Lisa came a little later, after cleaning up in the guesthouse kitchen. Marcel and Janny walked with her, so the women also got to know each other a little. Lisa was glad that Janny had joined them.

"Come in please, in our little house," she invited them. "Starting Wednesday, construction workers will be building here, then we'll get two more floors on top, and a laundry and drying room with a shed behind it. I'll be curious to see how that will go!"

"I guess they'll manage that from the outside?" Marcel thought.

"Yes, they will, only for the stairs to the second floor they have to be in here too, of course. I'm sure they'll warn us when that time comes, so we can get as much stuff out of that area there as possible. And we'll have to put something on the floor so they don't damage the floor."

"So that's going to be a couple of weeks of biting through, but then you'll be able to clean and decorate wonderfully!"

Janny sensed quite well how Lisa dreaded it. She looked around the living room. "You just called it a small house, but downstairs it's not small. When those upper floors are done, it really will be a full family home, it seems to me."

"Yeah, it's definitely going to be that," Lisa laughed. "Are you guys in the mood for coffee yet?"

"Always, I'm a real coffee drinker," Marcel said. "Most cops are, because of all that stupid paperwork at the police station. You just have to drink your way through that!"

"That doesn't bother me," said Janny, "but I like coffee too, even now, so early in the evening."

Sjaak stopped Lisa: "I'll take care of the coffee, then you can start up the computer and look up your screenshots already."

Lisa nodded gratefully, "Good idea, thank you!" She gave him a quick kiss and walked over to the computer. While it was booting up, Lisa put some chairs from the dining area around the computer, where she and their guests sat down in advance. She showed them how she had saved everything on the computer.

"Handy layout like that, well organized! Did you also write a kind of short diary about what happened?" asked Marcel. "That could come in handy if that trial goes through."

"No, I haven't done that yet, but the idea had already crossed my mind. Maybe I can get started on that tomorrow."

"Tomorrow morning you'll have all the peace and quiet you need for that," Sjaak said, passing coffee around and sugar and milk. "I'll be gone for a few hours tomorrow with Huib and Simon. Huib has been teasing Simon." Laughing he told what had happened.

Lisa enjoyed the story: "That Simon, he is so used to doing everything himself... Cool that you are going to help him. I can indeed use those hours to type my story."

"Yeah, that's what I thought," Sjaak said, "and while we're on the subject now... I'd like it if you'd keep the doors locked when you're in here alone, for your safety, because I don't know if anyone has already made plans to go after you."

Lisa nodded, understanding his concern, "Okay, I will."

Janny put her hand on Lisa's shoulder, "I find it a horrible idea that you have to live like this. I understand it, but it shouldn't be necessary. Those guys should be behind bars as soon as possible!

Marcel was thinking visibly. He summarized what he had been thinking: "If you want, I can try to arrange police protection for you. It won't be easy, because you'll have those builders around you, but they'll have to figure something out about that."

"I would like it if we could get protection," said Sjaak. "It would be at the expense of our privacy, though, but it would be some reassurance. By the way, we know an agent here from our area, his name is Martin, Martin Verkamman."

Sjaak looked up Martin's phone number and showed it to Marcel.

Marcel grabbed his cell phone and took the number. "I'll try to get a hold of him tomorrow."

"Fine, thank you!" said Lisa. "Shall we start with the screenshots?"

"Go ahead, I'm ready," Marcel replied, looking at his wife.

"Me too, start it up!"

Lisa called the name of the first person and showed the screenshot. It shocked Marcel, he knew the man, had always thought he was a fine fellow. He bent forward slightly to read what he had written down at the rite prior to visiting Lisa.

"More wealth? The guy is crazy! He's already so mighty rich!" he burst out. "He has a colossal company with I don't know how many settlements. Did he get it in such shady ways? This is really not pure coffee..."

"Is that the guy from that accounting firm?" Janny asked.

"Yes, he is, and really, he has branches everywhere and nowhere! I'd like to grant him that, but not in such a way!"

Marcel was really angry, but figured Lisa wanted to show even more and suggested to just move on.

Marcel and Janny appeared to know all the men more or less. The one whose name was familiar to Lisa turned out to be the local mayor.

When they had gone through all the folders and printed out the list of names at Marcel's request, Marcel expressed his concern: "At first I had thought of arranging police security from our office, but I soon suspected that that would not work. With us, they'll know most of these guys, so that's not convenient. I'm glad you guys already know this cop here, Martin he, and have a good impression of him. I'll see what I can do with him locally here. Lisa, have you hired a lawyer yet?"

"No, not yet, I want to call Ellen Hendriks on Monday. I had asked her to help me with the divorce, so I already know her. And it clicked with her, so I hope she can help me further."

Janny had been quite quiet, wondering how she could be of help. She couldn't figure it out and shared that with the others. "I want so much to be there for you, for both of you, but I can't figure out how."

Sjaak thought for a moment and asked, "Marcel, that court, it's in your area right?"

Marcel nodded, wondering what Sjaak was thinking about.

"It's just an idea, Janny, I don't know if you can do anything with it..."

Janny interrupted Sjaak: "In the time you have to go to court... if you want, you can eat with us, or even stay overnight if you have to be there a few days in a row. Then you don't have to drive up and down all the time. And security will also be able to be arranged with us during that time. Just think about it."

Sjaak smiled, "That's just what I was going to suggest to you. Maybe that's a good idea. Lisa, shall we just consider that and decide by then?"

Lisa nodded, "I think it's scary, so in that environment where everything happened, but in your house, with security nearby, it should be fine. And yes, also convenient not to have to travel up and down all the time. By the way, I wonder how a judge will handle this. Man by man? Or all at once?"

"I have no idea," Marcel said, "but if I were the judge, I'd have you come alone first. With Sjaak together of course, but I mean without those guys. That's what I would do, just to get a good sense of what was going on. And then later, guy by guy. I have to control myself, but actually I wanted to give them another name."

Sjaak shot into laughter, "Let me guess, something like assholes?"

Marcel grinned, "Exactly yes, and even that word is way too neat!"

Janny and Lisa laughed along with the men.

Janny shook her head, "Men..." It was clear from her mischievous eyes, that she was enjoying it. "But what about now? Can we do anything tonight?"

"Yes, we can still have a nice cup of coffee with a piece of Annerieke's cake."

Lisa stood up: "For the trial, I'm going to write that kind of diary tomorrow, and call the lawyer on Monday. I think we should wait and see if and when she can do something with it. Shall we get cozy over there in the coffee corner?"

When everyone agreed, she took all the mugs on the tray and went to the kitchen, while the others put the chairs back by the dining table. Lisa made coffee, cut the cake into quarters, and distributed the tips ahead of time.

To chapter 164. Searching for what your heart's desire is

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