Van der Valk is a British television crime drama series produced for the ITV network. The first series ran from 1972 to 1992; followed by a remake in 2020. Created by Nicolas Freeling and based on his novels about a detective in Amsterdam, Barry Foster played the titular character, Simon "Piet" van der Valk, in the original series. The updated version was created and written by Chris Murray, with Marc Warren reviving the van der Valk role.
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Van der Valk | |
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![]() Title card of the 2020 series | |
Genre | Crime dramaMystery |
Created by | Nicolas Freeling (original)Chris Murray (remake) |
Starring |
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Theme music composer | Jack Trombey |
Opening theme | Eye Level (original) |
Country of origin | United Kingdom |
Original language | English |
No. of series | 5 (original)2 (remake) |
No. of episodes | 32 (original)6 (remake) (list of episodes) |
Production | |
Executive producers |
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Producers |
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Production location | Netherlands |
Cinematography |
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Editors |
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Running time |
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Production companies | (original)
(remake)
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Distributor | (original)
(remake)
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Release | |
Original network | ITV |
Audio format |
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Original release | Original series:13 September 1972 (1972-09-13) – 19 February 1992 (1992-02-19)Remake:26 April 2020 (2020-04-26) – |
The first three series were produced between 1972 and 1977, with two more being commissioned in 1991 and 1992. The 2020 remake was again produced for ITV. The new series debuted in the United Kingdom on 26 April 2020, and the second series began airing in the UK on 7 August 2022. The third series has completed filming and is due for release in 2023.
Adaptations of the original stories have also been made for film and radio. Overall, Van der Valk has received positive reviews from critics.
The original series were all produced by Thames Television for the ITV network. The first and second series were recorded on 2" quadruplex videotape at Thames' Teddington Studios in London, with location scenes shot in Amsterdam on 16mm film. The third series was generally made on location, entirely on 16mm film, by Thames's subsidiary Euston Films. The fourth series was recorded on Panasonic MII videotape, with location shooting on 35mm film. Series five was similarly shot, but with the studio recording on D-3 videotape. The final two series were transmitted in stereo sound using the NICAM system. Network released all five series on Region 2 DVD on 22 October 2007.
The television series was based on the characters and atmosphere, but not the plots, of the original novels. The stories mostly take place in and around Amsterdam, where Commissaris van der Valk is a cynical yet intuitive detective. Drugs, sex and murder are among the gritty themes of the casework, presented in contrast to the picturesque locations and the upbeat theme music (see below).
In the opening credits of the first series, Van der Valk is standing inside the tower of the Westerkerk.
Van der Valk contrasts with his naïve assistant, Inspecteur Johnny Kroon, played by Michael Latimer (only in the first two series), and his superior, Hoofd-commissaris Samson, who deals with the political fallout of the cases. Samson was played by three actors over the course of the show: Martin Wyldeck for two episodes in 1972, Nigel Stock for 12 episodes in 1977, and Ronald Hines for the revival in 1991–92. Van der Valk's French wife Arlette was played by three actresses over the course of the show's twenty-year run: initially by Susan Travers, Joanna Dunham for the third series, and finally Meg Davies for the revival in 1991–92. Other actors in the series included Alan Haines, who played Brig Mertens, and Richard Huw, who played Van der Valk's son Wim, also a police detective, in the revival.
Series 1 and 2 are set at the art nouveau Politiebureau no. 14 at Leidseplein 15, while series 3 to 5 show the Amsterdam police headquarters at Marnixstraat 260-264.
