A million and a half
Serkan, brother, we've been set up. This is a trap.
We have to get out of here.
How?
Serkan
75% of our suppliers have been burned by the raid at the Festival Shop.
This is really going to eat into our stock.
We have enough stock for a few weeks, so that gives us some time.
I wanted to talk to you about Bouman and his partner.
I received a police report.
The two of them were at the Festival Shop just before the raid.
Could be a coincidence.
Or they could be working as police informants.
- Ferry Bouman? - I don't know.
But I do know they lied
about their connections with the Festival Shop.
Then let's end our collaboration with them.
No, not yet.
Because if everything's okay, we could really use his pills.
But we need to be 100% sure.
I know Ferry.
But I don't know Peter.
- Timur, arrange a meeting with him. - Okay.
Hello?
So this is where the magic happens.
Far away from everything.
My buddy won't be back from New York for another two months.
Is there running water? A drain? Enough electricity?
We don't want this place to burn down because the wires can't handle it.
Let's just do the test batch first, and then we'll see.
I wouldn't count on being invited for baklava
because you can deliver 40,000 pills.
So make sure you're ready for the real work.
Oh, this is Lars. Lars, this is Peter.
This is the cop who put you in jail?
Must be weird.
- Is there a problem? - Why would there be a problem?
You haven't said a word all day and you act like a stranger.
I need to know if I can count on you.
Everything is fine.
Yusuf's body was released this morning. It's ready for repatriation to Turkey.
May his soul rest in peace.
He deserves a final resting place at home. And I will do what I can to help.
Our family is grateful for that.
I'll arrange the meeting.
- Can we trust that cook? - Of course. He's Daan's brother.
Are you serious?
Daan doesn't know about it, and Lars will keep his mouth shut.
- He will? Why? - He promised her to stay away from drugs.
He had a few problems once, but that's over now.
So you're putting a drug addict in our lab to make pills. Great idea.
Do you have a better plan? Other candidates?
Do you want to take a course in ecstasy cooking?
Lars is the best cook I know, man.
I'll admit he's a little odd, but he's clean. Everything will be fine.
Come on, let's unload.
Lars. The van needs to go back to Daan.
Patrick wants to see us. There's a problem.
This is included in the report on the raid.
Goddamnit.
They were tipped off by one of our people, so Leyla will probably see this too.
Do you know what these Turks do with rats?
Your fucking amateurism is ruining my reputation.
- I quit. I'm out of here. - Hey, get back here.
- Have you forgotten about our deal? - Our deal? Just put me back in jail, then.
- Don't worry, that can be arranged. - Better to be in jail than dead.
What's wrong? Is the great Ferry Bouman scared?
No, I'm not scared.
I just don't like taking unnecessary risks. Never have.
- No? - No. You should know that.
Don't fool yourself, man. You need this, and so do I.
We're not quitting.
Timur.
Leyla wants to see you. She wants to rent a warehouse from you.
That's quick.
It's a test.
So make sure you're prepared.
Let me know. See you.
Thanks for making time for me on such short notice.
No problem.
Shall we go in?
So you rent out warehouses all over Belgium?
If I have to. But most are here in the harbor.
Easy to get stuff in and out quickly. I've hardly ever had problems or checks.
That's good. No one likes problems.
That's why this warehouse is ideal.
Not because of the space, but because of the location.
Between the wharves and the cops' scanner.
Ideal if you want to remove or swap something.
Some people leave a mess behind, but don't worry.
I always make sure everything's clean before I rent it out to new customers.
Clean is good.
So this was your childhood dream? Cleaning up and renting out warehouses?
No. I've only been doing this for a few years.
And before that?
I owned a company that imported and exported natural stone, Qualistone.
But I switch to a new sector every few years, to stay under the radar.
So if I want to store something, you can help me with that.
No questions asked.
My clients' privacy is sacred.
I only work with people I can trust.
People who are honest with me.
I'm not looking for short-term connections.
Neither am I.
There's something you need to know about your deal with Ferry and me.
