'Oliver,' De Gier said as the cat strolled past the bed, 'we'll tie your paws behind your back, march you to the park opposite, set you up against a stake, and shoot you, and it will be done at the crack of dawn.'
Oliver looked over his shoulder and purred.
'No, no,' Constanze's soft voice said and she nibbled de Gier's ear. 'I don't mean that he has to be destroyed. He is a beautiful cat and I know some people who live on a farm and who would love to have a Siamese cat. And Oliver would be happier too, he could play on the farm and climb trees and chase mice. It would be a much more natural life for a cat.'
'Yes,' de Gier said and reached down to the floor, found his pack of cigarettes, took one out and lit it, using one hand, for his other was caressing Constanze.
'And you can get a bigger flat and I'll be working as well so the rent won't be any problem.'
'Yes,' de Gier said.
'And Yvette can go to school close by and she would spend a lot of time with my parents.'
'Mmm,' de Gier said.
'You don't want to, do you?' Constanze asked and put a leg over his.
De Gier twisted out of her embrace and got out of bed.
'It's time to have breakfast,' he said.
'You haven't answered me,' Constanze said.
'I don't know,' de Gier said. 'I'll have to think about
He shaved while Constanze prepared breakfast. Early morning wasn't the best time of the day for de Gier, not if he had to go to work, and he groaned while he scraped his face with a blunt blade.
'In fact, we could probably buy a nice flat.' Con-stanze's voice came from the small kitchen.
'Flats are expensive,' de Gier said, taking the toothbrush out of his mouth.
'I have fifty thousand,' Constanze said. 'The house at Haarlemmer Houttuinen was sold, you know, and the other little house that Fiet owned in the South was sold as well. Together they netted over a hundred thousand and with the mortgage and the solicitor's costs deducted I still have fifty thousand. Surely that would be enough for a deposit. We might even get a small house.'
'I didn't know you were selling the property,' de Gier said as he came out of the bathroom. 'Who is the buyer?'
'Joachim de Kater,' Constanze said, 'our accountant. He was very helpful. It only took him a few days. We will sign the contracts at the solicitor's office at the end of this week, and then I'll have to make up my mind what to do. Return to Paris and buy an apartment for Yvette and myself or stay here.'
'With me?' de Gier asked.
'With you,' Constanze said softly, putting a dish of fried eggs and bacon on the table and switching the toaster on, 'if you want me to stay with you.'
'Joachim de Kater,' the chief inspector said and stirred his coffee. 'I remember the name. Didn't you write a report on a visit to an accountant of that name, Grijpstra?'
'Yes sir,' Grijpstra said;
'But how do you know all this, de Gier?' the chief inspector asked. 'You weren't supposed to question her. Grijpstra did, the night before last night I believe. How come you know who she sold her property to?'
De Gier didn't answer.
'I see,' the chief inspector said. 'But personal relationships with suspects…'
The commissaris shifted in his chair. 'I think the sergeant is aware of what you are hinting at,' he said.
'All right,' the chief inspector said.
'It's really my fault, sir,' Grijpstra said. 'I suggested that de Gier should date her last Saturday. I thought she might talk a little more easily if he did.'
'It's all right, adjutant,' the chief inspector said. 'We won't mention the matter again, or rather, I hope we won't have to mention the matter again. I believe you asked young Mrs. Verboom to stay in Amsterdam while the investigation lasts. Perhaps you can contact her and tell her that she can go now. Mr. de Gier will be able to concentrate a bit better when she is out of the way and we don't really suspect her anymore, do we?'
'No sir,' de Gier said relieved, 'we don't.'
'Do you want her out of the way?' asked the chief inspector, surprised.
'She wants me to get rid of my cat,' de Gier said in a small voice.
Grijpstra suddenly roared with laughter and the chief inspector and the commissaris joined him. De Gier shuffled his feet.
'Haha,' the commissaris said, wiping his eyes, 'you like your cat, huh? You don't have to feel silly about that. I like my cat too. It always snuggles up to me when I have rheumatism in my leg.'
'I prefer dogs,' the chief inspector said, 'but we'd better get off the subject, we don't want to embarrass the sergeant. You say she sold the lot to her husband's accountant. That's strange. It looks as if he made use of an awkward situation. A widow needing money. Perhaps a hundred thousand is a low price for that large house on the Haarlemmer Houttuinen and another little house in the country thrown in. It doesn't sound much to me but I am no property expert. As an accountant he should protect his client's interests, not make use of them. Perhaps we should investigate this de Kater.'
'We won't have a file on him,' the commissaris said. 'Accountants are pillars supporting society. If an accountant, a chartered accountant like this Mr. de Kater, ever comes into contact with the police, he loses his ticket, and that'll be the end of his career.'
'Yes,' the chief inspector said, 'but we can ask around. Somebody will know something about him. I can ask some of the state accountants working for the Tax Department, and one of my friends is an accountant. They all belong to some society or other. I should have a report ready by tomorrow and I'll give it to you.
'Well, that's it,' the chief inspector said, looking at the detectives. 'If you have anything to report you can phone me at home tonight, but keep it short, I'll be watching football.'
'An owl in a tree,' de Gier said as they walked toward their car, 'that's what he reminds me of. Sitting comfortably while he watches it ail and meanwhile we develop flat feet.'
'You ought to be grateful,' Grijpstra said. 'I am going to telephone Constanze today and you'll be free again to live with your cat, happily and peacefully.'
'True,' de Gier said.
The young man didn't open up when they knocked on the door of the shabby houseboat and Grijpstra put his shoulder against the door and pushed it through its lock.
'Hey,' the boy shouted, 'who told you you could come in?'
'Police,' Grijpstra said, 'do you remember us?'
'You shouldn't force my door. This is my house. What you are doing is breaking and entering.'
'Sorry,' de Gier said, 'my colleague stumbled, fell against your door and here we are. Your lock broke. Do you mind if we come in a minute?'
'I mind,' the young man said. 'Get out.'
The detectives looked at him.
'Well, all right. I lose anyway. Nobody would listen to me if I lodged a complaint. You all cover each other. What do you want of me?'
It was eleven o'clock in the morning but he was still under his blankets on the floor. The room smelled of unwashed bodies and rotten food.
'Do you mind?' Grijpstra asked and opened two windows. Some fresh air came in, but there was little wind and it was hot outside. The heat wave hadn't broken yet and the detectives were sweating.
'What's your name again?' de Gier asked.
'Koopmetn.'
He got up and put on his jeans and the same buttonless shirt he had worn when the detectives met him for the first time.
'Did you find out who that girl was?' Koopman asked.
'No,' Grijpstra said, 'did you?'
The young man shook his head and combed his hair back with his fingers.
'No. How could I? I had never met her before. Picked her up in the street, or maybe she picked me up. She
