Original subtitles

(Hendrik) The answer, Piet, is no.

It's just an appointment.

I could take you first thing.

I'm not gonna see a doctor in the morning

or any other morning.

Tests, scans.

Do I look like a pin cushion?

I'm not in denial and I'm not doing an ostrich.

I just want to suck the marrow out of life

for as long as I've got.

Let the dice fall where they may.

You don't even know what you've got.

I mean you... you could be wrong.

Hypothetically.

But when you're in the game I'm in, you get a feel for death.

I can sense her presence...

...see the blacks of her eyes,

feel the caress of her tendrils.

You're playing God.

Indeed I am.

For what?

I learned that from you.

Like everything else.

Stubbornness, bluntness, insensitivity.

A moodiness bordering on psychosis.

Yeah, alright, alright.

It's my life, Piet! No one can say otherwise.

You included.

So, what about the people who care for you?

Have you thought about them?

Most of my ex-wives will be glad to see the back of me.

Yeah, all of my ex-wives will be glad to see the back of me.

And what about us?

Let me deal with it my way.

Hendrik...

No man is an island unto himself.

You are.

(clattering)

Ciao, Bella.

Ray, I've cracked it. It's a major breakthrough.

It's what we've been working on all this time.

(Ray) You know what that means?

- Yeah. - How are you going to protect it?

Don't worry, I'm on it. I've figured out a plan.

And then we just roll it out to the world.

- What about you? - I'm bombproof.

No one is bombproof.

We have a moral obligation to the world.

And to our loved ones not to get killed.

Better go. Places to be, people to see.

Ray.

(Ray) Be careful.

Hey, Ant. What's up? You alright?

All good.

Yeah, go in.

(dance music thumping)

(piano playing)

Did you get the video Alis sent?

Sure. Is she here?

No. She's exhausted. Sends her apologies.

Is the live stream up yet?

(Jurgen) Yep. There you go.

We are live!

Everything alright, Dad?

Dad?

Yeah. I'll be up soon.

Go to bed, Ruben.

(message sends)

(mobile vibrates)

(indistinct talking on TV)

Want to tell me what you're up to?

I know who you're working for.

I know you're up to something.

You, Klink, global corporations. Big Pharma?

So, what's going down? Care to share.

- Want to take a deep dive on it... - Stay out of it, Inge!

Where is it? Tell me.

It's where you'll never find it.

Name's Tycho Bos. So, what's the deal?

Did he fall or was he pushed?

Good question, Eddie.

Head wound, awkward body posture

suggesting multiple limb fracture

consistent with a fall from a height,

logically up there, to down here,

accelerating at a rate of...

9.8 metres per second per second.

Good man.

Anyone see anything? Got any witnesses?

Nothing yet, but we're still talking to people.

This is a club, right? He gets drunk, fall.

Accidents happen. So why are we here?

Because he texted us just after midnight.

Oh? That's thoughtful of him.

Can you even do that?

You can if you register in advance

with our emergency number.

He was clearly worried about something.

What did the message say?

"If they get to me, tell Alis I love her."

Whoever "they" are.

(Hendrik) Yeah, there's something else.

There's groups of small,

circular, recent bruising on the outer,

more significantly, inner aspects of both upper arms...

Not likely to come from a fall.

(laughs) Oh, he's good, isn't he?

No, Eddie, he didn't fall.

He was... pushed.

Tycho used to come in with his partner, Alis.

We run her films sometimes.

- Was she here last night? - No, Tycho came on his own.

Did he meet anyone else? Did he seem nervous?

Was he acting strangely in any way?

He was on edge,

but then again, Tycho was always a bit wired.

Maybe a bit more than usual.

He kind of had a spat with someone.

Who?

I don't know. A woman with funky pink hair.

We'll need access to your CCTV.

We don't have any. We trust our guests.

It's about civil liberties.

Right.

Well, if you think of anything else...

And we'll need to speak to Tycho's partner as well.

Sure. She's lovely. Always the calm amid the storm.

(Alis) No!

You're lying! You can't tell me that!

No!

He can't have done!

- Wow. - No!

We know this is very hard.

Yes, just...

Put the plate down.

I'll leave you to it. You're doing great.

So, who worked out there?

Was it... Was it you or Tycho?

Mainly me.

- Tycho sometimes. - Right.

- What did Tycho do for a living? - Piet...

He was a scientist. Medical research.

Gene and genome editing.

Right.

Sorry, but, I mean, science was never my strong point.

Mine neither.

It's a way of modifying the DNA of cells.

Right, okay.

And we do that why?

(Alis) To disable genes.

Like cancer cells.

It could revolutionise cancer treatments.

That was Tycho's dream.

To find the breakthrough in the cure for cancer.

From that place?

(Alis) If I wasn't using it.

Most days he went to the science library.

Can you think of a reason why Tycho might have felt he was in danger?

I didn't know he did.

He texted us just before he died saying as much.

He also wanted to let you know how much he loved you.

Alis, why did Tycho go to watch your short film last night

and you didn't?

I don't know.

(Lucienne) I know this is hard right now,

but could Tycho have been seeing somebody else?

No!

Tycho lived for his work.

There was barely enough time for us let alone someone else.

(Lucienne) So you don't happen to know a woman with pink hair?

No. Should I?

Can I ask what your film was about?

Parasites. Inspired by Tycho's research.

Cancerous tumours are like parasites.

They grow within, consume and corrupt the host.

The Judas Kiss. Is that the same logic?

Hidden threat, destruction from within...

(mobile rings)

- Betrayal. - Exactly.

(Tycho) (on answerphone) Hey. Tycho and Alis.

You know what to do. Go on. You know you want to.

(beeps)

(Ray) Hi, Tycho.

I just wanted to check you got home safe last night.

- Who's that? - Erm, Ray.

Tycho's former mentor.

(Ray) I'm a... a bit worried, that's all.

This is Commissaris Van Der Valk.

What were you worried about?

Commissaris?

What's happened? Is Tycho okay?

No.

