scene*

Adrian is standing on a long piece of lumber to avoid dealing with the trappings of mud on his spotless shows, he’s a good yard away from the actual car wreck.

Sharona is already leaning in the car window:  “Adrian?  Don’t you want a closer look?”

Monk:  “No – ah ah – I can see from here!”

Sharona is frustrated as the police are still doing their actual job and he isn’t.  She gestures from the car to him.  There is a man examining the mud with a bucket and the forensic photographer is still taking photos.

Sharona: “Would you like us to move the crash site a little closer to you?!”
Monk’s legs are visibly trembling, possibly at the tone of Sharona’s voice.

Monk:  “No – umm – I’m fine!”

They both hear a car door slam, and turn to see Dolly coming from her abandoned car.  She sees Adrian and Sharona, she shouts over to them.

Dolly:  “Hi!”

Sharona immediately runs for her, hopping across the puddles of mud.  Monk doesn’t move as she rushes past his board.

Monk:  “You found the body?”

Dolly:  “Yeah!  Are you a reporter?”

Sharona is all excited as she comes up to Dolly.

Sharona:  “Ms. Flint?  Hello!”

She shakes Dolly’s hand.

Sharona:  “Umm…my name is Sharona Fleming and this is my friend – oh, excuse me – my  boss, Adrian Monk!”

Adrian looks rather angry at how Sharona is carrying on like a rock fan.

Sharona:  “Umm…he was consulting on the case before you showed up to solve it!”

She pats Dolly’s hand in absolute glee.

Dolly doesn’t take note of anything she just said:  “Why is he – ah – staring at me?”

Sharona:  “I know, it’s a little creepy if you don’t know him!”

Dolly looks distressed, as she holds up her finger and goes for her car.

Dolly:  “Excuse me!”

She begins to lift her bare foot out of the mud and proceeds to clean off the dirt with her fingertips.

Sharona:  “Uh…Ms. Flint?”

Adrian sees what Dolly is doing and looks deeply disturbed by the display, he grimaces in disgust and can’t watch.

Sharona:  “I just have to say, that it is an honor to meet you, I can’t tell you how much money I have wasted on those TV psychics!”

She’s moved as she says:  “…But, you really have the power!  I mean a gift!”

Dolly laughs a bit as she wipes off her hands:  “Ha!  Apparently!”

Sharona:  “Um, can I call you sometime for a private reading?”

Dolly walks to her open driver side window and keeps on talking to Sharona: “Oh yeah!  But listen – um – the rates on my card no longer apply, they’ve gone up!”

She returns with a card or two cards in her hand.

Dolly:  “…As of about two hours ago.”

She hands a ticket to Sharona.  She holds out one to Adrian.

Dolly:  “Here’s one for you, Mr. Monk!”

Adrian holds up his hands, definitely not wanting one.

Sharona:  “I’ll take it to him!”

Sharona comes over to deposit it in Monk’s pocket, he shakes his head vehemently, but she does it anyhow.  He looks away bitterly.

Dolly:  “Maybe I could help you with – ah – one of your cases sometime!”

We see Dolly raise her hand to wave and turns back to her car.

Dolly:  “Ciao!”

Sharona waves at her, happily.  Monk still looks skeptical.

Sharona: “Bye!”

As Dolly sits in her car, slamming her door, she adjusts her seat upwards.  Monk immediately notices and looks at her actions with concern.  Dolly pulls away, in the process kicking up mud from her front tires, which hits Monk’s spotless pant leg.

He cries out in agony, like being burned on a stove.  Grasping his hands in fists at his side, Sharona immediately digs in her purse.

Sharona:  “Hold still!  Hold still, it’s not the end of the world!”

Monk:  “Did you see that?”

Sharona looks up briefly from cleaning off his pants with a moist wipe:  “It’s just a little mud!”

Monk:  “No, she moved her seat forward.  When she got in the car, she moved her seat!”

We see Dolly’s car pulling up past the commissioner, Stottlemeyer, and Disher who watch her leave the scene.  Monk steps forward on the plank, his mind starting to piece together the clues.

*Next scene, the SFPD headquarters*

Stottlemeyer comes through the door of his office and stops, he looks rather frustrated to notice Adrian and Sharona waiting for him.

Stottlemeyer:  “Oh, I’m sorry, I thought this was my office!”

Sharona seems slightly dismayed sitting in a chair in the captain’s office, Adrian is standing in front of her.

Stottlemeyer:  “Yes, see - I’m confused, because my name is on the door!”

Adrian smiles good-naturedly waiting for an explaination, Sharona covers her face in shame.

Adrian holds out his hands to her, still smiling:  “Don’t – don’t blame Sharona, captain!”

Sharona shoots him an insulted look.

Stottlemeyer:  “I have no intention of blaming Sharona!”

Stottlemeyer walks around his desk, Adrian is still trying to explain.

Monk:  “I was just following up on the Ashcombe case.”

Stottlemeyer points down at his desktop, realizing all of his office trinkets and belongings are gone, it’s completely clean.

Stottlemeyer:  “What happened here?”

Monk: “I took the liberty of straightening up a little!”

Stottlemeyer holds out his hands in dismay:  “Where is all my crap?!”

Monk: “It’s in your drawers, and of course I had to throw some stuff away!”

Stottlemeyer looks supremely pissed as he glares up at Adrian.  He begins to retrieve his things buried in his desk.

Sharona holds up her hands: “I’m sorry, sir, I – I tried to stop him!”

Stottlemeyer looks up at Monk:  “There is – no Ashcombe case, Monk.  The inquest is over.”

Monk looks unimpressed.

We see off to the side Stottlemeyer sitting down.

Stottlemeyer:  “This is what happened – it was raining, she was a terrible driver, she went off the road!  A mud slide covered the car, until…”

Monk angrily finishes his sentence:  “…Until the biggest flake in North America just happened to find it?”

Stottlemeyer seems amused at his anger:  “And you can’t stand that, can you?”

Stottlemeyer straightens a little desk clock on a stand in front of him across the desk.

Stottlemeyer:  “Dolly Flint showed you up – and you can’t stand it!”

The amusement is now apparent in the captain’s voice, irking Monk to no end – causing him to revert a bit to his OCD and he becomes fixated on Stottlemeyer’s gooseneck lamp that he paws with his fingertip.

Sharona immediately chastises him:  “Adrian! *Sit!*“

He does as she says right away, but the anger is very apparent in his face.

Monk:  “We have Dolly Flint’s file!”

