"IRIS HOEGAARDE portraits" "Great photos." "WiIIem Steenhouwer, lawyer." "Who's that?" " That Couwenberg case I'm on he's their lawyer." "shall I pick you up around nine?" "He didn't do it." "." "Rosie's been suspended for falsely accusing a fellow student." "Your fucking brother, or your fucking grandpa." "The police drop by sometimes." "They asked me to sign a statement about seeing Bjorn that night." " You killed him." "No, it was an accident." "." "Last night you were at the club with carla and MireiIIe." "I want a bonus." " The girl's becoming a nuisance." "But is she really lying?" "." "Sure, she must have been paid off." "No way was Bjorn there that night." "If they crack the alibi, we're screwed." " She's just a whore." "I'm off to bed, I don't feel well." "So you won't go to that job tomorrow?" "." "I think I will, it's important." "Where are you?" " Out of town." "Where?" " I'II call you this afternoon, OK?" "BETRAYAL" "BONUS" "The monkey looked at his own legs and taiI." "suddenly, he started to cry." "You're right, he said." "I'm pink." "Does that mean I don't belong with my mummy and daddy anymore?" "The blue crocodile saw how sad the monkey was and backed down." "Er, er, er..., the blue crocodile stammered." "well, you may..." "It's not true, the monkey cried." "We don't look like each other." "We're not related." "What's wrong, daddy?" " Nothing, darling." "Are you crying?" "Crying?" "Daddies don't cry, do they?" "What if you hurt your knee?" " well yes, maybe then." "Hey, it's really late." "It's time to sleep." "I heard a really bizarre story, you'II never believe it." "About a colleague, who's working on a big, slightly criminal, property case." "Just like me." "And his wife has a creative job too." "She may even be a photographer." " well, that's a coincidence." "One child, a boy." "And guess what's so weird?" "His wife started an affair, you won't believe this with the other party's lawyer." "apparently, they meet in hotels where she says she goes for assignments." "And she thinks my colleague won't find out." "A public prosecutor." "The other party's lawyer." "She must have thought:" "Not only will I destroy my husband emotionally and make my child unhappy." "No, I'II help ruin his whole career in one go." "What do you think of that, eh?" "What goes on in the mind of a woman like that for god's sake?" "If she were some stupid bitch some dumb chick then you could understand." "But no, she's a really sweet lovely sensitive woman." "Do you know what's so terrible, Iris?" "Or so intensely sad, actually?" "That colleague of mine really thought he had a wonderful marriage." "What a dumbass." "You know you sometimes read that something like this is painful but not that it's so painful so painful, Iris." "Why don't you look at me?" "Don't you Iike me anymore?" "Is it over?" "Did I work too hard?" "Maybe I spent too little time with you two." "I'm a public prosecutor." "In every court I enter from now on, people will whisper:" "Have you heard who his wife's done it with?" "I'm leaving." "You cold?" "It's eczema, real bad." "This is it, eh?" "This is all." "And if you tell anyone I'II come and get it back." "You have something to celebrate, right?" "I get glass." "You didn't answer my question." "Don't you love me anymore?" "I don't know." "Are you in love?" "Are you..." "Listen, I'm going for a walk or to vandalize a bus shelter." "When I get back, tell me what you want to do:" "Either you stay here with us, or you leave." "Stay." "Stay." "please." "You know where I am?" "." "There's lots of nosy people at the club." "And we don't want that, eh?" "If I give you a bit extra, don't I have a right to a bonus too?" "How big is your bonus?" "How big is your bonus?" "He knows." " What?" "Pepijn knows." "I'II come over." "Where are you?" "Can we meet somewhere?" "." "Sure." "Where?" "." "Somewhere near your office?" "OK." "Hi, alright?" " Yes." "Are you at home?" "No, I must drop by your dad first." " Oh, why?" "Sorry, it's none of my business." "although I have a tearful Beppie on the phone every day, and Bjorn but no matter." "Why did you phone?" " To say I'II be late." "Is that why you phoned?" "I'II see you tonight." "Your receipt." "It's over." "No, don't." "Sorry." "It had to go wrong sometime." "I don't want is there no way to..." " No." "Iris, I don't want to lose you." "I'm on my way." "WiIIem, you know I Iove you." "Where are you?" "Ten minutes." "I'm stuck somewhere." "." "Stuck?" "Ten minutes." "I have to go." "If your wife makes you choose, will you..." " Yes." "Yes, what?" "." "I'II choose you." "You don't mean it?" ". I do." "But..." " I mean it." "Your kids are much older, it's different." "Yes, it's different for me." "I can't abandon