No, he's not.

Where can we meet?

(Lucienne) If Hendrik doesn't want to see a doctor,

he doesn't want to see a doctor.

There's nothing we can do about it.

Yes, there is. We get him to change his mind.

Piet, the right thing to do would be back off

and respect his wishes, just be there when he needs us.

Or we get him to change his mind.

Right, well, good luck with that.

He's just like you. Stubborn, rude...

Just saying.

Well, I'd rather you didn't.

Here comes our man.

(Lucienne) Yeah, and it looks like he might have company.

Not just any company.

That could be the woman from the club, right?

(Lucienne) Yeah, the one with pink hair.

Hey! Something's wrong. Bike's going the wrong way.

Watch out!

- (tyres screech) - (horn honks)

- Out of the way! - (Lucienne) Get down!

- (van der Valk) Get down! - Move!

(silenced gunshots)

Move!

- (tyres screech) - (horn honks)

You are going nowhere.

(groans)

(camera shutter clicking)

Ray Mesman entry wound confirmed at close range.

Neck, chest, heart.

Not easy one-handed and at speed.

Yeah. With a silencer, in broad daylight.

And our man Tycho was dead before he hit the ground.

Severe spinal damage caused

by significant rotational force to the neck.

That's separate to the hyperextension injury

from his subsequent impact with the ground.

- Are you with me? - I'm always with you.

So!

Professional neck breaker then, I'd say.

Grabs the victim in a tight reverse headlock.

Any last requests? No? Lights out.

Oh. So, essentially, a professional hit?

In one. Good luck with that.

Two dead bodies in quick succession.

- What do we know? - Both scientists.

Both knew each other.

Ray Mesman, retired.

Tycho Bos, a researcher specialising in cancer research.

Both may have had links with this woman.

And we think she had a spat with Tycho Bos

just before he was killed, and she was at the crime scene

when Mesman was shot.

- Did we bring her in? - No, she gave us the slip.

(van der Valk) She's not our shooter, though, is she?

Accomplice, maybe?

Either way, we need to find her.

Any word from tech on facial recognition?

Nothing yet. Something else, though.

Tycho Bos' partner, Alis,

said he worked most days at the science library, right?

Well, I just spoke to them.

They have no record of him ever being there.

- Could the partner be lying? - (Lucienne) Possibly.

Maybe she discovered something about Tycho she didn't like.

She wouldn't be the first.

Well, what we know for sure is

he was seen talking to our mystery woman at the club.

And he lied to his partner about where he worked.

We're analysing his phone to see if we can trace his movements.

There's no CCTV at the club,

but there was a fire exit broken into at the back.

Wow, okay, here's a thing.

Ray Mesman used to work for Freddie Klink.

- The billionaire? - Billionaire, philanthropist.

Aiming to be the first man to walk on Mars.

What was Ray Mesman doing for Klink?

Erm, says here chief science officer.

(Dahlman) So, we've got two dead scientists

and one of the richest men on earth.

Get me an appointment.

With Klink? You're... You're joking.

But he's Freddie Klink. The Freddie Klink.

Yeah, I know who he is.

But he eats, drinks and breathes like the rest of us, doesn't he?

Unless he's come up with some invention

so he doesn't have to do that.

He's also meeting the King this afternoon.

Oh? I thought Elvis was dead.

It's part of the Global Clean Water initiative.

- There's a fundraiser. - Are you going?

No, but we are overseeing the security.

Or, rather, Kalie Tenkers is.

(Lucienne) Well, maybe she can get us an intro with Klink.

(Dahlman) Yeah, maybe she can. She'll be across his movements.

Ray Mesman's son is here to identify the body.

Right.

I might need a word about Hendrik later.

Sure. Any time.

Love you, Dad.

(van der Valk) When did you last see your father?

Last night. We live together.

We gather he saw Tycho Bos?

Er, someone dropped by at about 10:00.

And, er, that... that could've been Tycho, I guess.

Do you know why he might have visited?

No.

No idea.

It's been a while, but they used to work together.

Tycho was Dad's research assistant back in the day.

- Used to? - Well, they both moved on.

It happens.

People move on to other research projects and stuff.

Your father was on his way to meet us when he was killed.

Do you have any idea if he was involved in anything

that could have led to his death?

No. Not at all.

(Eddie) Yep, still here. Still not going anywhere.

Still Eddie Suleman. Yeah.

Ruben Mesman's been a busy boy.

Former addict, drug offences, antisocial behaviour, theft...

No joy setting up a date with Klink, I take it?

Your dad worked for Freddie Klink as a scientist, right?

Doing what?

Er, some sort of consultancy work.

- Consulting on? - Science and... and stuff.

I... I don't.

I... I think it was... I think it was more of an honorary position,

really, you know?

They went back a long way, so...

Ah...

I'm surprised Klink didn't think of hiring you as well?

It looks like you could have done with something

to take your mind off other things.

I've been clean for three years.

- That was then. - And this is now.

And both your dad and Tycho Bos are dead.

Tycho?

He's dead as well?

Get some surveillance on Ruben Mesman, yeah?

Time to pay a billionaire a visit.

You want to come?

To see some strutting male and self-styled world saviour?

I think I'll give it a miss, thanks.

(van der Valk) Looks like it's your lucky day, Eddie.

Me, you, and Klink. When we seeing him?

Yeah, not having much luck with that actually.

Yeah, alright, well, tell them it's a murder investigation.

Doesn't help. They don't want Klink associated with anything dodgy.

Well, tell them to find a slot

or we'll turn up unannounced, alright?

- They'll like that even less. - Yeah...

- It's not that simple. - Why is it not that simple?

They refuse to tell me his movements.

Security reasons.

I know his movements all day if that helps.

Yeah. Yeah, that's great.

And where he lives. He moved recently.

Yeah, everyone knows that.

(Kalie) Then maybe you also know that he'll be helicoptered back

from his meeting with the King in about three hours.

Yep. Yep, course we do.

Do we?

He'll be picked up from the helipad and driven home.

