Original subtitles

# Raven, haven

# I love you no more.

# Dreamer, redeemer

# Return to before.

# Is it you?

# Is it you that I hear

# Calling from a distant shore? #

(birds chirping, calling)

(switch clicks, sounds stop)

(film narrator speaking indistinctly)

(dramatic music playing, group shouting indistinctly)

(insects chirping, footsteps approaching)

(thud echoes, glass clattering)

Hello?

(footsteps echoing)

(birds chirping, calling)

Hello?

(group shouting indistinctly)

(dramatic music playing)

(machinery whirring)

(gasping)

(theme music playing)

(bell tolling)

You're keen, Jay. You're never normally first here.

Well, you know how it is. The early bird catches the worm.

Race you. First to get set up. Winner buys breakfast.

Where's the challenge in that?

- Weird. - Mm?

They're Gerda's.

She can't still be here, can she?

Wouldn't put it past her to work all night.

Gerda?

(birds chirping, calling)

(machinery whirring, clicking)

Gerda?

Gerda?

Gerda!

(down-tempo music playing)

(vehicle approaching, engine stops)

I take it you're not here for a swim.

(engine sputtering, stops)

Seems like your gasket's about to blow.

(sighing)

I've just got a lot on my mind at the moment.

I meant the car. Your gasket's about to blow.

What are you on about? This car's a classic.

It's neglected is what it is.

When did you last have her serviced?

(indistinct talking on radio, shutter clicking)

Hey. Victim is Gerda Schalk.

Found by her business partner, Danielle Panhoff.

How's that cough of yours?

Gone the way of the dodo.

Extinct.

Ah. Good.

- She's dead. - Yeah.

Yeah, I noticed that.

- So is that it? - It depends on your belief system.

Cultures have pondered it for millennia,

whether death is the end or just the beginning.

I tend to think of it as a return to the source.

Yeah. I meant more, nothing about, uh,

penetrating wound, jagged edges, or... I don't know...

whatever it is you normally bang on about.

- Nah. - We got a murder weapon?

Ah. Maybe the, uh, neck of a smashed bottle.

Two or three inches in length, spattered in blood.

So, what was the victim doing here in the dead of night anyway?

Preparing for the Global Wildlife Congress.

Okay. Well, there's got to be CCTV, right, in a place like this.

Disabled. Cut dead just after midnight.

Gives us a loose time of death, I guess.

What's all, uh, all this?

Oh, it's a bird exhibit connected to a video floor.

So how do you switch this on?

Here.

(switch clicks, birds calling, chirping)

What's that spell?

Cob...

Colin? Cobalt? What?

I don't know.

- What about next of kin? - Ah. Family live abroad.

But Danielle Panhoff forwarded me this photo of her partner

from Gerda's socials.

Flinn Bovens. They share an apartment.

Address near Vondelpark.

Okay. We'll have a word.

(pills rattling)

First time I've ever known Hendrik not put on a show.

Oh, it was still a show, just not the usual one.

(indistinct conversations, billiards clacking)

Oh! Reckon that's a foul, don't you?

Flinn Bovens, right?

Your neighbour said we might find you here.

It's about Gerda.

Do the words "col" or "cob" mean anything to either of you?

A trade name, a nickname, or a bird name?

Not really, no.

No. Nothing at all.

Who else might have been here late at night?

All sorts before a conference.

Did Gerda have any enemies?

Why would she have enemies?

The campaign group you ran.

Were there any people or groups who might have disagreed with you?

Not violently.

We're both just passionate about keeping wildlife

in its natural habitat.

Passionate? Does that mean militant?

Ecological campaigners can upset people.

We're activists, not extremists.

We're all just doing our best, trying to build a better world.

When did you last see Gerda?

A few days ago.

Even though you live together?

We were on a break, okay?

I've been staying with friends.

(foot tapping)

- Things not good between you? - What's that got to do with you!?

You know, we have to do this conversation a lot.

Ever since we gave you the news, you've been... kind of distracted.

(exhales sharply)

Wouldn't you be?

You've just told me my partner's dead, okay?

I'm trying... trying to process it.

(Hassell) Let us help you process it, then.

Tell us what you're thinking.

Gerda h-had been behaving strangely recently.

I don't know. It's hard to put a finger on it.

She's been distant.

Just... different.

If you were on a break,

how come you're hanging out here in your local pool hall?

I wanted to see her.

Just came here to... to get my head straight first.

(sniffs)

Could Gerda have been seeing someone else?

Just asking.

(sniffs)

I don't know.

Maybe.

We'll need to take a look at your apartment.

Check out Gerda's belongings, computer...

Wait here. We'll take a look.

Which one's your apartment?

(Flinn) Second floor. Room at the back.

(door closes, rattling)

From the look on your face, I guess this isn't just, uh,

you guys being messy.

(Hassell) Either Gerda upset someone or you did.

Or someone's looking for something.

- Does that make any sense to you? - No. No. I swear. This...

Okay. Where were you last night?

At work.

I'm a barman at Icecap, on the Singel.

- What time did you finish? - I don't know.

About threeish. I came home. I crashed out.

We'll send forensics down here.

You okay?

Do you need us to get an officer to come sit with you?

No. I'll be fine.

(van der Valk) Flinn Bovens. Do some digging.

We'll speak to his boss at Icecap, see what time he left last night.

Will do.

So, Gerda Schalk.

Campaigned against wildlife trafficking.

Fourth largest criminal activity in the world, apparently.

Worth tens of billions of dollars a year.

Now, she was particularly vocal about the illegal trade in birds.

Okay. Let's see if we can find anyone specifically she might have upset.

What's all this?

(Suleman) The CCTV was disabled inside the venue.

But there was one road camera working nearby.

