Original subtitles

International trains

Willem Steenhouwer's voicemail. Leave a message and I'll call you back.

BETRAYAL

several days earlier

train tickets

Royackers speaking.

Hello? - I can hear you. Speak your mind.

Did you get a hold of Steenhouwer yet?

I'll drop by tomorrow. - Alright.

No, through the front door, so that everyone can see.

What do you think?

Nice.

You came by to have a look? - Willem asked me to.

Long time no see.

Five minutes, that's all I need.

Five minutes.

Give me one reason why I should talk to you?

Because I'm your kids' grandfather.

And nothing you do can change that.

Two minutes, no more.

That thing with Royackers. - What about it?

You've been called to testify, right?

Are you going to? - I have no choice, I have to.

I just wanted to know for sure.

You can't talk about my business, right?

Legal advice privilege, whether you work for me or not.

I can't and won't speak to your business.

What are you doing in court then?

Because there are issues that I do want to speak to. It's about my interests too.

I'm required to report fraudulent practices.

Listen carefully.

I assume you'll keep mum about anything that concerns me.

Hello.

Can I assume that the judge or Public Prosecutor...

...will not hear a word from you that incriminates me?

Your time is up. See you.

Am I making myself clear? - Bye, Huub.

Let me put it this way: Yes, I have to respect legal advice privilege.

But there's a reason the Prosecution wants me to testify.

Why?

If you think I would perjure myself to protect you...

...you've got another thing coming. Excuse me.

Hi, sorry.

Total gridlock.

Well? - It's beautiful.

Not bad, right?

Don't ask what it cost.

Did you see this? Great, isn't it? A fireplace.

The perfect snapshot.

Don't you think?

Just one. - No.

One.

No hammer.

And then I kicked his knee.

Well done.

Mum says I shouldn't kick anyone.

Yes, of course. She's right.

You shouldn't kick people.

But don't let them bully you either.

When are we going to the judge?

He'll decide where I must stay, right?

When?

It took a long time, but tomorrow Mum and Dad will go to the judge.

The food.

I gave him a tip, one euro. Is that okay?

No, you should give between 10 and 15%.

But those delivery guys are just scum.

Do they really need a tip?

He seemed like a nice guy. - Nice? They're a menace on the roads.

Jumping red lights and cutting people off.

What have you been up to today?

Gaming. - The whole day?

Do you never get bored playing games? - No.

Bjorn, I made an appointment for tomorrow.

Where?

Where, Dad?

How's your German going?

You can go offline, you know. - I hear someone talking.

Is that our bookworm? - I've been studying for history.

Is Dad coming home tonight? - No idea.

What's wrong?

How come? - Something's wrong.

No, it's just that I have to go home soon.

Does it still hurt? - Yes, sometimes.

Yes? - A sleeping pill, please. I can't sleep.

Alright. - Thanks.

I have to go.

Would you like me to be there tomorrow? - No, better not.

It's complicated enough as it is.

What are you doing this weekend? - Why?

I have an option on two train tickets.

To a small town in France.

Which town? - Paris.

Good night. - Thanks.

Don't you have school today?

What's the time? - Half past nine.

I'm too late for history anyway. - What do you mean?

You heard me. - Don't you need these classes?

Of course not. - Sure?

Let me sleep. I had a late night.

Late night? Studying?

He's 35.

He had an accident when he was 17.

And since... - I read the letter from your doctor.

As things stand, everything's alright.

He does odd jobs, drives the car.

But I won't live forever.

So I'm worried.

He needs to see the world, one way or another.

So I thought I'd come here to see what the possibilities are.

Maybe it's better if Bj6rn waits outside.

We'll talk about it with one another.

I'm not big on these places...

...but something has to be done.

I have some ideas. - Great.

You have 20 minutes.

I'm a busy man.

Turn towards me.

Yes, chin down.

Great, well done. Thanks.

Done? - Yes.

