"IRIS HOEGAARDE portraits" "Great photos." "WiIIem Steenhouwer, lawyer." "Is this true?" " Someone sent my wife a note:" "Your husband's having an affair." "Her name is Iris Hoegaarde." "I've decided to quit." " What?" "Everything." "I won't let you run the slightest risk, Iet alone your son." "Can't I do a job for you?" " Where the hell have you been?" "Become friends with them and find out who the real squatters are." "But keep your mouth shut and be careful, OK?" "Has he ever mentioned article 140:" "involvement with a criminal organisation?" "Which article?" " article 140." "That will never work." "Just pick up your child, he can't stop you." "Arrested?" " Someone saw you." "I think he'II come clean now." " Let's make a deal:" "I'II represent Bjorn if you let me quit." " You can't quit." "Why make a deal?" "You can just say:" "Thank you and goodbye." "Something happened a Iong time ago." "Now I must do whatever it takes." "BETRAYAL" "A BAD SITUATION" "Hey, I want to phone my dad." "I want to phone my dad." "I'm here for Pepijn." " He's upstairs." "I'm picking him up this afternoon." "Here, from my lawyer." "We're not divorced, we're not in court if I can't see him I'II report you." " Hey, is the PO on strike?" "It no Ionger exists." "So you know he's with me and I'II take him to school tomorrow." "Iris, what are you doing?" " Let go." "please let go." "Iris, do you realise you're destroying everything?" "Me, in the first place, that's OK." "But also yourself and Menno." "AII your new friends will go to jail." "What judge will let you see your child then?" "Just stop bluffing for once?" "And guess who these nice guys will blame?" "You." "You've no idea who they are, eh?" "You've no idea they're murderers." "I wish you all the very worst, but I don't want to see you in the newspaper with your legs sprawled and your throat cut." "talking of the PO, do you send letters?" " Sorry?" "About me, and the situation?" " No, of course not." "Who do you think I am?" "No." " Not for me, but your brother." "I won't do it." " So you don't give a shit what happens to him?" " Oh, shut up." "Must I say for the trillionth time I want nothing to do with it." "It's an emergency, he's in jail." "What do you want me to do?" " tell Beppie it's wrong to make a statement like that about family." "Bjorn?" "What happened?" "He's bearing up but if he sings..." " You sound like the mafia?" "Guess what Marit asks me every day?" "If it's true what they write about you and your business." "OK, don't do it." "Just sit on your butt and let your brother rot in prison." "I'II never forgive you for that." " No, I bet you won't." "No one can mess with your son, eh?" " What's that?" "Just hark at you." "Do you know who you're talking about?" "The boy could have been a minister or a philips director or whatever, but look at him now." "Yes, OK." "As if I don't have enough problems." "My husband has bloody left me." "EIsie Couwenberg, I'm asking you once more." "will you talk to Beppie or not?" "If I do, will you do something for me?" "And what's that?" "I want WiIIem back." "And that chick of his must..." "The weather's bad, very bad." "I'II be right there." "I have to go, I'II phone you." "He's told them everything." "Everything." "I wanted to save him." "I didn't want him to fall over the rail." "But it happened because he was pushing and shoving." "Was that so difficult?" "I don't think it's bad." " Me neither." "Maybe not manslaughter but involuntary manslaughter?" "He's a weird guy." "He's quite smart, he has a fantastic memory but he's also retarded and childish." "His lawyer will plead diminished responsibility." "Not necessarily." "Brain damage can be anything:" "From a vegetative state to mild memory problems." "How many?" "What do you mean?" "How many years can he get?" "It depends if it's manslaughter or involuntary manslaughter." "What do you think?" " He's not fully accountable, Huub I can use that." "It means bringing up the accident." "In public, in court." "Maybe." " Then everyone will know." "What do we say to Bjorn, what do we say to EIsie?" "Huub, I can win this case." "How long in the worst-case scenario?" "With manslaughter anything's possible, from nine months to fifteen years." "Maybe I should