Coverage is limited but managed to catch three people.

Let's circulate images at the venue, see if anyone recognises them.

Yeah, yeah. But before that... Hang with me a sec.

Tell me. Am I going mad or is that Cobie Stegenga?

The musician?

I thought she was dead.

(Suleman) Yeah, but it looks just like her, right?

And what if Gerda Schalk was trying to write "Cobie"

on the floor with her fingers in blood?

I mean, that's not a coincidence, is it?

- It might be. - Only you don't believe in them.

Well, there's a first time for everything.

Okay. How about this?

Blue feather in her left ear.

Cobie Stegenga always wore one in memory of her mum.

Woman from last night has the same.

(van der Valk) Okay. Remind me.

(Suleman) Two years ago, Cobie Stegenga went missing.

The general consensus was she committed suicide.

Personally, I don't think she did.

Four years ago, she released two albums.

Had a couple of big hits.

"Wings of Freedom." "Torch of Peace"?

Right.

She was about to go on her first world tour but went missing.

Car found parked by a flooding river.

She was prone to bouts of depression,

known to self-harm and had doubts about the tour.

Sounds like suicide to me.

(Suleman) Yeah. But her body was never found, was it?

And some of her family insist she'd never commit suicide.

You mean her dad? I certainly remember him.

I think we all do, don't we?

I think she faked her own death

because of the pressure of going on tour.

In fact, I'm sure of it... one hundred percent.

(telephone ringing)

I was, uh, a bit of a fan.

What's that got to do with Gerda Schalk's murder?

It's just a CCTV image.

That woman could be a lookalike, a fake.

Christ. There could be any number of explanations.

Well, whoever she is, she was in the vicinity last night.

And the last thing the victim did was maybe start writing "Cobie" in blood.

- Why would you do that? - To identify the killer, maybe.

Okay. Let's just take it one step at a time.

Whoever this woman is, we need to find her.

Great.

Great. So our prime suspect is someone

who's been missing, presumed dead for two years.

Gerda's passion was campaigning against animal trafficking,

particularly rare birds.

Flinn wanted to monetise that.

How?

By setting up a charitable organisation and ask for donations.

He was more interested in the money than the cause, so we said no.

Well, he wasn't really happy about that.

Do you know any of these people?

They were caught on CCTV outside last night.

Looks like that singer... the one that committed suicide.

Cobie.

Cobie Stegenga. It does, doesn't it?

Whoever it is, have you seen her around here?

No.

And I'd remember her. I used to like her music.

Yeah. Me too.

What about him?

Yes. I saw him once.

And where was this?

We were at a different conference.

Sweden, I think.

Did Gerda know him too?

No. She wasn't there for that one.

He was... He was talking with Jay at the airport.

I just remember that he didn't want to say his real name.

He said to call him "Meatball"?

Meatball?

Okay.

(Jay) What am I meant to do?

Ask the police if I can take my stash of cash now?

Just sit tight, okay?

Jay, shut up!

They want their money, Jay.

They wanted it at 10:00 this morning.

They'll be coming for me next. And you.

Hey.

Thanks.

(van der Valk) Hey. Yeah.

Good. Go on.

Flinn Bovens checks out.

Icecap manager confirms he was there till after 3:00 last night.

So Person A, we can rule out.

It's a local resident on their way home after a night out.

B we're still searching. And C...

You figured out how to find a missing person yet?

No.

But I have read up on arguments

for why Cobie Stegenga might still be alive.

Persuasive?

One, she'd been obsessed with the idea of becoming a recluse

since childhood.

I mean, she was scared of open spaces and crowds.

Agoraphobic, basically.

Which is not ideal when you're about to go on tour.

Two, every day for a week before she disappeared,

she withdrew 200 euros from a cash machine.

Why do that if you're about to commit suicide?

Maybe the cash was for something else

and the suicide was a spur-of-the-moment decision.

Mm. Okay.

Then there's three... sightings.

Oh. Several fan sightings in Goa, right?

- Not long after she went missing. - Yeah.

But there was also a sighting at a mental-health clinic in Groningen.

Someone contacted them asking for help but bottled on arrival.

And it fits her description perfectly.

But if it is her, what is her connection to Gerda Schalk?

You know, Cobie goes missing and is in touch with no one,

not even her family, and then maybe kills Gerda?

- Why? - Don't know.

But if we're serious that she's a suspect,

we're gonna need to speak to her father, Marcus.

- Really? - Why wouldn't we?

Because that man's heart was broken

in a way which was too painful to watch.

Stubbornly convinced his daughter was still alive.

Yeah. And now we think she is.

(bell chimes)

(bird crying)

(brakes squeak, engine stops)

Don't.

- Stay. Stay. - (dog whimpering)

Good girl. Be back soon.

You're not gonna show Marcus Stegenga the photo, are you?

We can't give him false hope.

Agreed.

My neighbour isn't in.

Oh. Do you know when he'll be back or where we can find him?

He'll be in his workshop in the Jordaan.

It's on Truinstraat.

That's a long way from here.

He likes the walk. Takes his mind off other things.

This isn't about another sighting, is it?

No, no.

No. We just need a word.

Thanks.

(down-tempo music playing)

(keys jingling)

(door closes)

(bird chirping)

'Meatball'? Never heard of him.

Danielle must be confused.

Maybe with everything that's happened.

I-I have no idea who that is.

Are you sure?

She says you met him at an airport in Sweden.

I swear to God, mate. I-I've never seen him before.

She must be confusing me with someone else.

(van der Valk) I get why people go missing.

I mean, I can kind of relate to that myself.

Figures.

What I don't get, given how hard it must be for their families,

is why they stay missing, with no contact at all.

(Hassell) Maybe they feel they just can't go back.

