Child 44 Chapter 20 Summary

How It All Goes Down

Same Day

  • Leo returns home to find Raisa—and her suitcase—missing. After a quick bribe, Basarov reveals that she left to catch a train set to arrive in ten minutes.
  • Leo channels Usain Bolt and sprints to the train station. Luckily, Raisa is still on the platform.
  • Leo claims that he didn't defend Raisa in court because she was pregnant—he did it because she's family. Although he knows that their marriage has been a lie, he's convinced that there's "some connection" between them that needs to be preserved (3.20.38).
  • Though she chews him out, Raisa decides to stay. She heads home, but Leo stays at the station, presumably to do some investigating.
  • Leo speaks to Aleksandr, a young man who works at the station. Alex explains that he had discovered Iliyana that frightful night—the man she was with was actually "an important Government Official" (3.20.72).
  • Leo does some snooping. He tries to scoop up a handful of soil, but can't—the ground is frozen solid. There's no way that dirt could have come from here.