- There is? - The Festival Shop.
I told you we weren't customers there, but we did stop by there.
One of our cooks told me about their prices.
It was very tempting. It turned out to be too good to be true.
We went by there the next day to make a deal, and they were closed.
So we went back to our original plan: China.
More expensive, but safer.
You got lucky.
The police executed a raid there.
I heard.
I must have a good guardian angel.
Alright, I've heard enough.
Let me know what your price is for this warehouse
and I'll think about it.
Thanks for the tour.
And for your honesty.
- Can we still expect a delivery? - Ferry will be in touch with you.
I want you to check out a company. Qualistone.
Okay.
So what did you think?
He had a good explanation. But I still don't know if I can trust him.
What's up? I brought you breakfast.
- How are things going here? - Twenty kilos, as requested.
We've missed you so much.
My babies.
- Well done, man. - Thanks.
I do need the money. They want an advance for my teeth.
- When am I getting paid? - Patience.
You're going to make so much money, you'll be able to afford 32 gold teeth.
You can start by making some more pills. See you later.
See you.
Goddamnit.
Yeah, yeah.
- What? - Where are they?
- Where are what? - The pills you took.
What are you talking about?
Take your filthy hands off my stuff.
Those pills are at the lab, all 40,000 of them.
- Like we agreed upon with Leyla. - And those 4 bags you took an hour ago?
Are you fucking spying on me?
Do you really think I trust you with four barrels of PMK, alone?
Give those pills back.
I'm not giving anything back, and you won't find anything either.
I'm going to sell those pills to cover my expenses.
- Expenses? - Yes.
I have to pay for the lab, pay for Lars, pay for this shitty house
I have to eat, I need booze or I won't even last 5 minutes
and I have to work or I'll go back to jail
so I have to pay someone to deal with that. What did you think?
I'm not the fucking Salvation Army.
You think I have it easy?
I really don't give a fuck.
If you guys can't or won't take care of me, I'll do it myself.
And if you don't like it, you can fuck right off.
What are you going to do about it? Call the cops?
There he is.
- Twelve thousand euros? - Make sure to count it.
All there.
Back to school, punk.
Half of that is mine.
Just sell your pills.
What will you do with it?
The same as with the other 20,000 euros? Should I phone Patrick about that?
That's what I thought.
I'll give it back later.
Yeah, sure.
You want me to tell him we didn't need it because we committed a robbery?
I'll give Patrick back the money after the next big deal.
Alright, but half that envelope is mine.
That money stays in my pocket. Don't like it? Come and get it.
I will.
- Stop it. - .... you.
- Stay out of this. - .... you.
So, how did it go with Bouman?
The pills have been delivered, and it's good quality.
And Peter?
Mehmet did a background check on him.
The Qualistone story seems to check out.
But...?
Apparently, as soon as they were alone, they nearly got into a fist fight.
- So? - I told you, I'm not taking risks anymore.
I don't think we're in a position to be picky.
If they pass the test, we have to do business with them.
Okay.
- Is that the money for Reinhard? - Yes.
- Be careful. - Okay.
Yes?
Hey. Leyla's happy about the quality. She wants to see us.
In an hour, at her party venue. Can you pick me up?
Alright, see you soon.
- I just got a call. I have to go. - Okay.
- What time is our ob/gyn appointment? - Two o'clock.
I'll be back on time. I just have to talk to someone.
Okay.
So you were happy with the quality?
We're ready to talk about upscaling things, yes.
And if that goes well, upscaling even more.
That is, if you're interested.
Of course.
But not under the same conditions.
- We want to be clear about that. - We can talk about those.
As long as the deal remains interesting for both parties.
Listen...
You guys are having problems. We're not.
I like to think long-term.
In the long term we'll lose our advantage.
Our competitors will find new ways to obtain precursors
and who says you'll give us a decent price then?
The market is a two-way street, so we want a good price now.
If we're going to collaborate, I want to make payment arrangements first.
We're listening.
Not here.
I want you to come with me to Turkey.