Stottlemeyer:  “Yeah, I know she has a jacket, Monk – we made three of those collars myself!”

Monk:  “Fraud!  Trespassing!  Reckless endangerment!”

Stottlemeyer: “Yeah, she has a sleep disorder, she walks in her sleep.  She’s got – um…”

Stottlemeyer looks up at Sharona for assistance as she was a former nurse.  “

Stottlemeyer:  “What do you call it –  sand – ah ah…?”

Monk:  “Do you know how many cases Dolly Flint offered to help with and failed?!  220!”

Stottlemeyer:  “So she’s one for 220!”

The captain looks at Adrian with a pause:  “It’s possible!”

Monk:  “No, it’s not!”

Stottlemeyer:  “Yes, it is!”

He opens a folder and produces some photos, he takes the top one in his hand.

Stottlemeyer:  “She was photographed going through a red light, last night – she was alone in the car…”

He slides it across the desk for Adrian to see, we see the picture of a car caught by surveillance, the license plate clearly visible.

Adrian looks shocked at the realization that he may be wrong, Stottlemeyer gives him a certain look.

Stottlemeyer:  “It happened!”

Adrian looks at the the captain in disbelief and then the photo again, his faith in his abilities somewhat shaken.

*Scene change, we are The Ashcombe home*

We see a lavish wake inside the sumptious home of the commissioner, several people are talking amongst themselves all dressed in black – Adrian and Sharona are in the middle of it all.

Monk:  “I’m not good at parties!”

Sharona:  “It’s not a party!  It’s a memorial service.”

We pan across the crowd from down the chandeliered staircase to Stottlemeyer, the commissioner and Disher quietly observing the guests from across the room.

Sharona comes up, stating her point as she holds up her hand.

Sharona:  “This – is a nice place!”

We now see Monk standing aside her.

Sharona:  “Obviously whomever lives here doesn’t work for you!”

Monk:  “The late Mrs. Ashcombe was richer than Canada!”

Adrian is holding a book in his hands, he looks up to see the commissioner approach them.

Monk:  “Commissioner, I thought this might help – !”

He hands him the book he has in his hands.

Monk:  “When I lost Trudy, I – I read it every night!”

The commissioner looks down and reads the front cover:  “Ralph Waldo Emerson!”

Monk:  “Yes, sir!”

The commissioner looks up in compassion:  “Thank you, Adrian!”

Monk looks touched, and near tears at his own shared memories.

Commissioner:  “And thank you for coming!  It means the world to me.”

He holds out his right hand for Adrian to shake, Adrian obviously hesitates.  Slowly he places his hand in the commissioner’s.

Commissioner:  “It looks like we won’t require your services after all!”

As he says these words, he Adrian’s hand and covers it with both of his in a warm gesture.

We scan up to see Sharona looking at the move with obvious doubts and anxiety, she very slowly looks up to see Adrian’s expression, knowing full well the affect.  She bites her lip.

Commissioner:  “But I want you to know how much I appreciate your offer!”

Adrian is trying to swallow back his discomfort, clear tears in his eyes now – not from the memories but his fight to control his anxiety.  He smiles rather nervously at the commissioner and nods without replying.

The commissioner looks at Sharona and nods pleasantly.

Sharona acknowledges him:  “Thank you!”

Adrian’s hand is still suspended in the air, frozen in place, his expression still the same plastered smile.  As the commissioner walks away, Adrian looks at his hand in repulsion, Sharona instinctively dives into her purse for a moist wipe to the rescue.

Sharona:  “Hold on!”

Monk:  “No, no, no – bathroom!  Bathroom!  I – I – I need a wash…!”

Sharona:  “Just try upstairs!  Try upstairs!”

Monk:  “Did you see that?  It was a two-hander!”

Monk goes running off for the stairs in abject terror, his hand still held high like it was contaminated.

Sharona:  “I saw it – just don’t make a scene!”

Adrian has already bounded up about eight steps and is rushing like mad for the bathroom.

Sharona nervously turns and smiles rather embarrassed at someone behind her.

Next we see, Adrian dashing up the second floor staircase, walking wooden-like with his diseased hand.  He runs into the Ashcombes’ bedroom and there are boxes strewn with stuff beside the bathroom to his left.  He stops and examines them for a moment in curiosity, his detective side kicking in.

He walks to a mid section before the bathroom, an inside closet perhaps and notices something strange, his hand still held up – he seems puzzled.  He sees a pair of discarded boots with what appears like mud lining the bottoms.  He lowers his hand slightly and gulps as the realization hits him.

He makes it to the bathroom and we see him cleaning his hands under a faucet.  He grabs a hand towel to turn off the faucet and dries his hands with it.  That’s when he notices a box to his immediate right.

Fascinated with it, he takes the towel and lifts the top a bit to peer inside.  It’s filed with glass trinkets and vanity items.  Gingerly, with his bare hand; he lifts a small, empty glass perfume bottle up and examines it closely.

Commissioner appears out of nowhere:  “The guest bathroom is down the hall!”

Monk jumps around startled:  “Commissioner!  I’m sorry – ah – I was – ah – I was – ah – I was was just – I mean – later, after – you know – before, when we – I…!”

He laughs, clearly nervous.

Monk:  “OK! Here’s the thing…!”

Commissioner:  “I can remember when you began this sentence.”

He takes the vial out of Adrian’s fingers.  Adrian chuckles.

Commissioner:  “Everyone gets lost…the house was always too big for Katherine and me.    We didn’t buy it, it was wedding gift from her father!”

Monk:  “Ahh!”

The commissioner puts the little bottle back in the box.

Commissioner:  “You understand – right?  I mean – you lost your wife.”

Adrian looks down at the box as the commissioner is starting to walk towards the door.

Monk:  “Ahh – understand what, sir?”

Commissioner:  “The natural desire to pack her things away!  You don’t want them around to – remind you…”

Adrian looks disbelieving, pain in his face.

Monk:  “I guess I had the opposite reaction.  I haven’t thrown anything of Trudy’s away.  Not even a hairbrush, not even a – hair from a hairbrush…”

The commissioner seems disappointed that he is not letting this slide.

Commissioner:  “Really?”

Adrian gives him a clearly suspect look.

*Scene change, we are back downstairs, at a rich buffet table*

We see Sharona and Disher standing and helping themselves at the end of the table to the food.

Disher:  “So – did he – ah - leave the house like – ah - twice a week now?”

Sharona looks baffled by his strange question.  She is still helping herself to some food by reaching across the table.