No one chooses to have mental-health issues.

Maybe they see staying away as a form of self-care

instead of seeking professional help.

(door opens, closes)

(Hassell) Mr Stegenga? Nice to meet you.

Inspector Hassell. Commissaris van der Valk.

- Have you found Cobie? - No.

No. We just wanted to ask some questions.

About Cobie? Do you have a lead?

- Is that what this is about? - No.

Then why are you here? Leave me in peace otherwise.

Does the name Gerda Schalk mean anything?

- Should it? - She was killed last night

at a conference centre outside of town.

What's a murder got to do with me and my daughter?

Well, we're not sure yet.

The victim was an expert in birds.

You're clearly a fan too.

Birds were Cobie's passion.

Their songs were the only things that could calm her down

when she had her episodes.

I mean, no offence, but, uh...

...shouldn't birds be in forests, not cages?

I mean, wouldn't they rather be flying free?

Wouldn't a dog rather be off its lead?

Besides, this one was born in captivity.

To release it now, it might not know how to survive.

Some can. Some can't.

Really?

I mean, this little fella, he looks like he can handle himself.

Herself.

I'm keeping her for when Cobie gets back.

About the episodes you mentioned... What form did they take?

My daughter had multiple issues with anxiety and panic attacks...

...which got worse with her success.

That's why she disappeared.

To get away from the spotlight.

Is Cobie's mother around?

No. She died when Cobie was little.

Cobie's still alive. You know that, right?

Before she disappeared, she was talking about new songs.

She'd just bought a new bed.

You don't buy a new bed if you're going to commit suicide.

You might.

Feelings can overwhelm

and push someone over the edge in an instant.

She is not dead.

A parent just knows these things.

If you believe your daughter is alive,

why do you think she's still missing?

Why not get in touch to say she's okay?

I don't know.

Maybe she thinks I'm angry.

I'm not.

I just want her back.

(bird chirping)

Came across this image.

The image was captured last night at the conference centre.

Took your time.

Apologies. You know, it might not be her.

It's her, and you know it.

Or you wouldn't have shown it to me.

It's compelling. I'll give you that.

But I don't know for sure.

I do. In here.

Can I keep it?

(van der Valk) Yeah.

But I'd prefer if you kept it to yourself.

Of course. You can trust me.

(van der Valk) You know, we don't know where she is.

We don't know what she's involved in. But I have to be honest with you.

Your daughter is the prime suspect in a murder investigation.

My daughter is not a murderer.

(dramatic music playing)

(bells tolling in distance)

(Hassell) So you're convinced the woman in the photo is Cobie?

Oh, I don't think you have to be a parent to sense that it is.

Talking of which, you thought any more about that, uh...

you know, that... that thing you mentioned.

What thing I mentioned?

You know.

Parenting and exercising your biological right to go for it.

You mean have a baby, Piet?

Yeah. That's the one.

Yeah. I have, actually.

I was thinking about it this morning.

I've made the decision I'm gonna start looking for a surrogate father.

I mean, ideally someone I know,

someone with good bone structure, decent genes generally,

qualities to admire.

I don't know. What do you think?

Uh...

Hard to find one of those these days, innit?

- Mm. - I think you're better off,

you know, with a good sense of humour.

I mean, that's important, isn't it?

- It's overrated, I think. - Really?

Funnily enough, I know a strong contender.

Do you?

Tall, dark, and handsome?

Rather than short, fair, and slim.

Yeah. You're winding me up.

Course I am.

Stop asking me stupid questions about it, will you?

You're like my gran.

Believe me, I will never, never mention it again.

For a few seconds there, the universe went very, very strange.

Good.

(exhales sharply, chuckles)

(down-tempo music playing)

-(Suleman) # Bury my wings -(dog whimpers, telephone ringing)

# Of freedom.

# I want to beat my heart into feeling.

# I want to beat my soul... #

Uh, I-I was just listening to one of Cobie's songs.

Think of it as research.

Well, I definitely don't think of it as singing.

Has anyone at the conference recognised Cobie?

Couple of people spotted the resemblance,

but nobody said they saw her at the venue.

And they would have remembered. What about you guys? Anything?

Well, your man here is convinced the woman in the photo

is indeed Cobie Stegenga.

- Is he, now? - Mm.

Though Cobie's father insists she isn't a murderer.

Which he would, wouldn't he?

And if she isn't, then what was she doing

at a conference centre late last night?

- Seeing Gerda Schalk, maybe. - Connection being?

Birds. Cobie Stegenga was into them, as was Gerda Schalk.

Maybe Cobie's afraid of crowded spaces.

That's why she went there at night.

Let's go over Gerda Schalk's computer,

see if anyone's communicated with her about our feathered friends.

How come you look like the cat that got the cream all of a sudden?

I did a trawl of known animal traffickers...

in particular bird smugglers... and guess what.

Carl Simons, aka Meatball.

Loan shark and smuggler.

Now, he did three years in prison for importing rare birds

and selling them onto the exotic-pet market.

Any connection to Gerda Schalk?

She was part of the undercover operation that got him caught.

Wow. Okay.

Well, that gives him motive.

What's odd, though, is Danielle Panhoff thought she recognised him,

someone she'd seen at another conference with Jay Waldock.

But Waldock denies any knowledge of him.

You got an address for Meatball?

I'm working on it.

Oh. You showed Marcus Stegenga the photo, then?

- What? - (Suleman) Yeah.

Press office just sent this. On Marcus's website.

"Police confirm new sighting."

Thank God Dahlman's away. Right. Come on.

We better find him before he causes any more problems.

What's this?

What's it look like? Autopsy report.

(van der Valk) And?

You can read, can't you?

(playing mid-tempo jazz)

- There you go, sir. - Thank you.

