"STRICTLY CONFIDENTIAL" "BETRAYAL" "GREAT PHOTOS" "The doorbell." " No, it isn't." "It is." "Hey Menno, hello." "Are we playing chess?" "." "Yes, sure." "Tess is here." " Great son, we'II be right there." "Iris hurry up, Tess is here." "Dad said to hurry up." "You just tell that dad of yours..." "will you be nice to Tess?" " Yes." "Good." "How many photos are there altogether?" ". 'You look gorgeous honey.' Thanks." "You look gorgeous, honey." "honestly." "I've lost three times already." "." "Are you a victim or a dumbo?" "Bye, sweetie." "Have fun." " Bye." "Nervous?" " Me?" "Why?" "Bye." "." "See ya." "It's me." "The bastard's coming tomorrow." ". OK." "If you think it's wise." "What a bloody dirty trick." ". definitely." "Want me to sit in with you?" " No." "It's up to you." " Have you finished your homework?" "Yes, it's so weird." "." "Where's Marit?" "At Rosie's, I guess." "You look great, darling." "." "Is it OK to tell fibs?" "Where's the invitation?" " Um in how many photos is he?" " One, I think." "Coming?" "One?" "So we have to turn up for one photo?" "It's only for half an hour." "Was that Daddy?" "Is he coming too?" "No, he's had a row with Louis." "Bye, sweetie." " Let's go paintballing again, sunshine." "Bjorn, why is the TV on if no one's watching?" "Money's not for free." "Your mother is dead." " I don't want to." "Auntie, I'm scared." "Great face, uncle Louis." "." "Yes and the bigger my head the handsomer, eh?" "Is your dad here yet?" " No, I don't think so." "You'II keep working for us, now you're world famous, eh?" "If you can still afford her, jill." "I'II apply for a subsidy for you." "Not feeling too good?" "No." "." "I don't get it..." "congratulations, it's wonderful." "AII these people admire, compliment and love you." "You knew beforehand..." "It's fantastic." "congratulations." "excellent, wonderful." "It's superb." "." "Thank you." "will you say I've gone to the toilet?" " Iris, don't leave all these people." "Aren't you..." "The big attraction?" "Yes." "Great photos." "fabulous photos." "WiIIem Steenhouwer." "Iris." "ShouIdn't you be inside?" "." "I needed some fresh air." "Thanks." "May I?" "Do you have children?" "Yes." "ShouIdn't you quit then?" "You're right." "The mind is willing but the flesh is weak." "Do you have kids?" "." "Just one." "He's still small." "A photo?" "Not on me." "A photographer without a photo." "And you?" " What do you mean?" "What do you do?" " I'm a lawyer." "I must get back." "You must get back." "How did you end up at my exhibition?" "A business contact of a business contact etc." "It's wonderful." "honestly." "." "Thank you." "I really must get back." "Goodbye, WiIIem Steenhouwer." "Goodbye, Iris Hoegaarde." "Photographer without a photo." "Better?" "You're a hit, you know." "Everyone thinks it's fabulous." "And I Iove you." "uncle Louis." "Hey pal, you alright?" "." "Yes, fine." "hello, Mr VIoet." "Hey, man." "." "Hi, Louis Johan." "Take a seat." "vinyl's all the rage again so everyone wants one of those things, eh?" "Louis am I a dickhead?" "Sorry?" "." "Am I a wally?" "Is that how you see me?" "What are you talking about?" "I Iooked at the budget again." "You say:" "What budget?" "I say:" "The Hague Fortress budget." "You say:" "The Hague Fortress?" "I say:" "Yes, the Hague Fortress." "Eight thousand square metres that my brother.in.Iaw Louis and I sold last year to Chrisje van den Houwert at BBP." "You say:" "So what about the budget?" "I say:" "well in the accounts was an invoice from a company called United Enterprise." "I Iooked in every European trade register but it's not mentioned anywhere." "But there was an invoice for three million euros." "If I arrange something, I do it properly." "The building had to be completely renovated." "And if I remember rightly, United Enterprise supervised the work." "So how come no one knows it?" "Search me." "Three million from a total amount of..." "Whisper has it that it belongs to you and Chrisje and the invoice is fake." "bullshit." "bullshit." "Phone Chris." "." "What a great idea." "He'II just tell me..." "." "Did I come here to be called a liar?" "Bugger off." "." "Why, Louis?" "Why?" "Don't you have enough food to put