Another step towards the meeting with the Redeemer. Hope you enjoy this chapter!

I do not own Monk. I do not own Natalie.

MR MONK MEETS THE REDEEMER

CH 26

Monk and Natalie could hear the lively dialogue between Bianca and Carlos by the pool. Before they turned the corner of the hotel and got to the backyard, Monk stopped.

"Is everything fine, Mr. Monk?" asked Natalie.

"I-ah ... no ...," Monk grimaced.

"Mr. Monk, I said that Bianca is under control." She carefully chose the last two words. "And so is Carlos, there is nothing to fear about them."

At that exact moment, they heard Carlos yell "Geronimo" followed by a big splash of water, followed by Bianca's laugh.

"Ooohhh ...," muttered Monk, turning back.

"No, no, Mr. Monk. Come on, I assure you that nobody will get wet. Well, at least we both won't get wet."

"Natalie .... they are savages ... and they enjoy being savages ... and I think they are also hippies. They are the worst kind of hippies, savage hippies!"

"No, Mr. Monk. Why do you say that? How can you say that? Bianca is taking care of us, in her own way... and she allowed us to be here, in this marvelous place, surrounded by…"

"Nature! And sand. And ocean. And forest. We're in a prison, Natalie, don't you see it? This is not marvelous. Is terrifying! It's a prison, and we are being kept here by two crazy savage hippies!"

This last comment came out a bit louder then he intended, and it attracted Bianca's attention.

"Hey, Mr. Monk? Natalie? Are you there?" called Bianca by the pool.

"C'mon, Mr. Monk. I promise they'll behave." Natalie whispered, holding Monk by the arm and trying to pull him to the pool. "We're on our way!" said Natalie aloud to Bianca.

"Is everything okay there, Natalie?" asked Bianca.

Natalie looked at Monk in disapproval for he was standing still.

"Yes, yes, we're coming, Bianca!" Natalie pulled Monk harder, making him move.

Again, before turning down the walkway to the pool, Monk stopped.

"What now, Mr. Monk?" complained Natalie.

"Can you promise something, Natalie?"

"If you move on, I can, Mr. Monk."

"Please, do not let Bianca touch me. Or get near me. Or the filthy water from the swimming pool touch me. Or any bird. Or any tiny little piece of nature. Or..."

Natalie smiled affectionately at his childish behavior, "Yes, of course, Mr. Monk. I promise," and she squeezed his arm, getting a smile back from him as an answer. They reached the pool.

Bianca was sitting at the table in front of a kiosk, drinking something that Natalie understood was a thick Bloody Mary. Carlos was in the pool, with his arms holding him outside the water, at the edge of the pool.

"Hi, nice to see you two!" said Bianca, indicating a place to sit to both of them. Carlos said "Hi" and plunged in again, heading over to the pool's side ladder.

"So, Mr. Monk, I believe Natalie already told you part of the story, right?" started Bianca.

Monk nodded.

Natalie sat next to Bianca, her back to the house, while Monk took the far side of the table, near the walkway from which they had arrived.

"Yes, he knows about it already, Bianca. You can go on with the information from where you left off at the beach." Natalie said.

"Okay, let's just wait Carlos a bit. Do you want something to drink?"

"A bottle of Summit Creek for Mr. Monk, and I would love to have some pineapple juice, if it's possible, Bianca."

Bianca called the maid and ordered the drinks. Carlos had arrived, wearing his swimming shorts and a wet tee-shirt now.

Monk was visibly uncomfortable, shifting at the sight of a wet tee-shirt, wet shorts and a wet Carlos near him. Natalie placed her chair next to Monk, in a protective instinct.

"Well, Mr. Monk, first of all I would like to apologize. I am deeply sorry for my behavior last night. I had my reasons to act like that, but had no right to insult you both with my behavior."

Monk did not say anything; he was watching the water drops that fell from Carlos' hair.

"Okay, Bianca, Mr. Monk is okay with that. Don't worry." answered Natalie.

"Okay then. As I said yesterday, I realized Gilbert is more than my fiancé, he is directed by my father. And indeed as I told you, Natalie, my father is involved with a woman Mom and I thought to be his mistress even before Mom died.
Well, the case of the helicopter crash was stuffy; the Government and the police conducted a search that lasted a week, but after that the media and the police had forgotten the accident. My father came with the documents to receive the inheritance, and encouraged me to marry Gilbert, saying he would feel safer if I had someone close by, since he lives outside the country because of his business." Bianca mimed quotation marks referring to the last word.

The drops were starting to run over Carlos forehead.

"Well, until yesterday, I believed my father actually cared about me, but at the party, when I was looking for Gilbert to keep him company, I ended up finding my father talking to him in the private lounge at Stones suite.
I arrived quite silently to surprise Gilbert, and they did not realize that I was around; they kept talking. So before I reached Gilbert, I heard something that caught my attention."

"Towel! Don't you want a towel, Carlos? I can get one for you." Monk said looking at Carlos.

"No, I'm fine, Mr. Monk, thank you. It's pretty hot in here, soon I'll be dry. Thank you."

"It's not a problem at all; I can go back there and get you a clean towel. You'll thank me later" Monk said, making a motion of standing up.

Natalie put his hand on Monk's leg, preventing him to complete his move.

Monk sat up again, shifting uncomfortable in the chair now also by Natalie's grip.

"So" Bianca continued, "my father was talking on the phone with this woman, with his mistress. He said Gilbert had done great his last job, that the plan to leave you, Mr. Monk, in a precarious situation was going very well."

Carlos shook the water from his hair with his left hand, spreading droplets of water to the side of Bianca, who was sitting in front of Monk, across the table. Monk shrugged in the chair.

Natalie was listening to Bianca carefully.

"It was Gilbert who was negotiating the weapons on the video we saw, Mr. Monk" said Bianca.

"Yeah, I know." Monk said, without taking his eyes out off Carlos, who was following the conversation looking at Bianca.

"Mr. Monk had already deducted this, Bianca. In the movie the man is wearing a ring on his thumb in the same way that Gilbert does."

"Oh...Gilbert indeed uses a ring! This is another proof, Carlos." Bianca said, looking at her friend. Carlos has extended his hands and held Bianca's hands between them.

"So, Gilbert was also behind the kidnapping. He needed my car and your clothes, Mr. Monk." Bianca looked at Monk, and he still could not escape the eyes of the wet and dripping hair of Carlos.

"I'm sorry, Bianca" said Natalie,"but Gilbert seems to be"

"a bad person. The wrong choice for me, I know. Mom had warned me, but I ignored her. And now I'm stuck in a fake engagement, and having as enemies my own father and a powerful woman, who apparently controls the lives of everyone around her."

Bianca looked at Carlos, "She should be called God,"
Carlos shook his head to dry his hair, and drops of water were spreading everywhere.
"and not 'The Judge.'" ended Bianca, while Monk gave a scream and jumped up, pushing the chair back violently.

"A TOWEL! I told you needed a towel!" he said out loud, and went off the table, protecting his face with his arm.

Natalie did not know whether the exaggerated reaction of Monk was because of the water spraying or because of Bianca's last words.
She got up immediately, and stopped in front of Monk; then gently held Monk's arms and asked, "Are you okay, Mr. Monk?" looking in his eyes.

Carlos and Bianca looked stunned at them, still recovering from the shock.

Monk raised his eyes up to Natalie and without taking the arm out from his face, he shook the head and escaped from Natalie's hands, running away toward the beach.

Natalie looked at the couple at the table, "I need you here, Bianca. Just wait for us, please" and ran out behind Monk.

Kathy, thank you a lot!