Sharona:  “What kind of question is that?  Hmm?  He leaves the house all the time!  He’s not disabled.  He just gets a little anxious about…”

Disher:  “…Every single thing!”

Sharona eats while talking:  “Well, you know – the fact is, we’re getting offers from all over the country – every day.  I mean I had to disconnect my phone, it’s driving me crazy!”

Disher just scoffs at her while sipping his coffee:  “Sure!”

Sharona seems rather uncomfortable at her lie and so she eats an hor’d ouvre quickly.

*Scene change again, same house*

We see Monk bound in from the staircase to the center of the front foyer.  He looks around him a bit and we get an overhead shot of him noticing some mail on a table near the front doors.  He immediately goes over to it.   He looks around him to the guests over beside him, and then fishes a pen from his inside jacket pocket.  He begins to rifle through the mail left there, there is also a small box on it’s end sitting next to it.  Sharona comes up over his shoulder, and looks totally shocked.

Sharona whispers:  “What are you doing?!  You can’t look through people’s mail!”

Monk:  “I’m not stealing anything, I’m just combing through.  I don’t want to live in a world where a person can’t comb through another person’s mail!”

Sharona sighs in disgust.

Sharona:  "Will ya' just hurry up!"

She holds her forehead in embarrassment.

Monk:  "Jennie Zeppetteli…smell that!"

He holds up a small box he found to Sharona for her to sniff.  She does cautiously.

Monk:  "Perfume!  Shalimar…it's very expensive!  Obviously an old girlfriend, she loved him, but it's over now."

Sharona looks at him, puzzled.

Sharona:  "How do you know all that?"

Monk:  "I've never underlined anything six times!"

He shows the box and we see the word DECLINED in blue marker with several underlines under it.

Monk:  "Have you?"

(Scene change, obviously we are at Jennie's place, on Modesta. It's a modest town home):

Jennie is sitting looking at her guests across the living room where they sit together, she seems very pensive and doesn't say a word.  Adrian is looking down at her coffee table, and Sharona just sits trying to remain quiet.

Jennie stares up at several champagne bottles above her fireplace, her mind drifting.

Adrian glances up at her, and notices it immediately.  Jennie is holding her hands together and fiddles with her fingers.

When Monk finally says something, both Sharona and Jennie jump.

Monk:  "I agree, Jennifer - he did waste the best five years of your life!"

Jennie:  "How did you know what I was thinking?!"

Sharona looks at Monk, obviously thinking the same thing.

Monk:  "You were looking at the empty bottles of boisjoli…"

We see the fine bottles of champagne with plaques hanging from each of the necks.

Monk:  "…they're dated, one for each of the last five years.  They obviously represent - anniversaries.  And, I saw you feel your ring finger which doesn't have a ring."

Jennie looks crossed.

Jennie:  "Are you a psychic, Mr. Monk?"

Monk: "Tah!"

Sharona:  "He's a psychic who doesn't believe in psychics!"

Monk:  "Jennifer, we know that you were having an affair with Harry Ashcombe."

Jennie looks ashamed and looks down, Sharona shows concern for her.

Sharona:  "Is it over?"

Jennie:  "I wised up!  It only took five years!  I realized Harry was never going to leave his wife.  And, not because he loved her…I mean he despised her!  He just couldn't live without the money."

Monk:  "When - when did you see him last?"

Jennie:  "About four months ago.  But, he calls me all the time and he sends me gifts.  I mean, what happened to his wife, it wasn't my fault - he's just - he's crazy!"

Monk:  "You mean - the accident?"

Jennie looks like she obviously feels that's a joke, her eyes are averted.

Monk picks up on it.

Monk:  "You don't believe it was an accident?"

Jennie:  "I don't know - all I know is that Harry Ashcombe is a very dangerous man!"

Monk makes a face as if his suspicions were right, and his ire is raised.  Sharona and he now look away.

Jennie:  "I hope you know what you're doing."

(Scene change):

We are outside Monk's apartment, when we hear Sharona's voice from inside.

Sharona:  "Do we know what we're doing?"

We then see Monk sitting in front of the open door to his fridge, rearranging things and checking for expired items.    We see in his fridge all sorts of small plastic store bought containers, some yogurt drinks, about six of them, some packages of meat and a plastic tray of eggs, all neatly assembled.  Sharona is leaning across his counter in the background as she talks to him.

Monk:  "Relax!  I have been handling refrigerators since I was fifteen!"

Sharona:  "No, I'm talking about the case!  The former commissioner isn't just another suspect, Adrian!  He is connected, he is the man and you better be sure about this!"

Monk doesn't look at her, he's too busy.

Monk:  "I'm as sure as I can be without any - you know - proof!"

Sharona covers her eyes in disbelief, her life no doubt flashing before her eyes.

Monk:  "All of her stuff was packed up!  He couldn't wait to get rid of it!"

Now, Adrian turns to look at her.

Sharona:  "But that doesn't mean anything!"

Monk:  "There were boots in the closet that were covered with mud!"

He picks out a small bottle of liquid yogurt drink.  He reads the label.

Monk:  "Good until July 22nd…"

He compares with another.

Monk:  "Sell by July 20th…"

He throws the second that he first read back towards Sharona, she catches it expertly as Adrian makes a sound of disgust.   As he does, he neatly aligns the yogurt drink bottles again. She immediately pockets it in her purse.  Adrian doesn't notice.

Sharona:  "You really think he forced his wife off the road?"

Monk:  "Yep!"

Sharona:  "Any idea how?"

Monk is busy cleaning off the interior of the fridge door; we see a large container of orange juice there.

Monk:  "Well, unless I'm crazy - he put something out on the road that sent her over the road.  Now - that was the easy part…"

He picks up a container of olives and begins to shake them trying to get them all level.

Monk:  "The hard part came later."

Sharona:  "What's that?"

Monk is getting more aggravated with his struggles with the errant olives.

Monk:  "Getting that loony tune Dolly Flint to find the body.  That's the real mystery here!"

Satisfied as well as hungry, he opens up the container and puts one in his mouth.

Monk:  "How did he do that?"

Sharona is eating something:  "Well you can ask her, I got a reading with her at three o'clock.  Why don't you come along?"

Monk:  "Maybe I will…"

Monk begins to rearrange something on the bottom shelf.

(Scene change):

We are at Dolly's house, we come down from the ceiling fan to the interior of the organic room to see Dolly massaging Sharona's scalp as they sit in two chairs in the middle of the room.

Dolly:  "Mmm…very positive person, very spiritual."