just..." " What?" "I'II go use a gun and get him out." "I don't care how many I have to shoot." "What a brilliant idea." "Let me know how it ends and who your new lawyer is." "Listen, I haven't seen the charge or anything yet." "Let me take a good look at that first." "A fight on a bridge isn't necessarily a conviction, especially in Bjorn's case." "I can still see him, right?" "And his father?" " He says he has nothing to do with it." "Is that true?" " possibly, Bjorn sang like a canary." "So it's involuntary manslaughter?" " If possible." "And article 140 then?" "will that stick?" " No, not yet." "well, at Ieast it's something, eh?" "Why don't I have to talk to Beppie anymore then?" "I can't tell you on the phone." "How is he?" " I'II hear in a minute." "Dad, sorry about what I said this morning, about your son and stuff." "Doesn't matter." "Bye, darling." " Hang on what about the WiIIem thing?" "I don't know how I'II phone you later." " You'II see to it, eh?" "Are you working this evening?" " Yes." "I'II call you." " OK, bye." "Are you angry?" " Angry?" "Of course not." "Why?" "Sorry." " No need to be sorry." "That is not allowed." "Sit down, Bjorn." "Act like a man." "Listen you'II be out of here as soon as possible." "Do you mean it?" "How?" " I promise." "We'II be having breakfast soon together." "Do you mean that, dad?" "What's up?" "Nothing." "There's a party this evening." "Coming?" "Couwenberg here?" " How may I help you?" "I'm looking for Pepijn Van ErkeI." " I don't think he'II..." "I can put you through to his secretary." "I'm sure he'II talk to me." " well..." "And he'II be so mad if you deprive him of that chance, sweetheart." "One moment." "Yes?" " A man wants to speak to you urgently." "Van ErkeI here." " Huub Couwenberg speaking." "hello?" "Are you busy this afternoon?" "Hey, honey." "You're here again." " I'm here again." "Yes honey, I'm here again." " And daddy?" "He's working, so you're sleeping at my place." "really?" " Yes." "We're not eating pizza, eh?" " But you love pizza." "But I always eat pizza at dad's." " I have fish fingers." "Mr Van ErkeI." "Mr Couwenberg." "This is Mr Lampe, my right-hand man, you're bound to know him." "Fancy a ride?" "You're not afraid of me, eh?" "Joachim, turn on the radio." "Use the front speakers." "In the past, I've been... how do you say..." "approached by..." "Mr de Ruiter, my predecessor on this case." "Yes, de Ruiter." "I talked to him a few times." "Was he sacked?" "He had a burn-out." "Oh, too bad." "We used to say 'overworked' but that's not posh enough nowadays." "hopefully it wasn't due to Mr de Ruiter's disappointment when our talks ended." "He's getting better, and I'm expecting him back in the office shortly." "well, I'm glad to hear it." "And how is my son?" "Fine, under the circumstances, I believe." " What circumstances do you mean?" "A 2 by 3 metre cell?" "And the phoney Starsky and Hutch hounding him all day?" "I have a proposal." "Are you up for it?" " I'm up for anything." "OK, this is the deal." "You drop the case against Bjorn." "What do I get in return?" "That's not actually possible in this country." "Listen, I reckon I'm offering you a golden deal." "And my lawyer says that you may not even have a case against Bjorn." "well, you could be really disappointed." " I don't care." "Bjorn goes free, I hand in all my accounts which you can leaf through to your heart's content." "What's the appeal to the public Prosecutor?" "talk to your predecessor." "I think he'd jump for joy." "I doubt it." "We know what we have with Bjorn but I've no idea what I'm saying 'yes' to in your case." "Let me put it this way." "I'd be surprised if your predecessor didn't have boxes full on me." "He tried to make a case in the past." "I guarantee you'II be successful." "But with Bjorn it's less certain." "I think you're mistaken." " I don't think so." "I have an excellent lawyer." "You may know him?" "WiIIem Steenhouwer." "Ever heard of him?" "He's good-Iooking too." "successful with the ladies." "And the Ukrainian girl?" " What Ukrainian girl?" "I don't know who you mean." "Mr Couwenberg." " Oh, you mean the whore?" "She's been murdered." " You don't say." "Is the murderer part of the deal?" " Has she been murdered?" "How