explains to Slade that killing Steve Wurzel was his undoing. He was the only person who attended the conference who knew Peschel, Braddock and Stottlemeyer. Slade turns his gun at them and is about to shoot when Danielle leaps from a pile of bricks and knocks the gun out of his hand. Natalie snatches up the gun, aiming it at Slade, who now threatens to break Danielle's neck. Slade taunts Natalie, saying she can't shoot a gun. Slade releases Danielle just as Disher and the police arrive to arrest him and Wurzel for their crimes. Monk Gets Hired Disher congratulates Monk for his work and clearing Stottlemeyer's name. The open 9-1-1 call is as good as any confession. Monk disinfects the Captain's office before it is put to use. Stottlemeyer is exonerated and goes back at work. He is constantly repeating some of the things Natalie said on the open 9-1-1 call, and says that she'll be soon called "Dirty Natalie". He accepts Disher's apologies, but tells him that he was just doing his job. Later, Stottlemeyer shows up later at Monk's apartment to officially say that Monk is back on their payroll as a consultant. He got the chief to reconsider by using political blackmail, threatening to explain his story to the TV stations if Monk wasn't rehired and the old budget brought back. With regards to the trial, Slade happened to be wearing a wire when he met Linda, and he has kept a recording of their conversation ever since for insurance. Monk prepares to return to being a consultant to the San Francisco Police Department, the position he really belongs in. Further continuity Monk novels When Stottlemeyer is explaining his reasons for firing Monk to Natalie, he mentions the labor strike during which the detectives' division walked out and Monk was scabbing behind Stottlemeyer's desk, a reference to the novel Mr. Monk and the Blue Flu. When Natalie is pointing a gun at Slade (who is holding Danielle hostage), she says that if she's lucky, the bullet will go through Danielle and into Slade. By coincidence, Mad Jack Wyatt said almost exactly the same thing when arresting Charlie Herrin (who had taken Monk hostage) in Mr. Monk and the Blue Flu. Following Linda Wurzel to the abandoned warehouse reminds Natalie of the murder of Officer Kent Milner in Mr. Monk and the Blue Flu. Main series Although