38The next morning, Adrian Monk's day did not start out the way that he had expected. He got up as usual at 7:30 AM, hopped in the shower, and got dressed all in time for an 8 o'clock breakfast. Natalie was busy feeding Seri, but had made him a light meal. He hurriedly ate his food and kissed Natalie before heading out the door to meet Harrison for some last-minute preparation for his arraignment.
Harrison's contacts had been busy. They had interviewed various people and had found witnesses who would testify on Adrian's behalf concerning the lack of prior relationship between Monk and Josie, as well as his lack of motive to assist her in any extraordinary way.
The two men did a brief walk-through of what to expect. The actual arraignment would start at 4:30 PM and would be somewhat routine. Adrian would enter the court. The judge would read the charges. The judge would ask Adrian how he wanted to plea, and after he pleaded "not guilty" to all charges, Harrison would ask to approach the bench and present his argument for dismissing the case. If that was denied, then a pre-trial hearing would be scheduled where Harrison would present his counterevidence to show that there was no probable cause and try again. If that was denied, it would go to a trial by jury which he was confident he would win.
After the meeting, Adrian felt somewhat revived. He was ready to fight for justice and was glad to have Harrison Powell on his side. Secretly, he was looking forward to a trial because if he had to go before the jury, that meant Powell would have the opportunity to cross-examine Keith. If he didn't have to go to trial, then he knew Powell would get him at Josie's trial. In either case, it was a thought which entertained him to no end - to think that Charles Keith was going to be made mincemeat in court someday soon.
Leaving Powell's office, Monk walked through an alleyway towards his car which was parked in a back lot. He had to go pick up some accessories for Ambrose's wedding reception and then planned to drop off some dry cleaning. He was so deep in thought that he didn't realize it, but he was being followed from behind as he walked. When he reached the end of the alley a black SUV pulled up and blocked his progress. He turned to go the other way but was stopped by two men dressed in black who took him by the arms and walked him towards the car.
"Mr. Monk don't make this difficult. Get in." said a man from inside the vehicle.
The two men shoved Adrian into the back seat and the SUV sped off.
At the hospital, Josie was sleeping sound. There was a 24-hour police guard outside her door now that charges had been officially filed against her. Powell would have to work the case without her, which was a little difficult since he didn't even have her testimony. But already, he had begun to form a sympathetic story to tell to the jurors and he was feeling good about their case.
Natalie had gone over to Julie's to help her with packing and then Julie was going to drive her to her first appointment with the endocrinologist. Already, the medication that she was put on at the hospital had made a difference in her energy, which was a good thing if she planned on becoming Seri's mother. She could only imagine what it was going to be like in the house with Adrian and a toddler.
Police Commissioner Joe Carlisle called Leland into his office at 10:00 AM.
"Leland. Glad to see you. I received a call today from the Mayor and with charges now being pressed against Jones and Monk, he considers the case well enough along that you can rejoin us on active duty."
"Really? That was quick." Said Leland.
"Yes. It was. But you are a valuable asset here, and well, when city hall talks, I listen. Go ahead and return to your desk. I have a stack of cases that need to be gone through and distributed to the appropriate people."
Leland stood there and looked at him.
"Any questions, Leland?" asked Carlisle.
"No. No sir. I will get right on it." He replied.
Adrian was taken to a building on the edge of town that looked like an abandoned warehouse. Just seeing the place made his hair stand on end. Nobody had said a word on the drive over and he couldn't help but fear that he was about to be "disappeared." His only thoughts were on Natalie. He did not want her to experience any sadness. What if he never saw her again? With each step, his thoughts grew darker and darker. Was this the end?
Natalie's endocrinologist was an Asian woman named Lisa Weng and she was one of the best out there. She reviewed Natalie's charts and gave her concurrence as to the diagnosis of Hashimoto's. But, given where her TSH, Free T3, and T4 levels were, she expressed confidence that not only could the disease be controlled, but that she could be somewhat back to normal in a few months. She prescribed levothyroxine for her and suggested that she go on a gluten free diet which is something that some felt was helpful.
"If your symptoms get any worse or if you have any questions, please call or text me." she told Natalie. "It may take a few tries to get the dosage exactly right, so don't hesitate to let me know."
Natalie indicated she would, and then she and Julie went out to lunch.
Adrian was walked into a dark office with a wooden desk and tall leather chair placed at one end. Someone was in the chair, but the person's back was to him. They sat Adrian on a four-legged stool in the middle of the room underneath a floodlight that was suspended by a single chord that hung from the ceiling. All Adrian could think about the scene was of Clockwork Orange and imminent torture.