We have a deal. I'm a journalist and protect my sources.

Does he know... - What?

...the conclusion of your article?

I don't think so.

What about protecting sources? - There are so many sources.

How long have you been working on it? - A month and a half.

Just long enough to find a connection...

...with an Eastern European weapons manufacturer.

I'm a vulture.

I circle over these people till I spot a weakness.

A vulture waits till its prey is dead. - Know-it-all.

Fancy a coffee?

No, I have to go court. - That's right.

Good luck.

When I was 15 my mother let me buy my own clothes.

She gave me 100 guilders, but it was the grunge era.

So what did I do? I came here.

I bought jeans that had been run over by a car six times...

...a woollen beanie and three second-hand lumberjack shirts.

When I got home I didn't understand why my mother cried.

100 guilders. That's all she had every week to feed us.

I can't vouch for what Steenhouwer will or won't say in court.

He's been gone a long time.

He can't say everything, but could say certain things.

My lawyer says the Prosecution sees him as their chief witness.

What are we going to do about it?

The party is looking for a new leader.

Many people see me as the front-runner.

How are you? Did you sleep well?

Hoegaarde versus Van Erkel.

Good morning everyone.

This is about the visitation rights regarding Menno Van Erkel.

Unfortunately, no agreement has been reached between the former partners:

Mrs Iris Hoegaarde and Mr Pepijn Van Erkel.

I thought I'd made it very clear that I don't want to see you.

How are you? - Why are you here?

We have children. I'd like us to talk to each other normally.

Their finals. I'm worried about Marco... - I'm not interested. Please go.

But we must settle the divorce some time.

Your lawyer's not responding.

We must both move on, Elsie.

Move on?

Listen to yourself.

How can I move on?

My husband's gone, my company ruined, the kids will soon leave home...

...and I'll be here for a while yet.

For me, there's no moving on anymore.

You can.

But I can't.

Ms Hoegaarde proved to be a bad mother as she started an affair...

...with a man involved with criminals.

She thought only of herself, not her child.

Thus exposing Menno to negative, even dangerous, influences.

My Lady...

...my client's new partner has not been involved with these people for some time.

I strongly object to comparing a lawyer to his client.

What interests me is that after all this time...

...the parties are still in dissention regarding visitation rights.

How come? They both want the best for their son.

My Lady, my client's concern is that his wife cheated on him.

Dad? - What?

What did the lady say? - I told you I'd tell you later.

Hey, it's me. I need you.

The hardest thing of all for my client is that this deceitful, unreliable man...

...has not only had an affair with his wife but will now also help bring up his son.

The situation is now totally different from what it was.

My client's partner now leads a respectable life.

This is a very harmonious relationship. - Yes, it's all very clear.

This case has dragged on far too long. It needs to be resolved quickly.

Ruling's tomorrow.

Iris?

Can we talk?

Please.

Marco.

Dinner's almost ready.

The plan is for you to do other things.

Like what? - Like stop gaming all day, for instance.

And you'll be doing a few tests.

What kind of tests?

In some way or other, we must aim...

...so that you can, kind of, live by yourself.

By myself?

Must I leave...

...you then?

Huub.

I'll be right back.

As you know, I'm not easily worried.

But...

Royacke rs?

What did Willem say? - The court case is next week.

If they think they have something on him then we've had it.

Well and truly.

Then it's all over. Not just for me, but there'll be nothing left.

For anyone.

I really appreciate you coming.

He is at your mother's place? - Yes, he can stay with her.

And school tomorrow? - Yes, she'll take him. On time.

How's work? - Okay.

I do stuff for an investigative journalist. It's nice.

A bit different.

And you?

I'm in a different department.

But I feel I'm back on the right track.

A few interesting things.

I'm involved in a nice case: the firearms trade.

It's so easy to get hold of a gun nowadays, even here in Holland.

I know all about that.

Yes, sure.

Sorry.

