When Beth Landow falls from a clock tower at Ashton High School, Trudy’s old school, the police believe it was suicide. Arlene Cassidy, the schools principal, has other thoughts about the death and calls Monk to investigate.
With a first look around the crime scene, he immediately suspects foul play. He notices grammatical errors in the printed suicide note that an English teacher would not make. After talking with some of the other teachers, he narrows in on the most likely suspect: Science teacher Derek Philby. Though the case has been closed, Monk takes a job as a substitute teacher to learn more about Mr. Philby.
During Monk’s time spent at the school, he learns Derek Philby was cheating on his wife with none other than Beth Landow. Monk’s suspicions are certain Derek Philby killed Beth Landow, but how could he have been in two places at once? Philby was proctoring the SAT’s when Landow fell from the tower, and has a classroom full of students to verify it.
When the school’s groundskeeper is found dead from an explosion in his house, the case is reopen. While Captain Sottlemeyer and Lieutenant Disher are searching Ms. Landow’s home, Disher learns that she wears glasses, but no glasses were found at the scene of the crime.
With another glance around the clock tower, and Monk thinking Mr. Philby is just to smart, Sharona finds Beth Landows glasses on her way down. The glasses were found in the clock room not at the top of the tower where she supposedly jumped.
With this new discovery, Monk puts the pieces of the puzzle together. Derek Philby wouldn’t have to be in two places at once if he killed Beth Landow before giving the SAT’s. He killed her and placed her on the minute hand of the clock at 9:15 and rushed back to the room to give the SAT test. With his car parked under the clock tower and the alarm set, Beth slid from the clock and as the minutes ticked away and fell onto the car setting off the alarm. |