You want me to put in a word?

(van der Valk) No, no. No need.

No, me, Klink, and the King, we go back years.

I'll just, er... just pick up the phone.

Okay, great.

I better go.

Let me know if you need any more info.

Yeah, we're good. Thanks.

Sounds like you've got it covered.

Although we could do with knowing

which helipad he's landing at.

- Don't you know? - Sure we do.

(whispering) The port. In Rotterdam.

Facial recognition came good.

Inge Palmberg. Conspiracy theorist.

Truth campaigner. Fake-news fanatic.

All we need.

Well, get this, though. She's quite a critic of Klink.

Thinks he's a shape-shifting lizard.

She is weirder than I thought.

Oh, I don't know. No stone unturned and all that.

Where can we find her?

According to her website,

she's giving a public speech this morning on extraterrestrials.

Yeah, course she is. Okay, I'll leave that one to you.

After you tell me what Kalie told you.

(Jurgen) Was everything okay with you guys?

Tycho seemed pretty wired.

I thought things were fine, yeah.

Now I'm not so sure.

I mean, he was really stressed about work.

Way more than usual.

Er, what was all that stuff inserted in the film?

- What was that about? - What stuff?

- (doorbell rings) - Oh...

What are you doing here?

I needed to see you. I wanted to say that...

I am so sorry about Tycho.

I don't want to see you right now.

- Alis. Alis, please? - No! I want you to go!

- Is everything alright? - Yeah.

- Yes? - Sure, okay.

I just thought you'd want to know my dad is dead.

And someone killed him too.

This is the most harebrained scheme I've heard in my life.

After all the years we've known each other!

What on earth are you thinking?!

Have I ever asked any favours before?

- I mean ever? - Yes! Plenty! All the time!

This one matters.

He's family.

Piet, this is tantamount to kidnapping.

The answer has to be no.

It's completely illogical to claim

that extraterrestrial life came to us from "out there"!

Aliens actually come from a parallel universe

co-existing with our own.

Intra-dimensional rather than extra-terrestrial...

Remember me?

No need to run. I have a gun.

And as one of your articles said,

all police are trigger-happy fascists

controlled by computer chip.

So best not risk it, eh?

Or maybe now's the time for some intra-dimensional travel.

- What do you want? - Answers.

Mainly to how come you were at the crime scene for two murders.

(van der Valk) Have you ever been to Rotterdam, Eddie?

(Eddie) Yeah, love it. Great City, great vibe.

Great skyline.

(van der Valk) Er, overrated.

Don't touch him, by the way.

Why not? Is he fragile?

No, he... he doesn't like to be touched.

Nice to meet you, Mr Klimt.

Where have you flown in from? Mars?

- It's Klink. - Course it is.

What's wrong with getting a tram?

I haven't taken public transport in 20 years.

Oh, right.

Fares too expensive for you, are they?

Is that why you come here?

I mean, Rotterdam's nice, isn't it, but it's not Amsterdam.

Sergeant Suleman, my people tell me you were very polite

when you told them you'd ambush me here.

Well, I appreciate you're very busy.

You have to forgive him.

He's never met a shape-shifting lizard before.

Ray Mesman and Tycho Bos both used to work for Freddie Klink,

but they fell out.

I was trying to find out why.

But the club manager said you had a falling out with Tycho Bos

not long before he was killed.

Yeah, I was trying to get him to talk to me, but he refused.

That must have been upsetting.

Not enough to kill him.

So, what were you doing following Ray Mesman?

I heard about what happened to Tycho,

thought Ray might be connected.

What, and happened to be close when he was murdered?

Do conspiracy theorists believe in coincidence?

No!

Someone's out to silence them.

Klink!

You know most of his money comes from pharmaceuticals?

His wealth is 5% inherited, 23% entrepreneurial,

and 72% profit from pharma companies he owns.

He's not in the business of finding cures.

He'd try and stop anyone getting close.

Who would do that?

Any billionaire control freak you care to mention.

You know he sacks people for looking at him?

You don't get as rich as he is by doing good in the world.

Well, next thing you're gonna tell me he's a reptile, right?

God, no!

I'm a conspiracy theorist. I'm not an idiot.

And, besides, that was just fake news

his people put out there to discredit me

because I was criticising him.

- Really? - Yeah.

He is absolutely, 100% that petty.

I'll see what the dark web has to say about these murders,

let you know.

No need.

Don't you worry you might be a target?

Me?

I'm the safest person on the planet.

You kill a conspiracy theorist

and everyone assumes they were onto something.

My theories would go through the roof.

Might not be a bad thing.

Except you'd be dead.

Oh, but didn't you know?

This reality is just a three-dimensional projection

of a subconscious multiverse.

There's no such thing as death.

Ray was a good man.

Decent man.

He helped me out in the early days.

So, when things took off for me,

I hired him in an advisory capacity.

To advise on what exactly? Martians?

No.

What was going on in terms of experiments,

who might be closing in on a discovery.

It was a pretty nominal role, though, to be honest.

So why would someone want to kill him?

You tell me.

How about this for a reason?

His death bears more than a passing resemblance

to a professional hit.

I mean, this lot here would be proud of it.

Tycho Bos. Do you know him?

No.

- Can I give you a lift? - We're fine thanks, Mr Klimt.

(Eddie) I can't believe you just did that.

Well, seeing is believing, Eddie.

Somebody better start talking.

I need to ask you about Freddie Klink.

Did Tycho or Ray ever mention him to you?

- No, why would they? - Well, Ray worked for Klink.

Really? Ray?

- News to me. - You said he was Tycho's mentor.

- So, did you know him well? - Sort of.

I mean, I kind of left them to it, you know.

So how much did you know about Tycho and his research?

Not much.

He kept it to himself, really, and I didn't ask.

You know the science library he claims he went to...

He didn't.

He'd never been there in his life.

- That's impossible. - It's also true.

Can you think of anywhere else he might have gone?

No, that just doesn't make sense.

He'd tell me about the regulars he saw there every day.