The doors to the warehouse were shut and locked tight as armed men stood guard making sure nobody would come in or go out. Adrian's stomach tightened with anxiety to the degree that he felt a panic attack coming on.
"Here's Monk." Said one of the men to the person behind the chair. "Is there anything else you need?" he asked.
The person said nothing, but Adrian could see part of a sleeve waving the man away. Who had kidnapped him and what did they want? He would soon find out as the chair slowly turned around and his mouth dropped open.
Leland went back to his desk. His mind was not on the stack of paperwork that Carlisle had left for him on his desk. Rather, all he could think about were the visitors that he had encountered on the way home from the Monk's house the night before last. He was startled, of course, by their presence. Who expects to be approached that late at night by strangers. But he was even more troubled by the message they relayed. Things were certainly about to get interesting.
At 4:25 PM everyone was at the courthouse except for Adrian. Julie was watching Seri as Natalie paced and tried to reach him on his cell phone. Leland stood by and tried to remain cool. Powell was noticeably on edge.
"Where is he?" said Harrison. "Is he normally late like this?"
"Never." said Leland.
"Maybe he had car trouble?" suggested Julie.
"Wait. I did see his car behind my practice before I left." Said Powell. "But I didn't see him. If he was having trouble, why would he not have stopped back in?"
"Oh no! Something has happened!" said Natalie, beginning to panic herself.
Just then, the door swung open and in walked Adrian, full of energy and with a smile on his face.
"Are we ready to get this show on the road?" he asked, using his finger like a pistol when he spotted Leland.
Leland breathed a sigh of relief and had a slight grin.
"Oh, Adrian! I was so worried!" said Natalie.
"Worry about him later, Mrs. Monk. It's 4:29 on the nose. We've got to get in there. Judge Sallinger doesn't take it well when people are late to his court." said Powell.
The group filed into the courtroom as did a couple of people from the press who were there to cover the case. On the right side facing the judge was the Prosecutor, Gregory Hook, a well-respected member of the legal community. On the other side sat Adrian next to Powell. All of Adrian's entourage sat immediately behind them.
At 4:30 PM, the doors to the judge's chambers opened and Judge Sallinger came out and took his seat.
He picked up a folder on his desk and read a few words and then looked up. His demeanor was rather gruff, and Adrian could tell he was a no-nonsense kind of guy. But, he did not sense that the man was corrupt.
"Good afternoon, gentlemen. Mr Monk, before we begin I just want you to know that I have watched your work for many years. Thank you for a job well done." He began. Adrian nodded, and Powell sat up straighter.
Sallinger continued, "That said, it appears that we are here today because the prosecution has found cause to file charges against you, Mr. Monk. You are being charged with Obstruction of Justice in the case of a Miss Josie Jones, as well as being an Accessory after the Fact in the same case. Now, I see you have legal representation here…hello again, Mr. Powell." He said.
"Yes sir." said Adrian as Powell nodded in acknowledgement.
"Excellent choice." said Sallinger. "So, you are aware of your rights and the seriousness of the charges which are before you?" he asked.
"Yes sir." Adrian responded.
"Very well then, may I ask what your plea to these charges is?" he asked.
Powell picked up his papers and started to say "may I approach the bench?" but only got out a "May I…" when Adrian calmly looked at the judge and said, "Guilty sir. I plead guilty to both charges."
The room sat in shock and Powell asked "Adrian, what are you doing? "as the press corps took Adrian's picture. Adrian's only response was "we'll talk later."
"Really?" asked Sallinger. "Did I hear you right? Did you just plead guilty to both sets of charges?"
"Yes, sir. I did." Asked Adrian.
"And you did this of your own free will and weren't threatened or coerced?" asked Sallinger.
"That is correct." Adrian responded.
"Okay. You realize that this eliminates your right to a jury trial and the other consequences of this plea, correct?"
"Yes, your honor. I do." said Adrian.
"Very well then. Then let it be recorded that the defendant has pleaded guilty to both counts. Sentencing is suspended pending review and the outcome of Miss Jones' case. Court is adjourned."
Adrian looked sheepishly at Natalie and at Powell as they gathered their things and started the walk out. Leland held the door for them and nodded at him. As they walked, Powell broke the silence. "Monk, you're going to have to explain this one to me. If I'm going to be your attorney, then we can't have little stunts like this."
"Harrison. Don't worry about me." Adrian said. "I am not going to keep you on as my attorney. I want you to concentrate on Josie's case right now. I will explain more later, but for now, keep your eyes on that ball."
TO BE CONTINUED