Sharona looks up.

Sharona:  "That's true!"

Dolly:  "Mmm…but you've been troubled, you've been having trouble sleeping.  Am I right?"

Sharona hesitates.

Sharona:  "Yeah - yeah…"

Dolly:  "Uh huh!"

Sharona stops her:  "You can tell all that from the bumps in my head?"

Dolly:  "It's called phrenology, see the shape of your head is like - ah…"

As she talks we cut away to see Adrian snooping through Dolly's rather cluttered and dirty kitchen for clues.

Dolly:  "It's a spiritual roadmap; you just have to know how to read it."

Sharona: "Feels good!"

Dolly:  "Shhh!  OK - there's a young man in your life!"

Sharona:  "Ah - that would be son, yeah!  His name's Benjy!"

She seems so proud as she smiles at Dolly.

Dolly: "Ohh…And, another man - now he's not young, but he's like a child…"

Sharona rolls her eyes, knowing who it is immediately.

Sharona:  "That would be my boss!"

We cut back to Adrian still looking around.

Dolly:  "This is a very difficult man; he's causing you a lot of anxiety!"

We see Adrian sticking his finger out cautiously to an antenna sticking up from a radio on Dolly's kitchen counter.  He pushes it back a bit.

Sharona:  "You know, I just don't want to talk about it right now, please…"

Dolly:  "Oh - OK…Yeah, this is another man.  A new man."

Sharona is now very interested.

Dolly:  "Oh, honey, this is a real man!"

Sharona:  "Really??"

Monk is still trying to find something.  He's sizing up everything.

Dolly:  "Yeah!"

Both women laugh together.  Suddenly, Adrian very loudly knocks something over and the sounds of a plate crashing are heard.

Both Dolly and Sharona stop what they are doing.

Dolly:  "What was that?"

Sharona looks back alarmed, as she grabs Dolly's hand and puts it into hair once more.

Sharona:  "Wait, let's - let's - let's talk about that man!"

But, Dolly isn't easily swayed.  She is still looking at the kitchen with renewed suspicion.

Dolly:  "Where's your friend, Mr. Monk?!"

We see Adrian stop what he's doing, his hands out trying not to disrupt anything else.  He spots some medications on the far side of the counter 'Sweet Slumber' being the most obvious, he begins fishing at them with his trusty pen again.  We hear footsteps approaching.

Dolly:  "Mr. Monk!"

Adrian stands up alarmed at being found, he straightens his jacket a bit, uncomfortably.

Dolly:  "I thought you were in the waiting room!"

Adrian tries to smile.

Monk:  "I was thirsty!"

Dolly:  "Yeah, well, you should've asked!"

She walks past him to the sink.

Dolly:  "Excuse the mess, my cleaning girl got herself knocked up from some guy from Paraguay.  Can you believe it?"

She fills a cup up with some tap water and turns to Adrian.

Dolly:  "What do they call them anyway?  Paragons?  Here you go!"

She hands Adrian the cup, there is a clear lipstick stain along the rim.  He hesitates as he notices it.

Monk:  "You know what, I'm fine!    It was just a cough - drop - stuck in my throat - there.  But, I'm fine - thank you!"

Dolly:  "Suit yourself…"

She instead drinks from it, Adrian covers his eyes in disgust.

Dolly:  "Why doncha come and join us?"

(Scene change):

Dolly is laying tarot cards out along a table, they read 'death, judgement, the tower and the chariot'.

Dolly:  "Mmm…umm hmm!  The Chariot, you're a very restless soul!"

Adrian seems greatly disturbed by even being a party to this as he sits over on Dolly's left side, Sharona is across from her.  He keeps giving Dolly insulted glares.  He opens his mouth but doesn't say anything.

Dolly:  "Oh!  Now, this is interesting - The Knight of Pentacles."

Sharona:  "Is that good?"

Dolly:  "Well, it confirms what I felt earlier - romance!"

Adrian seems bothered by that pronouncement, and angles his head to look at the cards himself.  He's fidgeting like crazy by this time.

Dolly:  "You know anyone with a British accent?"

Adrian rolls his eyes.

Sharona:  "No!"

Dolly:  "You will, very soon!"

Sharona:  "A British accent, huh?"

Sharona is gleeful at the news, she contemplates it.  She sees the tarot card knight.

Sharona:  "He's not going to look like that, is he?"

Dolly breaks out laughing, Adrian tries to show a mock laugh but fails miserably.

Dolly:  "No, I don't think so…ahh…no, he's going to be tall and his name is Derek - David…"

Monk lifts his head up suddenly.

Monk:  "Congratulations, I'm sure you'll both be deliriously happy - Ms. Flint - ah - about finding Mrs. Ashcombe…?"

Dolly:  "Nah, I didn't find anybody - her spirit led me to her!"

Monk:  "Of course - yeah, of course - did, did - did you know her before she died?"

Dolly:  "No, I've never met her and I've been this about a million times!"

Monk:  "No, I understand…"

Sharona interrupts as she's about at the end of her tether.

Sharona:  "Excuse me!  Umm…about the man with the accent - how will I know it's him?"

Adrian is appalled now that Sharona is interrupting him!

Dolly:  "Ah well, you'll know - like all women know.  You just have to keep an open heart Sharona!"

Monk:  "So she wasn't a client?"

Dolly:  "No!"

Monk looks at her critically.

Sharona: "Umm, Dolly?  Ah, you said soon - you mean like this week or next week…?"

Dolly:  "Ummm.. you'd know I'd say before the next full moon!"

We hear Monk laughing nervously, growing exceedingly impatient.

Monk:  "I'm sorry, but, ah - here on the planet earth, there's a dead woman and somebody is responsible!"

Dolly:  "It was an accident, Mr. Monk - she drove off the highway!"
Monk:  "Right!  Right!  What exactly do you remember about that night?"

Dolly:  "You know you are Mr. Monk, you are what we in the spiritual world call a buzz kill!"

Monk:  "Thank you!"

Dolly slams down her palm on the table and scoops up the tarot cards.

Dolly:  "Fine!  It's your money, I went to bed, I have insomnia, I took my pills - I finally got to sleep at about - ah um -  three o'clock.  No!  It was three thirty!  I was watching Law & Order!"

Monk: "Ah - go on…"

Dolly:  "And, that's it!  I woke up next to Mrs. Ashcombe!  Now I go to bed with my coat on holding my car keys just in case!"

Sharona:  "OK, are you happy now?!"