Didn't you hear us calling you for dinner? What are you up to?

Nothing. - What's that?

A game.

What are you doing with my credit card?

Not much...

...just a bit of poker. - Poker?

Yeah, on internet. It's fun.

And if you win, you make a bit of money. - Do you ever lose?

Occasionally. - You use my credit card without asking?

I don't have one. - What are you doing?

Is this what you do all evening instead of studying?

Stop moaning. You've made a mess of your own life.

And you're telling me how to live mine? - Here, this came from school.

You've skipped lessons, and haven't even done tests.

Listen, this is your last chance before you're kicked out of school.

No sweat, it will be fine. - Will it? With poker?

Jesus, can't I just... - No, you can't steal credit cards.

Must I check my bank statement to see how much you've lost?

Credit card? What credit card?

Now you listen to me.

You're a Steenhouwer, not a Couwenberg. Understood?

You mustn't say that, Dad. - Mum's name is Couwenberg.

Not Steenhouwer. - And where is she now? In jail.

And for good reason.

I can't believe it's come to this. It's incredible.

All I want is a normal relationship with you.

How often have I tried to arrange visitation rights with you? But I couldn't.

No, because I want to have him just as much as you.

But for some reason or other I can't. - No. And why not?

What if the judge rules in my favour?

She won't. - How do you know?

That's what I think.

Well, I don't.

I think you're going to lose.

Ever considered that?

And you know...

...all this misery...

...isn't necessary at all.

I wanted to say that whatever's happened...

...whatever awful things we've done to each other...

...there's always a way back.

I know, I know we've tried it once but I'm prepared to do anything...

This can't be true. - Think of Menno. I can change.

Let's move. To another town. And start over.

Please, please, don't do this. There's no point, ever again.

Hey, here, quickly.

If you ever talk to Iris...

You look awful.

Time for a holiday. - I'm off to Paris.

For just a weekend. Go away for longer. - I'll think about it. Get the phone, eh?

Mr Steenhouwer's practice, Mariél speaking.

Good morning everyone.

I've taken into account that Ms Hoegaarde and Mr Van Erkel...

...did not part on friendly terms.

Right now, their relationship is poor to say the least.

Unfortunately, in practice this is not conducive to a child's development.

If parents are at loggerheads, it's hard to maintain a co-parenting arrangement.

Ms Hoegaarde also claims she's regularly called by child minders...

...who says Mr Van Erkel is unable to pick up his child or that he'll be late...

...so Menno is often with a neighbour or with his 74-year-old mother.

Mr Van Erkel does not dispute this.

All these factors are not conducive to Menno's development...

...and therefore my ruling is as follows:

In the next six months, I'd like to give both parents the opportunity...

...to stabilise the situation. And I strongly advise Mr Van Erkel...

...to arrange his work schedule so he has sufficient time to spend with his son.

In other words: an arrangement will apply whereby you share the care for Menno.

Menno will spend half the time with his father and the other half with his mother.

I'm assuming that by then you will have built up a reasonable relationship.

You must work hard to achieve this. If, after 6 months, this is not the case...

...then I shall review the situation.

This court is closed.

Are you Mr Couwenberg?

Mr Steenhouwer, my wife's name is Couwenberg.

This is my daughter, Marit. - Come this way.

Dad? - Yes.

Grandpa?

Phone him. - The German?

It's unbelievable what he's capable of. - Yes?

Hey, it's been ages. To what do I owe...

What?

Yes, thanks sweetie. I will.

What's up?

Huub?

Bfim.

I'm Dr De Waal. - Steenhouwer.

Her stomach's been pumped and luckily she threw up half the pills.

It's not at all easy to commit suicide with sleeping pills.

You are her husband but you're not... - We've separated.

I've looked at her notes and she's finding it tough in prison.

It says she's been apathetic and depressed for a while.

Will she be alright?

Jesus, I never thought... - No, me neither.

Congratulations. - What for?