The signature theme, "Eye Level", was composed by Jack Trombey (a pseudonym of Dutch composer Jan Stoeckart) and was performed by the Simon Park Orchestra.[1] It reached number one on the UK Singles Chart in 1973.[1] Also that year, Matt Monro charted with a vocal version titled "And You Smiled".[citation needed] In the final TV series, the theme was played at a slightly faster tempo than previously.[citation needed]
Van der Valk returned to ITV as an updated new series in 2020,[2] with Marc Warren playing the title role.[3] Created and written by Chris Murray,[4] continuity with the original series is not preserved in the remake, with revised and new characters, as well as new storylines, introduced.[5][6] In the reboot, Piet is unmarried and his sidekick Lucienne Hassell is lesbian.[7] A key riff from the original series' distinctive theme music ("Eye Level"), however, is echoed in the new theme music.[1]
The remake is produced by Company Pictures, NL Film, ARD Degeto, and PBS, with All3Media as international distributor.[8]
In May 2020, Warren confirmed that the show would return for a second series, although production might be delayed due to the COVID-19 pandemic.[9] Nevertheless, with actors, crew, and logistics established, filming on season 2 began with safety measures in place on 3 June 2021.[10][11]
A third series was commissioned on 11 April 2022.[12][13] Filming on Series 3 was completed in August 2022.[14]
Season 1 was filmed entirely in Amsterdam.[15] Locations include the American Hotel, the Rijksmuseum, Achtergracht, NDSM, the Tommy Hilfiger HQ on Danzigerkade on the Houthaven and REM Eiland.[citation needed]
Season 2 was filmed in Amsterdam, Utrecht, and The Hague. Locations include Scheveningen Pier, the Muziekgebouw, A'DAM Tower, and Café Scheltema.[16][17]
The 2020 remake premiered in the United Kingdom on ITV on 26 April 2020,[18][19] with season 1 consisting of three 90-minute episodes.[18]
In the Netherlands, Van der Valk debut on NPO 1 on 1 January 2020.[20][21] In Germany, the series premiered on ARD.[citation needed] In the United States, it debut on PBS on 13 September 2020.[22]
In Australia, it premiered on ABC.[citation needed] In New Zealand, on Vibe on 25 May 2020.[23][24] In Belgium, it debut on VRT.[citation needed]
The second series debut in the UK on 7 August 2022.[25] In the U.S., on 25 September 2022.[26][27]
Van der Valk Season 1 was released on DVD in Region 2 in 2002.[citation needed] The remaining seasons were not released until "The Complete Series" box set on 22 October 2007.[citation needed] The box set was re-released by Network on 20 August 2018.[28] In Region 4, Shock Entertainment released "The Complete Collection" box set on 18 September 2013,[29] and was re-released by Via Vision Entertainment on 2 June 2021.[30]
DVD Releases | |||
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Season | Region 1 | Region 2 | Region 4 |
1–5 | TBA | 22 October 2007
20 August 2018 (Network) |
18 September 2013 (Shock Entertainment)
2 June 2021 (Via Vision Entertainment) |
Season 1 was released on DVD in Region 2 on 11 May 2020,[31] and in Region 4 on 20 May 2020.[32] It was released in Region 1 on 13 October 2020.[citation needed]
Season 2 was released first in Region 4 on 13 April 2022,[citation needed] followed by Region 2 on 22 August 2022,[33] and Region 1 on 11 October 2022.[citation needed]
DVD Releases | |||
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Season | Region 1 | Region 2 | Region 4 |
1 | 13 October 2020 | 11 May 2020 | 20 May 2020 |
2 | 11 October 2022 | 22 August 2022 | 13 April 2022 |
Episode | Title | Written by | Directed by | Original airdate | |
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1 | "One Herring's Not Enough" | Michael Chapman | Dennis Vance | 13 September 1972 (1972-09-13) | |
When a man confesses to the double murder of his wife and her lover it seems an open-and-shut case; but as one part after another of the man's story doesn't check out, Van der Valk realises he is dealing with something far more complicated - the murder was committed seven years earlier. | |||||
2 | "Destroying Angel" | Michael Chapman | Graham Evans | 20 September 1972 (1972-09-20) | |