Hey. What you got?

I need help. Which do you want?

Cobie Stegenga song lyrics or...

...blogs about songbirds?

Songbirds. Takes me back to my childhood.

All right.

- Want a drink? - Coffee, please.

Sure.

(van der Valk) Hey. Marcus in this time?

No. Following a lead, apparently.

Ah. Why do I not like the sound of that?

A fan contacted his website

saying they thought they knew where the new photo was taken.

He's gone there. Been quite a response to his website.

Local press have been here too.

Whoever showed him that photo should be shot.

Couldn't agree more.

(man) I mean, how did some idiot think showing Marcus that photograph

is a good idea?

What is wrong with people?

(van der Valk) Oh, I don't know.

Probably just an innocent mistake.

Marcus needs to be left to get on with his life.

Cobie wouldn't have wanted any of this.

Uh, sorry. Um... who are you?

This is my son, Jesse. Visiting his mama.

So you two knew her well?

Of course we did. We practically grew up together.

So you think she's dead?

I'm sorry to say it, but yes, I do.

Every year on my birthday, wherever she was, wherever I was,

she'd be in touch, without fail.

She'd never miss it.

She's gone. I know she's gone.

(Anki) Oh, Jesse. It's okay, darling.

(down-tempo music playing)

- Have you seen her? - I haven't seen her.

(indistinct conversations)

Thanks.

What do you think you're playing at?

I asked you to keep the photo to yourself.

You asked. I didn't say I would.

Uh, yes, you did. You said I could trust you.

You know, I could arrest you for obstructing an investigation.

Or you could help me find Cobie.

Well, I am your best chance of finding her.

No.

I'm her best chance.

She's my priority.

Everything else comes second.

Including you.

We're trying to find Cobie.

You going public doesn't help.

Don't see why.

Well, she's managed to stay missing this long.

You interfering... I don't know... it might set her back.

(Marcus) She needs to know I'm looking...

- and that I'm still here for her. - (dog whimpering, barking)

What is it, girl?

- What is it? - (dog whining)

- Go on, then. Go on. - (dog barking)

(dramatic music playing)

(barking continues)

- (grunts) - You going somewhere?

Home! What's wrong with this stupid dog?

There's nothing wrong with this dog.

She's called Sniffer for a reason.

She's particularly partial to drugs and cash.

(chain jingling)

So... which is it?

Want to show us what's in your holdall, then?

Look. It's nothing to do with me. I'm just a middleman.

Middleman for who and about what?

Okay. Let's look at it another way.

You may just be the middleman, but you're also the only one in custody.

So right now, you need to start helping yourself.

Well, I don't know anything.

(van der Valk) Try harder.

I mean, you're into sustainability.

Try and sustain your chances of freedom.

You lied when you said you didn't know Carl "Meatball" Simons, right?

- Are you selling or buying? - And who's the money for?

(Hassell) Come on. Get smart.

You may as well come clean.

We know trafficking birds is Meatball's speciality.

Is it yours as well?

Being one of the good guys,

that's got to be a good front for trafficking.

No one's gonna suspect an expert in sustainability, are they?

(Jay) It's no big deal.

I just helped source and ship some songbirds

from Indonesia via Amsterdam to Brazil.

The cash was payment for that.

Via Meatball? So you do know him.

- Why the nickname? - He got it in prison.

So what happened last night?

Did Gerda discover the money?

Did Meatball get a little jumpy and silence her?

Or was the plan always to kill her?

I don't know.

I don't know what the hell happened last night.

But Meatball might.

So... address, please.

(down-tempo music playing)

I can't do that.

Yes, you can.

You see, I'm no trafficking expert.

I mean, that... that is not my bag.

But murder... is.

And right now there's the body of a young woman

lying on a slab in our path lab.

And we need to know who took her life.

So if you don't mind...

...address.

(music building)

(man) Let go, you bastards!

Eddie!

(door opens)

(engine revving)

(engine stops, doors close)

(dogs barking)

(hinges creaking)

(music playing, man singing indistinctly)

(music continues)

Mr Meatball?

(music continues)

(music continues)

Hey.

(grunts)

(up-tempo music playing)

Halt! Don't move!

Hey!

Let's go.

(engine revving)

Oi!

- (grunts) - Hey!

(coughs, grunts)

(skateboard clattering)

(grunts)

Hey!

(tyres screeching)

(grunts)

Halt!

(breathing heavily) Guys. Guys.

I didn't do anything.

Yeah. Save it for the judge.

Is this about last night at the conference centre?

I think I saw someone.

Saw who?

(engine revving, tyres screeching)

(grunts)

Get the plates!

(engine revving)

(radio chirps)

(indistinct conversations)

(helicopter passing)

(Hassell) Two very different victims.

Gerda Schalk, environmental campaigner,

and Meatball, animal trafficker.

That she helped to send to prison.

I mean, there's got to be a connection.

But why kill Meatball?

He fulfilled his end of the bargain, didn't he?

He dropped the money off as planned.

Maybe he wasn't meant to kill Gerda Schalk.

If it was him that did it.

Well, if we're to believe what he just said,

there was someone else there too.

Yeah.

And if that was the killer who Meatball could identify...

...well, he becomes a very loose end.

Mm.

I think you're gonna like this.

The car that mowed him down? Guess who it's registered to.

Gerda's boyfriend, Flinn Bovens.

I have absolutely no idea what my car was doing across town, okay?

I haven't used it since yesterday.

Someone has... to kill Carl Simons.

Mm. Dead meat now.

Yeah. Someone must have stolen it. I don't know.

They're trying to frame me.

Right.

Are you saying you didn't kill Meatball?

Of course I didn't!

(Hassell) And what about Gerda?

