Janwillem De Wetering - Outsider in Amsterdam

"Easy now," de Gier said, "we won't hurt you. Do you have a license to carry a firearm?"

"No," de Kater sobbed.

"And can you tell us what you have in your suitcase?"

"Heroin," de Kater sobbed.

"You better come with us," de Gier said.

The two detectives who had been in the old car took charge of de Kater and drove off. Van Meteren appeared in the open door, grinning.

"Neat job," the chief inspector said, "very neat, van Meteren."

"It was a pleasure, sir." The Papuan laughed. "I don't think he suspected anything at all."

"Thanks to you," Grijpstra said. "I was very close to you, you know. I had sneaked into the back part of the corridor but you couldn't see me, it's very dark in there. I overheard the last part of your and de Kater's conversation. Perfect acting on your part, congratulations."

"Yes," van Meteren said, "I heard you, I thought de Kater would hear you as well but he was concentrating too much on the money, and on the dope, of course."

"Did he pay up?" the chief inspector asked.

Van Meteren patted his jacket. "The lot. He tried to pay less but I wouldn't have it. He was armed although he didn't say so, but I think that he must have suspected me of being armed as well."

He produced a fat brown envelope and gave it to the chief inspector.

"Here you are, sir, notes of a hundred guilders. He said he didn't have smaller notes. Twenty thousand, I counted the amount very carefully."

The chief inspector slipped the envelope into his inside pocket.

"Thanks."

"That's a lot of cash to carry around," one of the detectives said, "and a gun as well. That's the trouble with these sugar merchants, they all carry pistols nowadays. They have become proper highwaymen and before you know they put a hole into you and off you are for a few months, eating porridge and mashed vegetables in a dreary little hospital room."

"Part of the game, mate," Grijpstra said kindly. "Are we going home, sir?"

"Might as well," the chief inspector said.

"A moment," van Meteren said. "If you don't mind I would like to talk to you, sir, and to Grijpstra and de Gier. In the house, perhaps."

"Sure. I would suggest that the other three have a quiet beer in the Haarlemmerstraat. There is a reasonable pub on the corner, run by Aunt Jane, that fat lady with the red hair. I'll meet you later in there, and we can have a final beer together."

"Sir," the detectives said.

"So?" the chief inspector asked. They were standing in what had once been the bar of the Hindist Society. Van Meteren faced them from behind the bar and the police officers, after looking around, settled themselves on bar stools.

"Three beers," de Gier said.

"Sorry," van Meteren said, "no beer, but there is some coke and lemonade here and I can clean a few glasses."

"That'll be nice," Grijpstra said.

Van Meteren washed and wiped four glasses and opened four bottles of cola.

"The place is still complete," de Gier said.

"Not quite. The draft beer has been taken out; it won't keep, I think," van Meteren said, "but the furniture and everything is still here. De Kater could probably have sold the lot for a good price; he might have auctioned it. There are a lot of new pubs opening up in town."

"Silly man," the chief inspector said, "a silly man taking a silly risk. But we have got him now. A pity we can't grab the other two but they won't last either. They are bound to slip up one of these days and we can catch them like rotten plums falling off the tree."

"Brr," de Gier said. "I don't like this stuff."

"Spit it out," van Meteren said. "I have some soda here. The other two, you say, sir. I would like to talk about them."

He opened another bottle and gave it to de Gier. "Here, have another glass as well."

"You mean Beuzekom and his friend?" the chief inspector asked.

"Yes sir. Perhaps you won't catch them. I got to know them and especially Beuzekom is very intelligent. They won't stay in the game, not when he feels that he has made enough. They'll go to Spain and dabble in real estate and become respectable. If you want to catch them it should be right now."

"We'll have to be quick," Grijpstra said. "The newspaper vultures haven't smelled anything yet but they will soon and once they honk the news around Beuzekom and Company will go into cover and we'll never flush them."

"There is my arrest as well," van Meteren said. "They might not find out about de Kater until you want them to find out but that chase on the Usselmeer was quite spectacular, spectacular enough to make headlines."

"Not yet," the chief inspector said. "I have seen the papers. You got into the harbor of Monnikendam at the right time. The vultures were all fast asleep. What we did here tonight is dangerous, however. The newspapers have patrols in the city and they pay for every tip, in case the patrol misses out. If somebody in the neighborhood noticed the commotion the game is up."

"So we'll have to be quick," van Meteren said. "I am glad you agree. I suggest that I phone Beuzekom now. He should be in. It's Sunday. He drinks on Saturday and rests on Sunday. I'll ask him to come here. We still have the heroin, it can go back into the statue. We can play the same game."

He took a sip and watched the three men on the other side of the bar.

De Gier began to grin.

"You like the idea, de Gier?" the chief inspector asked.

"Yes sir. A lovely idea, too good to work almost. Twice in one evening, what a beautiful thought."

"Grijpstra?"

"Lovely," Grijpstra said.

"We don't have enough men for a proper trap," the chief inspector said.

"I'll fetch the beer drinkers."

"Right, de Gier. Perhaps I should telephone the commissaris first."

The chief inspector walked to the phone, but hesitated. "Perhaps not. He is sick. And he approved the first trap."

Nobody said anything.

"Right," the chief inspector said.

"I'll fetch those jokers in the pub while you phone Beuzekom," de Gier said to Van Meteren.

"Yes, but get them quickly. If Beuzekom answers I'll tell him to come right away. Fetch the others but don't come in while I phone; I'll tap on the window when I am done."

"Go ahead," the chief inspector said.

De Gier left and van Meteren dialed the number; he knew it by heart.

"Beuzekom," the phone said.

"Evening Beuz, this is van Meteren."

"Ha," Beuzekom said, surprised, "good to hear your voice. Haven't seen you for a while, how are you? Still in business or has everything died since Piet left us?"

"Still in business Beuz, and how are you two?"

"Well, what can I tell you? We are all right, I suppose, but Ringma has been annoying me lately. He mopes about all the time. We should go on holiday but we have been spoiled. Holidays cost a lot of money these days, the sun has become expensive when you are used to four-star hotels."

"You sound as if business has been bad."

"There's always the small trade," Beuzekom said. "There have been some supplies but some of it is rubbish, it looks all right but it isn't and it is hard to see the difference. If they get any cleverer I'll have to hire a chemical engineer and install a laboratory. They can even imitate the smell now."

"Did they fool you?"

"Not yet, but they will one day."

"And the real business?"

"Sugar, you mean?" Beuzekom asked. "Yes, well, nothing doing. Can't get it. Whatever happenned to that lot Piet was going to give us? He didn't take it with him so it must still be around."

"Yes," van Meteren said.

"You are serious? Is that why you phone me?"

"Yes."

"Splendid," Beuzekom said. "Excellent fellow! You know I am in the market. What's your price?"

"You are lucky," van Meteren said. "I've got it and it's for sale. I never read the papers so I don't know about inflation, you can have it at the same price."