THE THREATS TO SONJA REACHED THEIR PEAK IN MARCH 2014: SHE went into hiding again at Francis’s.
We couldn’t think of anything to do other than tell Wim that she had taped all the conversations they’d had—as insurance on her life. And that if anything should happen to her or her kids, or to Peter, those tapes would end up with the police.
She’d land him with a life sentence.
I passed that on. He was briefly disturbed. He hadn’t seen this coming. He concluded that Sonja is so stupid that she would have had to do this with someone else. She couldn’t have thought of this, couldn’t have the proper equipment.
Usually when somebody does something he doesn’t like, he explodes. But it’s different when it’s really about something that can get him into trouble. Then he remains cool and collected, analyzes the situation right away, and thinks up a strategy. A counterattack.
After I told him, he stopped and stood still, right in front of me. His eyes seemed to look right through me.
My heart beat in my throat. God, he was onto me! I had pushed this game too far; he would frisk me on the spot and find the recording device.
I thought I might vomit.
I started talking, knowing that contradicting him is no use in these situations. Of course, yes. She is indeed too stupid to act alone. She can’t even transfer money electronically, let alone anything involving technical equipment. She’d have to be doing this with someone else. But who?
W: “With Peter. They thought of this together. They’re playing a game with me.”
Oh, God. I couldn’t have Wim suspecting me, but I didn’t want Peter to take the blame. I felt guilty. Poor Peter had no idea how deep in we were. Sonja and I had chosen this strategy, but beyond helping with the initial contact, Peter had nothing to do with it, and now he was going to get the blame.
A: “No, I don’t believe that. Peter wouldn’t do that.”
W: “What about Francis?”
A: “Certainly not.”
I felt these denials made him trust me more. I was clearly the only other person who could have helped her, but I didn’t take the bait of trying to divert attention away from myself.
He relaxed.
W: “You’ll see to it that I get those tapes. I’ll see you tonight.”
Thank God, I was safe—for now. As long as he can use me, I thought, I’m okay.
That morning had had such an impact on my nerves that I couldn’t handle using the bugging equipment that evening when I met up with Wim again to discuss the tapes. But the conversation is etched in my memory.
We took off from Sandra’s and walked through East Amsterdam.
A: “No, she says she has them [the tapes] in a safe place. And she’s not going to tell me where, because when push comes to shove, I’m with you.”
W: “What a fucking bitch. I knew it. Is she talking to the police?”
A: “How should I know? Why would she hide those tapes if she is already talking to the police?”
W: “She is talking to the police. I don’t care. You know what I’ll do to people who talk to the police. But with her, I’m going to take a different approach. I’m going to let her die really slowly. Really let her suffer. First her children, her grandchild, then her. I won’t have her shot. I’ll have her tortured. For days.”
A: “Well, she says that if something happens to her or her kids, the tapes will go to the police. So that wouldn’t be wise. It won’t be any good to you.”
W: “I don’t care. Is she abroad?”
A: “Why would she be?”
W: “I don’t know what she’s up to. She is doing this with Peter.”
A: “No, I don’t believe that. He wouldn’t dare.”
I had to deflect suspicion away from myself. I told him Sonja had betrayed me as well.
A: “She says, ‘I taped you, too. All the messages he gave, that you passed on, that he would have my children shot dead. Peter and me. I’ve got it all. And more, because I have been recording for a long time.’”
W: “So she’s going to hang you, too. The bitch. She’s going to hang you, too.”
A: “How? I only delivered the messages. I was merely helping. I’ll just deny that you told me. Then it stops with me.”
W: “She’s going to hang you. She’s a dirty traitor. How long has she been recording?”
A: “I don’t know. She won’t tell me. But keep thinking straight. Think about what you’ve said to her, what she can do with it. You never make a slip.”
W: “I just acted a bit angrily. But of course, I have no idea how long she’s been recording and whether she talks to the police. What she’ll say to them. I need those tapes. And I’ll get them. For sure. I’ll just drag her off the street and torture her until she tells me where they are. I’ll break every bone in her body. Cut her to pieces.”
A: “Get a grip!”
W: “Get a grip? I will! She had it coming. She should have expected this.”
A: “I’ll go search her house, see if I can find them.”
W: “Yeah, start searching. The fucking bitch. This has to be solved.”
I got the feeling that we’d overplayed our hand. He was so eerily relaxed; this wasn’t going the way we’d hoped. I had to turn things back, but how?
I went back to him.
A: “Well, I’ve spent hours with her, and I think she’s bluffing: she’s got nothing. She’s not well. She’s just threatening.”
W: “You think?”
A: “Yes, I know her like no one else. She can’t get anything done. She can’t even switch on a computer. She’s a moron.”
If I wanted to come across as trustworthy, I’d have to tear her down to the ground.
A: “But I get her, she’s afraid of you, afraid you will have her children killed. She hasn’t got a clue what to do next. It’s a leap in the dark.”
W: “She is scared, isn’t she? She should be.”
A: “I think she really regrets saying this. She was nervous as hell.”
W: “I understand. She knows what I’m like. Or she’s in it with Peter, she does have tapes, and they are playing games.”
A: “Well, I don’t see why.”
W: “You don’t know, do you? You don’t know what they’re up to.”
A: “Well, I think they’re bluffing.”
W: “Really?”
A: “I’m sure of it.”
W: “Well, we’ll see.”