A man she helped imprison was at the scene of her murder.

She's dead, and now he is too.

Your car being used as the murder weapon.

I mean, it's not sounding great, is it?

Are you involved with Jay Waldock trafficking birds?

No. What?

I hardly know the guy.

I-I've met him a couple times through Gerda, but that's it.

I'll tell you what.

Why don't I go and get a spade

and then you can dig yourself a bigger hole?

Does that sound like a plan?

What's he on about? Is he for real?

Sadly.

I think he's on about the fact that we borrowed Jay Waldock's phone

to track you down just now

and couldn't help noticing that between your girlfriend's murder

and Jay's arrest with a holdall full of cash,

you rang each other a total of 17 times.

I mean, I don't think that was to organise a game of pool, was it?

(Hassell) Jay Waldock told us about the birds smuggled in

and sold on through Meatball.

What we don't know is where that money is heading.

(van der Valk) You know, I can't help wondering

if it's meant to go to whoever trashed your apartment,

who's maybe annoyed not to have it yet.

What are they gonna be like now?

(down-tempo music playing)

(bell tolling)

(Suleman) Go on, then.

(Cliff) Maybe we should ask the boss

if she can get Sniffer back into circulation.

I doubt it.

We know she gets carried away on the drugs.

It's Amsterdam. Who doesn't?

(Suleman) Just going through the bird stuff on Gerda's computer.

A lot of people communicated with her.

But this one's interesting... Caged Bird.

Lot of questions. Very argumentative.

Since when? And argumentative in what way?

Over the last few months.

Mainly about whether it's okay to keep a bird in a cage or not.

(Cliff) Cultural reasons for and against.

It's a big deal in the Surinamese community.

We love, we cherish, we treasure our songbirds.

So, what was Gerda Schalk's take?

Against, unlike Caged Bird,

who talks about confinement being a release,

containment sparking passion, suffering inspiring beauty.

Cobie Stegenga's song "Wings of Freedom."

It's got this line... "Suffering is my passion,

struggle my release."

That's pretty similar, right?

So Caged Bird could be Cobie Stegenga under another name.

When was their last communication?

Um, last night.

"Good to talk. Maybe you're right.

I'm really scared, but maybe it's time to be free."

All right. Get tech to see if there's any way of locating

from where those messages were sent.

I might have something too... Gerda's e-mails.

She sent one the day before yesterday to Jesse Bergen asking to meet.

- What did he say? - He didn't reply.

Right. Let's have a word with him tomorrow.

Where's Hendrik?

He went home. Must be tired.

He never goes home early.

Especially when he's tired.

(down-tempo music playing)

(birds chirping)

# Raven, haven

# I love you no more.

# Dreamer, redeemer

# Return to before.

# Heart over heart

# And blood over blood.

# Shield me from fear

# And hold me so good. #

You're a long way away.

There's something going on with Hendrik.

I can't quite put my finger on it.

I don't know. Maybe I'm just stressed.

Well, some of the team handle stress better than others.

(dog yawns, groans softly)

(birds crying)

(indistinct conversations)

(Hendrik) Why do I get the feeling this isn't a coincidence?

You got something you want to tell me?

Not really.

Go on.

Indulge me.

You know you want to.

I always liked it around here.

(clears throat) Good vibe and energy.

(inhales deeply)

Sort of place that makes you feel alive.

Wow.

Could you be just a little more dramatic?

I mean, just build up the tension even more.

If you insist.

I, um... had a bit of a cough.

I noticed.

It's gone away.

But you have slightly smaller pupils than usual,

and you're taking pills.

My guess is morphine to ease the cough.

You should have been a detective.

So I did a slide analysis of some saliva,

throat swabs, cytology of cells present.

Sent my bloods off.

Don't tell me. Man flu.

Squamous cell carcinoma.

Obviously, it's still better than some of the alternatives.

Obviously.

Actually, uh, I'm none the wiser.

Throat cancer, Piet.

I've got throat cancer.

(down-tempo music playing)

Right.

Right.

Okay. Okay.

Okay, okay, okay.

- How do you feel about that? - (laughing)

How do I feel about it?

I mean, w-what sort of a question is that?

And since when did you ever want to talk about feelings, hmm?

Plenty of times.

- (snorting) - Lots!

Yeah. Right.

Several at least.

Once?

All right. All right. Listen.

Listen. We...

We don't... We don't have to talk about it if you don't want to.

I feel small and alone if you must know.

You know, waking up in the morning and... feeling okay...

...feeling well...

...and waking up and your health not even crossing your mind...

...it turns out that's really, really underestimated.

Well, I'm sure that you...

...you're gonna feel that again.

I mean, w... Is this it?

Is this all there is?

Or more's the point... Ooh. Was that it?

Yeah.

(music continues)

Yeah.

(machinery thudding in distance)

What time do you call this?

Slept in.

Sniffer's snoring is off the scale.

(Hassell) Is everything all right?

Yeah. Yeah. Fine.

- (knock on door) - Piet.

This is me you're talking to.

Hendrik's got throat cancer.

(door opens)

Good morning. Come in.

(Hassell) We're actually here to talk about Gerda Schalk.

Does that name ring a bell?

Uh, yeah.

She e-mailed me a couple of days ago out of the blue.

We know. Asking to meet.

So why didn't you reply?

I hadn't got around to it. (chuckles)

But also I don't know her and...

had no idea why she'd want to meet me.

I don't even know how she got my name.

Could it have been about work? I mean, what is it you do?

I'm a trader. Stocks and shares.

(van der Valk) Not about that, then.

You knew Cobie as a kid, right?

- Mm. - When did her issues start?

Uh, when she was about 6 or 7.

Then her mum passed, which was tough for her.

It was social situations that really got to her...

if she went near them.

