Character

Joba, the housekeeper for Dreverhaven, becomes pregnant after an implied coercive encounter. She leaves his employ to raise her son and repeatedly rejects his offers of money and marriage. The seeds of a lifelong conflict are sown in Rotterdam as a single mother struggles to make a life for herself and Katadreuffe.

As a child in Rotterdam, Katadreuffe's path with Dreverhaven is marked by moments of danger and confrontation. He is arrested for a petty theft and tells the police that Dreverhaven is his father, prompting Dreverhaven to deny paternity. The relationship between father and son begins with hostility and uncertainty.

Dreverhaven consistently refuses to acknowledge Katadreuffe as his legal son, shaping a life-long power struggle. Their relationship becomes defined by leverage, suspicion, and a battle of wills. The refusal fuels Katadreuffe's determination to prove himself.

Katadreuffe borrows money from a bank owned by Dreverhaven to buy a failed cigar store. Dreverhaven sues to reclaim the debt, pushing Katadreuffe toward bankruptcy and forcing him to fight his way back. The conflict reveals the perverse intertwining of fatherly power and financial control.

Having repaid the debt, Katadreuffe secures a clerical position within the law firm retained to pursue him. The job gives him access to legal knowledge and a path toward his future career. It also marks the start of his professional ascent despite Dreverhaven's earlier opposition.

Even with limited formal schooling, Katadreuffe teaches himself English by studying an incomplete English-language encyclopedia found in his mother's apartment. This self-education becomes a valuable asset and impresses his eventual employers. His linguistic skill becomes a pivotal advantage in a legal career.

After paying back the cigar-store debt, Katadreuffe seeks a second loan to finance his education and legal studies. Dreverhaven agrees to the loan but retains the right to call it back at any time, creating ongoing tension. The conditional loan becomes a test of their fragile alliance.

Katadreuffe passes the bar and qualifies as a lawyer, a milestone celebrated by his firm. The day of the murder is also the same day the firm publicly celebrates his achievement. The celebratory mood contrasts with the darker events looming over him.

In the afternoon, Katadreuffe storms into Dreverhaven's office to confront him about decades of cruelty and manipulation. What begins as a charged exchange ends in a bloody brawl, as emotions reach a breaking point. The confrontation marks a dramatic turning point in their relationship.

After the confrontation, Katadreuffe is seen leaving the bailiff's office at 5:00 p.m. The timing suggests a rapid shift from celebration to turmoil. The clocked exit becomes a critical clue in the investigation that follows.

The bailiff, Dreverhaven, dies at 11:00 p.m., and the police later reveal that the death was a suicide. The discovery reframes the earlier confrontation as a moment of doomed genius rather than a murder. Katadreuffe's alibi is cleared by this revelation.

With the cause of death clarified, Katadreuffe is officially cleared of any involvement in Dreverhaven's demise. The long and fraught history between father and son is now interpreted in the light of suicide rather than homicide. The truth vindicates his years of struggle.

A document from Dreverhaven's lawyer turns out to be the bailiff's will, designating Katadreuffe as the heir to all his wealth. The will is signed Vader, underscoring the secret nature of the testament and the name by which Dreverhaven envisioned him. The revelation adds a final irony to their lifelong conflict.

The will bestows considerable wealth on Katadreuffe, resolving the feud and transforming his life. The revelation reframes their relationship as a complex mix of rivalry, achievement, and reconciliation. In the end, the son inherits not only money but the complicated legacy of his father.