Menno." "And your husband?" "You haven't mentioned him." "How does he know?" "And what does he know?" "WiIIem, you know I Iove you." "WiIIem, you know..." "WiIIem, you know I Iove you." "WiIIem, you know I Iove you." "I had no choice." " What do you mean?" "The Ukrainian?" "problem solved." "problem solved?" "You're not serious?" "tell me it's not true, Huub." "Do you realise what you've done?" "You've only made it worse." "Damn it." "You've crossed a line now, Huub." "You'd never have done that in the past." "." "The past is dead." "Just like Mette and Louis." "I'm going." "well?" "A neighbour phoned at 8.30 last night to say she heard screams." "The station didn't think it was urgent." "The neighbour phoned again this morning.... ...to say she wasn't opening her door." "No struggle, no signs of burglary no witnesses, nothing." "." "Look, what I found." "Oh, you have another parking ticket." "Don't forget the birthday tomorrow." " Birthday?" "What birthday?" "Tapas, squid rings, dip sauce and carrots." "What's wrong with a nice piece of liver sausage?" "Or pickled onions in vinegar, so sharp they make your eyes water." "Nowadays it's all fake vinegar." "." "It's sweet and sour." "What?" " Sweet and sour." "well, that says it all." "You can't have sweet and sour together." "There's bitter sweet too." "." "If I throw a party, it'II be a normal party." "There's salt and sour too but that's completely different." "I don't even feel like celebrating this year." "hello." "." "Huub, it's me, Chris." "Can you talk?" "Ben, can I have a word?" "I've already heard about the Ukrainian." " It's not about that." "Her link to Couwenberg?" " It's all still vague." "I'm very busy today." "." "Yes, but this is urgent." "A guy who works for Couwenberg came to the door." "Are there more Couwenberg's?" " I've no idea." "I don't know what the guy said, but he scared my dad shitIess." "And then I had to drop the complaint." " Even so, if the man..." "But I've never seen my dad so scared." "Never ever." "Why do we men let ourselves be strangled?" "Ministers don't have to wear ties, but I get funny looks if I don't wear mine." "The whore?" "." "I get the autopsy report this afternoon." "manslaughter?" "." "We'II know this afternoon." "well, that's a relief." " Ben, there's something else." "My wife." "She has an affair." "She had, had an affair." "With Steenhouwer." " Steenhouwer?" "Which Steenhouwer?" "Couwenberg's lawyer." "Are you kidding me, or what?" "Pepijn cut it out." " I must report it." "So now I have." " But then you're off the case." "You know the rules." "Ben, we had a huge row yesterday." "But then she ended it immediately." "You'II have to drop the case." "You'II have to drop it." "." "Who will replace me?" "No one." "De Ruiter's sick." "I know this case backwards." "Pepijn?" "." "It's over she's not seeing him anymore, and he's not a suspect." "The publicity, Pepijn." " There'II be no publicity." "It's in no-one's interest." " You can't believe that." "ConsigIieri." " Don't call me that." "well, I have some good news for a change." "Chris van den Houwert phoned." "And?" "." "He spoke to people at United Enterprise." "And 1.5 million will be paid into our account." "That's good, eh?" "What's wrong?" "Not good?" "." "Sure." "He's afraid of dad." "Isn't he, dad?" "Now there's just the 1.5 from Louis." "What do you mean?" ". 1.5 from Chris, and 1.5 from Louis." "Louis is dead." "." "But his money isn't, is it?" "Beppie's got it all now." "You're not going to take 1.5 million from Aunt Beppie?" "From a widow?" "At this time?" "You can't be serious?" "It's my money, right?" "Hi, honey." "What are you up to?" "What are you doing?" " Not much." "Like what?" "I'm looking up stuff about grandpa." "." "At it again are you?" "What is this?" "Why are you interested all of sudden?" "AII of a sudden." " What?" "The correct way to say it is:" "all of a sudden." "Why are you interested all of a sudden?" "." "It happens." "Your grandpa may be weird, but he's never been charged." "Oh, so you suddenly want to talk about it?" "We're talking, are we?" "Great." "Can I join in?" "I'm out of here." "Why all the secrecy?" " There's no secrecy?" "Your grandpa is in property." "That's all." "So?" " people talk a Iot in real estate." "And your grandpa can't do anything about that." "What kind of look is that?" " Mum, I'm not ten anymore." "100 million loss due to property fraud" "XTC." "." "Yes, and quite a Iot too." "What a way to go." "Was she an addict?" " Yes, she occasionally took drugs." "Was she forced?" " No signs of a struggle." "Nothing under her nails." "She probably let him in." "No witnesses, of course." "The neighbours saw nothing." "coincidentally, she's one of Bjorn's three witnesses." "She