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After reviewing the crime scene and surveillance footage, Monk makes an important discovery: the Russian wasn't working alone. Someone inside the bank helped him block the cameras and escape through the back entrance. Determined to track down the inside man, and Trudy's bracelet, Monk takes a job as the bank's security guard so he can keep an eye on the staff. Pretty soon, he's narrowed the suspects down to one: bank manager Peter Crawley. But when Monk and Natalie visit Crawley's house to investigate, they find an unpleasant surprise in the trunk of Crawley's car: his dead body. They don't find Trudy's bracelet, but a pawn ticket in Crawley's pocket leads them to a local pawnshop. The bracelet is still nowhere to be found, but the pawnbroker does mention something that piques Monk's interest: apparently when Crawley pawned the items, he mentioned still having another "half a box" full of jewelry.

Following this lead, Natalie and Monk return to the bank, where Stottlemeyer and Disher are waiting. Madge, one of the tellers, lets them in to the closed bank, and Monk explains what he's figured out: the money and stolen goods never left the bank. They're still sitting in a safety deposit box in the vault – the one box the robber allegedly didn't open. Madge agrees to open the box to check, and goes to get the key, leaving the others waiting in the vault. While she's gone, Monk makes an intriguing discovery: he finds six toothpicks, one shorter than the others. With that, he announces that they need to leave. Unfortunately, Madge has been watching him via a surveillance camera, and she closes the door of the vault, leaving Monk, Natalie, Stottlemeyer and Disher trapped inside.

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