on the table?" "Is your gas and electricity being cut off?" "Do you want another six cars?" "If you don't trust me, then..." " Can you say straight to my face you haven't screwed me?" "well?" "I know nothing about United Enterprise." "." "No, straight to my face." "I wouldn't screw you." "OK, piss off." "I'II find out Louis, you can count on it." "Mummy." " Hi, sweetie." "How was your day?" " I can write a big B." "That's wonderful." "Then you can write Bennie and Barbara..." " And Bribra." "Bribra?" "What's Bribra?" "Oh, hang on." "jill, I'II email you the photos this afternoon." "Promise." "Yes fine, but that's not why I'm calling." "Some guy phoned for your number." "Who?" " Weird, but he wouldn't say." "But he said you knew him." " How?" "You drank champagne from his glass at the exhibition." "Then you'd know, he said." "What's up, Mum?" "Sound familiar?" "Yes, I think so." "." "Can I give him your number?" "It's for an assignment, I think." "Hey, I have other things to do." "Give it to him." " OK." "It's all bullshit." "It's fake, I'm sure of that." "really?" " It's a front." "They'II each get 1.5 million." "United Enterprise, my arse." "bloody hell." "I'II call you." "well that's nice to know." "wonderful, especially since we can't use it." "Where does the guy come from?" "I hardly know him." "." "But it's still your responsibility, right?" "Some asshole from the academy." "Doesn't the academy teach them to apply for a phone tap extension on time?" "What does it teach them:" "handwork, italic writing, cutting out?" "I don't get it." "normally we're cut off." "Something went wrong with the provider." "What if we wanted a good result in a major case for once?" "people would be flabbergasted." "When's Dad coming home?" "I don't know but there's enough food to heat up." "Oh, not trout again, eh?" "." "There's frozen pumpkin soup an easy.bake baguette." "And here's a big tray of caprese." "We'II order something." "Order something?" "There's plenty to heat up, I said." "What does it matter?" "No take.aways. It's bloody Iaziness." "Take it easy." " well, I'm off." "will you see to it that proper food's eaten here?" "Oh, so that's my job?" "Forget it." "Bye." "I don't fancy trout?" "You?" "Iris speaking." "Yes, I'II ask him." "Menno, do you want to play with Siem Friday afternoon?" "Yes." " Yes, he does." "OK, OK, that's settled." "OK, 'til then." "Bye." "I saw a magazine somewhere with a photo of you and Iris." "At an exhibition or something." "Your wife's doing well, eh?" "." "Pieter's not OK." "This wouldn't have happened to him in the past." "He's heading for a burnout." "I'm considering sending him on sick leave." "And the Couwenberg case?" "." "It's going nowhere, and now this." "Who'II take it over then?" "Let me think about it." "Iris speaking." " It's WiIIem." "WiIIem Steenhouwer." " Hi." "I thought, er, I'd give you a call." "How are you?" ". well, fine, fine." "Was the exhibition a success?" "." "Yes, I think so." "I sold a few pieces, got publicity." "It was nice." "I, um can we, er see each other again?" "Yes, please." ". please?" "Did you say please?" "Did I say please?" "No, I didn't." "Maybe I did." "And, er where shall we meet?" "Tomorrow, I have to go to VenIo." "I don't care." "If he wants to screw me, good luck to him." "It doesn't interest me." "The guy means nothing to me." "Let him choke on the 1.5 million, I'm through with him." "uncle Louis may not have known..." " I'm used to it I hear that line every day: piIes of gold, great returns, easy repayments deals where nothing can go wrong." "But your mother's brother." "I lent him his first thousand guilders, when he was still a street trader." "Worst of all he knew I'd find out, but he did it all the same." "Why?" "What does he want?" "I'm not hungry." "I'II have an early night and watch a DVD." "Are you going to the club this evening?" "Take care eh, son?" "Sure." "The prime rib comes with a salad and potato gratin." "EIsie, telephone." "EIsie here." "Hi, honey." "I'II be out of town tomorrow, so I may be late." "Is that why you phoned?" " Yes." "No problem, the kids can manage." "Is business brisk this evening?" " It's alright." "OK honey, see you