"IRIS HOEGAARDE portraits" "Great photos." "WiIIem Steenhouwer, lawyer." "If you don't trust me, then..." "." "Say straight to my face you didn't screw me?" " I have a job tomorrow." "What kind of job?" ". industrial heritage." "I have the case, a major case." "He's a public prosecutor leading the Couwenberg case." "You're joking." " The paper said uncle Louis was murdered, and grandpa could be involved." "She thinks:" "If he killed my husband I'm next." "shall I pick you up around nine for the party?" "May I know why we need 150 grand?" "Who's that?" "." "A lawyer." "In dirty affairs." "Dirty affairs?" "delete Raw file?" "Yesterday evening you were at the club with carla and MireiIIe." "The day before." " No, last night." "You were never ever on that bridge." "BETRAYAL" "BACK TO THE BRIDGE" "Happy." "You said that the Iast time too." "." "But it's true." "I'm very happy." "Great." "I don't often hear that said so convincingly here." "What I wondered was:" "Did you always want to be a photographer?" "Yes, I did really." "My dad said it wasn't a job for me, for girls." "But I was always fiddling with his camera." "He had a dark room." "The phrase alone sounded so exciting:" "The dark room." "Was that it?" "." "Was that what?" "Was excitement what appealed to you about photography?" "I've no idea." "Then try to think what it does mean to you." "well, I wouldn't know, really." "Photography is recording, retaining, holding onto time." "Am I trying to hold onto time?" " I don't know." "It's just a thought." "I want a three-hour speech or you're both scrapped from my will." "You won't hear it anyway, so what's the point?" "That's just it." "You guys must read it to me before my funeral." "On my death bed." " Yucky, grandpa." "I usually do portraits." "I ask for other assignments but it's mostly portraits." "If I had to say anything about it..." "What I actually try to do is look behind the subject's eyes and try to capture that in my portraits." "Behind someone's eyes." "OK." "And do you?" " Yes, occasionally." "You reveal something about your subjects?" "What do you mean?" "You reveal what's normally behind these people's eyes?" "Yes, maybe." "Have you ever done a seIf-portrait?" "No." " Why not?" "well it never occurred to me." "You should've brought him." "It looks bad." "." "He wouldn't move." "We must find out what the police are up to, and everything." "Right, but he won't say a word." "I've tried but no joy." "Had any more visits?" " No." "Here." "." "I'II drop by in a few hours." "We were always playing cards with them." "especially with uncle Louis." "Jass, hearts, blackjack." "honestly, just cards." "'Zwikken', 'toepen'." ". 'Zwikken', what's that?" "well, it was a game with trumps." " Mum?" "What?" "." "Why wasn't Bjorn in church?" "I don't know." "Is it because he... ?" " I've no idea, honey." "OK guys, get changed then off to school." "Good afternoon." "I'm Pepijn van ErkeI." "I'm sorry to barge in, but I wanted to offer my personal condolences." "Who are you?" "I'm the public Prosecutor leading the investigation into your husband's death." "Again, my condolences." "Are you here for anything else?" "There's something I'd Iike to ask you." "Now?" "I missed someone at the funeral." "Come on in." "Hey, Roos." "I..." " tell me." "Forget it." "What's wrong?" "." "I, I had a fall." "I'm coming over." " No, there's no need." "Sure, I'm on my way." "Did you see Chris in church?" "He was shitting his pants." "Did you speak to him?" " Yes, I said I'd pay him a visit soon." "Why all the fuss about three million?" "." "Money's not for free, eh?" "Louis's just been buried, your son was the Iast person seen with him." "The police have been here." "should you go after Van den Houwert now?" "Must I just let it go?" " No." "But it's the wrong time." " Van den Houwert thinks that too." "He thinks the 1.5 million is his, as Huub's mind is on other things but no way." "If we let it go, there'II be no end to it." "They'II always take the piss out of us." "Yes, and it's awful." "But what's far worse is they're unraveIIing Bjorn's affair." "And they're persistent." "If they pull hard enough, everything here will unravel." "Don't you two see that?" "We were due to leave soon." "For Vienna." "We've been everywhere:" "Paris, London, New York, Rome." "But never in Vienna?" " No, never." "What would I do in Vienna without him?" "Mrs KareIse you saw Bjorn that evening." "We know about the conflict between Mr Couwenberg and your husband." "Mr Couwenberg may have