gave the impression it wasn't that water.tight." "But?" "." "I don't know how to prove it." "It's good news for the Couwenbergs, she can't retract her alibi anymore." "And it's not that hard to give someone a dodgy pill." "I have stacks of files on the guy." "AII involving shady deals, but no assaults or murders." "There's an old Chinese proverb:" "Even the longest journey starts with the first step." "What about a quick talk with Bjorn?" " No." "Or his dad?" " No, wait a bit." "Why?" " Let sleeping dogs lie." "What does that mean?" " talking of sleeping dogs you were meant to phone Immigration." "She might still be alive if you had." "My experience with desensitisation has been quite good." "Yes, it's a terrible word." "It took me ages to pronounce it without seriously spitting." "But what it basically entails is that very, very carefully you'II occasionally try to mix with large groups." "Do you understand?" "Everything I say here is confidential, eh?" "well yes, it's between us." "Under all circumstances?" ". definitely." "I'm having an affair." "well, with a guy who's not my husband." "I can't talk to anyone about it." "Can I talk here?" "suddenly there's someone who, when I just glance at him, makes my stomach, head and chest go soft." "I get butterflies." "Teenage butterflies." "OId.fashioned butterflies." "The first kiss, the first time someone says:" "Yes, I Iike you too." "But there's Pepijn, who knows me so well, who I know so well with all his mannerisms, the way he talks and eats and who holds in his tummy when I walk by." "And still always has to win the dumbest games." "It's warm, stupid and familiar." "AII the things I've been through with him." "I'm suddenly scared." "I'm so scared that I may never have really loved him." "I don't know what it is anymore." "Love." "What does it mean, if it comes and goes so quickly?" "Do you have any ideas?" " What?" "About tomorrow?" " What's tomorrow?" "I can't think of anything." "He has two of all the singles from the Sixties." "So the party's still on?" "Yes... why wouldn't it be?" " I don't know." "He likes DVDs." "Those series." "In a box." "What kind of series?" "." "Crime series." "Good idea." "I I'II sleep in the spare room again." "Good night." "Yes, good night." "I used to try and educate him." "Remember?" "I took him to posh restaurants and stuff." "." "Yes, what a waste of money." "while he has a fortune in the bank." "Why the weird look?" "Are you having an affair?" "Yes, two." "Good night." "Menno, hurry up." "And bring your gym stuff." "What are you doing today?" "." "I'II be in the studio." "Tess will pick him up." "What are you doing there?" "I told you I ended it." "." "Yes, and I said I believed you but is it such a weird question?" "No, it isn't." "It's an assignment from jill, not a portrait." "What is it then?" " An illustrative job." "I'm off." "Iris how long did it go on?" "And how often?" "It's playing on my mind, which isn't strange, perhaps." "Pepijn?" "Step this way." "I've thought about it, talked to a few people, but it's impossible." "It's not officially prohibited." " That's great, but we'II be in deep shit if we continue." "It's not officially prohibited." "." "Don't be so naive." "You're such a smart guy." " She finished it." "I believe you, but you have a career, Pepijn." "Remember?" "So a personal vendetta..." "." "It's not a personal vendetta." "Sorry." "It's my career, right?" " Yes." "What if I want to risk it, to win this case?" "That's up to me, right?" "." "I don't know." "I'm still responsible, remember?" "Can you stand opposite each other?" "Like this." "will you try to put your chin on his shoulder?" "Look under..." "Can you turn this way?" "will you stand with your back to me?" "Now look at me." "hold his hand." "That's great." "Yes, great." "You're in love, eh?" "wonderful." "Now grab each other." "Come a bit..." "As if you feel guilty." "I don't know." "I really don't." "Did someone lean on you girls?" "Is someone leaning on you?" "Who?" "tell us." " No." "I wouldn't know who." "And MireiIIe?" "." "I don't know." "I really don't." "Do you know Bjorn Couwenberg?" "." "Yes, sure." "Why?" "Hi, honey." " hello, darling." "When are we leaving?" "." "She's been like this for ages so will you talk to her?" ". well, great." "congratulations." " Thanks." "And thanks for the DVDs." "Which one is it?" "That's from your daughter." "Here's a small gift." "Another one?" "My cellar's half full of champagne from you." "Beer?" " Just sparkling water." "Bjorn?" "Do we have sparkling water?" "What brand's that?" " Must I pay the jackpot for water?" "Just say when." "She's petrified, and under great pressure." "." "So what do we do?" "Nothing." " Nothing?" "Let's pick him up." "It's