Jacques and Ruud park their car in a small parking lot near a picturesque old church. The building is already quite dilapidated and stands out quite a bit at the neighbouring pub, which seems to have recently been renovated. “A lick of paint would not hurt”, Jacques hums as he gazes at the little church. He frowns his eyebrows. Ruud is more interested in the pub. If they need to know John somewhere, it should be here. Without saying anything, Jacques makes it clear that they must go to church first. John was, as is known, quite religious, which was in fact totally inconsistent with his other 'occupations'.

Jacques knocks a few times on the large wooden door that has worn off the paint. Here and there you can still see what the original colour was: dark brown. There will be no response. Ruud already wants to run away, but Jacques insists on trying again. Jacques knocks again, now a little harder. Still nothing. Maybe Sjaak should throw his weight into battle, thinks Ruud. It seems as if Jacques can read his mind, because he is now trying to hang the door through it. The heavy iron latch squeaks when he tries to push it down. A drop of oil would not be superfluous luxury. The door doesn't give up. Clearly, he's locked. A grin appears on Ruud's face. “Soon the reverend just sits next door”, he chucks. Jacques thinks it's a lot less funny. That's to be his face. Ruud thinks it is such a chagrin. He should relax a little more. Maybe they would collide less with each other.

Without saying anything, Jacques turns around and walks to the pub with great steps. His old, dark blue raincoat flaps after him. It's a funny face, says Ruud. He can't suppress a grin. It's like Sjaak is being chased by his own coat. Ruud walks after Jacques and looks at the building. It is clearly visible that this pub used to be a farm. The roof still has the authentic thatched cover, which is often used at farms. The roof contrasts nicely with the light, sand-lime stone from which the rest of the building is built. The small terrace is empty and deserted. “Not so strange with this weather”, notes Ruud and cares for the unoccupied wooden tables and chairs. Jacques looks back, but does not respond to this.

On the large, dark oak door hangs a sign, on which OPEN stands. As Jacques opens the door, the inviting scent of fresh coffee meets Ruud. He hopes they'll take some time for a cup.

The interior of the pub is still quite recognizable as a farm. The large, dark wooden crossbeams, which run diagonally along the sleek white plastered ceilings, are still present. They give the pub some extra charm. In the middle of the room is a huge, light brown bar with six bar stools in front of it. Above the bar hangs an old-fashioned, copper-coloured pendant lamp. Jacques hoists himself on one of the crutches. The leather is quite comfortable. A small smile appears on Jacques's face. Ruud just missed that moment, because when he sits down, Jacques looks serious again.

In the far corner of the pub sits a man in a dark green woolen sweater. He's having breakfast and has a newspaper in front of him. The man is gray at the temples. Ruud thinks that must be the reverend. He's in the pub anyway! Ruud hears that Sjaak orders two coffee. Luckily, we take a cup, thinks Ruud pleased. Jacques takes the photo of Cunning John out of his pocket and shows it to the fairly young bartender. The friendly man tells that he has seen John before, but never really had contact with him. “Perhaps my father can help you further,” says the young man politely while he makes coffee. He turns around and explains that his father owns the pub and that, as a son, he occasionally gives a hand. His father is in the village right now doing some shopping for the pub. “I expect him back in an hour”, the boy concludes his story. He places two cups of steaming coffee on the counter. Jacques is focusing his attention on the man in the corner. The man just finished eating. He slides his plate backwards and delves into the newspaper. Occasionally he takes a sip of coffee or tea. Looks like he hasn't heard from the conversation with the bartender. Jacques gets up and leaves his coffee for what it is. He walks to the corner of the pub. The man behind the newspaper looks up as Jacques introduces himself. Ruud leaves his stool and follows his superior, but not until he picks up his cup of coffee.


While Jacques asks the questions, Ruud makes the notes again. It is indeed the reverend sitting here having breakfast. He says he knows John from Sunday service. Every Sunday John was present in the church and he always had his permanent place: at the back. He always came in just before the reverend wanted to begin his sermon, the reverend explains. He probably thought that he would be less noticeable than when he went in with the group, thinks Ruud. John never stayed until the end. Just before the reverend his sermon, John had risen quietly and left the church. Although Cunning John hoped to remain unnoticed, everyone in the village knew about his fixed Sunday ritual. Not much remains secret in such a small village. “That's why it was so noticeable that he missed the previous service,” the reverend continues his story. The reverend had expected John to take his permanent place in the back, but strangely enough, the place remained empty.

This raises all sorts of questions to both Ruud and Jacques. What was so important that John wanted to miss his Sunday service for it? Or was he prevented from doing so for some other reason? Was John still alive? He was killed Sunday afternoon, so basically he could have just attended the service. Maybe he was tied up (although the coroner couldn't find any evidence of that). Or was he held at gunpoint. The wildest stories arise in Ruud's head. Hopefully the owner of the pub will be back soon. Who knows, he can tell them more...

#sluwejohn #spannendverhaal #vervolgverhaal #misdaadverhaal #whodunnit

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