The interview with Bella Hausmann ultimately takes place and makes a huge impact, but for Zarah the success is overshadowed by her mother’s death. In order to put her troubles to one side, she channels her energies into a report on domestic violence.
It hinges on the trial of a woman who is accused of stabbing her husband to death while he slept, after suffering years of abuse at his hands. Zarah conducts an interview with the defendant and picks a fight with the public prosecutor.
Her report not only decries the iniquity and lack of balance shown by the judiciary in siding with men in such cases, but also launches a forthright attack on the prosecutor Dr. Beusen in particular. She has uncovered evidence of personal misconduct on his part. He responds with a misogynistic counter-offensive.
Until the early hours, Zarah sifts through items from her mother’s past, hoping to discover the identity of the father she never knew. Her thoughts also turn to Jenny; although the two women feel increasingly attracted to each other, they are also afraid of their feelings. Olsen has likewise fallen head over heels in love and takes Brigitte Jansen out for dinner. Kerckow’s marriage, in contrast, is in tatters, and he spends his nights in the office.
