Monk

“Just relax, Adrian!” Sharona said as she strolled through the Aquarium with her employer, Adrian Monk. “Look over there, Seahorses! You don’t see those every day.”

“I…I can’t relax. I’m underground. What if the roof caved in? We’d drown in all this water. There’s…there’s too much water.” Adrian replied.

“Too much water? So now there’s an optimal amount?”

“A hundred litres. Enough to fill a bathtub.” He replied matter-of-factly.

They continued through the dark hallway illuminated by the many fish tanks, with Adrian habitually poking each fish tank edge as he passed it.

Monk was a middle-aged man with short, curly black hair and wore a grey suit with a buttoned shirt underneath it. Sharona was his polar opposite - a young-looking woman with long, wavy blonde hair.

“Excuse me, sir.” An authoritative voice sounded from behind them. “Please don’t poke the glass.”

Adrian turned to Sharona. “I need to leave.” He said awkwardly.

As they entered the main hall that led to the aquarium entrance, Monk noticed two police officers speaking with a middle-aged, well-dressed woman with black hair.

“Adrian? Adrian, where are you going!?” Sharona part whispered and part shouted as Monk began to approach them.

“Excuse me, I couldn’t help but overhear. You said that a fish had been stolen?”

“Who are you?” One of the policemen asked.

“Um…I’m Adrian Monk, I’m a private consultant.” Monk showed the officer his business card and put it back in his jacket pocket.

The officers paid him little notice. “How do you know it wasn’t eaten by one of the other fish?”

“Legend was kept in his own tank, all the time.” The woman replied.

“There are so…so many fish here,” Monk said, partly to himself, as he began stumbling in a circle. “How could you know if one went missing?”

“This particular fish was worth ten million dollars.”

“Ten…ten million…”

“He’s a golden carp. One of a kind in the world.”

“We’ll report the fish as missing, but I don’t think there’s much we can do otherwise.” The officer said. “Please give us a call if you can remember anything else that might be useful.” With that said, the officers turned and walked away.

“What do you think?” The woman asked Monk afterwards.

“Um…about what?”

“You said you were a private consultant, right?”

“Oh, yes.” He replied, redrawing his card from his Jacket pocket. “Adrian Monk.”

“Rebecca Simons.” She replied, accepting his card and shaking his hand. “I’m the aquarium curator.”

Monk was visibly distracted, looking for Sharona to pass him an anti-bacterial wipe to clean his hands with. She knowingly came to his aid and handed him a wipe from her purse, which Monk used promptly.

“Sorry about him. I’m Sharona, his assistant. It’s not just you, he has a - a thing with shaking hands.”

“Right,” Rebecca replied. “Do you think you can help?”

“I’m not sure,” Monk responded. “Do you have a video of the tank?”

“Wouldn’t you prefer to see it?”

“No,” Monk replied nervously. “No, there’s no reason for me to go back in there. Just a video of the tank. And adjacent tanks. And adjacent rooms. And…”

“I’ll get you the footage from every camera in the aquarium, over the last month.”

“Thanks so much. I know he’s a bit odd, but it’s worth it. He is brilliant.” Sharona said.

“Not at all, most brilliant people are unique. I really do hope you find something. Legend - that’s the carp’s name - is worth more than just money to us. It’s the reputation of our aquarium. If word gets out that he’s been stolen, we’ll lose our donors and our customers. It…could be the end for us. If there’s anything I can do to help, just name it.”

“There could be one thing,” Monk said. “Do you have any Sierra Springs? My throat’s a little dry.”

*

Later, at Adrian’s house…

“Unbelievable,” Monk mumbled to himself as he browsed the footage on his computer.

“What is?” Sharona replied from the stool next to him.

“All that water and they didn’t have Sierra Springs.”

“Are you still hung up on that? Aquariums are known for their sea life, not their bottled water.” Sharona took a closer look at the monitor. “This footage is from three weeks ago. The curator said that the fish was stolen last night, didn’t she? What are you going back that far for?”

“Why would somebody steal a fish from an aquarium?” Monk asked. “It is an expensive fish - but there are lots of expensive things that would be much easier to steal, and much easier to sell. It’s not enough to just steal the fish. You’d need to keep it alive long enough to sell it. You’d need…a tank, pumps, fish food and…water. Lots of water.”

“So what are you saying?”

“The person that stole Legend didn’t wake up that morning and decide to steal an exotic fish. No, he’s an object of desire. Whoever stole him last night has seen him before, and I’d wager they’re on this footage.”

A short while passed in silence.

“Him,” Monk said suddenly. “He took it.”

“Him?” Sharona repeated. “How do you know?”

“This is the third day in a row he’s visited the fish…that’s unusual, right?”

Sharona chuckled to herself. “You’re asking for my advice on what’s unusual? But yeah, I think it is.”

“Now how to identify him…if we could find the supplier of his suit and the manufacturer of his watch, I’m sure we could trace them back to the buyer.”