sent Bjorn to put pressure on your husband." "It's vital we get your statement about Bjorn and for you to repeat it in court." "Want to meet?" "you have no new messages" "Bjorn, Bjorn, Bjorn, listen to me!" "What are you doing?" " Nothing?" "No one's angry with you." "Am I angry?" "I'm not angry, OK?" "." "What's important is that we form a united front." "That's what we do, that's how we work." "Right, Bjorn?" "We're family." "We belong together." "We don't tell others what we know about each other." "If we don't know everything about each other, people try to abuse that." "Then we could be in trouble." "So you must tell us what went on between you and uncle Louis that evening." "You understand that, eh?" "Yes, of course." ". well, then try to tell us." "uncle Louis often cheated at cards, eh?" ". bloody hell, card games again!" "well, it's fabulous." "Yes, I'm very pleased with it." "database search for:" "WiIIem Steenhouwer" "COUWENBERG'S LAWYER:" "WITCH HUNT BY POLICE" "bluff poker at a high level no question of fraud" "REAL-ESTATE TYCOON ARRESTED" "WiIIem Steenhouwer lawyer" "It's such a shame for Aunt Beppie." " Not for Louis?" "You were angry with him, eh?" "Why?" "He screwed Dad, and you mustn't screw family." "It made Dad cry." "Does EIsie know too?" " What?" "About uncle Louis and me?" "My sister has a temper too." "." "Don't I know it?" "She's worse than me, really." "But not as bad as Dad." "I want to go to my room." "Bjorn what happened on that bridge?" "I'm tired." "Bjorn?" "really tired." "OK, go to your room." "Back again?" "." "Yes, we can't get enough of it." "What do you guys want?" "We think it's really weird that several people here say that Bjorn Couwenberg was here on a certain evening while we're certain he was somewhere else entirely." "We think that's really weird." "We start doubting ourselves and human nature, and you and your staff a bit too." "Mr Couwenberg comes here sometimes, right?" "Do you really think I'd talk about clientele?" "." "Gee, what a posh word isn't that more for ladies hairdressers?" "Now you mention it, I'II always have a job for you here." "Great, I'II think about it." "Does Mr Couwenberg have financial interests in this club?" "Must I answer that?" " No." "That's good then." " But my specialists will soon find out." "Am I a suspect?" " You soon could be." "My god." "What happened?" "I thought you..." "It wasn't a fall, eh?" "What really happened?" "Oh no, eh?" "bloody hell." "The prick." "How did it go?" " What?" "The funeral." "." "How did you know I was there?" "Even the canteen lady can see you want to become a big shot here." "really?" "How can she tell then?" "But let me tell you I don't mind at all." "What's more, if only more people around here were like you." "But don't do everything yourself." "." "I just wanted to see for myself." "Keep your distance, steer things." "Don't do it all yourself." "I don't need to tell you that." "Anything else?" "." "The widow?" "It's not looking good." "." "She's afraid?" "And rightly so?" " Maybe." "Couwenberg has never been that violent?" "." "No, not until recently." "Yes, it's great." "Having a child is wonderful." "." "Yes, well, but twenty.four seven." "No, I'm not sure." "Guess what I'd Iike?" "I know a few divorced parents who have their kids from Sunday to Wednesday, say and are free the rest of the week." "Sounds good to me." "But divorcing as soon as you have a kid!" "I'm done with you." " really?" "Oh, fantastic." "OK, thank you." "Bye." " Bye." "Hey, how are you?" " Great." "What's up?" "I've got a rushed job, I'II be late this evening." "Again?" " Yes, sorry." "When did you start doing rushed jobs?" "It's OK." "Oh, have you phoned Tess?" "." "Yes, she'II pick him up from school." "But don't get home late, OK?" "." "No, no, course not." "What's the job?" "What's the job?" "An old station." "Me and my faithful case." "." "You didn't have to bring it." "No, but it feels better if I do." "I have everything with me:" "lamps, printer." "You didn't text me straightaway." "I thought:" "What if I never see her again?" "I did a search on you." "Do you mind?" "." "Nothing but bad, I hope." "I'd better not tell you." "Is it a big deal if I want to know anyway?" "I'd just started university when I started dating EIsie." "Her father was very good to me." "One day he said:" "Now you're a lawyer will you check a few contracts for me?" "One thing led to another." "Did you want a more classic case?" "In the newspaper it said your father-in-Iaw is quite a