A man is found dead in his room above a sleazy bar and brothel. Van der Valk is called in when the examining doctor suspects poisoning. Immediately sensing there is more to the case than meets the eye, he uncovers a complicated web involving drug dealing and the grubbier end of Amsterdam's S & M industry. Ultimately though, he finds the motive for the man's murder may lay elsewhere and that "Destroying Angel" is definitely involved; but who, or what, is that? | |||||
3 | "Blue Notes" | Geoffrey Gilbert | Marc Miller | 27 September 1972 (1972-09-27) | |
When Jan Servaas, a world-famous Dutch violinist, makes a rare concert appearance in his home country it is an eagerly awaited event. In the weeks leading up to the concert Van der Valk receives a series of mysterious notes, written on blue paper, warning that Servaas will be "executed" if he comes to Amsterdam. Van der Valk ignores Kroon's pleas to have the concert canceled until the case is solved, perhaps in part because he and Arlette have tickets and are looking forward to it! It is a decision that will have tragic consequences as a drama which began with betrayal in wartime Limburg plays out to a fatal conclusion in 1970s Amsterdam. | |||||
4 | "Elected Silence" | Geoffrey Gilbert | Douglas Camfield | 4 October 1972 (1972-10-04) | |
Officers investigating a hearse abandoned near the Royal Palace make a bizarre discovery which appears to be a threat against Paul Harkemer, well-known editor of a right-wing magazine, and/or his 19-year-old daughter. At first it appears that it may be nothing more than a publicity stunt for the left-wing rock band Emerald Scorpion, and Harkemer himself seems totally unconcerned. The case seems to be over before it began, but then the police receive a cassette tape from someone claiming to be the kidnapper of Harkemer's daughter. | |||||
5 | "Thicker Than Water" | Geoffrey Gilbert | David Wickes | 11 October 1972 (1972-10-11) | |
A body dredged up from a canal is tentatively identified as the son of a British MP, but when she views the body she says it is not her son. Van der Valk refuses to believe this and calls on his British colleagues to help prove the boy's identity. The boy's face is well-known in Amsterdam's transvestite and transsexual scene, and Van der Valk's inquiries there lead him deeper and deeper into a dark world of sexual depravity and exploitation involving some of the most prominent public figures in Europe. Samson desperately advises him to proceed with extreme caution. In the face of the mother's refusal to co-operate, Van der Valk finds his best hope is to look elsewhere in the family for help. | |||||
6 | "The Adventurer" | Michael Chapman | Peter Duguid | 18 October 1972 (1972-10-18) | |
Why would German Wolf Gebhardt (Paul Eddington) decide, in middle age, to take up an apprenticeship in stonemasonry in Amsterdam? Why would a man killed in a car accident be carrying a newspaper cutting with a photo of Gebhardt? Van der Valk senses that Gebhardt is in danger and even attempts to have him taken into protective custody when he refuses to co-operate with inquiries. Short on options, Van der Valk makes a fatal misjudgement before he finally unravels this complex and frustrating case. |
Episode | Title | Written by | Directed by | Original airdate | |
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1 | "A Death by the Sea" | Philip Broadley | Don Leaver | 29 August 1973 (1973-08-29) | |
Van Teesling (Patrick Allen), a wealthy and influential banker, is found unconscious in his car on the beach. He tells police that the night before he and his wife went for a drunken midnight swim. His wife drowned while he barely escaped with his life. Van der Valk's nose is twitching, but he is put under pressure not to pursue the case. When Kroon discovers that Van Teesling is a former Olympic swimmer, Van der Valk is convinced that he staged the incident to get rid of his wife. Van der Valk is determined to use any means to ensure that justice is done. | |||||
2 | "A Man of No Importance" | Arden Winch | Douglas Camfield | 5 September 1973 (1973-09-05) | |
Van der Valk investigates when the body of a man wearing only pyjama trousers is discovered on a canal barge. | |||||
3 | "A Rose from Mr. Reinhart" | Peter Yeldham | Mike Vardy | 12 September 1973 (1973-09-12) | |
