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THE CRYSTAL EGG "If you want to stay this evening," Sharona had warned him, "then you'll have to put up with my friends. I am not canceling tonight. End of story." That had been four hours ago. Now the evening was almost over and Adrian Monk had to admit, it wasn't so bad. Two old classmates from nursing school had come to dinner, with Monk as the fourth. Benjy, Sharona's son, had run off to a friend's house, to do homework. "Anyone for more coffee?" Justine asked as she brought out a full carafe. With the meal over, they had adjourned to the balcony. Monk stayed by the French doors, as far as possible from the balcony edge. "Take a look at this." Sharona had disappeared into her bedroom and reappeared a moment later holding a crystal object about the size of an oddly shaped tennis ball. Melba clapped her hands. "A Mendall egg." She read from the etched surface. "Summer, 1970." And then she screamed with glee. All three nurses collected these crystal eggs, and this, it seemed, was a particularly hard-to-find specimen. "I took Adrian to a flea market," Sharona said. "He spotted it immediately, in the middle of all this junk." Monk's pride was tempered by a spasm of fear. Why did everyone insist on standing on the balcony? And why had Sharona left the egg balanced on the railing? Justine freshened everyone's coffee and the women finally lapsed into silence. All were looking out in different directions, enjoying the view and the breeze. And then their reverie was interrupted by a soft plop. Everyone looked to the railing. The space between Justine and Melba was suddenly empty. "It fell off," Monk shouted, trying to control his anxiety. "Your crystal egg. Why did you leave it..." "It fell in the pond," Sharona said, leaning over the railing to the garden one story below. "No big deal. I'll get it." Sharona headed for the front door, while Melba took in the tray with the cups and the full carafe of coffee. "I'll start cleaning up," she called off to Sharona. "Are the jackets in your bedroom?" said Justine. "I gotta get home if I'm going to get to work tomorrow." Monk didn't know what to do. One of Sharona's old classmates was trying to steal her Mendall egg. WHICH WOMAN DID MONK SUSPECT?
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첫댓글 I had to post it to calm down everyone who is involved in the very 'lover' and 'stone' poem posted by hera right below.