- He was lying. - Why would he lie to me?

People lie for all sorts of reasons.

What we need to figure out

is what was going on in Tycho's life.

Was there anything about his recent behaviour

that was different?

Maybe. I didn't see a lot of him, I guess.

- He'd become pretty obsessed. - Anything else?

Jurgen sent me the short I did for the club.

Only I didn't.

- What do you mean? - Tycho added some stuff.

Look.

It's just visuals about parasites.

And then this.

- Not parasite. - No.

They make no sense whatsoever and have nothing to do with me.

That's not gas. It's not electricity.

- That's the fabric of the universe. - Oh!

- Friends! - Hey.

Not got any work to do?

No. Gunshot. Neck break.

See, that's the problem with the modern killer.

No challenge...

(together) No imagination.

Alright, well, er, try this then.

We've sent it to tech as well,

but Tycho Bos has inserted a bunch of images

into his partner's short film.

He sent it to the club and then deleted it.

Why would he do that?

Yeah, seeing as you've got time on your hands.

- Well, you say that but... - Whatever.

We thought you could help us figure that out.

Yeah, go on then. What was he researching?

A breakthrough for a potential cure for cancer.

Oh, right. He's joking?

This is one of your ploys, isn't it?

No.

No, it's not. I'm serious.

And, anyway, listen to me, I've given up on ploys, okay?

So, you win.

So, we can celebrate...

me stopping nagging you.

Imagine.

I'll drink to that.

Go on, Cliff, let's get them poured out!

- Sure. - First things first.

Get your eyes on this.

Hi. Inspector Bakker.

We're the murder squad investigating the death of Tycho Bos.

We need to ask a few more questions.

Have you found out who did it yet?

Getting there.

Trying to really zero in on Tycho's movements

last night and the reasons for them.

We know that just before 10:00

he visited a former mentor of his and then came here.

- Do you know why? - No. Sorry. Can't say I do.

Anything odd last night?

I mean, did he give you anything, for example?

No. Like I told your colleagues.

Anything he did differently?

Were you here last night? Did I maybe see you?

Me? No.

No, I was here briefly with colleagues this morning.

You must be thinking about that.

Sure. Sorry, er, can't help.

(van der Valk) So, maestro,

do you want to put us all out of our misery and explain?

Well, it's obvious, isn't it?

Is it?

It's existential arthouse nonsense!

Absolute gobbledegook.

Visual gibberish of no significance whatsoever.

Or it's a code.

- How is that a code? - Well, maybe they're symbols?

You know, notations, a bit like in chess.

But if it's a code, we need a key, don't we?

We do. And we need to figure out why he'd do that in the first place.

To send a message to whoever?

- And what message anyway? - (van der Valk) I don't know.

But whatever it is,

someone's clearly prepared to kill over it.

(mobile rings)

- Hello? - (Jurgen) Hello.

This is Jurgen Kaarling from Ariel.

There was a woman just here. She...

(Lucienne) Hello?

Sorry? Say that again. Hello...

Let's try those questions I asked again, shall we?

It was the nightclub manager. Call got cut.

Got as far as, "There was a woman here."

Okay. Let's go.

(Cliff) Er, we're shut. Didn't you see the sign?

I always see signs.

- Besides I've got something for her. - Can't stop.

Er, you can stay.

Could you not have just rung?

No! I don't want anyone knowing that I'm in touch with you guys.

And, besides, walls have ears, phones have bugs,

and computers are monitored 24/7/365.

Yeah, okay, okay. What is it?

According to the dark web,

Klink and Ray Mesman fell out about a patent.

- Patent for what? - A medical breakthrough.

- (mobile rings) - One second.

Yeah?

Okay. It's tech.

Go on. Where does Klink come into this?

I think Klink bought the patent

and then sat on whatever it was Ray Mesman had discovered.

Tech finally traced Tycho Bos' movements from his phone

to an address he went to every day.

Are you coming?

You don't normally follow up on leads.

Well, I have my moments, and these are strange times.

Talk to him.

Coffee?

Sit at the piano.

You heard.

Put your hands on the keys.

I don't play.

Put them back.

Are you worried I'm going to slam this down,

crushing your fingers?

Well, I am, unless you tell me the truth.

Lie again, and I will break your fingers a few at a time.

Now, Tycho Bos.

Tell me everything.

I swear, there's nothing to tell.

Okay! Okay, okay! He came in alone.

He's usually with his girlfriend, Alis.

She does short films for us.

The ones on the wall?

You were here.

Whoever it is, they'll be expecting us

to come through the door, right?

And we think they used a fire exit to leave last night.

So, which do you want? Front or back?

I'll take the front. Age before beauty and all that.

Hey, what... what's with the gun,

we're only checking out an address.

On the back of two people being taken out.

Relax. Lightning never strikes thrice.

- What about the film? - I don't know.

The film was sent from Alis' email

but she hadn't sent it, Tycho had.

And for some reason he was keen for me to play that version.

- Why? - I don't know.

I swear, I have no idea.

- That's it? - That's it. No big deal.

If it's no big deal, why didn't you tell me this before?

I don't know. Because it seemed meaningless.

(Hendrik) You see? Bunch of scientists.

Pussycats, the lot of them.

Yeah, but what are they up to?

(Ruben) Great. Just to be safe, that's all.

(Eddie) And why is Ruben Mesman here?

(Jurgen) Can I move my hands away now?

Of course. If I can have a request.

I told you, I don't play.

Try.

How about...

..."My Way"?

Hey!

You kill a police officer,

you're in a whole lot more trouble than you are already.

Drop the gun.

No. You drop the gun or she's dead.

Don't.

Think about it. You could shoot, I could shoot.

Fifty-fifty who wins. You want to risk those odds?

Gamble on beating me to it?

Drop the gun, she lives.

Who are you?

I'm not here to talk. Drop the gun, she lives.

(silenced gunshot)

You want me to call for backup?

It's too late. She knows what she's doing.

She's gone.

I should have gone round the back.

