Conversation · Klaasje (Miss Oranje Disco Dancer)

"Okay." She puts her coffee mug on the table.

"Why did you call the cops if you're hiding?"

"Because I'm an idiot." The answer comes fast.

Which is an indicator of truth...

Idiot? She's nothing of the sort.

"I don't think so. Why did you do it?"

"You have to understand -- the people around here... No one was making the call, and he kept rotting. And then they picked his clothes off. And that little fucker threw stones at him..."

Her jaw is clenched. Her throat moves. It takes all her strength not to cave in and sob... once... just one time...

"He kept throwing stones at him for three days. I could hear the thud, thud..." She shakes her head. "So I called you. I hope with all my heart it's not the last thing I do in Revachol."

She definitely called the cops. That was task complete. It could not hath been a lie. That is impossible.

Oh god. That was a lie too. Who made the call then?

She did, of course.

Don't be paranoid, man. It's unbecoming of a police officer -- and it makes you sweat.

"I'm not gonna disagree with you."

"So you would have me believe. But you're not."

"What happened after you ran downstairs?"

"Ruby went outside to talk to Titus and the boys. I was just... looking at Lely. In the bathroom. I had to put his clothes back on. His armour too. It was tough, but I've seen him take it off and put it on many times."

"It took Ruby maybe half an hour to come back with Titus. I'd gotten him ready by then, they carried him out. I knew what they were going to do -- make it look like a hanging. Ruby said they would."

"What did you do while they were hanging him?"

"Ruby said to wait here. She also said I wouldn't see her for a while; that we should lay low or something... so I did."

"This Ruby -- where is this Ruby now?"

"I don't know. I haven't seen her since."

"We will need to take this question to the Hardie boys."

Interesting. Why did this Ruby go through so much trouble -- to hide something someone else did? Look into this later!

What are you doing?

Coming up with a theory. She said Ruby knew something was wrong before she said anything. How come? It was loud downstairs, she couldn't have heard the shot...

It is ominous -- you already coming up with theories that put the blame on someone other than Klaasje.

There is something suspicious about that theory, but you can't put your finger on it.

"Sylvie was tending the bar." She looks down. "A lot of people were there. The Hardies were at the table in front of the stage, I think the Union box was full..."

"Ruby was there too. They were having such a good time..." She pauses. "I sat down and they all welcomed me. I didn't even have to say anything, Ruby knew something was wrong."

Ruby?!

"Okay, let's go on. What then?"

"Well, Ruby said let's talk upstairs. I showed her the room... I've known these people since December, they know my situation. That I can't leave a paper trail. Ruby was the first one I told..."

"She said she'd take care of this. It's what she does, you know. Take care of things. I helped her get the body to the bathroom -- we used a belt to pull him up under the shower. To keep him upright."

To mislead you! They were tampering with the body.

"To produce lividity matching a hanging?"

"Yes."

This is concurrent with your doubts -- at the autopsy -- about the colouring being...

Better not to remark.

This tactful approach will rob you the glory, but hey, all I care about is angles and timetables. The loss is yours.

"That's enough. I had another question."

She blinks, without averting her gaze.

"Then what did you do?"

"I knew it -- the colouring in his lower limbs looked faint."

"About half an hour had passed since the moment of death?"

She nods.

"You were late. The marks would be faint by that time." He makes a small pointing motion with his pen -- it's meant for you.

In honour of another precise forensic observation.

You have it in you to be a champion. Keep your head in the game now...

In honour of that precise forensic remark, officer. A real hit.

She's silent. Just looks at her cigarette.

"We completely missed the tampering. Looks like you got there in time. What was this -- twenty minutes after death?"

Oops...

"About twenty, yes. Ruby explained it would make the blood... you know what it does." She looks at the ground. Then raises her light brown eyes to meet yours.

"How could we have missed that..." He shakes his head. "And when was the tampering -- twenty minutes after death?"

"It's a shame we never got around to doing a thorough autopsy..." He shakes his head. "And when was the tampering -- twenty minutes after death?"

They tampered with the body to disguise the cause of death.

"You were tampering with the body."

"Yes. Ruby said the blood in him... would look like a hanging."

"No -- not just yet." He turns to the woman. "Who is Ruby?"