Arlette van der Valk is concerned about the safety of Karen Seger, an attractive young woman that she and the children know from visits to the park. She asks her husband to meet the woman and consider whether she might need police protection. | |||||
4 | "A Dangerous Point of View" | Jeremy Paul | Jim Goddard | 19 September 1973 (1973-09-19) | |
The body of a man who has been stabbed to death is discovered in a flat. Van der Valk must find out why the dead man was there and who could have known about it. | |||||
5 | "Season for Love" | Philip Broadley | Mike Vardy | 26 September 1973 (1973-09-26) | |
Van der Valk agrees to help a rich American woman (Lisa Daniely) who is looking for a young man who has gone missing in Amsterdam, but soon discovers that it is the woman who may be in real danger. | |||||
6 | "Rich Man, Poor Man" | David Butler | Douglas Camfield | 3 October 1973 (1973-10-03) | |
A worker at a firm that reconditions farm machinery is injured in an explosion at the premises. The man insists he caused the accident himself, but van der Valk is convinced that he is covering up the truth. | |||||
7 | "The Rainbow Ends Here" | Philip Broadley | Graham Evans | 10 October 1973 (1973-10-10) | |
The sister of tycoon Evert Stolle is kidnapped, but her brother does not want the police to get involved. |
Episode | Title | Written by | Directed by | Original airdate | |
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1 | "Enemy" | Paul Wheeler | Mike Vardy | 5 September 1977 (1977-09-05) | |
The lives of Piet and Arlette van der Valk are threatened. (This episode was repeated on ITV as part of the Thames 21st Birthday celebrations in 1989.)[citation needed] | |||||
2 | "Accidental" | Ted Childs | Tom Clegg | 12 September 1977 (1977-09-12) | |
An international scandal over charges of corruption in high places emerges, and the chief prosecutor disappears. | |||||
3 | "The Runt" | Leslie Sands | Mike Vardy | 19 September 1977 (1977-09-19) | |
A likeable rogue, a small-time thief and con-man, for whom Van der Valk develops a grudging affection. But the thief suddenly becomes wealthy and also seems to be connected with an important family. The pressures are on Van der Valk to find out why, but without embarrassing too many people. | |||||
4 | "Wolf" | Philip Broadley | Mike Vardy | 26 September 1977 (1977-09-26) | |
A young German is murdered in his bed. The apartment is littered with clues. For Van der Valk there is a clue too many. | |||||
5 | "Man of Iron" | Michael Chapman | William Brayne | 3 October 1977 (1977-10-03) | |
When one of Van der Valk's close friends suffers a series of apparently pointless attacks, he finds himself looking for a mysterious hidden enemy who could strike at any second. | |||||
6 | "Everybody Does It" | Philip Broadley | Ben Bolt | 10 October 1977 (1977-10-10) | |
Arlette van der Valk picks up a dubious bargain and inadvertently gets her husband caught up with a crime syndicate. | |||||
7 | "Face Value" | Robert Wales | Mike Vardy | 17 October 1977 (1977-10-17) | |
Van der Valk investigates a case of forgery and uncovers a dead artist and a strange collection of pictures. | |||||
8 | "Dead on Arrival" | Patrick O'Brian | Ted Childs | 24 October 1977 (1977-10-24) | |
A Dutch clairvoyant is invited to Britain to assist with an old murder investigation. Bob Hoskins had a role in this episode, shot entirely at Heathrow and London. | |||||
9 | "The Professor" | Roger Marshall | Ted Childs | 31 October 1977 (1977-10-31) | |
A university professor, using a false name, is found shot dead in a hotel room. Van der Valk discovers the professors has been taking sexual advantage of his students and taking photographs of them. | |||||
10 | "In Hazard" | Paul Wheeler | William Brayne | 7 November 1977 (1977-11-07) | |
Van der Valk has reason to doubt a beautiful woman's story. | |||||
11 | "Gold Plated Delinquents" | Roger Marshall | Tom Clegg | 14 November 1977 (1977-11-14) | |
Some spoiled rich kids in search of new thrills cause a headache for Van der Valk. | |||||
12 | "Diane" | Philip Broadley | Mike Vardy | 21 November 1977 (1977-11-21) | |
A woman who has been trying to escape the past finds that it catches up with her in Amsterdam. |
Episode | Title | Written by | Directed by | Original airdate | |
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1 | "Doctor Hoffman's Children" | Jonathan Hales | Anthony Simmons | 16 January 1991 (1991-01-16) | |