“Or we could just ask Rebecca to identify him for us?” Sharona proposed.

Monk was silent for a moment, and then his face illuminated as an idea came to mind. “She has a copy of the footage! If we tell her the exact timestamps of when he was visible, she’ll be able to identify him and tell us who he is over the phone.”

“You really don’t want to go back to that Aquarium, do you?”

“There’s just so much water…”

*

The sound of pebbles being crunched under tyres could be heard along with the low rumble of Sharona’s engine as she and Monk pulled up the long, washed driveway that led to the mansion before them. Several Nissan Saloons were parked in the driveway near the door. Off the driveway, the front yard was an exquisite arrangement of pebbles, stones, bonsai trees, fountains and statues that sat on bright red sand. Sharona and Monk exited the car, walked up the stairs to the polished oak front door and Sharona knocked twice. Monk awkwardly knocked once more, to make a count of three. They exchanged knowing looks silently.

The door opened to reveal Mr Masahiko Tanaka, CEO of Nissan Motors, Australia.

“Hello?” He answered the door.

“Hi. My name is Sharona, this is my boss Adrian Monk. We called earlier about our investigation of the missing exotic from Sydney Aquarium.”

“Oh yes. Come in, come in. Can I get you anything?”

“No, thank you,” Monk replied. “Can I ask how you knew that the fish was missing? You didn’t seem at all surprised when we spoke on the phone.”

“Rebecca the aquarium curator informed me of the bad news yesterday. I make regular donations to the aquarium you see, and she and I have formed a rather strong friendship.”, Mr Tanaka said as he began walking his guests down his hallway.

“You visit a lot,” Monk said abruptly.

“I’m sorry?”

“The fish. You came to visit three days in a row. Then you didn’t come for two days. And then you visited again twice in a row. That's…that’s a lot of times to visit a fish that wasn’t for sale, isn’t it?”

Mr Tanaka chuckled to himself. “Yes, I do suppose it is. I hadn’t realised it was quite so frequent.”

He paused in the middle of the hallway and turned to his guests. “Legend is…a magnificent creature. He has the perfect shape of a Koi and the golden scales of a dragon. Were these less enlightened times, one might even say he was magical.”

“Oh, you’re an aquatic enthusiast?” Monk asked.

“Very much so. Would you like to see my private aquarium?”

“Oh, I don’t…” Monk began.

“We would love to,” Sharona interjected before Monk could finish.

*

“Wow” Sharona exclaimed as they walked through the aquarium downstairs.

It had the same dimensions as the house above it, but underground, which meant that it was actually bigger than some public aquariums.

“The fish,” Monk began. “They’re all saltwater.”

“They are,” Mr Tanaka replied. “You are an excellent detective Mr Monk, I must say. You’ve stumbled upon my passion for the ocean, and everything in it. I grew up in a small fishing town called Taiji, in Wakayama. Well, it’s not so small now. The ocean fascinated me as a child, and I’ve done well enough to explore that fascination well into my life now.”

“It’s so beautiful,” Sharona said. “It’s like being in the ocean.”

“I don’t blame you for suspecting me of stealing Legend.” Mr Tanaka said. “I must fit the profile very well. But I would never steal such a magnificent creature.”

“I imagine you have an alibi for last night?” Monk asked.

“I was working late,” Mr Tanaka replied. “The surveillance footage at my office will prove it. I’m sorry Mr Monk, but I am not your man. Do you have any more questions? I’m afraid I must leave soon.”

*

“Sorry it didn’t go so well,” Sharona said as she drove Monk back to his residence.

“No, it went great. He did it.” Monk replied.

“Did we go to the same house? He has an alibi.”

“I don’t know how he did it, but he did it,” Monk said. “He admitted that he only keeps saltwater fish, but I saw boxes of Water Wisteria in the corner of his aquarium. That’s a freshwater plant, and legend is a freshwater fish.”

“How is it that you’re terrified of aquariums and still know that?”

“I read it in a brochure,” Monk replied, shaking his head. “It’s a gift.”

“And a curse,” Sharona added.

“And a curse.”

*

The following day…

Sharona’s car pulled into the driveway of an old townhouse in the suburbs. There was a blue Sedan with faded paint parked in front of the door - with several police vehicles parked on the kerbside. Sharon and Monk exited the vehicle and approached the door, which was wide open. Monk knew this scene all too well. Somebody was dead.

Monk entered the townhouse awkwardly and approached the dining table, where a young man sat with his head against the wood, deceased. He was surrounded by several police officers, all taking photos and making notes.

“Captain,” Monk said as he approached.

“Monk.”

“How did he die?” One of the officers asked in the background.

“Probably heart attack? I don’t see any forced entry or trauma to the body.”

“No,” Monk interjected. “Take a look around the victim’s mouth. Most of it has dried up, but you can still see traces of foam. This man was poisoned.”