dubious guy." "Do you really want to know about him?" "Jesus!" " You really are a bastard, eh?" "Excuse me?" "Are you entirely normal?" "What are you talking about?" "." "I've been to see Rosie." "Oh that." "." "Oh that." "Is that all you have to say?" "Like what?" "She suddenly acted weird and difficult." "So I lost my temper a bit." "That's all." " You're dead." "You know that?" "Rosie's dad is a building contractor." "You didn't know that, eh?" "No." "I reckon he's 2.4 metres tall." "What do you mean?" "Rosie is his favourite." "So if you hurt his daughter." "hartman building contractor" "HARTMAN building contractors about us" "Oh, shit!" "And your husband?" "." "He's waited forever for a major case." "For his breakthrough." "And this is it?" " This is it." "And you?" "What?" " What have you waited forever for?" "Is that it?" "What do you say when you phone, to book?" "Can I have a room for such and such a night?" "Under what name?" "I bet it's not Steenhouwer." "No." "." "What name then?" "Bakker." "Bakker?" "." "Yes, no good?" "Why not De Vries?" "." "Why is De Vries better than Bakker?" "I don't know." "The last time." "You agree with me, I hope." "My husband, Pepijn recently printed a photo of you." "You were in his hands while I stood there." "It can't go on." "It just can't." "I understand." "It's just..." " Hey, what?" "I don't even know you." "You do know me." "We have smoked salmon, lamb's lettuce with balsamic vinegar." "I'II let you decide." "Hi, guy." " Hi." "Dad." "." "Hi, honey." "We felt peckish and we haven't been here for ages." "well, I have a table at the back." "God, it's been ages." "Is business good?" "." "Great, fine." "Good." "I fancy a nice piece of steak." "You too, Bjorn?" "Have you talked to Beppie?" " When?" "This morning?" "No." "She's devastated, eh?" " Of course, they'd been married 32 years." "ShouIdn't you do something then?" "What should I do, EIsie?" "I sent a nice wreath." "I don't think she's a penniless widow." "I'm going to the toilet." "She's terrified of you." " That's her problem." "Are you so bloody heartless?" " I didn't set the kid on them how often must I say that?" "I didn't want Louis dead." "." "Ssht!" "I'd rather he was alive." "He owes me a Iot of money." "And Bjorn?" " He's not saying a word, EIsie." "Nothing." "AII he does is play those stupid games." "That's why I'm here." "I want you to talk to him." "We must know exactly what happened on that bloody bridge." "We've all tried:" "Me, WiIIem, Joachim." "He won't say a thing." "It's as if he's turned inwards." "At least he listens to you." "please." "Wasn't WiIIem with you, this evening?" "." "No, why?" "Oh, I thought you had business." "." "Search me." "delete" "delete Raw file?" "well, fancy a dessert?" " Yes." "I must visit a mate of mine, he lives around here." "You take a nice dessert, and I'II pick you up in thirty minutes." "OK?" "See you later." "We have delicious crme brulee, semolina or heavenly mud." "Know it?" " No." "It's macaroons in chocolate mousse." "It's seriously good." "OK." ". OK, I'II get it." "Do you love him?" "Yes." "Do you love...?" " Yes." "You were right." "About what?" "I do know you." "But I don't know where from." "." "I don't want it to stop now." "It has to." " Why?" "Because it does." "Here you are." "." "Yes, thank you." "Did you have anything from the minibar?" " No." "That's settled then." "." "Thank you." "Sorry." "." "That's OK." "I keep thinking:" "Pepijn will be home by now." "They'II have dinner, and he'II help Menno with his pyjamas." "How old are yours?" "." "They're sixteen-year-oId twins." "Oh, teenagers." "Is it tough?" " Not too bad." "Rosie." "Open the door." "Rosie, come on." "I only want to talk." "Rosie, I'm sorry." "OK?" "How do you feel?" "Why?" "After all the fuss recently." "really shitty." "Do you often lose your temper?" "Why?" "." "Dad often loses his temper." "You too, eh?" "Why do you suddenly ask that?" "I'm afraid Dad will get mad again." "Then he won't let me drive the car." "But why would he get mad?" "Because of uncle Louis." "Yes, now." "They've been talking for a while." "." "Is it going well?" "I don't know." ". well, phone me if you need me." "Go back in your mind to the bridge that evening." "What happened exactly?" "I think Dad will get a Iot madder, if you don't say." "Have you ever seen Dad cry?" "No." " Me neither." "But after uncle Louis screwed him I saw tears in his eyes." "That's because Louis was his brother.in.Iaw." "family is always honest with each