454 round from a Ruger Casull, a weapon normally used to stop elephants, he determines that the victim and the killer must have worked at a circus. The eyewitnesses' statements suggest that their suspect is someone who is a somersaulting ninja with incredible marksmanship.
Stottlemeyer reluctantly sends the cop away to direct traffic, and Monk notices some interesting clues: all of the sugar cubes are missing from Sergei's table, but the sugar cubes are present at all of the other tables, and there's some sawdust on the ground by his table. For a moment, Monk can't concentrate, because one of the patrol officers hanging out nearby is wearing mismatched socks.
The next morning, Adrian Monk, Sharona, Captain Stottlemeyer and Lieutenant Disher are investigating the crime scene. The ninja then leaps onto the awning, performs an amazing in-air somersault, and dives into the street before fleeing on foot. The otherwise quiet evening is suddenly interrupted when a mysterious masked figure dressed as a ninja leaps down into the cafe from the rooftops above. The ninja then kicks the cell phone out of the maitre d's hand as he tries to call 911, then draws a long-ranged revolver and shoots the luckless Sergei dead with a well-aimed shot. When the maitre d' asks Sergei to put out his cigarette, Sergei shows a bad temper and worse manners, yelling "This is how it started in Nazi Germany!" But before Monk can find out how the pretty trapeze artist could have committed the crime with a broken foot, he must get Sharona to overcome her fear of elephants.Īt a quaint sidewalk cafe, in the middle of the night, Sergei Cluvarias and his young date Ariana sit enjoying a late dinner.
When a circus ringmaster is murdered by a high flying acrobat at a restaurant, all leads point to his vengeful ex-wife.