awful." "Fine, I expected far more from our talk." "will you take me back to my car?" "I have a Iot to do." "bloody racket." "What do you reckon?" " I don't know." "Maybe." "Huub, I think..." " Don't worry about it your name's not mentioned, I checked." "And you then?" " Two years stitching mail bags." "That's if the jerk bites." "ShouIdn't you have discussed it first with WiIIem?" "With that girlfriend of his, you mean?" "Is Tess often there in the evening?" " She stays for dinner as dad often has to work in the evening." " Oh, well." "What?" " Nothing, honey." "Here we are." "Like it?" " Yes." "So you do remember coming here?" " Hey, a new game." "Like it?" " Yes." "Fancy a game?" " Yes, sure." "Or shall I make some tea?" "No?" "Chess first." "Are you working again?" " Yes." "There's food in the fridge." "Is Marco home?" " No, he sent a text that he'II be late." "Heard anything from dad?" " No." "Anything wrong?" "Bye." " Bye." "Mum, when are you coming home?" "I don't know, honey." "Are you still angry?" " Angry?" "No, I'm not angry at all." "Not with daddy?" " No, not with daddy either." "Wait, I'II just see who it is." "careful, it's hot." "Menno's here." "Yes of course." "shall I come back later?" "This evening?" "Is it good?" " Yes." "You pushed him in the water on purpose." " No, honestly." "honestly?" " No." "I was angry because dad was upset." "And it made him cry." "He never does that." "Admit it, Bjorn." "Your dad told you to frighten uncle Louis a bit." "No, honestly." "I'm Victor." "He's a friend of mine." "Where's your brother?" " Search me." "I've come to collect some things." "Victor is just a friend..." "There's no need to explain." "It's alright, honey." "Fancy doing something together this weekend?" "And then?" " Then something nice, the two of us?" " Who do you think I am?" "A six-year-oId?" "One trip to the playground and everything's fine?" "What's this, eh?" "You tell us nothing, nada, niente, zilch." "It doesn't work, eh?" "It's not good." "Honey it's complicated." "So?" " This weekend." "We'II go somewhere together." "And I'II tell you everything." "I promise." " Everything?" "Bye, Victor." " Bye." "the fun is over, because his wife put the crank handle under the bed" "I always wanted to work for Medecins Sans Frontires." "Christ, Medecins Sans Frontires." "Then I fancied real estate." "Just riding my scooter around town and getting rich." "So relaxed." "Are you anti-squat?" "Are you guys anti-squat?" "Are you anti-squat?" "Where's Jennifer anyway?" "Goodnight, daddy." "Love Menno." "The blue crocodile walked through the jungle." "He thought: 'If I don't belong anywhere, how can I be happy?" "'" "Hang on, I'II see who it is." "Can you wait a bit?" "I'm reading to Menno." " Yes, sure." "Who was that?" " A friend of mine." "As if the sky was sad too, it started to rain." "The tropical shower..." "The party?" " Forget the dumb party." "Oh, come on." "Just for a while, eh?" " OK." "This guy, eh?" "What guy?" "He looks like that criminal that I've read about." "He's my grandfather." "Your grandfather?" " Yes." "Is this him?" "Is it true what they write about him?" "Can we change the subject?" "Jesus, now I understand why you live like this." "Give me a grandfather like him." "Mine's a bicycle repairman." "It would be so cool..." " bloody hell." "It was only a joke." " Shove the shit party up your arse I'm not going." " Jesus, Marit." "Bugger off, I don't want to see you anymore." "Marit, hey." " Get out of my house, man." "Huub Couwenberg was a painter and decorator." "That's how he started." "A few men worked for him." "The residents of a house he was painting went bankrupt and couldn't pay him." "The only way for him to get his money was to buy the house." "So suddenly he was a home owner." "Were you in the family by then?" " No, this was ages before." "But that's what happened." "From that one house came another so at some stage he could quit painting." "Then you met EIsie." "Just at the disco." "I was a bit younger." "She was assertive, I liked that, and she was sweet." "I fell head over heels for her." "Hey, my dad loved this." "He sang that football song, right?" "Was your dad a football fan?" " Yes." "MOBILE ELSIE" "A DWS supporter." "It was once