Child 44 Chapter 30 Summary

How It All Goes Down

Same Day

  • Nesterov is chilling at home when there's a knock at the door—it's Leo.
  • Leo is even more shaken up after Alex's suicide. He tried so hard to do the right thing but only ended up leaving "a trail of destruction in his wake" (3.30.10).
  • Leo explains this to Nesterov. He also tells him about Arkady's murder, but Nesterov tries to push him out the front door.
  • Out of nowhere, Leo punches Nesterov in the face. The men trade blows until Leo is left on the floor with "a pool of blood collecting in his right eye" (3.30.41).
  • Leo keeps taunting Nesterov until he passes out.
  • After he wakes up, Leo sits with Nesterov and his wife Inessa. Leo is completely honest with Nesterov, describing the twisted circumstances that brought him here.
  • Now that Nesterov seems to trust him, Leo asks for help. He wants Nesterov to visit towns across Russia to find similar cases—they might discover a pattern.
  • Knowing that this would put his family at grave risk, Nesterov declines.