Mr. Monk Is Open for Business by Hy Conrad

Author:Hy Conrad [Conrad, Hy]
Language: eng
Format: epub, mobi
Tags: Fiction, Mystery & Detective, General
ISBN: 9780698162426
Google: TdYkAgAAQBAJ
Amazon: 0451470567
Publisher: Penguin
Published: 2014-06-03T04:00:00+00:00

CHAPTER SIXTEEN

Mr. Monk Makes a House Call

I came out of Henry’s house feeling strangely let down. I had wanted to hate him. I’d wanted him to be involved in some complex scheme worse than murder, a scheme that had forced him to go out with a shovel and try to bury a stranger. But by the end of our time together, I was entertaining the thought that he’d just been offended by someone being killed in his vacant lot and felt the need to go out and clean up the mess.

Returning to the old Subaru, I checked my phone and found a message from Dr. Bell. I didn’t bother to listen but called him back right away. It was a lesson I learned years ago. Calls from Monk’s psychiatrist always needed immediate attention.

“Natalie. Sorry to bother you on a Saturday. But Adrian canceled.”

“I’m sorry,” I said. “That doesn’t sound like him.”

“No reason for you to be sorry. I came into the office especially for our session and got a message saying that he was helping a lady friend do security on her house. He made a point of saying that this lady friend was not Ellen but someone nicer. Are you the friend, Natalie? I’d like to speak to Adrian if he’s there.”

“No, I’m not the friend.”

Dr. Bell seemed taken aback. “He never mentioned a new friend. Do you know what he means? Does it make any sense?”

“Those are two different questions. Yes, I know what he means. And no, it doesn’t make sense.”

“Does Adrian have a new girlfriend? I can’t tell you what goes on in our sessions, of course. . . .”

Dr. Neven Bell might have restrictions about what he could and couldn’t discuss, but I didn’t. “Ellen completely broke things off less than two weeks ago. Adrian pretends it’s no big deal. But you know that it is. And the fact that he’s falling for the first single woman that he’s come in contact with since being back from New Jersey . . .”

“The first? That’s not good.”

“Wait,” I said. “It gets worse. The woman is the only surviving victim of an attack. Adrian has been visiting her in the hospital and feels very protective.”

“Well, feeling protective can be a coping mechanism. It isn’t necessarily bad.”

“It is when the woman might have a connection to a triple murder and Adrian refuses to even consider her possible involvement.”

“Is that a real possibility?” he asked. “I don’t think Adrian would jeopardize an investigation.”

“Not on purpose, no.”

“The main thing I’m worried about . . .” Dr. Bell paused. “Unfortunately, I can’t tell you what Adrian has or has not told me.”

I could guess. “He hasn’t told you anything about this woman. That worries you because he normally doesn’t keep secrets.” I didn’t wait for him to say yes, no, or maybe. “In fact, Adrian tells you every minute detail of his existence. I know because afterward he often tells me what he told you, and it covers everything from his breakfast this morning to his anger issues with his mother to a breakfast eighteen years ago.

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