other, right?" "Yes, family is always honest with each other." "well, he cried." "How will it end?" " What?" "Between you and my Pepijn?" "He'II lose." "Hmm." "What's 'hmm' supposed to mean?" "Pepijn is a bad loser." "I don't know if I can forget you." "Can you forget me?" "Who are we fooling?" "I'm a silly cow, I Iike things to go smoothly." "Pepijn says I'm the only woman in the world to put DVDs back in their boxes." "OK, I can be very wild at times." "Like eating a whole packet of cookies at once." "But this..." "shall I tell you something?" "I was in bed with someone just now but she wasn't a silly cow." "She won't see me." "I wanted to make up." "." "You're drunk." "I really wanted to make up." " Make up?" "Did you see what you did?" "Jesus, I I..." "She was a prick teaser all evening." "But when it came to the crunch she wouldn't go with me." "Oh, I get it." "So you thought:" "I'II smash her face in." "It makes sense." "I'd have done the same." "I was drunk." " Again?" "Her dad will be on the doorstep soon." "I Iove to hear all this, but...?" "What shall I do?" "Go see a shrink." "That would be best." " Bugger off." "The next day he stayed in bed." "I'd made tea." "We drink tea together every morning." "But he didn't want any." "He just stayed in bed." "He never does that." "So?" " I thought:" "I'II go and talk to uncle Louis." "Ask him if it's true." " If what is true?" "If he really screwed Dad." "uncle Louis was always my best friend." "always... even after the accident." " Yes, I know." "We always played cards, eh?" " Yes, cards." "But what were you planning to do, Bjorn?" "I just wanted to tell him to make up with Dad." "I thought something's wrong with the money." "What money?" "Dad won't let me tell you." " OK." "It was about money." "I thought it was a misunderstanding, a mistake." "uncle Louis was really nice at first, but not later on." "He started moaning and cussing Dad." "Saying it was all his own fault." "So then I got angry." "You lost your temper?" " Yes, right." "He said nothing about sorting it out, or that Dad may have been right." "He just walked off." "So I stopped him." "uncle Louis is strong." "But I'm very strong too." " Oh god, Bjorn." "I only wanted to stop him so he'd say things would be fine and he'd sort it out." "He wouldn't let go, neither would I." "We suddenly fell in." " You pushed him into the water." "No, it was an accident." "It was cold." "cold water." "Just like before." "He had high blood pressure so in that cold water..." "You killed him." "No." "No, no." "He shouldn't have walked off." "There are lots of real criminals out there." "Outside, not here." "Why are people always so judgmental?" "Take my co.worker, he looks like a real criminal." "But actually he's a really good guy." "Hey, any chance MireiIIe's here?" "MireiIIe?" "We need to talk, so please go." "Thank you." "How are things?" "Fine." "." "Hey MireiIIe, we wondered where your cradle stood?" "Or is it a secret?" "Where were you born?" "." "Oh." "No, it's no secret." "Ukraine." "." "A great country they say." "I wouldn't know, I've never been there." "Does it have as many good pIasterers as poland?" "It was delicious." "." "Good." "Bye, honey." "Bye." " I'II drop by tomorrow." "What do people usually say:" "This was it, all the best until one day perhaps?" "will you think of me?" "." "You said I mustn't forget you." "No, don't forget me." "Just no more..." "Bye, WiIIem." "Bye, Iris Hoegaarde." "Photographer without photos." "It's me." " Get a result?" "I think so." "I'II hear tomorrow." "At least, I assume I will." "Speak to you later." "Dad, don't." "Dad, don't." "please, Dad." "Dad, don't." "Daddy, Dad." "well, well." "It's as if you have a proper job nowadays." "How was the gymnastic demo?" "." "Great." "He's really good." "I took photos." "I'II take a shower." " Why?" "No reason." "Did he go to bed on time?" " Yes, boss." "Wow, he's getting so big." "Don't open the door." " What?" "Stay there." "Who is it?" " Don't open the door." "Quiet, quiet, quiet." "Nice photos." "I just don't feel well." " So, you won't go to that job tomorrow?" "The police drop by sometimes." "So what do you say?" "." "I need information on this woman." "So you claim you didn't hit her?" "." "Why would I?" "I really like her." "If we give in now, we're screwed." "She's just a whore." "Don't you want to know if grandpa is a criminal?" "No, your grandpa is not a criminal." "He didn't murder Louis." "It was an accident." "adultery, that's right up your street!" "."