What do you mean? - He's with Steenhouwer half the time.

A while back I arrived too early to pick him up.

They never expected it, of course.

So in a year's time, he may say: Mum, why must I keep going to Dad's?

And in two years' time: Must I really go to him? Bah, I don't want to.

And in 5 years' time, he'll apply to have his name changed to Steenhouwer.

It's a good name: sturdy, tough.

'Menno Steenhouwer', doesn't sound bad at all.

That's ridiculous. Why are you hurting yourself so much?

If I were you I'd be glad to see him... - Will I see you this evening?

No, no, honestly.

I don't understand it either.

I thought things were going really well.

What?

How is she?

She'll be alright.

We'll go and see her.

Let's go.

My girl, my little girl.

She said something like...

What do you mean?

I went to see her this week.

She's sabotaging the divorce. I wanted to talk about it.

But no one expected this.

She was always so strong.

Full of life. - Murderous too.

True, but she's still my children's mother.

She'll be alright. - It seems so, luckily.

Did you see Willem's face?

Did I hear you gaming earlier on? - What else can I do?

Go and see what there is to heat up. There's enough in the fridge.

I'm not hungry.

And they're my kids.

So nothing's really changing?

No, not really.

How do you feel about it?

Anyway, this weekend you'll go to Dad.

And you'll be in Paris. - No, it's off. I'll be at home.

How do you feel?

Better. - Really?

Are you staying the night?

What's wrong?

My job's done.

What do you mean?

I thought that we... - It's totally pointless, you know that too.

You visited her.

Did she say anything?

Did you argue?

Dad, I want to know.

She said...

...she doesn't have much to live for anymore.

After all that's happened.

Hey,honey.

So you're back. I kept trying to call you. Where were you?

At a friend's. - Oh, was it too much trouble to call?

I thought I wasn't welcome here, so...

Mum tried to commit suicide.

She failed. Thank god.

It's all your fault. - Don't say that.

Your fault.

Since you started screwing around... - Shut up.

Where are you going? - As if you care.

Stay here, damn it.

I gave him a good talking to, and he promised to mend his ways.

Yes, of course. He'll do all the exams. I understand, so does he.

Yes, of course, I know that they all count.

Yes, thank you. Goodbye.

What time does your train leave? - Train?

I'm not going. - Why not?

Why do you think?

Does Mum want to see you then? - No.

I want to be here for you and your brother. - Do you really think Marco wants that?

Just go.

It's the best thing for everyone. - No, honey.

It is, Dad. Please.

Go.

What do you think?

It will be fine.

I wasn't the only one.

I paid Boebka a lot of money for it.

First I have that appointment, then I'm off to the station.

I'm glad you're still going.

Willem? Have lots of fun, eh?

Seven o'clock at the station, eh? - Seven sharp.

Then if all goes well, we'll be at Gare du Nord at about 10.30.

You're sure we should do this?

Yes.

I think so. - Okay, see you soon.

Iris? - Yes?

You know I love you a lot, eh?

No. Is that so? - See you later.

See you later.

R's Mam...

...Steenhouwer.

My dad's with you, right? To go to Paris? - No not yet, it's strange.

He's not answering his phone and he left a weird note.

Note?

Dear kids, I'm confused right now. After all that's happened recently...

...I need time to think, so don't worry. I'll be back quite soon.

Everything will be fine, Dad.

We were only going to Paris. - Why's he not answering his phone then?

I'll ask him, then he'll call you, okay?

Willem Steenhouwer's voicemail. Leave a message...

Willem Steenhouwer's voicemail. Leave a message and I'll call you back.

Willem's gone. - What?

I think we can all say it's not at all like him. He'd never do this.

We don't know that. Speak for yourself.

Everyone's telling me that Willem feels guilty but he's not like that.

Haven't you noticed how he's looked lately?

As your lawyer, it is my duty to inform you that you may have a right...

...to what is called 'temporary release'.