Salamander

One weekend, a professional criminal gang tunnels into the Jonkhere Bank in Brussels. 66 of the 800 safes are opened, the rest remain untouched. The 66 owners are all top names from Belgium's business world, courts, politics, unions, military, etc. What is baffling is that the robbers are only interested in the safe owners' personal possessions and secrets. Fearing the greatest scandal in Belgian history, bank manager Jonkhere, the court and the 66 safe owners cover up the robbery. Nothing happened. But then insignificant Brussels detective Paul Gerardi is tipped off by a long-forgotten informant...

After his informant about the break-in at Jonkhere Bank and his friend have been murdered, Paul Gerardi realises he's in a hornet's nest. His house is being watched is he next? Paul's wife Sarah and daughter Sofie are scared to death, but Paul manages to escape. He discovers the secret of the safe burglary and the names of the 66 big-name victims. He now knows too much and has to run for his life. Meanwhile, Procurator-General Persigal and the Minister of Justice discuss how they can deal with Gerardi in order to save the country from an unprecedented scandal.

Paul Gerardi's former boss, ex-Chief of Police Carl Cassimon, provides Paul with a hiding place in the monastery that he had retired to for mysterious reasons, but steadfastly refuses to help Paul. It turns out he has a good reason for this... Paul's wife Sarah and daughter Sofie are now suffering permanent intimidation by colleagues of the Prosecutor-General, who is hunting for Paul. Paul ignores Sarah's pleas and discovers a trail leading to Senator Rasenberg, one of the 66 safe owners. They are all part of an interest group known as Salamander. The senator's wife gives the impression that she has designs on Paul.

After being betrayed by his friend (and former Chief of Police) Carl, Paul is discovered at the monastery and the net closes in around him. He now receives one blow after another. Meanwhile, the 66 victims of the bank break-in at Jonkhere receive envelopes with copies of the sensitive secrets they kept in their safes... The Minister of the Interior is first in line; he flees at once. Then it's Senator Rasenberg's turn, as he turns out to be involved in shady dealings involving a member of the royal family. The leaders of Salamander realise that someone is trying to break up their group. But who and why? Prosecutor-General Persigal is stuck in the middle; he wants to protect the country, but he is also a member of Salamander...

After getting hold of Paul Gerardi, the Procurator-General can convince Paul to work for him and track down those responsible for the break-in at the Jonkhere bank, in total secrecy. His marriage suffers serious blows during the hunt. Senator Rasenberg's wife passes on all kinds of information to Paul as she is in love with him. As a member of Salamander, Rasenberg is on the brink of becoming Minister of the Interior after the suicide of the previous minister. The man behind the break-in and the opening of the 66 safes turns out to be a millionaire by the name of Wolfs. He wants to eliminate the members of Salamander one by one and, after the minister, senator Rasenberg is next on his list.

With the eager help of Karin Rasenberg, Paul Gerardi discovers that Salamander saved a member of the royal family from a sordid scandal. He is ordered to seduce the senator's wife in order to find out more, and this really puts his marriage in jeopardy. In the meantime, it becomes clear that the man behind the break-in, the millionaire Wolfs, bears the burden of a tragic past that goes back to the Second World War... The Salamander group has found out that Gerardi is closing in to safeguard the appointment of faithful Salamander member Rasenberg as minister, Paul will have to be eliminated.