And we should have brought Eddie.

I mean, we knew. We knew she was a pro.

Don't worry about it. We're both fine.

What do you think she wanted with the club manager?

Images from the film?

Maybe.

We need to protect Alis Willems. Let's get Kalie over there.

Kalie?

I'll call her.

(Eddie) What is this place? What do you do here?

It's the research facility Tycho ran.

I just oversee it.

Something to do with cancer, right?

Yes. And Tycho was the brains.

The only one who knew everything.

Kept secrets even from his workforce.

He'd get us to check things and test conclusions

but never the full picture.

But why hide this from his partner?

And why didn't you tell us about this earlier?

Because the funding's top secret.

Not anymore it's not.

Your father is dead. So is Tycho.

Someone clearly knew what is going on here.

So, who funded it?

My father.

Dad made a breakthrough in the search for a treatment.

But it needed more work.

And Klink bought the patent off him for a lot of money.

And sat on it, right?

Yes.

And Dad went along with it because he felt he had no choice.

He could have refused the money.

Yeah, I...

I was in trouble. I had debts.

Bad debts. To worse people.

And, erm, Klink effectively blackmailed him about that.

So Dad paid my debts.

I sorted myself out, and with what was left,

Dad funded Tycho to carry on the work.

Behind Klink's back?

Exactly.

And if Klink found this out, he wouldn't exactly be happy.

Well, this is Klink we're talking about.

What do you think?

Street cameras got a photo of our assassin.

(van der Valk) Alright, assuming she's a pro,

let's check the database.

Known criminals, former military, I don't know, mercenaries even.

Well, we're imagining she works for Klink, right?

Yeah, I'd bet my liver on it.

Ruben Mesman himself confirmed the dark web rumour

that his father was getting shafted by Klink.

Klink patented a medical breakthrough and sat on it.

Only Dad, a little bit miffed, one might imagine,

he got Tycho to continue his research in secret.

We think Klink finds out

people are still working on the breakthrough.

(Hendrik) He's a powerful man.

He's got ego and money

to hire a professional to do his dirty work.

Well, we know Tycho Bos was worried.

(Hendrik) Yeah, so what does he do?

Goes and shows his partner's film in a nightclub.

- Why do that? - I know why he did it.

The venue live-streamed the whole thing

and posted it on social media platforms.

- It's still here. - Hidden in plain sight.

He encrypts whatever he's discovered in the film

in those images.

A medical breakthrough?

A swan? A snowman? Yeah, some breakthrough.

I mean, it just looks like drug slang to me.

No, it's clever.

They can silence him but not the film.

(van der Valk) Only we don't know what it contains,

and we don't have the key to unlock it.

So, who does?

Well, presumably Klink and co know about it too

and want the same in order to contain it,

control it, and shut it down.

Okay, I'll pay Klink a visit in the morning.

Let's pick it up then.

Are you okay?

Could have lost you today.

But you didn't.

Look, don't go off the subject.

He can't file a report like that...

This is it, isn't it?

This is all there's gonna be.

Just us.

Yeah.

No families. No children.

Is that a problem for you?

No. You?

No.

Anyway, we promised Hendrik a celebration.

So a celebration we shall have.

Hey up, what's that say?

Oh. Don't know. Hang on, let's have a look.

"Sorry can't join.

Emergency at hospital. Drinks below. Lena."

Shame. Let's not let it ruin the night.

- No. - Come on then.

Right. If you've got it, play it.

(shouts indistinctly)

(indistinct conversations)

You don't look me in the eye. Never look me in the eye.

Whoo-hoo!

- Cheers! - Cheers!

Go!

What? How'd you do that?

Can I have a shot as well?

(indistinct conversations)

Eight, seven, six, five, four, three!

Amateurs.

(snoring)

Has he gone?

Out like a light.

About time. Let's go for it.

He's alright, he's alright.

Let's go, let's go, let's go, let's go.

Straighten up, straighten up.

Swing it, swing it.

Hey.

You do know all our jobs are on the line here?

- Yep. - And this is essentially assault?

I knew you wouldn't let me down.

And what if someone else needs all of this?

Yeah, well, someone does. Hendrik.

Tell me you've brought everything.

Yeah. Bloods. Syringes. Ultrasound. Endoscope.

Yeah, you name it, we've got it.

(Hendrik muttering)

Let's keep going.

Hey...

Hey...

Hey, what are you...

What are you... No!

- Shh... - Hendrik...

No! No! What are you doing?!

Get this off me now!

I said no! How dare you?! I said no!

No! No!

(van der Valk) Hendrik!

(Hendrik) I said no!

Leave it.

We shouldn't have, but we tried.

Morning, boys. Heard I was coming, did ya?

Wondered about a power breakfast with Klinky.

- Bought pastries. - (man) Van der Valk is on his way up.

Hey! Klinky.

Oh, what a shame.

Bought these.

Wow, look at this big boy.

Very alpha.

- King of the jungle. - Yeah.

Endangered species.

I tell you what.

It must get very, very windy up here.

I gather you own a boat.

Spartacus, I believe.

Correct.

Scourge of the Romans.

Bit of a dimple on his chin.

Died, didn't he?

Let's eat.

Is this all for me?

You're not expecting anyone else?

I mean, there's no Ms Klink or Master?

No.

Like you, I'm something of a loner.

I know.

I know.

Please, help yourself.

Look what I bought.

Fresh out of the oven.

Mon croissant!

You said Ray Mesman was someone you took on

because he helped you in the early days.

Did you have any dealings with him more recently?

What sort of dealings?

Oh, I don't know. Patents, for example.

No.

Why? Should I have?

Hate to think I'd missed out on an opportunity.

The only way to lead a market field

is to have control of the technology.

Have you ever sat on a patent

so that it never sees the light of day,

therefore doesn't affect profit?

That's very cynical.

Please, no flattery.

Have you?

No.

That's not what we heard.

You see, we were told you bought Ray Mesman's patent.

Something to do with a potential breakthrough

in the treatment of cancer.