She was pretty isolated for the most part.

Used to get teased a lot.

So she retreated into writing.

Her journals, poetry, and music.

The journals... Are they still around?

Uh, I don't have any. Marcus or Mum might.

I mean, I get that introversion fits with writing, but...

performing?

Ah. You got to confront your fears, she used to say.

But yeah, performing was never gonna work.

The tour was a terrible idea.

She wasn't ready, and she couldn't cope.

So she took her own life.

(down-tempo music playing)

When Cobie was teased, how did she react?

(exhales sharply)

Violently.

(music continues)

(birds chirping)

(Cobie) (voice echoing) My love weaves a delicate breath...

telling tales of life...

...and songs of death.

(birds cawing)

Was Hendrik okay when he told you about it?

Uh, yeah. Pretty matter-of-fact.

He self-diagnosed.

Really? What, so it's not official?

I didn't ask.

Although he is a doctor and he is generally infallible.

Mr Stegenga, you're in.

That's a first.

You going somewhere?

Found Cobie yet?

Working on it. You?

No. So I need to go on.

Thing is, there's been a second murder.

What's that to do with Marcus?

Maybe nothing. Maybe something.

Just saying.

Say something else.

We want to ask about Cobie's lyrics and writing.

From the early days. Did you keep anything?

Notebooks. Journals.

Couldn't help but notice you got nothing about Cobie here.

Nothing wrong with your eyesight.

Bit unusual, though, wouldn't you say?

No, I wouldn't.

That would be sentimental, and I don't do sentiment.

It's too like... nostalgia.

Nostalgia is too like...

...accepting something's over.

Anyway, I gave all that stuff to Anki.

Everything I have is in here.

Notebooks, scrap bits of paper she'd scribble on, photo albums.

Do you mind if we take these?

I, um...

As long... as long as I can get them back.

- They're all we have. - You'll get them back. I promise.

Thank you.

She meant a lot to you and your son, didn't she?

I don't think Jesse's ever got over what happened.

Were Jesse and Cobie lovers?

Not that I know of, but I...

...I think they might have ended up together.

There's been no one else for Jesse.

He sort of fell apart after she went.

Fell apart in what way?

Drink and drugs, mostly. But he's over that now.

And he's not going back.

What about you and Marcus?

Are you two lovers?

We're friends... good friends... but that's all.

Does Marcus do okay out of the sculptures?

Yeah. Sells well, internationally.

Not that he's bothered.

They're creatives, aren't they? Do it for the love.

Like father, like daughter.

(van der Valk) Something bothers me about that whole houseboat setup.

Marcus, Anki, Jesse, Cobie.

You live on a boat just around the corner.

Yeah, I know. Look at me.

I don't know.

It's all a bit, uh... incestuous, maybe.

Try this lot. Fan heaven.

Okay. Couple things.

We had Flinn Bovens tailed last night.

He didn't go home.

Mm. That doesn't surprise me.

He went to see Jesse Bergen.

Stayed about an hour and a half and then left.

How do they know each other?

Well, Jesse Bergen told us he didn't know Gerda,

but then he gets a visit from her boyfriend.

What's that about? Do we go back?

No, not yet.

His mother said his world fell apart after Cobie disappeared.

Check his financials. Check the lot of them.

What else?

Tech have used cell-site location to find a possible area

from where the Caged Bird sent messages.

(van der Valk) Let's check it out.

Great. Nice work.

Thanks.

(down-tempo music playing)

# Darkness comes

# How could you leave me?

# Where can I find you?

# Do you grieve me?

# Why aren't your dreams here

# When I need them?

# Where did you bury my wings

# Of freedom?

(music builds, continues)

# Hold me again

# My delicate lover.

# I want to beat my heart into feeling.

# I want to beat my soul into healing. #

(music continues)

We in the right place?

Well, this is where tech indicated.

It's the middle of nowhere.

(down-tempo music playing)

Maybe the Caged Bird comes here to get a signal.

Maybe this is the first place she can do that.

Which would imply she's... out there somewhere.

(Hassell) It's pretty off grid.

It's a good place to stay missing.

Pretty vast.

(music continues)

(Suleman) Yeah.

Okay.

- (Hendrik) Yes. - (dog whining)

She smelling drugs or cash?

Maybe something else.

Hey, Hendrik.

Told her, then.

Are you getting it checked?

Do I check when someone's dead?

This is slightly different.

Even you can't self-diagnose.

You need an official diagnosis, and if you want me to come with you...

It's all right, Hassell. I saw Doc Rosler last week.

The works.

Oh. Okay.

What stage?

I'm at the not-wanting-to-talk- about-it-right-now stage.

Understood.

I've been thinking about it.

You'll be fine.

There's no way you're going to shuffle off your mortal coil

without giving me hell.

Probably over many years... I mean, maybe even decades.

It won't be fast.

It'll be slow and painful for us all.

Is that supposed to make me feel better?

Not really, no.

Okay.

So, just so I know, have you told anyone else?

Me? No. No.

Just... Just... Just Lucienne.

Okay.

So, can we get back to spitballing now?

Because Eddie thinks he's got something on Cobie's early lyrics.

Yeah. Some really troubling stuff.

There's a lot... and I mean a lot...

about being oppressed by "the man in black."

Make any sense to you?

I just thought it was a generic image, but it features a lot.

(Hassell) Marcus Stegenga always wears black.

Never seen him in anything else.

"Oppression and control from the man in black."

Isn't that one of hers... before the... the sax solo bleeds in, hmm?

Yeah. Maybe his obsession with finding her is blacker than we think.

And his website's just a what, a screwed-up front?

Maybe he's found Cobie and he wants to keep her all to himself.

Pretty dark, Hendrik.