professional." " With Rinus israel, Frits FIinkevIeugeI." "Jan JongbIoed." "Right?" "I was just going to bed." " Sorry for dropping by at this time." "I've thought about your proposal." "would you Iike a drink?" " No." "Rinus israel was the toughest defender I've ever seen." "But well, he'd been a road worker." "EIsie had all kinds of jobs." "She didn't want money from her dad, she still doesn't." "I'd blown my student grant so I couldn't stay at university." "My dad was glad." "'It's not for people like us', he always said." "I should get a job in a shop or factory like him." "I should have tried harder." "But Huub wouldn't allow it." "I had to stay at university." "You've definitely got the brains, he said." "So you stayed at university?" " Yes." "I never saw my own father again." "You're not serious?" " To him, even at that age I was a traitor." "I had to make my own way." "And four years later I was a lawyer." "I find your proposal interesting." " really?" "But it's not enough by a Iong way." "As I'II have enough against you at some stage anyway." "really?" " So I wondered if you have more on offer?" " More?" "If I have to drop Bjorn's case..." " What do you mean by 'more'?" "Let's put our cards on the table." "Who was behind the alibi you cobbled together for that evening?" "So then you started helping Huub Couwenberg." "He was my father-in-Iaw and he'd paid my university fees." "Is it true what's written about him in the newspapers?" "I can't talk about it." " Yes, you can." "To me you can." "What do you want exactly?" " To exchange Bjorn." "Yes, for me." "Or for something else." " Like what?" "well, think of something." "I have nothing else on offer." " No?" "No." "What do you mean, man?" " What I mean is can't we think of something so you and Bjorn won't face criminal proceedings?" "Something." "Or someone." "Huub was in the housing market, then in commercial properties." "He did well, very well even." "It's a tough world." "It's impossible to do everything legally." " Nonsense." "Iris, it's different if you're from the street." "If you've climbed scaffolding half your life." "Huub's wife died young, and he saw that as a personal attack." "He swore he'd never get caught again, so he made certain choices." "And again you helped him do that." "Yes." "I can't understand why." "I really can't understand why." "Are you guys anti-squat?" "What's wrong?" "You were going to quit, you said." "I have, more or less." " You'd finally tell me everything." "I tried." " I couId've googled that." "I can't." "Have you seen who's asleep in there?" "You're just so 'burgerIijk'." " BurgerIijk?" "'BurgerIijk' is a Dutch word, right?" "Fuck off to your own country." "What do you want?" "Get out of here." "Yes?" " You said you'd phone me." "Yes..." " Have you thought of a way?" "Have you talked to him?" "Do you know what to do?" "About WiIIem, you mean?" " Yes." "EIsie, honey..." "Yes?" " Perhaps..." "What?" " Perhaps you should..." "You have to accept things sometimes." " What do you mean?" "Things end." "Have you been drinking?" " No, but maybe it's fate." "Try to forget WiIIem." "Try to let go." "Damn it, dad." " Honey." "well, thanks for your help." " darling." "the oil man got himself a Ford" "he drives it through town like a king but at eight in the evening" "Guess what Pepijn said to me this morning?" "That all your Couwenbergs will end up in jail." "And that they'II blame me." " Stop it." "I won't stop it." "Why don't we go away together?" "Why do you insist on defending the guy?" "You're never going to tell me anything." " I can't, don't you see?" "No, I don't." "I can't do this." "It can't go on." "What do you mean?" "I'm sorry." "You're suspended." "Grandpa, a job." " Keep your mouth shut." "Be careful, OK?" "Mum." "What's wrong?" "Jesus." "Huub, something's happened to Marco." " This is murder." "You said you'd get me out." "I first want guarantees." " Do you know if Marco hung out at a squat?" " The delta building, you mean?" "What was Marco doing there?" " Why?" "I'd Iike to try again." " The public Prosecutor keeps on about the alibi and the whore." "We have a motive." "He's a top mafia pal." "Have you gone completely nuts?" "When you find him, make sure he never has kids."