Monk looks at her angrily.

Sharona:  "You happy?!  Dolly?  Dolly,  what does he do - for a living.  I mean, he has a job right?"

Monk:  "Sharona!"

Sharona:  "What?"

Monk: "Please - please - I'm - I'm working here!"

Sharona gives him a really snarly look.

Monk:  "I'm working here!"

Sharona has had enough, reaching down on the table for Monk's hand, she lifts it up to her mouth and sucks on the back of it.  Holding it firmly in her grip.  Dolly looks startled at them, but says nothing.  Finally, she lets Adrian go and he stands up looking totally shocked at her reaction.

Monk:  "Gah - ah - what did you do?!  Are you insane?!  I need - ah - I need a wipe here…"

Sharona hisses:  "In the car!"

Monk:  "Sharona, don't do this - gimme - gimme a wipe here!"

She keeps hissing at him:  "In the car…! Go - into - the car and get the wipes!!"

Adrian is just holding out his hand like it's diseased, frozen and unable to move.

Sharona:  "Go - to the car!"

Adrian runs from the room, Dolly looks on in empathy, not totally sure just what transpired.

Sharona is unfazed.

Sharona:  "Umm…about this David or Derek, he's not married, is he?"

(Scene change):

We see Adrian out by the car, furiously he's wiping the back of his hand with a moist wipe, as if possibly scrubbing it enough it would rid him of Sharona germs.  As he does so, he accidentally drops the wipes on the ground.  He looks beside himself with indecision of weather or not to pick it up.

Cringing he does, and as he's picking it up from the gravel, he discovers something there amongst the pebbles of the driveway, he picks up one piece of it with his wipe and examines it closer.

(Scene change):

We are outside of Harry Ashcombe's condo.  We see the darkened driveway at night where there is an SUV parked,  Adrian is behind it, hopping around like a rabbit in the dark - doing his investigation while Sharona is parked in her station wagon directly across the street with Benjy in the seat behind her.  They watch him.

Benjy:  "What is he doing?"

Sharona covers her eyes and sighs.

Sharona:  "I don't know!  Did you finish all your math?"

Benjy looks again in disbelief:  "You have a weird job!"

Sharona covers her eyes again and groans.

Sharona:  "Benjy - just finish the math!"

We now see Adrian examining the SUV more carefully, especially the tires, he has in his hand a little plastic baggie.  He's picking something out of the treads with a nail clipper, depositing it in the bag, he puts the nail file in his breast pocket.  Standing at the end of the drive, he holds up a bag with the original evidence from Dolly's driveway and that of the Ashcombe driveway with a triumphant air out to where Sharona can see him.  He gets a big grin on his face in pride.

(Scene change):

We now see a storefront with the name City Hardware on it.  We go inside to see Sharona and Adrian talking to one of the staff who walks up to them.

Staff:  "Mr. Monk, you were right!  It's a perfect match!"

Adrian takes back the evidence the man presents to him.

Monk:  "Really?"

Staff:  "It's made by a company called Decorative Gravel, now that particular color is called Volcanic Tuff,  not very popular - it's from New Mexico - I talked to the bookkeeper.  She said they only did one - maybe two driveways in the area."

Monk:  "So if this came from somebody's car and this came from somebody's driveway?…"

Staff:  "Well, at some point that car was on that driveway, you can bet the farm!"

The overhead speaker is heard:  "Customer service to paint department, please!"

Monk looks totally impressed with himself as he pockets part of his evidence.

Sharona:  "So?"

Overhead speaker:  "Customer service - paint department!"

Adrian sets down his evidence on the paint shaker.  He begins to put the remainder in a little plastic baggie again.

Monk:  "Ashcombe said he never met Dolly Flint!  And she said she never met him!  Maybe they both just forgot?"

As he says this, another staffer comes by and turns on the shaker, causing Adrian's evidence to be jettisoned out of sight.

Adrian immediately panics, looking skyward.

Monk:  "Ah!!  AH!!"

He searches around him and so does Sharona.

Monk:  "Nobody move!"

He shouts down the aisle:  "NOBODY MOVE!"

(Scene change):

Adrian is standing at the cashier's mike, addressing the customers as Sharona holds the mike for him patiently.

Monk:  "Hello!"

The mike squeals loudly.  A few customers look up rather annoyed.

Monk:  "Hello.  My name is Adrian - Monk.  I'm working with the police on a homicide investigation.  There is a very valuable piece of evidence - somewhere in this store…"

More patrons look up, bothered by his intrusion into their shopping experience.  Clearly they think he's some sort of weirdo.  Sharona is looking like she's thinking the same thing.

Monk:  "It's a small pebble.  It's about the size - of ah - small pebble.  If you could all just - just stop - please and look around?  What??"

Suddenly, Adrian sees something and runs away from the mike.  He pushes his way past a few people.

Monk:  "What - What are you doing?!"

He runs over to a staff member cleaning the aisles with a broom and large garbage pail.

Staff:  "Sweeping up!"

Adrian looks down at the floor and into the bucket.

Monk:  "OK, where's the rest of it?!"

(Scene change):

We're out back of the store near the trash dumpster, Adrian is standing next to it and we can hear Sharona's voice from inside the dumpster itself.

Sharona:  "It's not in here!!"

Monk:  "Keep looking!"

He throws his hands up in discouragement as Sharona sounds like she's fed up too.

Monk:  "It's a small black pebble!  God!"

He puts his hands on top of his head and stops for a minute.  Sharona is banging around and groaning inside the trash.  We see Adrian feel his hair and then bend over to seemingly pluck something out from the curls.  He sees his familiar evidence in the palm of his hand.

Monk:  "Wait a minute…I found it!"

He's laughing now.

Monk:  "Ha! Ha!  I found it!"

Sharona comes up from inside, her head is covered with some day old newspaper, she looks angrily at him.

Sharona:  "Where was it?"

He tries to show her his head by pointing at it.

Monk:  "It was in my - ha -  it must have - it must have flown…"

Sharona rolls her eyes, as she does she trips back into the trash.

Sharona: "Gawww….d!!  I can't believe I'm looking for you - you drive me nuts!!"

She flings something out of the dumpster at him, it sails by his head.  He is still too amused to be annoyed.

(Scene change):

We see the sign for the North Beach Animal Shelter.  Harry Ashcombe walks by with his wife's little Yorkshire terrier on a leash.

Sharona: "Ahh - Adrian, are you sure about this?"

We see them standing next to Harry's vehicle in the parking lot.

Monk:  "Well, no!"