My financial advisor there handles all my financial matters.
Financial advisor. What kind of bullshit is that?
We give you pills, and you pay us. That's it.
I don't pay in cash.
Not when it concerns such large sums. Too dangerous.
Okay, when are we going?
- Right now. - Right now?
I'm on parole. I can't just go abroad.
Shouldn't be a problem. I have a private jet at the ready.
We'll be back tomorrow. In and out without anyone noticing.
You'll be my guests.
- Nothing will happen to you. - Can't that advisor of yours come here?
Perhaps I wasn't clear.
I am going to Turkey for a funeral, and I would like to combine the two.
I thought you wanted to collaborate at short notice?
It's like you said.
In the long term, you'll lose your advantage.
We need to have a chat.
I don't trust that witch.
If we want to find out who the mole is, we have to create a bond with them.
- If we don't go, we'll lose them. - They'll eat us alive in Turkey.
That's not true. If she wanted us dead, we'd be dead by now.
This is our chance to get to know them better.
Fuck.
Welcome to my world.
Okay.
Good. Our car is in the back. Mehmet will drive us to the airplane.
I just need to make a phone call first.
Here, you phone Patrick. Tell him we're leaving for Turkey.
"Kasper Verbrugge, lawyer."
We can't carry around his real name.
That's our trump card, in case things turn sour.
You've reached Nathalie. I'm not here, so please leave a message.
Honey, I have bad news. I'm leaving for Turkey unexpectedly.
I'll be back tomorrow, but I'm going to miss our appointment.
I'm sorry. I hope this is over soon.
I'll try to call you later to hear how the echo went, okay?
If something comes up, phone Patrick, he knows everything. Sorry again.
An echo?
- Got a little Bob on the way? - Shut up.
At your age? I don't envy you.
What time are we meeting that advisor of yours?
Later. Get some rest and relaxation first.
And if you need anything, just ask room service.
We'll pay for it, of course. Here you go, Ferry, this is your room.
- Thanks. - You're welcome.
What is this?
You can't be serious.
Before we continue to do business and share financial secrets
I have some questions.
I don't do business like this. Either you trust me, or you don't.
And your machine doesn't register lies, only fear and irritation.
These people know what they're doing.
They do this all the time for their corporate clients.
You know how these things work?
The cops once tried to use one on me. I refused, because it's bullshit.
You take everything so personally.
This is how I do business with all my new contacts.
It's like a job interview.
What if I don't want to?
You'll get to enjoy Turkish hospitality, but this will be our last meeting.
I have nothing to hide.
Five questions. If you don't trust me then, we're done.
Five is too few. This isn't a negotiation.
No? Isn't this how you do business?
Five questions, or nothing.
Six questions.
Whatever.
I'll ask the questions. The operator only speaks Turkish.
I'll start with some control questions, to establish your normal...
I know what control questions are.
I'm not surprised.
Is it Wednesday today?
Yes.
Are we in Belgium?
No.
Is your name Peter Bogaert?
Yes.
You need to relax more.
You want to come sit here?
Just breathe calmly, okay?
Do you have children?
Yes.
How many?
None of your business.
Was that your first question?
No, this is my first question. I'm going to begin.
- Have you ever deceived business partners? - No.
Did you know Ferry before he went to prison?
Yes.
Was there conflict between you?
No.
Did you go to the Festival Shop to buy PMK?
Yes.
Are you a cop, or an informant?
That's two questions.
Let me put it differently. Do you work for the cops?
Is that why I'm here? Because you think I'm a cop?
- Just a simple yes or no. - No.
So you didn't talk to the police about the Festival Shop?
I did.
Did you tip them off?
You're out of questions.
The cops visited me because I was on the Festival Shop's CCTV.
They didn't find anything.
You know why? Because I make sure to cover my tracks.
Those bastards just wanted me to know that they knew I'd been there.
So you're on their radar, and I'm supposed to trust you?
You really think the cops aren't after you and Serkan?
You fucking dragged me to Turkey claiming it was to meet someone.
