California and Adrian Monk are in a financial crisis when he's fired by the SFPD and finds his savings are gone. Bob Sebes, the leader of Reinier Investments, swindled his clients, including Monk. Whena key witness is killed, Monk is convince that Sebes, under house-arrest, did it. Being jobless and broke, Monk can devote all of his obsessive energy to solving this latest mystery.