Sharona:  "You better be right - I swear - I'll kill you!"

The commissioner comes up to his vehicle.

Commissioner:  "Monk!  What are you doing here?"

Monk:  "Your housekeeper said we might find you here.  Is the dog OK?"

Commissioner:  "The dog's fine - actually, I was just giving her away!"

Sharona looks shocked.

Sharona:  "Oh my God, why?"

Commissioner:  "Well, she was Katherine's dog, I'm not much of a pet person…"

Monk begins to swat lint or debris off of the commissioner's jacket.  Sharona pushes his hand away.

Commissioner: "She'll be happier here…"

Monk:  "You - ah - you didn't return my calls!"

Commissioner:  "Well, I assume they were more calls of condolences.  Was I wrong?"

Sharona looks edgy.

Monk:  "I - I had a couple of questions - about your wife's death…"

Commissioner: "Well, I'll send you a transcript of the inquest and the coroner's report - anything else?"
Monk:  "She was insured, wasn't she?"

Commissioner: "Yes!  There was a two million dollar accidental death policy - now I know that seems like a lot of money to some people but considering the lifestyle we enjoyed, it was not all excessive.  Is there anything else?"

Monk holds up his evidence.

Monk:  "I found this piece of gravel in the tire of your car and - ah - it matches the gravel outside of the psychic's house.  Can you explain that?"

Harry seems to be visibly upset by his line of questioning now.  He's quiet for a moment.

Commissioner:  "Are they unique?"

Monk steps closer showing it to him.

Monk:  "Oh - yes, very!"

Harry looks at Adrian defiantly.

Commissioner:  "I don't have to explain it!   Can you explain it?"

Monk looks at Sharona.

Monk:  "Not yet…"

Sharona:  "You know, it's no big deal - sir…we were just curious about the gravel.  Ah, Adrian, I think we better go - we're going to be late…"

Harry sees that Monk isn't budging.

Commissioner:  "You better listen to her, Monk!"

He goes for his door, but can't open it as Adrian is barring him from doing so.

Commissioner:  "You're in my way!"

Monk: "That's right - I am!"

(Scene change):

We are inside of a TV studio lot and we see Dolly at a makeup table as Adrian and Monk stand behind her.

A member of the crew:  "Dolly!  Ready to go in five minutes!"

Dolly:  "'Kay!  Ahhh…what do you want from me Monk?"

Sharona jumps in, we can see them talking in the reflection in the mirror as Dolly does her makeup.

Sharona:  "Did that director have a British accent?"

Dolly:  "I think so…"

Sharona:  "What's his name?"

Dolly:  "Ahh - forget it - he's gay!   He doesn't know it yet, but…tshhh…forget it!"

Sharona looks disappointed.

Dolly:  "What do you want from me, Monk?"

Monk:  "How about the truth for a change?"

Dolly:  "I have been telling you the truth!  OK?  I fell asleep, I woke up - hello - there's Mrs. Ashcombe!"

She lights a cigarette and Adrian immediately jumps on the defensive.

Monk:  "There - there's no smoking - there's no -"

Sharona:  "I believe you, Dolly!"

Dolly:  "Thank you, sweetie!  What's his problem?"

She looks like a chimney as she reaches for her blush with a brush.

Monk: "My problem is simple - *cough* - it's not possible!"

Dolly:  "Well, how do you explain it then?"

Monk:  "Ms. Flint, this is not a game!  If you are somehow involved…"

Dolly:  "Involved?!"

She throws down her brush and turns to him.

Dolly:  "How?"

Monk:  "With your friend, Harry Ashcombe!"

Dolly is alarmed as she stands up in front of them.

Dolly:  "I met the man once, for thirty seconds - you were there!"

Monk:  "He's been to your house!"

Dolly:  "Impossible!"

Monk:  "I can prove it!"

Dolly:  "I think I'd remember…"

Monk cranes his neck in annoyance, Sharona is angry with Adrian.

Monk:  "Dolly, we're talking about pre-meditated, first degree murder.  I think Ashcombe killed his wife and recruited you to find the body!  That's accessory after the fact - aiding and abetting, these are very serious charges!"

Dolly:  "I am not a criminal!"

Monk:  "I've seen your rap sheet - you're not exactly Mother Theresa!"

Sharona gives Adrian a glowering look.

Dolly:  "That is just nickel and dime stuff - c'mon! Huhh - you want to know the truth?"

Monk:  "I'm not sure my heart could take it!"

Sharona gives Adrian another insulted look.

Dolly:  "C'mere!"

Adrian follows her away from Sharona to out behind her makeup chair.  She stands in front of him, still puffing away on her cigarette.

Dolly:  "Mr. Monk, when I woke up on that hill - I couldn't believe it myself!"

She takes a drag from her cigarette.

Dolly:  "The truth is -  I'm a fake!"

She exhales her smoke full force into Adrian's unsuspecting face, Adrian closes his eyes and then moves over to her left to escape the assault on his senses.

Dolly:  "I never really had a gift.  Don't tell the girl!  I mean I wanted it, I pretended to have it, once in while I was a kid, I thought I did have it.  The only gift I had was telling people what they wanted to hear.  It was a sham!  My entire life!  Until Tuesday…"

She takes another drag, we can hear Adrian coughing as she continues to talk and again blows it in Adrian's face.  He again moves out of the way.

Dolly:  "That was the real deal, Monk!  I swear, on my sainted mother's eyes - Mrs. Ashcombe led me to that car!"

Adrian is still coughing.

Dolly:  "I always wanted to help the cops, you know, like really help them on a big case!  And, I did it!  Maybe I'm just a late bloomer!  Whatever the case - this time I am telling you the truth!"

Adrian glances away in veiled frustration.

We hear the director:  "Alright, darling - come on!  Come on!  Got to go to a break in an hour, let's try to get it together please!"

Dolly:  "What is wrong?"

Monk:  "You wanna know what's wrong - I'll tell you what's wrong…I believe you!"

(Scene change):

We see a phone ringing at Jennie's apartment.  She comes over to answer it.

Jennie:  "Hello?"

We see the commissioner's house.

Commissioner:  "Have you been talking to the police?"

Jennie:  "No!"

Commissioner sits in the dark as he talks on his end.

Commissioner:  "Don't lie to me, Jennie!"

Spooked, Jennie slams down the phone without another word spoken.

(Scene change):

We are at the cliff where Mrs. Ashcombe was found originally, and through the brush we see Stottlemeyer rushing down the side of the cliff.