And then you sat on it.

- Why would I do that? - Profit.

You don't like me, do you, Commissaris?

Oh, I don't know. I wouldn't go that far.

I mean, we're just getting to know each other.

If you did get to know me better, which I doubt,

you'd realise there's one thing that matters more to me than profit.

Ego.

Think of all the people out there and beyond.

Frightened.

Scared of death.

Mortal.

Imagine being the man who gives them

a medical breakthrough the world dreams of.

No, I wouldn't be able to sit on that.

Ego or no ego,

whatever the world thinks of me, I am just trying to improve it.

Anything else?

There is, actually.

Do you... Sorry.

Do you recognise... this woman at all?

Can't say I do. Why? Who is she?

That's what I'm trying to find out.

She seems partial to a bit of killing.

Well, maybe she's the pro you were looking for earlier.

When you pointed the finger at my guys.

Maybe she is.

(Klink) You okay with your crumbs?

(van der Valk) More than.

(mobile rings)

Kalie, hi. Everything okay?

Okay, I'm on my way.

Er, listen, Hendrik, about last night...

That's all water under the bridge. Alright?

Okay.

- Coffee? - Thought you'd never ask.

(Alis) How could you?! You should have told me!

- Kalie, I've got her. - You should have told me!

(Lucienne) She's with Ruben Mesman.

Can you go keep an eye on her apartment?

- I trusted you! - Yeah, but I didn't have any choice.

They were obsessed with it. That's all they cared about.

Is that why you came on to me?

What? No. No, no, it isn't.

Yes, it is.

You know your problem?

You're just another parasite, another nobody.

Still the loser you always were.

Hey. Is everything okay?

What is this? Are you stalking me too?

Not exactly. Why? Is he?

No, I'm not. It's, erm...

You know, it's complicated.

Oh. I can do complicated all day.

Who's gonna start?

Want to tell me what's going on here?

Me and Ruben go back a long way.

We were mates.

- Just mates? - On my part at least.

Ruben never did it for me. Then or now.

But I was there for him when he needed it.

Just you, or you and Tycho?

Me, to begin with.

Then I met Tycho, and things changed, obviously.

I take it that didn't go down well with Ruben.

I don't know.

He said he was cool with it, that he would be there for me.

But then he came on strong.

When? Recently?

- And did anything happen? - No.

Although I maybe...

Tycho was out a lot, and maybe I encouraged him.

I don't know. I didn't mean to.

He was lying to me as well, wasn't he?

Tycho, Ruben, Ray.

They all lied to me.

We think Tycho lied to protect you.

Still, it hurts.

How did Ruben get on with his father?

So-so.

He was desperate for his approval, really.

But what with the drugs and everything...

- And since Ruben got clean? - Much better, as far as I know.

The images Tycho put in your film.

We think they might have been some kind of coded message.

He might have left a clue about how to unlock it.

Does that make any sense to you?

A phrase, a nickname, someplace you used to go.

I'll think, but nothing comes to mind, really.

- (mobile rings) - Excuse me.

Alis Willems' apartment's been trashed.

Okay. I'll send forensics down there.

Could Ruben Mesman have done it?

- Possible, I guess. - I want a word with him anyway.

I'll grab Piet.

I don't want you to go home.

Is there anywhere else you can go,

just until I'm sure it's safe?

Er, sure. My Mum's.

Ruben Mesman was pretty fired up earlier.

We better tread carefully.

- Always do. - Are you okay about Hendrik?

We did what we could.

How was Klink, by the way?

Alpha.

You know what's troubling me?

If we're right, Tycho Bos had made

some scientific breakthrough, why kill him?

Because you don't want his breakthrough to become public?

Yeah, but they killed him before they even found it.

Seems odd to me.

Hello?

Ruben?

- Is he dead? - No.

But he's definitely lapsed.

(Lucienne) I'm sorry, I have to ask.

When you left the park, did you come straight back here?

Did you go via Alis's apartment?

Is she okay?

I hate myself for upsetting her.

It wasn't my idea to keep her in the dark about the research.

It was theirs.

She'll understand in time.

Hah.

Well, it's unlike anything to go wrong on your watch.

Let alone with one of your investigations.

Sorrento. Remember that?

Worst holiday I've ever had.

The pasta was good.

I thought you two buried the hatchet?

(together) Old habits.

Any clue how they got in?

Er, forced the back door.

Oh, clearly they weren't after her computer then.

(van der Valk) Well, we know what they're after.

Question is, did they find it?

We know Tycho was clever. We know he had a plan.

But how's someone meant to access it?

Where's the trigger to unlock it?

And how come he knew they were after him?

I mean, Tycho was sufficiently scared

to contact our emergency number and leave a message.

Yeah, he did, didn't he?

Where is that message? Can I take a look?

Sure. Maybe once I'm done going through this lot.

You must hate your job, Eddie,

whiling away the hours, reading up on Klinky.

- You dished up any dirt yet? - I'm working on it.

(Hendrik) Shnops!

(Dahlman) Hendrik, about what happened last night...

No, that's not why I'm here.

Let's just pretend that never happened, alright.

One word, everybody. Shnops!

Is that what we were drinking last night?

No, sadly. But close, though. Close.

No, "shnops" is how you pronounce...

...C-H-N-O-P-S.

As I'm sure you all know stands for...

Yeah, I didn't think so.

The constituent parts of a chemical formula, alright?

So let's try again, shall we?

All concentrating? Good.

CHNOPS, meaning...

- C? - Carbon. Hydrogen.

(Hendrik) Good man!

Carbon, Hydrogen, Nitrogen, Oxygen, Phosphorus, and Sulphur.

Now, listen and weep.

All medical formulae...

and I'll say that again just for the hard of thinking, Piet...

all medical formulae follow this pattern.

So, for example, erm, penicillin...

Right, that's, er, C16, H18,

N2, O4, and S, yeah.

There's no P in that one.

But that's how you identify it.

Carbon 16, hydrogen 18, and so on.