Turns out it's basically a kidnapping. And you want to talk to me about trust?
Come on now.
Everyone get out. Now.
Let me know when you're ready to do real business.
So?
Undecided. Especially the last part.
He was too worked up to pick up the stress signals.
Bob, is everything okay?
They made me undergo a lie detector test. Leyla asked if I was working for the cops.
Fuck.
- So? - Well, you know how it works.
Got myself worked up during the control questions
and thought happy thoughts during the lies.
I think I managed to mislead the machine, but I had to take some risks.
I don't want you taking risks. If you're in danger, get out of there.
I can't. I don't have a passport or visa.
If it gets to that, I'll stick my neck out for you.
I'll talk my way out of it.
I see you've settled in nicely.
So this is the famous Turkish hospitality?
- A five-star hostage-taking? - No, of course not.
But there are protests and police all over the city.
You're here without a visa. I don't want you to get in trouble.
I've ordered all these people to take good care of you.
Maybe they take their jobs a little too seriously, but...
I'll make it up to you.
Tonight I'll take you to the best restaurant in the city.
Best hurry up, I'm fed up with this bar.
I told Peter to meet us at the lobby in half an hour.
How long have you been working together?
About six years.
How did you meet?
Mutual acquaintances.
He did some things for me through Qualistone.
When he started the warehouse thing, I jumped in.
Right. So you're good partners?
What is this, a quiz?
No. But I sometimes feel like there's some discord between you two.
Disagreements happen in every good marriage.
Yes.
What are you getting at?
You're important to us, Ferry.
We know what you're worth.
Who you are.
But Peter is a different story.
I trust Peter.
Completely.
Alright. I'm going to get ready. I'll see you at the lobby in 30 minutes.
Goddamnit, man, where were you?
That witch is asking questions about us.
Tell me about it. They made me undergo a lie detector test.
If we want to make it out alive, we'd better learn to pretend to get along.
There she is.
Hey, can you get the car ready? Thanks.
Gentlemen, thank you for your patience.
I know I've asked a lot of you, but...
I feel reassured.
I suggest we leave all this behind us, and focus on the future.
Are you coming?
- Salaam alaikum. - Alaikum salaam.
- My condolences. - Thanks.
Everything's ready for the funeral tomorrow.
This is what you are entitled to. I know it won't bring Yusuf back
but at least you won't have to feel guilty.
Tell him.
We sent our son to Belgium so he could have a better life.
You promised us you'd look after him.
But now we get Yusuf back in a coffin.
Where is my son?
You are not welcome at the funeral tomorrow.
Shame on you. My son is dead because of you.
You're right, it's my fault. I feel awful. I'm so very sorry.
Where is my son? Where is he?
My son. My Yusuf. Where is he?
You've sullied our family's honor. You're no longer welcome here.
Please forgive me, in God's name.
Please forgive me. Please.
It's De Boei, where Lars lives.
Danielle speaking.
Good evening, Ms. Van Marken. Sorry for disturbing you at this hour.
Do you know where your brother is?
No, I don't.
This is the second evening in a row that Lars hasn't come back to sleep here
and we're worried, because he's not picking up his phone.
Oh, shit. No, I have no idea.
I'll try to call him as well.
Can you let me know if there are developments?
- No problem, we will. - Okay. Thank you.
INCOMING CALL DAAN CELL
Ferry. Peter.
This is my good friend from Switzerland, Reinhard Kung.
- I'm Ferry. Let's eat, I'm hungry.
I like you.
So I was saying...
Reinhard is an excellent lawyer, and he's my personal bank.
Who is keen to hide any trace that can be traced between me and my partners.
Look, my family is very rich.
Even for "Singapore" standards.
We have a lot of institutional accounts there,
So no one asks any questions about my money flowing in and out.
So I make sure that Lyla's money gets to one of her accounts.
But it is only the first step of the process.
Yes, because you have to find a way to transfer Laila's money to our account
without tracking.
Exactly.
Gentlemen, have you heard of Iolta?