And your point is?

He could still be angry with her for what she did

and wants to make sure she never leaves again.

Well, to do that,

he would have to be very, very... very controlling.

He's in.

Actually, it's you we've come to see.

Do you, uh, always do Marcus's ironing?

For sure. Ironing, shopping, housework.

(chuckles)

Keeps me busy now I'm retired.

Retired from?

I was a teacher. Poetry and literature.

As a parent,

how did Marcus get on with Cobie when she was younger?

Did they argue?

No more than any other parent and child.

Why are you asking?

We're just trying to get a handle on how things were before Cobie left.

Marcus was on his own, right, after the death of his wife?

I was there for him, but...

Yeah.

Losing the person you love. That can't have been easy.

I don't think it was.

And it would make you worry for your child, wouldn't it?

Over-worry, even.

Absolutely. She was everything to him.

So... was he possessive in any way?

Controlling?

Marcus? No. That's not what I meant.

I mean, not really, anyway.

So what did you mean?

I mean... he was protective.

Protective and possessive.

Hard to know where the line is between them, right?

(bell clangs)

What's that?

Marcus.

It's his way of telling me he wants lunch.

Let me get this right.

He rings a bell and you make him lunch?

Yeah. Cute, isn't it?

# How could you leave me?

(down-tempo music playing)

# Where can I find you?

# Do you grieve me? #

Marcus wears black, right?

He does.

Such a shame, I think.

Same with you.

You could afford to play with a bit of colour,

make those eyes of yours pop.

Yeah. Well, let's just stick with Marcus, shall we?

Has he always worn black?

No.

He used to be so colourful back in the day.

Really quite dapper.

(mid-tempo music playing)

(Anki) Things changed when Cobie went missing.

Marcus changed.

That's when he started wearing black.

Symbolic, he says.

Just so we're clear.

Marcus definitely wasn't wearing black

when Cobie started writing songs and stuff?

No.

(mid-tempo music playing)

Uh, thanks.

Oh. By the way, does the name Flinn Bovens mean anything to you?

Never heard of him. Why?

We thought maybe he knew your son.

Sorry. I can't help.

(music continues)

(birds crying)

Checked his financials.

And trader or not, Jesse Bergen has gambling debts a mile high.

And I just got off the phone with customs.

I think he might have a sideline.

- A lot of trips abroad. - So he travels. What of it?

Well, he travels regularly between two countries...

Indonesia and Brazil.

Same countries Jay Waldock admitted smuggling from and to.

So he's in on it too.

(Suleman) I'm pretty sure Flinn Bovens is as well.

Makes sense why he was there at Jesse's place.

Okay. Let's get over there.

(Suleman) That's not all.

The young Jesse Bergen... went through a goth phase.

The man in black.

(knock on door)

Sorry to bother you, but we're coming in.

Please don't get up. Paying another visit, are we?

Hey, w-what is this?

(van der Valk) Smuggling HQ. That's what this is.

You want to tell us the routine or can we guess?

You travel to Indonesia and what, source the birds?

Your stock market crash, did it? Or your gambling debts get too big?

W-What's it to you? What do you want?

What do I want?

I want to charge both of you with animal trafficking.

But first I want to know where Cobie fits in.

I-I don't know what you mean.

(Suleman) You were into Cobie, right?

The man in black. That's you.

Years ago. I-It was a phase. I got over it.

The obsession with birds... Was that a phase?

Did Cobie get that from you?

I got it from her, after she died, in her memory.

- After she died? - Yes. Like I told these guys.

But we don't think she's dead.

(Hassell) And that she got in touch with Gerda Schalk.

(down-tempo music playing)

So, how did you two meet?

Meatball introduced us, conman that he was.

We ended up owing him money.

And he blackmailed us into smuggling as a way of paying him back.

He approached me in a bar out of the blue.

I'm not sure it was out of the blue.

Gerda helped put him away in prison.

Took his revenge on you, all right... and her.

Using bird woman's boyfriend to smuggle birds.

Who trashed the flat?

The traffickers who sourced the birds.

We had to pay them back yesterday morning first thing... or else.

How long has this been going on?

Months. It's been a nightmare.

I've had to hide out on his mum's boat sometimes.

- (Hassell) Anki? - You know his mum?

Of course.

How was your mum with Cobie?

What was she, like a... mother figure?

Totally. Marcus could be really strict.

Cobie turned to Mum. Idolised her, really.

And how was your mum with Cobie's issues?

In charge.

Cobie relied on her, and she did everything Mum said.

When Cobie disappeared, how did your mum take it?

Was she angry?

I guess.

We all were.

All right. Get these two down the station.

You got Danielle Panhoff's telephone number?

- I need it. Now. - Sure.

- Hey. - Thanks for agreeing to meet us.

Any news on Gerda?

Maybe.

People contacted Gerda about birds, right?

- All the time. - In person?

Sometimes, yes.

Did, um, this person ever come by by any chance?

Yeah. I spoke with her months ago.

She had a friend who wanted to get in touch with Gerda.

But it had to be strictly confidential.

And did she say why?

No, but she was insistent.

Okay.

Thanks.

(down-tempo music playing)

(Hassell) So Anki went to kill Gerda at the conference centre.

Meatball was there, dropping the money.

She must have seen him... and he saw her.

(van der Valk) Yeah.

Anki's a control freak,

and he made himself a problem she needed to solve.

(Hassell) She knows Flinn.

Steals his car and takes Meatball out.

Are you sure you don't just want to go in?

No.

If Anki introduced Cobie to Gerda Schalk,

she knows where Cobie is.

Maybe that's where she disappears off to.

And we want her to take us there.

(engine cranks, starts)

(down-tempo music playing)

(music builds, continues)

(Hassell) So Anki wanted Marcus and Jesse all to herself.