a cIear-cut case." "Pepijn doesn't want that." " Let's phone him then to secure all the evidence." "wonderful, great." "Keep looking at them, eh?" "will you turn towards him?" "Look at him and put your hand on her hip." "Yes, that's great." "What are you doing here?" " I thought I'd drop by." "To see what my wife is doing, for work." "I'm still busy so if you don't mind waiting." "Yes guys, great." "OK." "wonderful." "will you get closer?" "OK, I think that's it." "Thank you." "How often have you been here?" "Three, four times." "And now suddenly." " Yes, now suddenly." "the oilman got himself a Ford he drives it through town like a king but at eight in the evening the fun is over because his wife puts the crank handle under the bed" "happy birthday to you happy birthday to you" "blow them out." "Stop it." "I only wanted to help." "." "There's cake for everyone." "What was all that for?" " A theme issue." "About what?" " Nothing special." "How was work?" "." "Work?" "well Iris, all I can see is you and that jerk together in some cheap hotel." "Or did you do it here too?" "Where exactly?" "Was it in this bed, or on the floor perhaps?" "I said..." " No, you've said nothing." "You're here, but you don't talk, Iris." "I told him it was over." "." "But you haven't said to me: 'Pepijn I'm so sorry." "I Iove only you, I don't know what got into me.' Stuff like that." "Is that what you want to hear then?" "." "Yes, actually." "I'd love to hear it and right now I can't get enough of hearing things like that." "Have you ever thought for even a millisecond of apologising first of all?" "." "Listen I know what I did really sucks." "And I've tried to say 'sorry' a hundred times, but she just won't see me." "stockholm." "How old were we here?" "I heard that Victor likes you." "congratulations." "Thank you." "Did grandpa threaten Rosie's dad?" "What?" "." "So he'd drop the complaint against you." "Get real." "Dad." "Dad." " congratulations, Mr Couwenberg." "May I ask what's going on?" "." "And you are?" "Steenhouwer." "I'm a lawyer." " hello." "Christina Meerdink, CID." "We're on very different salaries, I reckon." "." "It's Mr Couwenberg's birthday so your visit is very inconvenient." " Yes, I know." "But as simple officials, wage slaves we just do as we're told." "And we'd Iike to speak to Mr Couwenberg." "Junior." "You don't need to do that now." " Sorry, Mr Steenhouwer but this is a murder case, and we must speak to Mr Couwenberg." "I'II go with him." " I'm sorry..." "They can't do this?" " What murder case?" "natalia Korzachenko, better known to some as MireiIIe." "MireiIIe?" "." "I demand to go with my client." "It's my bloody birthday." " What's wrong with MireiIIe?" "I'm sorry, Mr Couwenberg." "." "Bjorn, it's best if you go with them." "It's only for an hour, eh?" "So just party on, and he'II soon be back again." "hopefully." "What's wrong with MireiIIe?" ". MireiIIe is dead, Bjorn." "It's terrible." "Did you really not know?" "Must I go with them?" "Dad?" "Dad?" "Dad?" "Now what?" "We must go home, Tess is waiting." "I thought you'd say something." "Or not?" "Do you think it's easy?" "." "Oh, is that it?" "It's a bit tough, eh?" "Gosh." "well, who started this?" "Oh yes, not me." "I said I Ioved you." "." "Yes, you did." "Guess what I'd rather hear?" "That you did what you did in a fit of insanity." "That you hate the guy and you never want to see him again." "It would be nice..." "Who's that?" "will it always be like this?" " Yes." "I said I was sorry." "It's over and I've chosen you." "So why don't I feel that, Iris?" "Why do I have this weird feeling that he's still around?" "Who was that?" "Take a look." "Go on." "It's just someone from work?" "." "Yeah?" "Who?" "Who is it?" "tell me." " Stop it." "Who is it?" "Who is it from work?" "Give it to me." " No." "Give it to me yourself." "No, you won't?" "Give it to me." " No." "Give it to me yourself." "You can always..." "I long for you." "You never bloody jump a red light." "You daren't even go to the shops without taking a pill." "He sent me a text, I can't help it." " You'II do what I say, OK?" "You're going to phone him while I'm here and tell him to bugger off." "Now, Iris." "Checkmate." "You're a little bandit." "Iris and Pepijn's house." "You're joking?" "I'm afraid the file will soon be closed, and your husband's killer will go unpunished." "But what can I do about it?" "." "Open your mouth." "Marit keeps talking about it, eh?" "." "Send her to me." "And what will you say?" "." "That your dad's a respectable man." "Why doesn't he just tell me then?" "And why doesn't his secretary know?" "But when will you come back?" "Pepijn, I'm taking you off it." "Who bloody cares?" "What did they ask and what did you say?"