later." " Bye." "Hey what are you up to?" "." "The monkfish is shifting the hake less so, I see." "And the crayfish is almost sold out." "Listen, the money's coming." "." "Sure." "No, I mean it." "Listen EIsie, I Iove supplying you, you're a great lady but even I run out of patience, eh?" " I'II pay you Friday at the latest." "You're two months behind." "I have staff who want their money too." "I've had a few setbacks." " EIsie, I want my money." "This situation is crap." "I'II pay everything on Friday." "I need fish, or half my menu's gone." "I can't help you, sweetheart." "We all have our obligations." "Why don't you go to your father?" "He could help you out, eh?" "Put the fish back, then bring the usual delivery tomorrow.... ...and you'II get your money." "Cash." "That's a promise?" "Then he looked at his own legs." "And suddenly he noticed something." "His legs weren't green like other crocodiles." "He ambled up to his neighbour and said:" "Take a good look at me." "See anything weird?" "His neighbour said:" "well, now you mention it..." "De Ruiter's going on sick leave." " really?" "A burnout." "Very fashionable." " But is it true?" "well, he doesn't go anywhere without plastic bags." "It's all the rage." "He sounds like me." "." "But that's completely different." "Hey, tomorrow..." "." "I may take on his big case." "So you've finally managed it?" "It's still not definite." "Which one?" "I'II let you know." "Sorry, you were saying?" " Yes, I have the novelist tomorrow." "Oh, the one all the way down in venlo?" " Yes." "So Tess is coming?" "She'II pick him up and they'II eat together but she has to leave by eight." "So you must be home by then." "really?" "." "Yes, sure." "I mean it." "What time will you be home then?" "." "I'm not sure." "No problem." "Gee, poor old De Ruiter." "What's wrong, darling?" " Nothing." "would you Iike a drink then?" " No." "Fancy watching a film to get in the mood?" " Just one glass?" "Come on just one." "How was the restaurant this evening?" ". alright." "What did you eat?" " Pizza, with the kids." "Pizza?" " It's OK for once, right?" "Why the sigh?" " Nothing." "I'm away all day tomorrow, eh?" "." "Yes, you said." "Dad?" "Do you know what time it is?" "Dad, your tea's getting cold." "Maybe I'II stay in bed all day." "." "What about your tea?" "And the office?" " I may not feel like doing anything today." "But you can't..." "." "Take a day off too." "Go and have fun." "Have fun?" " Yes, have fun." "Now leave me alone." "hello." "." "I'm Iris Hoegaarde." "I phoned last week." "I see you've brought a case." "." "Yes, I'm a photographer I'm off on an assignment after this." "." "Come on in." "What can I do for you?" "I I have a problem." "Er, I mean I'm completely normal otherwise." "But... how shall I put it?" "I'm not depressed." "I'm very happy." "really." " That's very nice for you." "call me Iris." " Iris." "Sit down, Iris." "I sometimes think I'm too normal." "Boring, almost." "Never any real problems." "But that's not why I'm here." "I have something weird." "I don't know what causes it." "It's quite embarrassing." "Whatever you tell me will stay between these four walls, so..." "I can't stand crowds." "It's as if I'm suffocating." "I go all hot and perspire." "But I don't know why." "recently I fled from my own exhibition." "It was awful." "And when I pick up my son from school with all the parents and screaming kids." "My son doesn't understand why I stand so far away." "And his friends' parents think I'm arrogant and don't want to talk to them." "My Lord, the public Prosecutor feels this is a foregone conclusion..." "I've been coming here for years." "I have my camera with me." "Have you decided?" " What?" "Couwenberg." " No." "Has the phone tap been arranged?" "I've been reading some of the reports." "The Hague Fortress was bought by a pension fund..." "I know you really want this case." "Is that so wrong?" " No." "Is it wrong to be ambitious?" " No." "So?" "." "So, what?" "will I get it?" " I don't know when Pieter's coming back." "A burnout?" "A few months, at Ieast." "I'II let you know soon." "The big C. That's great, sweetie." "charlotte, yes." "And caroline." "Yes, and that too." "will