A short chapter, to make the story move on. Next week we'll have Stot and Randy on the picture again, and Monk will finally be heading home. By the way, I do not own Monk, Natalie or Stot and Randy.

Thank you for the reviews!

MR MONK MEETS THE REDEEMER

CH24

Natalie sat on the stone next to Bianca, feeling as if it was Julie to ask for advice. "Yes, yes, of course, Bianca."

"Yesterday I discovered something that really shook me up." said Bianca, looking at the sea.

"Yes, we could noticed it by the way you arrived at us last night."

"I heard a conversation last night between Gilbert and my father. But I have to explain you a little more before that. You know, my mother was a very rich woman. This house was built by her; she was the heir of the Montenegro family, traditional investors in Brazil. They own the Copacabana Hotel and a lot more hotels around Brazil. My great grandfather built the hotel. This house was my mom's home here, in Rio.

So, when I turned 21, she transferred the hotel to me and the house, too. And all the other buildings and stuff was my father's. Shortly before my mother died, she was having huge arguments with my father. She suspected that he had a lover."

"Oh, that's too bad, Bianca."

"Yes, it is ... and the worst part of it is that she died suddenly in a helicopter crash. The most curious thing was that in the same accident, our Senate Chairman was killed. Him and his wife."

Natalie began to find the story interesting. "And you think it was planned?"

"Yes, I do think someone was killing two birds with one stone. Natalie, there is too much swept under the carpet. My mom was worried my father was messing with the mob. I mean international drug and weapons traffic mafia. And she had some good friends in the government, like the Senate Chairman I mentioned.

She was very upset about the lover thing, and she was planning to divorce my father. But before that, she was fixing everything to stop my father's business, with the help of her friends. She loved him, did not want him in jail. She just wanted him to stop with that business. To avoid dirty her family's name, you know? But now I am afraid he stopped her before that.

My father does not know my mom told me all this stuff, but he was planning to take control of everything by making me marry Gilbert. He wanted my half of the inheritance too. Gilbert works for my father, not only for the legal things: he works for the illicit things too. Yesterday I realized it all. And I am pretty sure he doesn't like me that much to marry me for love."

Natalie was listening to everything very carefully. She decided not to give any advice, not until she was asked for.

"I guess the sun is very bright now, Natalie. We better finish this conversation in a kiosk by the pool," finished Bianca, getting down from the rock in an attempt to wave the crying feeling away.

"Ok, Bianca. But Mr. Monk should join us, right?"

"Yes, of course. I'll get Carlos and you get Mr. Monk, okay?"

The two walked back to the house. Bianca stopped in the kitchen to ask for drinks for everyone and Natalie went upstairs to call Monk.

Natalie was relieved Bianca didn't go deep on her feelings issues. If she had to deal with someone's messed feelings this trip, she rather deal with Monk's ones. Or should it be her feelings?

She wiped away those thoughts and knocked at Monk's door. It was Noon already, and she though it was strange Monk hadn't come down yet.

"Mr. Monk? Are you there?"

After some seconds of silence, Monk unlocked the door.

A special thank you to my busy and overloaded friend Kathy, who always manage to find some space for me in her life!