Van der Valk investigates a series of murders, including a fall, a burning, a drowning, a dog attack and a shooting, all echoing stories from Struwwelpeter. He discovers that all of the victims attended the same village school during the Second World War and links them all to a tragic death during the Hunger Winter of 1944. | |||||
2 | "Dangerous Games" | Don Shaw | Jim Goddard | 23 January 1991 (1991-01-23) | |
Van der Valk plays cat-and-mouse with a leaker in police headquarters after his son Wim is accused of leaking vital police intelligence. | |||||
3 | "A Sudden Silence" | Keith Dewhurst | Herbert Wise | 30 January 1991 (1991-01-30) | |
Government minister Van Hoorn is killed as he attempts to flee the country. Van der Valk discovers that Van Hoorn had a secret identity and had been accepting bribes. He interrogates Van Hoorn's wife Melanie forcefully, but she does not reveal the identity of her husband's killer, a young research assistant who had fallen in love with her. Van der Valk suspects that she has incited the killer, but Samson instructs him to drop the case. As far as Samson is concerned, the case has been successfully closed, and press interest will soon quiet down. However, the murder of Van Hoorn's gay lover, machine-gunned from a counterfeit police car, is left unresolved on Dirk Boutsen's caseload. | |||||
4 | "The Little Rascals" | Peter Buckman | Alan Cooke | 6 February 1991 (1991-02-06) | |
An aging alternative comedian has been strangled. Van der Valk finds his investigation into the murder hampered at every turn. The body of the comedian's widow is fished out of a canal. The manager of the club where the comedian worked is the next to die. All three had been members of a society known as the Little Rascals at university, and other members find themselves the targets of a series of attacks. Van der Valk investigates and worries about a young woman whose parents have been affected by the incidents. |
Episode | Title | Written by | Directed by | Original airdate | |
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1 | "The Ties That Bind" | Kenneth Ware | Anthony Simmons | 5 February 1992 (1992-02-05) | |
The wife of a diamond merchant is shot and killed as she leaves a restaurant. Meanwhile, a former judge is shot dead and Van der Valk is brought in to solve the case. A suspect is apprehended, but confesses that someone else got to the judge first. Moreover, what is the connection between the judge's killing and a drug case Wim is investigating? | |||||
2 | "Proof of Life" | Keith Dewhurst | Tom Clegg | 12 February 1992 (1992-02-12) | |
When a businessman and his son are kidnapped, Van der Valk must establish whether the man's wife is involved. | |||||
3 | "Still Waters" | Stuart Hepburn | Herbert Wise | 19 February 1992 (1992-02-19) | |
A new sea barrier is at the centre of a row between senior Dutch politicians and the radical Green Party. When the row leads to murder, van der Valk is called in to investigate. |
No. | Title | Directed by | Written by | Original air date | UK viewers (millions) | |
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1 | "Love in Amsterdam" | Colin Teague | Chris Murray | 26 April 2020 (2020-04-26) | 7.13 | |
With elections looming, Van der Valk and his team delve into the worlds of art and politics as they investigate the seemingly unlinked murders of two innocents. | ||||||
2 | "Only in Amsterdam" | Max Porcelijn | Chris Murray | 3 May 2020 (2020-05-03) | 6.05 | |
An investigation into the murder of a young woman with an interest in medieval erotica becomes entangled with a nunnery, mystical academics, and a controversial drug clinic. | ||||||
3 | "Death in Amsterdam" | Jean van de Velde | Chris Murray | 10 May 2020 (2020-05-10) | 5.49 | |
The fashion industry, video bloggers and a graffiti artist come under investigation after a macabre murder. Van der Valk has flashbacks and a sexual liaison. |
Locations E02 "Only in Amsterdam": Het Veem (Houthaven), Laagte Kadijk, Scharrebiersluis, Plantage Parklaan, Nieuwe Teertuinen, (Prinseneilandsgracht)
No. | Title | Directed by | Written by | Original air date | UK viewers (millions) | |
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1 | "Plague on Amsterdam" | Jean van de Velde | Chris Murray | 7 August 2022 (2022-08-07) | 4.31 | |