“Let’s wait for the coroner’s report before we make any conclusions.” The captain said.

“Who is he?” Monk asked.

“Mr Joshua Morrison. 22 years old, recent graduate of Macquarie University. Lived here alone, employed by…” The captain flipped through the pages of his notebook. “...Sydney Aquarium.”

“Why was he poisoned?” Monk asked himself to the annoyance of the captain. “He saw something that he wasn’t supposed to. Perhaps the thief who stole the exotic fish.”

“Not giving up on that one, huh?” The captain asked.

The officers helped steady the victim on a stretcher covered in a white cloth outside. Monk followed shortly after, closing the door behind them. He pulled on the handle three times to make sure it was locked. As he approached Sharona’s car, he stopped suddenly and turned back towards the house. Or rather, what was in front of the house.

“Monk? Monk, what is it?” The captain asked.

“His tyres,” Monk said, walking towards the victim’s car. “His tyres have…traces of sand.”

“Sand?”

“Red Sand. Just like we saw at Mr Tanaka’s mansion.”

*

There was a gentle breeze in the air, coming from the harbour nearby. Monk and Sharona stood in the rear parking lot of the aquarium, with Monk examining the scene the way he usually does.

“Masahiko Tanaka tells Joshua Morrison to steal the fish. Joshua is a handler at the aquarium. He’d have keys to every room, and nobody would look twice at him transporting a fish.”

“You think Joshua took it?” Sharona asked.

“Positive. He’s young and has student loans. It would only take a fraction of a percent of Legend’s value to make him take a risk.”

“And the guy from Nissan?”

“He had Water Wisteria. It was the wrong plant.”

“Maybe he bought it by mistake?”

“No, the guy’s private aquarium is bigger than most homes. He…”

Monk paused suddenly in front of a parked car.

“What? What is it?”

“The tyre,” Monk replied. “It’s faint, but you can still see traces of it. Red sand.”

“Oh wow. Adrian, you’re right.”

“Call the captain,” Monk said. “We need a warrant to search the contents of this car. Run the license and find out who the owner is.”

*

Two police cars pull into the parking lot and park behind Monk and Sharona. Several officers emerge and approach them, one of them thankfully holding a search warrant.

“Captain,” Monk began. “Whose car is it?”

“You wouldn’t believe me if I told you,” he replied as he withdrew his mobile and began to dial.

“Hello?” A woman’s voice answered through the loudspeaker.

“Hello, is this Rebecca Simmons?” He asked the curator.

“Yes?”

“This is Captain Stottlemeyer of the police department. Please come to your vehicle.”

“Is something wrong?” She asked.

“Not yet. We just need to run a routine search of your vehicle, if you wouldn’t mind being of assistance.”

A short while later, the curator emerged from the rear exit of the Aquarium.

“Ma’am, this is a search warrant. If you’d be so kind as to unlock it for us.” The captain said calmly.

The curator unlocked the doors and allowed the officers to look inside. Monk examined her expression closely. She was playing poker. Her face gave nothing away. She was confident that they would find nothing, and that she would deceive them all. She would retain her comfortable position as aquarium caretaker, with benefits, and have the most exotic fish in the world in her own fish tank. But she was wrong.

“It’s not in her car,” Monk said decisively. “No, she’s too smart for that. She wouldn’t risk leaving evidence in a place where somebody else might find it. Her car would be too dangerous. Her office, her home - all places that could be searched. Even disposing of it in the garbage would carry too much risk, at least for now.”

“What are you talking about? Why do you think I hired you if I was the one who stole Legend?”

“You wanted indemnity. You wanted the public and the aquarium to see that you’d done everything in your power to recover the exotic fish - even though it’d be in your possession the whole time. Captain, there’s only one place where Ms Simmons would keep something that could incriminate her. On her person.”

There it was. The look of fear, and the knowledge that she was about to be exposed.

“What is this? What do you think you’ll find on me!” Rebecca demanded.

“Please ma’am, we need to do this one way or another.” One of the female officers searched Rebecca’s person and stopped when she reached her blouse pocket. She reached in and withdrew a single vile labelled “TTX” - short for Tetrodotoxin.

“What is that?” Sharona said aloud.

“Tetrodotoxin,” Monk replied. “She used it to poison Joshua after he’d delivered Legend to Masahiko. It’s a toxin found in aquatic animals, so it’d be perfectly plausible for Joshua to contract this on his own. Were it not for the vile in your blouse.”

*

A month later…

“Wow, look at it Adrian,” Sharona said as she gazed upon Legend, the golden carp swimming in the aquarium’s tank, the ceiling light reflecting off his scales like the sun. “Isn’t he beautiful?”

“Well, yes but…”

“But what? Too much water?”

“There is too much water but…it’s his whiskers.”

“What about his whiskers?”

“One of them is slightly shorter than the other. And…”

“...there’s too much water.”