you put Tess on?" "Hey, how's things?" "Oh, good." "Yes, he'II be there." "At 8 o'cIock." "Bye." "I, I've just got a new camera." "I thought you may not come." "It was possible..." "I'd have understood." "It would've been quite normal." " I'm here." "And er what kind of books does he write?" "I've only read one?" "." "Boring?" "No, it was good." "But lots of destiny, death and misery." "He seems like a nice, sweet man..." "What are we doing here?" "I have a husband and a child, I have..." "I must go home." "It didn't work." "What do you mean?" "." "I don't have the money, but tomorrow..." "OK, see you." "So does Mum know you drink beer?" "How are you, Rosie?" "." "Fine." "You too?" "." "Yes, fine." "And michael?" "We split up." "Come on, Iet's go upstairs." " Since when?" "A few weeks." "Hey, what are you doing here?" "My dad..." "." "Did your dad send you?" "What's wrong, honey?" "We've made a reservation, can it wait until tomorrow?" "No." " No?" "Five minutes." "OK?" " Yes, OK." "Bye, honey." "well, what's so urgent?" "I've booked." "If you don't want to, I'II cancel." "May I ask you something?" "Is this a habit of yours?" "Why do you ask?" "You seem to find it easy." "I'II cancel." "I've just booked a room but I'd Iike to cancel." "Let's go." "No." "Do you still play cards?" "Not much." "." "I still think about it." "Remember you couldn't understand what trumps was?" "I reckon it took us six months to explain it." "You must come over soon to play cards again, Iike we used to." "Dad's sick." "Sick?" "Because you lied to him, uncle Louis." "Fancy a drink?" "No, for the hundredth time, no money was paid under the table, believe me." "I wouldn't stitch up my own family." "." "Dad says you're lying." "well, I'II phone him tomorrow and we'II get together and talk about it." "OK?" "With Van den Houwert?" " With your dad,silly." "Me and your dad." "Why did you lie, uncle Louis?" "." "I didn't lie, son." "Dad says you did." " That's not true." "But we'II talk about it." " I've never seen Dad so upset." "He's not Iike that." "He stayed in bed all day and he's never done that before." "But he's not sick." " Bjorn." "If he was sick he'd have a cold or fever." "But he hasn't." "Aunt Beppie's waiting for me." "." "He didn't phone the doctor either." "Hi." " well, we can't find it." "What?" " The book." "The book?" "." "The Blue Crocodile." "He should've been asleep ages ago." "." "I was a bit late, so everything's late." "But this little guy here is demanding to be read a story." "In the chair behind the cushion?" "Yes, shit." "." "Don't say 'shit' in front of him." "Ships, ships, ships." "well, how's things?" "will you be late home?" "Yes." "." "Are you in the train?" "almost." ". well, see you soon." "Bye, kisses, kisses." "Sorry." "What next?" " I'II sort it." "What about a second mortgage on that big house of yours?" "No, but I said I'II fix it." ". EIsie, I've heard that for ages." "I have a reputation to maintain." "With no fish I don't have a menu." "I'II sort it." "Damn it." " OK, if you say so but if it's not fixed by next week you can look for another chef." "The Blue Crocodile is about a crocodile that isn't green like other crocodiles but blue." "And it has a problem with that." "." "That's understandable." "So it goes in search of other blue crocodiles but doesn't find them." "Just green monkeys, pink crocodiles and red penguins." "I've read it to him a dozen times but he can't get enough of it." "To get back to your question." "What question?" "This is no habit of mine." "No?" " No." "Iris, don't worry we can do it next time." "." "Next time?" "will there be a next time?" "Listen it's up to you." "Here's my number if you want to see me again, call me." "Or don't otherwise." "Bye." "delete." "Dad." "AII I can think of is you." "When can I see you?" "I have a job tomorrow." " What kind of job?" "An old building." "industrial heritage." "I have the case, a major case." "The newspaper said uncle Louis was murdered and grandpa could be involved." "." "Grandpa and murder?" "You're lying." "Who's that." "." "A lawyer." "In dirty affairs." "Dirty affairs?" "I have something to tell you." "." "Is it shocking?" "To be honest, yes."