Van der Valk is called in to investigate the grisly and theatrical murder of solicitor Susie de Windt. A cryptic note discovered within her jacket alludes to further murders and a link to philosopher Baruch de Spinoza is also uncovered. Job deduces that further notes on newer victims are different quotes by Spinoza, which also alludes to events Amsterdam went through in history with three Xs, including a flood and a fire. Van der Valk and his team also take down de Windt's husband, who is revealed to have blackmailed city hall to keep quiet about the eviction of people with a different life style. As the investigation narrows in a former run-by person, Tonie Alderlink, Job and Van der Valk deduce that is in fact the killer, and has compared himself and looked up to Spinoza. As Alderlink livestreams himself at a pier in The Hague, Van der Valk tries to talk him down, but the chief of police ultimately orders snipers to take Alderlink out. The bomb he was wearing is also revealed to have been fake, going against his last philosophy of God being killed.[34] | ||||||
2 | "Blood in Amsterdam" | André van Duren | Chris Murray | 14 August 2022 (2022-08-14) | 3.85 | |
When Ahmed Baykan, an employee of the renowned Cuypers Diamonds, is killed and his body delivered in pieces to the wealthy siblings and heirs to the company, Van der Valk and his team navigate a string of complicated family and staff affairs and consider a possible tale of revenge against the family. Among their findings are that following their mother's death, a new diamond was made in her honour, and a disgruntled employee, Jacob Prins, threatened to sue the company over the direction it was heading. Baykan is also revealed to be the brother of gangster Yusuf Baykan, who personally goes after Prins and later pressures Cornelis Cuyper into giving him 500,000 euros. Baykan was also headed to a date with Angelina Cuyper the day he died, and it is revealed that he was confronted by fellow employer Vito Vinke, who had wanted the same job as him. The family doctor is later found dead in a safe where the mother's diamond was stored, and Prins is later stabbed while leaving a ferry. Van der Valk and his team consider the crimes to have been an inside job, and partial DNA leaves an open gap to all three siblings until some remaining traces from a ring points them to the family psychotherapist Florian Barby. They catch him in his escape, and it is revealed that the mother, Geraldine Cuyper, is alive and had faked her death, in addition to having killed Baykan, while Barby helped in cleaning up.[35] | ||||||
3 | "Payback in Amsterdam" | Joram Lürsen | Chris Murray & Maria Ward | 21 August 2022 (2022-08-21) | 3.91 | |
When Fleur Mas, a promising cellist from a prestigious orchestra, dies following an acid attack, Van der Valk and his team have to delve into the city's vibrant but eclectic classical music scene in the search for her killer. What they discover is a disturbing sex trafficking ring headed by Stefan Bodecker, which Mas was a part of, and they even cross paths with Lucienne's ex-girlfriend, Femke de Haan, who was in a relationship with Mas prior to her death. Every turn they take leads to a victim being killed, including Van der Valk's journalist friend, Arjan Hersei, at the hands of Bodecker's enforcer Ivo De Witt. When an Interpol search in the Mediterranean fails to find Bodecker, Van der Valk and the police find suspicious leads that point to him being back in the Netherlands. As De Witt targets de Haan, she manages to disable him with pepper spray before seeking refuge in a windmill before Lucienne and Van der Valk rescue her. It is also revealed that club owner Anouk Prinsens is Bodecker's daughter and was possibly abused by him to as a child. Despite denying the accusations against him, Bodecker reveals that he planned to have incriminating footage of high ranking officials engaging with girls leaked to the press at a certain time. Van der Valk goes back and solves a clue Arjan left with a book, leading to a locker under the Central Station containing the evidence he gathered. As the police execute a mass arrest of all officials involved, including their boss, Jan Ludlow, another victim of Bodecker, Hester Gill, assassinates him as he is brought from the police station.[36] |
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