AYOLTA is the Fiduciary Advocate Account.
It is a credit account established by American law firms to withdraw clients' money.
For example, when short-term payments are avoided
For commercial deals or real estate transactions.
This is where the magic happens.
Laila, do you have a coin?
You should consider taking up magic as a profession, my dear.
But I'm really charming, my dear.
Do you see this coin? Of course.
Everyone sees it. She gave it to me.
As for now...
gone.
But where did you go?
It's in Iolta.
Iolta is my jacket pocket.
Now you can see that I'm get this coin out of Iolta's pocket.
But if someone you aske, "How did you get it in?" I will not tell him.
This is the magician's secret.
So your attorney and client privacy protects you.
Exactly.
So With that money, a property is bought.
by a shell company in the Seychelles,
sells the equity to another fictitious company,
That is controled by you gentlemen.
I assure you…
when I'm done with your money, the police won't be able to take it from you.
Not like last time, Mr. Bowman.
Do you hear my friend?
We gone tobe rich.
A toast!
How is it said in Turkish? - Sheriff.
Sharif.
So you have kids?
A son and a daughter.
And you?
Also two kids.
A girl named Emine, and a boy named Halil.
Emine just started secondary school.
Mine are a bit older. My daughter goes to college in France.
And your son?
I don't see him very often. He lives with his mother.
You're divorced?
He still struggles with that.
Doesn't pick up his phone when I call him.
I haven't always been a good father.
It pains me to hear that.
My children are my everything. I'd do anything for them.
Is that why you're so cautious?
Yes.
The one time I failed to be cautious, Serkan nearly died.
I'll never get my old husband back.
He and I would have been dancing over there.
A rip deal with Somalis.
I should have known.
They changed the location at the very last minute.
You still struggle with it, don't you?
Yes. I should have been smarter.
That's why I double-check everything now.
After what happened, I know I can't trust my gut feeling alone.
Although I have a good feeling about you.
Then I think I've earned the right to ask some questions.
A lie detector test. A sort of quid pro quo.
Okay, but how will you know whether I'm speaking the truth?
Your heartbeat.
You get three questions.
Choose wisely.
Have you ever deceived a business partner?
No.
Strong business relationships yield the most benefits.
And they're built through mutual respect.
But it has to come from both sides. If it doesn't, I can be ruthless.
That wasn't a lie.
Second question.
How much money have you made so far?
A lot.
That's not an answer.
The hotel we're staying at? I own half of it.
Last question.
Am I wrong, or have you been sending me signals all evening?
What?
Now you're going too far.
- I'm married, and I love my husband. - That's not what I meant.
Leyla, I drank too much.
Bring me back to the hotel.
- What's wrong? - I said the wrong thing.
Goddamnit. Did she really leave?
.... I have to fix this.
I moved too fast.
Don't worry about Laila.
Sometimes she is quarrelsome, but she will come to her senses.
Do you want to go out for a drink?
Just drove us to the hotel.
Are you sure? The night is still early and the girls are hot.
Or vice versa.
OK.
I will drive you to your hotel.
What is this?
Turkish drivers… they think they have the right to park anywhere.
calm down man.
Shit.
Yeah, and I've got two million in the trunk of Laila's.
- What?
Shit.
Perform your magic trick. Less money.
Open the window.
Good evening, officer.
What's the hurry, fellas?
Sorry, do you speak English or German?
Why are you so nervous?
My apologies. That's my fault.
Fault? Turn off the engine. Get out. You two as well.
Get out of the car.
Passport, please.
Are you this nervous in Switzerland? And you?
Where are you from?
- Belgium. - Belgium?
Passport, please. You too.
We can't, we don't have...
NEXT TIME
I can feel something's wrong.
- Did he call you? - No.
You come into my house to tell me this? And you think it?
A Swiss man, a Dutch man and a Belgian man
They enter Turkey with two million euros in a suitcase.
Like the beginning of a joke, right?
I don't trust you.
This cannot lead back to me.
Damnit.
Goddamnit.