# 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 m*rder 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 ill*gal 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 m*rder?
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 k*ller, 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 k*lled last night
at a conference centre
outside of town.
What's a m*rder 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 m*rder investigation.
My daughter is not a m*rder*r.
[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 m*rder*r.
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 k*ll 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 m*rder... 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 b*stards!
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 k*ll Meatball?
He fulfilled his end of the bargain,
didn't he?
He dropped the money off as planned.
Maybe he wasn't meant
to k*ll 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 k*ller
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 k*ll 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 k*ll Meatball?
Of course I didn't!
[Hassell]
And what about Gerda?
A man she helped imprison
was at the scene of her m*rder.
She's dead, and now he is too.
Your car being used
as the m*rder 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 m*rder
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 m*rder.
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 k*ll 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 k*lled 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]
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04x02 - Hope in Amsterdam
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A Dutch detective takes on criminal cases in Amsterdam using insightful human observation and his natural street smarts.
A Dutch detective takes on criminal cases in Amsterdam using insightful human observation and his natural street smarts.