"Wah," the commissaris said, sitting down.
"You're so fierce, sir," Miss Antoinette whispered. "You think they will do all that? Ruin their own careers?"
"They've been ruined for some time," the commissaris said. "They just needed someone to tell them. Would you send in Cardozo?"
Cardozo came in and found the commissaris hopping about on his oriental rug. "Sir?" The commissaris jumped to a geometric design half a yard ahead. "I used to do this for hours when I was a child. This rug was in our living room. I pretended the blue parts were swampy spots where crocodiles and other toothy creatures lived, and the green designs were safe ground, but then I would change it all around, and only the red areas were safe, but not for long again. Reality is like that. Changeable, very. Got to adjust your strategy constantly. Never quite know where you're secure. Educated guesses combined with foolhardy courage…"
"Yes?" Cardozo asked. "I just saw the chief constable and Halba in the corridor, sir, arguing with each other like crazy. I yelled good morning at them but they didn't notice me at all. Some internal trouble again?"
"They'll both be leaving us," the commissaris said. "I'm temporarily in charge. The mayor will confirm my position a little later today. I haven't had time to see him yet."
Miss Antoinette walked toward the phone. "Shall I order the mayor to come here too, sir?"
The commissaris smiled. "No, we'll revert to normal tactics now. I'll see him at City Hall." He checked his watch. "As soon as he pleases. Now, Cardozo, there was an Indian lady at the club during the rowdy night we all enjoyed so much. A shapely woman with a red dot on her forehead and a bit of bare belly."
"The one who told me about the Calcutta rats?"
"I forget her name."
"Sayukta, sir. I've seen her since, took her to the zoo.
"Excuse me," Miss Antoinette said, replacing the phone. "The mayor can see you anytime this morning, sir."
The commissaris looked around. "Thank you, dear. Please raise de Gier, he can drive me over. I don't want to have to deal with traffic today. To the zoo, Cardozo? Why the zoo?"
"She wanted to," Cardozo said. "She felt caged herself, and wanted to know she wasn't the only being behind bars."
"I know Sayukta too," Miss Antoinette said. "Willem introduced me to her at the club, we had a bit of a chat. Poor little thing, she was very unhappy."
"Sayukta wants residency here," Cardozo said. "She needs proper papers. Perhaps you could put in a word for her. She'll do anything, even scrub floors."
"I scrubbed Carl's floor this morning," Miss Antoinette said. "He's got a lot of floor, she can help."
"I'll have an apartment too, soon." Cardozo smiled. "Me and Izzy. Maybe Sayukta can come in twice a week. Between the lot of us, we could provide forty hours at minimum wage."
The commissaris gestured impatiently. "Surely we can find her more suitable employment."
"She's quite intelligent," Cardozo said, "Perhaps she could go to school."
"We'll see. So you're friendly with her." The commissaris took out his tin of cigars and put it back in his pocket. "Can you arrange for her to have dinner with us tonight? Are you free, Miss Antoinette? I'd like for a woman to be present. Sayukta must be weary of men, she's only seen us at our worst. I hope you didn't take advantage of her, Simon?"
"No," Cardozo said.
"Of course you did," Miss Antoinette said. "Poor helpless little thing, adrift in a strange country."
"I did not," Cardozo said. "That's Halba's approach."
"Halba doesn't work here anymore," the commissaris said. "What was that just now about you and Izzy sharing an apartment? I thought the fellow was an AWOL Israeli soldier."
"My mother took care of that trouble, sir. Izzy will have his Dutch passport again. Mr. Rosenblatt won't oppose the application."
"The Israeli consul?" the commissaris asked. "I thought he was a fanatic." He mused. "On the right side, of course."
"My mother spoke to the consul, sir."
The commissaris thought. "I see. Your mother. And she's letting you go? You're allowed to live apart from her?"
"She'll still have my brother, Samuel," Cardozo said. "The unemployed genius who can't cook for himself or do his own laundry."
"Genius," the commissaris said. "You're a bit of a genius too. I don't know what I would have done without your help. That reminds me, Cardozo, how much for the computer?"
Cardozo mentioned the amount. "But it's ours, sir. Izzy and mine. We'll have some fun. Izzy'Il teach me all the secrets."
"No, it was used in my private investigation. Maybe it'll be helpful on some future occasion." The commissaris brought out his checkbook.
Cardozo got up and walked to the door. "No, really, sir."
"You're sure? Let me pay one-third."
"No, sir. Where do you want to have dinner?"
"Any restaurant of Sayukta's choice."
"She doesn't know about restaurants, sir."
"Up to you, then. See you tonight. Let's hope she can be trusted." The commissaris turned toward Miss Antoinette. "What do you think? What I have in mind is rather risky."
"I thought I was your spy," Miss Antoinette said.
The commissaris shook his head. "Willem must have seen through your playacting by now."
Miss Antoinette pushed out a moist lower lip. "Playacting, sir?"
The commissaris walked back to his rug. "I see. So you liked Willem. A loving old man. No, I can't use you now. Besides, Carl may not like it."
"Carl?" Cardozo asked. "That's right. Why were you scrubbing Carl's floor?"
Miss Antoinette hid behind a mysterious smile.
"Yes," the commissaris said, "you were only supposed to take him home last night. Did you like Carl's place? Grijpstra and de Gier were very impressed. An indoor allegorical garden. I'd like to see that collective work of art myself."
"We'll invite you to dinner, sir, but I'd like to clean up a bit more first. Oh, Cardozo, my apartment is available now. Would you and Izzy be interested? You can take over the lease."
"Proceeding as planned," the commissaris said, and skipped back to his desk.
"Your legs don't hurt today?" Cardozo asked.
"What legs?"
"Your rheumatism?"
"Oh," the commissaris said. "Right. That's mostly psychosomatic, Cardozo. I keep telling my wife. It's all of you frustrating me. I can see the world as it should be, but then it never is, and you interfere with my continuous attempts at improving conditions." The commissaris's thin lips tightened. He muttered at a potted palm.
"I'll get de Gier," Miss Antoinette said. "Can't raise him on the phone."
"Did he say 'bunch of dimwits'?" Cardozo asked in the corridor. "Did you hear that too?"
"Arrogant little man," Miss Antoinette said. "But what do I care? I finally found myself the ideal lover."
"Carl?"
"Yes," Miss Antoinette said. "Carl. A true artist. You're all too practical for me. Shallow thinkers. You're out for results. Carl explained that to me last night. There are never results. And nothing matters much, isn't that a relief? I always thought things mattered, and it made me so afraid."