So, if Tycho Bos discovered a formula

for a medical breakthrough, it would look something like that?

No, it wouldn't look something like that.

It would look exactly like that.

So, all we have to do is figure out how the images...

erm, egg, piano keys, swan and so on...

how those might relate to those letters and numbers?

That's it!

And we do that how?

Well, I'm just the water carrier.

Someone else has to provide the genius.

No, no. No. You can do that too. You're getting there.

Let me know when you've cracked it.

- What?! - Whoa, whoa, whoa.

Over here.

It's Klink with the great and good. But look in the background.

That's our woman.

Who Klink said he'd never seen.

See if our conspiracy theorist knows her.

Remind me why we're talking to her.

Well, because so far she's been right about everything.

Why open the door with a plastic fork?

- Just in case. - In case what? I bought takeout?

Oh? Police have a sense of humour.

Who knew?

Know this woman? Something to do with Klink.

(Inge) No.

Why? Who is she?

I can do some digging if you want.

No, we... we just wanted to check if you knew her,

if you'd met her at all.

No. No, I wish I had, though.

I could help you with this investigation.

You could but, generally, no offence, we, er,

like to keep it rational.

I couldn't agree more.

Someone shot JFK. No one imagined that.

Someone messed with the photos of the moon landing.

Same people behind both.

Maybe we could discuss it some other time?

Oh, places like this are all very well,

but do you think he's happy?

Yeah. No pastries this time, guys.

This time it's official.

I know you're not a fan of being close to people but... Mars?

Really?

(Klink) Why not?

Have you ever thought of travelling to another planet?

Not really, no.

To be honest, I even find Rotterdam a bit of a stretch.

Don't get me started on Sorrento.

We heard you were planning on being the first man to walk on Mars.

(Klink) Not just walk.

I'd like to be the first person to conquer it.

We won't keep you, then.

We've been studying your life story. It's very... active.

Particularly for someone with your memory issues.

The woman I showed you a photo of,

the one you said you'd never seen before.

That's her. Do you remember her now?

I do, yes.

It's Nettie Haak. She used to work for me.

Forgive me, I didn't recognise her in the image you showed me.

Not forgiven.

You lied.

What did she used to do for you?

Officially, Nettie was a nanny.

I haven't seen many children running about.

What about unofficially?

She was my bodyguard.

- What? Before this lot? - A female bodyguard blends in.

It looks less obvious and, to be honest,

a woman's intuition can be useful in some

of the situations that come up.

That's so flattering.

(van der Valk) I mean, in fairness, these cavemen

don't exactly scream "sensitive," do they?

So, when did you last see her?

About two years ago.

She moved on.

(van der Valk) Like a promotion?

From bodyguard to something more specific?

What? Hitwoman maybe?

I've no idea what she went on to do.

Were you two physically involved?

Oh, you were. You got past first base, then.

Very touching.

It didn't work out.

Never mix work and play.

But then, er, you know all about the dangers of that, don't you?

Run that by me again.

You lost someone a few years ago.

Mandy.

No, no. No, Mandy was your dog.

I'm talking about... Arlette.

I'd rather you didn't.

Mm. The past is the past.

It's better left there.

- Agreed? - Agreed.

Yeah, I'm alright, I'm awake, so don't... don't try anything.

Any luck?

Well, er, I think it's a combination of shape and rhyme associations,

but, er, the numbers are easier than the letters.

(Lucienne) Okay. Go on.

Right, well...

A swan is a... a two,

as a swan mirrors the shape of a two.

Heart on its side, same principle, three.

- Er, sailboat, four. - Snowman, eight.

Piano, 88.

'Cause that's the number of keys on a piano.

Skeleton, 206,

'cause that's the number of bones in the body.

- Egg? - Zero?

(Hendrik) Er, it could be,

but it's also associated with the letter "E."

In English the bird is a jay.

So, I think that's a "J."

Can I, erm, just ask a question?

If you must.

The letters "E" and "J"

don't seem to appear in your chemical formulae.

Well, like I said, Piet,

the letters are giving me more bother.

But it's a work in progress. What do you want? Shakespeare?

Okay.

Oh, and, er, Kalie is here to see you.

Seems to think that you, er, wanted to speak to her.

Hey.

Always did know how to keep a woman waiting.

Yeah, sorry, we've been busy.

- How can I help? - Nettie Haak.

Yeah, I thought you'd like that.

Currently employed as an assassin, possibly for Klink.

Before that she was his protection.

Before that?

She trained with me in Apeldoorn.

- (Lucienne) Same year? - Same apartment.

We were close.

She's hardcore.

Yeah, well, she nearly took Lucienne out.

Then why didn't she?

If she'd wanted to kill you, she would have.

Never met anyone as black and white in my life.

Why would she work for Klink, though?

Money? Status?

Of no interest to her.

Back then.

Maybe she's changed.

Really?

People tend not to, though, don't you think?

Don't get me wrong, she could get angry and lose it,

but always for a reason.

Some guy two-timed her once.

She ended it overnight. He was history.

What if Klink betrayed her?

He admitted they were involved.

We're assuming she was working for him,

but maybe she was working against him.

Freddie. Let's meet.

You know the drill. Just you.

(mobile rings)

- Hey? - (Eddie) Klink is on the move.

And, by the way, I've forwarded you that message Tycho sent us.

(van der Valk) Okay.

Eddie's following Klink.

If he heads this way,

do you want to join?

What are you looking at?

Tycho's message he sent to the emergency number.

"If they get me, tell Alis I love her."

"Ciao, Bella."

- (mobile rings) - (van der Valk) Hey?

(Eddie) I'm following Klink. He's heading into Amsterdam.

Wherever Klink's going, he's going alone.

I'm tracking him now. Yeah.

I'll send my live location.

You're coming, right?

Yeah, I'm on my way.

But, Nettie, what is actually this all about?

Want to see you, that's all.

The past is the past. It's all water under the bridge.

- That okay? - Sure.

I'm close.

Thanks for bringing me along.

Not a problem.