(van der Valk) Yeah, and she doesn't want Cobie to get in the way of that.

(engine sputtering)

(Hassell) Ugh. Not again.

(van der Valk) Oh. Uh, yeah. It's fine. It's fine.

Oh, it'll be, uh, it'll be okay.

You think?

(engine cranking)

Classic, you said?

(music continues)

(engine revving)

(engine stops)

(keys jingling)

(bird chirping)

Sorted.

Yeah. I told you the gasket was a problem.

(engine cranking)

(engine starts, revs)

- (Anki) Cobie? - (birds chirping, squawking)

Where are you?

Cobie?

(whispering, voice echoing) Cobie?

(dramatic music playing)

Cobie?

(music builds, continues)

(breathing heavily)

(voice echoing) Cobie!

(music slows, continues)

(bird chirping)

(dramatic music playing)

Cobie?

Cobie!

(door closes, engine revs)

(music builds, continues)

(doors closing)

Cobie? Cobie, it's okay.

(Anki) Don't listen to them. They're fakes.

Come. Let's get in the car.

Cobie, come on.

Come on.

I want to go home, Anki.

I know. I'll take you.

- I'll take you right now. - Don't believe her.

(Anki) Don't listen to them!

Cobie, you know I'm right.

You know that you can trust me.

You always have, ever since you were little.

(Hassell) (whispering) Piet, I don't have a shot.

Cobie, tell us about Gerda.

G-Ger... Gerda's my friend.

She teaches me about birds, about how they think and feel.

That's right. I introduced you to her, didn't I?

What did Gerda say to you two nights ago?

It was time for me to go home.

That I was ready.

(Anki) And it is. I'll take you right now.

Gerda's there.

She's on the boat with your dad, and they're all waiting for you.

- (van der Valk) She's lying! - They're at home?

- Yeah! - (van der Valk) Don't believe her!

- Come. - (van der Valk) Gerda's dead!

- She killed her! - (engine revs)

Go for the tyres.

(dramatic music playing)

What... What did they mean? What did you do to Gerda?

I should never have let you see that woman.

(engines revving)

You're not taking me home, are you?

Anki! Stop the car!

- (engine whines, stops) - Classic.

(down-tempo music plays)

You! (grunts)

You... You left Marcus and Jesse.

You broke their hearts. You ruined their lives!

How could you do that?

(voice breaking) I wasn't well. I needed to be alone.

But I miss Dad. I miss everyone.

So I contacted you 'cause I had no one else to turn to.

You were in love with Marcus, weren't you?

He's all I ever wanted.

But as soon as she went, that was it.

He shut down.

(Hassell) But couldn't you figure it all out together?

It wouldn't work like that.

It would be over for me and Marcus!

We wouldn't have what little we have now!

You said... You... You said it wasn't time for me to come back.

You said that Dad was angry and that... that he didn't want me.

You said he hated me and he never wanted to see me again.

(van der Valk) She lied.

Your father has never forgotten you.

He never gave up the search.

He never gave up on you.

I want to see Dad.

And Jesse.

You stay away from my Jesse!

- (metal clanks) - Aah! (groaning)

It's okay.

It's okay. It's over. You can go home now.

(whimpering)

(down-tempo music plays)

(indistinct talking on radio)

Hey.

Hey.

- You okay? - Mm-hmm.

You missed your chance to say hello.

Nah. That's the last thing she needs.

(music continues)

Let's go.

(music continues)

(sander whirrs, stops)

(door closes)

Hi, Dad.

(birds chirping)

(Marcus exhales sharply)

- It is good to have you back. - Yeah.

Your bird has been driving me up the wall.

(Cobie laughs)

As has he.

- Come on, Sniffer. - (dog whimpers)

Let's go.

Go on.

I love you.

I love you too.

(Hendrik) Tap... Oh, no. Tap-tippity-tap-tap...

Every time you tap, rotisserie chicken.

I'm gonna start again. Tap ti... (sighs)

Tap... Tap... Tap-tippity-tap-tap.

Every time you tap, rotis... Oh, shush!

Tap-tippity-tap-tap.

Every time you tap, rotisserie chicken.

Tap-tippity-tap-tap.

Every time you tap, rotisserie chicken.

- That's pretty good. That's... - Hi, Hendrik.

(man chuckles)

Oh, come on. I thought...

Well, I might have mentioned it to Lena as well.

(Hendrik) Yeah. Yeah.

And anyone else?

(dog whimpers, Hendrik sighs)

- Sniffer too, eh? - Well, no.

But, uh, well, she might have overheard it.

(dog barks)

I haven't told Cliff, though.

Yeah. Well, Cliff knows because I told him.

He knew before anyone.

- Why didn't you tell me? - Hendrik asked me not too.

Yeah. Unlike you, Piet, Cliff knows how to keep a secret.

Fair play.

- (Hassell) Cheers. - (Hendrik) Cheers.

(van der Valk) Cheers.

(down-tempo music plays)

(indistinct conversations)

(van der Valk) Come on.

Hey. Did you, uh, did you speak to Doc Rosler?

Yeah, I did.

What did he say?

He said he hasn't spoken to Hendrik in three years.

Hendrik refuses to see him

ever since the doc told him to stop drinking.

(Hendrik coughing)

So why lie?

I think he's scared.

He may well be right about his diagnosis.

But even if he is, early treatment is crucial to his chance of survival.

You got to get him to a clinic.

And I thought solving murders was difficult.

Yeah. He's even more stubborn than you.

But he's family.

I'll have to think of something.

You were there, Cliff. You remember that guy.

He was off his head!

(down-tempo music plays)

Come on.

(dog panting)

(laughter, indistinct conversations)