Stottlemeyer:  "Hey, Monk!"

He sees Sharona and Adrian standing by the original scene of the car and they turn to see the captain approach.

Stottlemeyer:  "Monk, I've been looking for you!"

Monk:  "How did ya know we were here?"

Stottlemeyer:  "Sharona's kid told me.  Umm…ah - I have a message for you. Ah - Benjy wants to have a sleepover at Drew Cunningham's house!"

Sharona:  "Are his parents going to be home?"

Stottlemeyer:  "I don't know?"

Sharona: "Well, did - did, he call from Drew's?"

Stottlemeyer:  "I have no idea!  You've been talking to the commissioner!"

Monk is sizing him up and gives him a curious look.

Monk:  "Where did you park?"

Stottlemeyer:  "Where did I park?  I parked up top!  Monk, I told you not to talk to him, the man just buried his wife!"

Monk walks past Sharona and closer to the captain.

Monk:  "Why didn't you just take the service road?  It comes all the way down!"

Stottlemeyer:  "I couldn't it!  The last time I was here I had a driver, OK?!"

Monk:  "You couldn't find it - neither could we!"

Stottlemeyer is looking miffed.

Stottlemeyer:  "So what?"

Monk:  "Dolly Flint found it!  She'd never been here before - and she - found it!  Before dawn!  How is that possible?!"

Stottlemeyer:  "She's psychic - a little bird told her - I don't know!"

Monk walks up close to the captain now.

Monk:  "Leland, I'm talking to the best cop I know, you got to get on board here!  Ashcombe was sleeping around!"

Stottlemeyer:  "It's common knowledge…Sharona!  Could you take a break please?!"

She seems hesitant.

Stottlemeyer:  "Please!"

Finally, she relents and walks off in the distance a spell.

Monk:  "He had muddy boots in his closet!"

Stottlemeyer:  "I have muddy boots in my closet!"

Adrian covers his eyes in frustration as he is trying to convince him.

Stottlemeyer: "Look, I knew you were crazy - I didn't know you were suicidal.  Did you accuse Harry Ashcombe of murder to his face?!"

Monk:  "Not in so many words…"

Stottlemeyer laughs in bitterness.

Stottlemeyer:  "Well, there goes your career!"

Monk:  "What career?!"

Stottlemeyer:  "Exactly!  You wonder why you're not wearing a badge?!"

Monk:  "Here's what happened…Ashcombe did his wife, but he had a problem.  There was a mudslide that night, the car was buried.  He couldn't collect a dime until they found her!  What could he do?  He couldn't just say - maybe we should dig over there!!  Somebody else had to find her!"

Stottlemeyer:  "So he paid Dolly Flint?"

Monk:  "Too dangerous, she'd never keep her mouth shut.  Ashcombe - arranged - for her to find the body."

Stottlemeyer: "Right, but how did he do that?"

Monk:  "I think I know…"

Stottlemeyer looks sceptical: "Can you prove it?"

Monk:  "Only if you help me!"

(Scene change):

It's dawn at the Ashcombe house.  The commissioner's maroon SUV shows up in the drive.  He comes in to notice noises from inside.

Dolly:  "Everyone please concentrate…ahh…it's faint!"

Commissioner:  "What is this?!"

Dolly:  "It's coming through…"

Commissioner:  "Leland, what's going on here?!  Who let you in?"

Stottlemeyer is standing at the top of the staircase, and Harry joins him.

Stottlemeyer:  "You did!  I talked to your lawyer, Harry - we have full, unrestricted access!"

We see more of the room, Adrian is looking at Dolly doing a psychic read of the house, Disher is watching her, and Sharona is on the other side.  There are some other plain-clothed officers with them.   Enough for a séance.

Commissioner:  "I thought you were just going to look around!"

Dolly:  "Shhh!  Please, her aura is very strong!"

Dolly has her eyes closed, her fingers held out in front of her to feel the presence.  Disher watches her somewhat leery, he looks up at the ceiling.

Dolly:  "She's here, I can feel her!"

She holds out her hands to the people next to her, Sharona takes her hand.

Dolly:  "Complete the ring!"

As Disher reaches out his hand to Monk, Monk holds his hands together pensively and seems afraid to do so.  There is an armed officer over his shoulder.   Dolly sighs loudly and finds Adrian is reaching for her own hand.

Dolly:  "Mr. Monk, complete the ring!"

Monk:  "I think the ring is fine!"

Dolly opens her eyes now.

Dolly:  "Mr. Monk - we need you!"

He looks up for a second opinion at Sharona who urges him gently to do as he's told.

Sharona: "Complete the ring!"

Hesitantly, he outstretches his elbows instead and Disher and Dolly grab for them.

Dolly: "Whom am I speaking to?  Tell me!  What is your name?"

Stottlemeyer confers with a disgruntled Ashcombe.

Stottlemeyer:  "There's a woman reported missing in San Anselmo, travel agent, 32-year-old Jennie Zeppeteli!"

Commissioner:  "Jennie?"

Stottlemeyer:  "Yeah, we contacted Ms. Flint after the success she had with your wife, we thought we'd use her again."

Commissioner:  "And?"

Stottlemeyer:  "And, she's been on her trail all day, we followed her here - we think she's in your house!"

Commissioner:  "You can't be serious!?"

Dolly:  "Jennie?  Is that you?"
Adrian gives her a dirty look for her over dramatizing.

Dolly:  "She's here!  Oh - she's in pain!  I can feel her!"

Everyone puts down their hands as Dolly lifts hers to feel the room once more.  She begins to wander off towards the back of the house.  Everyone follows her.

Dolly:  "There's something - in this room…"

Sharona spots something on the floor and runs to it.

Sharona:  "Ohh!  Look!"

Disher:  "Sharona!  Don't touch it!"

Disher picks it up - it's a lady's sandal.

Disher:  "It's a sandal, size six!"

Commissioner:  "What?"

Stottlemeyer:  "According to her sister, she was wearing sandals when she disappeared.  Is that blood?"

Disher examines it closer.

Disher:  "Yeah, it looks like it!"

Stottlemeyer:  "Bag it!"

Commissioner:  "This is insane!  How did that get here?"

Stottlemeyer looks at him nonplussed.

Dolly:  "She's close!  She's very close! Huh…ohhh!"

Dolly falters a bit and seems in pain, she reaches for the sofa as Adrian comes up beside her.

Monk:  "Are you alright?"

Dolly:  "Stay away!  It's Jennie, she's here!"