I mean, on the one hand, we are all in this together.

There's no point getting stuck in the past.

Right. And on the other?

Well, it's good for the killer to have someone else to target.

Okay. Let's split up.

Love to.

(man) Was that Klink?

I swear that was him!

(Kalie) No Klink, but I found Nettie. Are you close?

I got it. We're around the corner.

- (Lucienne) We've got her. - (van der Valk) But where's Klink?

Miss Haak, you're under arrest.

Nettie?

We're pretty sure Nettie Haak killed Tycho and Ray, right?

But now she's dead. I don't get it.

Well, she clearly had the inside track on their movements.

- Who else would know them? - (van der Valk) Ruben Mesman.

He ran their research facility.

He wasn't happy they hadn't told Alis what they were up to.

No, but Klink did this, right?

Even if it was self-defence.

We don't know that for sure.

Still, he was here, and he can't have gone far.

If he's on foot, someone will have seen him.

- He's famous, right? - Yeah, but it's dark.

I'd know Freddie Klink if he walked past.

Yeah, I'm sure you would.

I mean, you got good night vision, ain't ya?

Like a bat.

Let's find him.

You can, er, follow them if you want.

Piet, we're searching for a killer.

We're not dating.

Yeah, I know.

Sometimes it's... it's hard to tell the difference with you.

Didn't hear you complaining before.

Well, I was younger then. Little bit better-looking.

Hmm. You were never younger.

You were born ancient.

Charming.

(Lucienne) No luck in finding Klink, unfortunately.

Greetings, dead person.

Insights, Hendrik? Fast as possible.

Time is of the essence.

Oh, isn't it just?

Well, er, first impressions,

bit of a flashback to last night, if I'm honest.

Yeah, not now, Hendrik.

Why kill someone here? Why would anyone do that?

In public, surrounded by people?

- Well, you wouldn't. - You wouldn't.

(Hendrik) Well, you might do if it was on an impulse.

Hendrik, we need more.

I mean, he could be miles away by now.

No, no, he's closer than you think.

The weapon is a very, and I mean a very specific piece of kit.

Not any old scissors. Lab scissors.

The like of which we saw last night.

Where was that? Where was that again, Eddie?

The research centre. That's two streets away!

Now all that's left is for you to give me the formula.

It's my father's, and by rights it's mine.

Where is it?

(muffled shouting)

(muffled shouting continues)

(clank)

(Ruben) Stay back. Stay back or I'll kill him!

(van der Valk) Be my guest.

You said you were angry with Tycho and your father.

Was that just to do with Alis?

Or it was something to do with him?

Why don't you let him talk?

There's no need to keep him quiet now we're here.

Yeah, why not?

Why did you and Dad lie to me?

Your father did what he thought was right

because he couldn't trust you.

Look at you. You're all over the place.

I just watched you stab Nettie.

Oh, like you care?

You dumped her, and all she wanted was revenge for that.

So, I tracked her down and we teamed up.

Hell hath no fury and all that.

No reason to kill her.

She was gonna kill him without getting the formula

like she did with Tycho and Dad.

Was that part of the plan?

Not really.

So she went rogue. It was all personal for her.

Thing is, he doesn't have the formula either.

- Do you? - No.

I wasn't sitting on any patents.

I was funding them.

Ray's original discovery needed further work.

I wanted him to oversee Tycho.

Ray pretended it was behind my back.

And did Tycho know?

No one did.

It was better Tycho thought I was the bad guy.

I'm used to it.

And they didn't tell you?

Even after you cleaned up your act.

Still untrustworthy, even then.

And there's you thinking Klinky here betrayed your father

when, in fact, they're all off saving the world,

together, without you.

(Lucienne) Must've stung, right?

Yeah, it did.

How'd you find out?

I heard Dad on the phone...

to him.

Were you jealous of Tycho?

The son your father never had.

Oh, shut up! Just shut up! Shut up!

Tycho stole everything from me!

My father, my birthright, Alis!

So, you thought you'd get revenge.

Steal their breakthrough, claim it as your own, and what?

Finally come good? The prodigal returns.

All I wanted was something.

After everything I'd been through.

And all I got was disapproval

and disappointment and judgement.

I guess I owe you.

Yeah. Yeah, I guess you do.

I have a question.

We think Tycho left a key to his formula.

Only we haven't been able to find it... yet.

But if we do, who would it belong to?

You?

Who else?

Alis.

I mean, Tycho left the formula for her, really.

What... What are you saying?

I'm saying, if we find it,

she might be prepared to share it with you.

In Tycho's memory.

But it's her call, isn't it?

I mean, it's not about profit.

It's not about ego.

You reckon you could put a lid on that for once?

For the greater good, yes.

Whatever she wants would be fine by me.

I envy her...

...being able to...

...to love.

(Kalie) Oh, well, he was never good at saying goodbye.

Fancy joining us for a drink?

At the Scheltema?

No way.

He wouldn't like that.

Why did it end between you two, really?

It can't just have been about Mandy.

No, it wasn't just about the dog.

There was something.

But I never got to tell him.

Tell him what?

The message that Tycho left...

He said he loved you and, "Ciao, Bella."

That's, er... that's "goodbye" in Italian, right?

Yes. That's what we always said.

- Anything to do with this? - Our favourite holiday.

From then on, whenever we said goodbye,

it was always "Ciao, Bella."

I see you cracked it, then.

No, I have not!

E, 4-7-8.

J, 2-0-6. P, 8-8.

Q, 1-1-3. U, 5-2-5.

Which, put together...

Absolutely no sense whatsoever.

Oh, well.

You did your best, me old pal.

I mean, that's all any of us can do, right?

Spill.

Have you got your pen with you?

Always.

Just in case you ever bump into

an encrypted medical breakthrough for cancer.

Is there any point to this?

Try subtracting two from everything.

That's more like it.

Your absurd, appalling,

and outrageous attempt to get me tested...

...was, quite frankly, an outrage.

It was also really,

annoyingly touching.

And it's made me think.

We'll be right here.