Monk, Sharona, Captain Stottlemeyer, and Lieutenant Disher arrive in New York City to pursue a lead in the murder case of Monk's wife, Trudy. Dale the Whale has given them the name of a man that was involved: Warrick Tennyson. But before they can even check into their hotel rooms, Monk becomes a witness in the shooting death of the Latvian Ambassador to the United States. Unfortunately, Monk only gets a glimpse of the killer's left ear as he flees the scene of the crime.