Commissioner: "There's nothing here!"

Disher and Sharona watch the proceedings quietly, yet in alarm.

Dolly is still stumbling about in pain, as she reaches for something on the floor.

Monk:  "What is it, Dolly?  What is it?"

Stottlemeyer walks closer to see himself.  Adrian bends down and so does Stottlemeyer who produces a handkerchief, they kneel next to some fireplace pokers.

Monk:  "It's blood!"

Stottlemeyer picks up the questionable poker and holds it up for all to see.

Monk:  "And hair!"

Monk and Stottlemeyer together:  "Human!"

Commissioner:  "It's impossible!"

Stottlemeyer:  "Lieutenant!"

Disher runs up and takes the evidence from him.

Disher:  "I got it!"

Dolly pushes past Monk and the commissioner.

Dolly:  "Jennie, she's calling me! I'm coming!"

She runs out to the pool area next to the living room.  Everyone follows her single file past the pool, Adrian seemingly is avoiding looking at the pool.  She then runs for the backyard.

Dolly:  "Oh no!  Oh my God - oh dear God - no!!"

We see an open grave with the body of Jennie inside of it.

Commissioner: "Jennie, oh my God - no, I swear…I …!"

Stottlemeyer moves him aside:  "Stand back, Harry!  This is a crime scene!"

Dolly:  "He did it!  He killed her!"

Commissioner: "Me, are you crazy?  I love this woman!"

Monk looks on at him with disgust.

Dolly:  "He invited her here!  She said it was over, he exploded!  She tried to run away, but he chased her down!"

Sharona looks at the exchange now with interest.

Commissioner:  "No!"

Dolly:  "He grabbed the poker, and then he straddled her and he was just pounding, just pounding her!"

Dolly swings her arms over her head in an elaboration, and Monk gives her an exasperated look.

Commissioner:  "No, she's crazy!"

Dolly:  "She said now at least she can be with Abigail!  Abigail is what she named her unborn baby!"

We see the cop and Disher run up behind the commissioner.

Dolly points in horror at the commissioner.

Dolly:  "Last summer, you made her have an abortion!"

Commissioner:  "How do you know that?"

Monk:  "She knows everything!  She's psychic!"

Commissioner:  "Leland, don't listen to her -this is - this is some kind of a trick.  She's a fake!"

Monk:  "She's not a fake!"

Commissioner:  "Yes, she is!"

Monk:  "She found your wife's body!"

Commissioner:  "No, she didn't!"

Monk:  "She did - I was there!"

Commissioner:  "No, no - she didn't find anything - I drove her there!"

Everyone now witnesses the coupe de grace and Sharona is very proud of Adrian, so is the captain.

Monk:  "You drove her?  Was that what you said?  Did you hear that captain?"

Commissioner:  "I - I - look Leland…"

Jennie then moves and sits up in the grave, she turns to smile at Harry who is in total shock from the revelation that he's been conned.

Jennie:  "Hello, Harry!  I told you you'd be sorry!"

Monk:  "When I told Jennie what we were trying to do here, she was anxious to help!"

Jennie is assisted from the pit by Stottlemeyer.

Monk:  "She knew you had to be stopped!  A mudslide - that was your problem.  Somebody other than yourself had to find Katherine's body.  So you went looking for the right psychic and Dolly Flint was the perfect choice.  From her file you knew she took medication to help her sleep.  Whatcha use, chloroform?  Something to keep her sleeping.   You put on a wig, you drove her to the crash site.  You even ran a red light or two, to make sure you were seen!  In the morning, she woke up - and found your wife!"

Commissioner:  "I have nothing to say!"

Monk:  "That's quite alright, sir, you've said enough!"

Sharona is giggling in pride at Adrian.

Stottlemeyer:  "Harry, I'm going to advise you of your rights!  You have the right to remain silent, anything you say may be used against you in a court of law, you have the right…"

He takes away the commissioner into custody.  Adrian looks determined and content it's over.

(Scene change):

We see Sharona and Adrian in a park down by the shore.  Adrian is touching posts as they walk along.

Sharona:  "How did you know she was a fake?"

Adrian laughs at her naïveté.

Monk:  "Dolly?  Dolly Flint!  They're all fakes!  You gotta be a little sceptical, Sharona!  Otherwise you end up believing in everything - UFOS, elves - income tax rebates!"

Adrian puts his cheek to his shoulder as a twitch overtakes him.

Sharona:  "Well, it's better than believing in nothing!  I feel sorry for you!"

Monk:  "Thank you!"

A dog comes running up to Sharona, she's overjoyed.  Adrian is horrified.

Sharona:  "Ohhhh, it's so - c'mere!  C'mere …!"

Monk:  "Don't pet - don't pet - don't pet!"

A man runs up to retrieve his dog:  "Winston! Winston!  Here boy!"

Sharona:  "Ohh…is he yours?"

Man:  "Yes, he is!"

Both Sharona and the man admire the dog, Adrian just tries to reconcile himself to the scene.

Sharona:  "What kind of dog is he?"

Man:  "Ah…not worth the trouble, that's what kind.."

Sharona laughs at the joke.

Sharona:  "Are you British?"

Man: "Ah - guilty!"

Sharona laughs, now she's clearly flirting with him.  Adrian just looks disgruntled.

Sharona:  "Oh God - I'm Sharona!"

Man:  "Hi!"

Sharona:  "And, this is my fr -"

As she reaches out for Adrian's shoulder with her hand, he turns his side away from her abruptly…more than likely because she touched the dog.

Sharona: "Adrian - um - Adrian Monk.  And - umm - you are?"

Man:  "Daniel!"

Sharona:  "Oh, Daniel!"

She turns to look at Adrian.

Sharona: "With a D!"

They begin to walk off together.

Daniel:  "Adrian!  Adrian - I noticed you touching all the poles - is that an American thing?"

Monk:  "Yes, it's an American tradition!  I'm touching all the poles because I'm proud to be an American!"

Daniel:  "Oh…ha!  Excuse my asking - but are you two - together?"

Sharona begins to laugh out loud.  Adrian isn't.

Sharona:  "Me and Monk?"

She covers her mouth as she gets a good laugh at the mere thought.

Monk watches her.  She gives her hand in signal - no way.

Sharona:  "No, no - we're not!"

She laughs some more, Adrian isn't as amused.

Monk:  "It's not - not that funny…"

Sharona:  "Yes it is funny!"

Monk:  "Not that funny…"

They all walk off together as  we see the Golden Gate Bridge in the background.