Child 44 Page #4

Why you say that?

No.

No, no, you...

You're not pregnant?

I'm not pregnant.

Are you saying you're not pregnant?

Would you have stood up

for me if I wasn't?

I didn't want to die, Leo.

Why are you saying this?

Why?

That story you love so much.

When we first met.

And I lied and I said

that my name was Lena.

"Lena, Lena, Lena." So romantic.

I gave you a false name

because you had MGB written

all over you, and I was terrified.

When you asked me to marry you,

I cried for one week.

And then I said "yes."

I married you out of fear for what

would happen to me if I said "no."

You don't mean that.

I married you

because that's what people do.

They put up. They tolerate.

They do whatever they need

to do to survive.

"Marry me," you said.

What choice did I have?

What choice did I have?

Homosexuality...

is a serious crime.

Please, just say...

What do you want?

A list of men in this town

who have had sex with other men.

What?

Men who have had sex with younger men.

With boys.

What?

Fifteen years in the Gulag

is a long time.

Even if you survive the camps,

you'll be disgraced.

Please, just tell me what to do.

If you open the door for us,

maybe your... issue

can remain a secret.

Just a few names, Aleksander.

Leo.

Were you followed?

Are you sure?

What are you doing here?

You tell me.

What are you doing here?

Aleksander could not have

killed this boy.

It's not possible.

When I saw Jora,

he had the same cuts and marks

as this child.

Whoever killed this little boy,

killed Alexei's child, too. I know it.

It's the truth.

Just have to prove it.

I must.

I have to. I have to prove it.

Leo, do you know what people get

around here when they demand the truth?

Do you?

They get terror.

Raisa, we are already dead.

Come inside.

The killer, he's a traveler.

We found a little boy

10 minutes' walk from the track.

I'm thinking how else could he get here,

if it was not for train?

- And then the boy in Moscow.

- Again with Moscow.

This boy in Moscow is the son

of a very good friend of mine.

My brother.

I was sent to his house

to read official report.

I had to tell his family that his son

died of tragic accident. And I lied.

So I'm thinking, how many

more children have to die?

Get swept under the carpet.

Covered up by party dogs like you and I.

And their blood is on our hands.

And this animal, he will not

stop killing. This will not stop.

- He will keep killing and killing.

- Enough!

- What do you want?

- Me? I would like to stop him.

- A ghost.

- Ghost? No, it's not ghost.

Describe him to me then.

I can't.

I can't describe him. But...

there is a witness.

I must go back to Moscow

and speak with her.

And you must gather the records of all

dead children from Moscow to Leningrad.

Me?

And why would I do that for you?

Inessa, your boys,

do they walk to school by themselves?

Normally, yes. But this week,

with those poor children,

either myself or...

And from here to school, it seems

the shortest way is through the forest.

Is that the way they go?

Usually.

But again, this week,

the way through town seems safer.

Yes, of course.

But now... now that the killer

has been caught,

will they be going through the forest

by themself tomorrow as usual?

Morning.

Morning.

Where are you headed to today?

Nowhere.

Just waiting to buy some stamps.

But the kiosk isn't open yet.

Collect stamps?

Used to be a collector

when I was your age.

Tell me, do you take care

of your collection?

Yes.

I have a son.

About your age.

Very messy boy.

He could care less about stamps.

As for me,

just don't have the time

for them anymore.

Maybe you should give them to someone

to take care of them for you.

Yes.

I bet you like sweets, don't you?

I made them myself.

Dark ones are the best.

Good?

General Nesterov.

You know, Moscow is growing suspicious

of you summoning me like this.

- I demand to...

- Bring me all files...

involving the death of children

between the ages of 9 and 15.

- Yes, sir.

- Everything you have.

- Yes.

- And pray that they're all there.

Stop crying. Sniveling sh*t!

You four-eyed little pig.

Oh, yes.

A toast, mewling, sniveling little pig.

One more time, to Joseph Stalin!

Father to us all!

There is a situation in Rostov.

What situation?

A boy has been discovered

near the train station.

They think he was attacked by a wolf.

All children... ages 9 to 14.

All found in forests, parks,

by the train lines.

Naked and either marked...

for cuts or with cuts.

Drowned.

When they bothered

to examine the remains,

every one of them solved by arrest.

Forty-three in all.

Forty-four.

My friend's son was murdered, too.

And there's a...

a new one in Rostov.

I'm heading there tomorrow.

Rostov.

I have to go to Moscow.

I need you to come with me.

I cannot protect you

if you stay here alone.

I don't need your protection anymore.

If you come with me to Moscow,

then I promise you,

you have my word that I will do anything

and everything that you want.

Whatever it is you ask.

If you want to leave Volsk, if you want

to leave me, if you want to leave.

You never ever even

have to see me again.

I promise. You may have my word.

Tomorrow morning, you'll have your

identity papers for the train to Moscow.

I've granted you a walking holiday.

That'll explain your absence from here.

What are you doing here, Leo?

You're not supposed to be here.

Alexei, it's about your son.

He was murdered.

You've come to the wrong address.

No boy was murdered here.

No, no, no. I've made a mistake.

It's not true. It's not true.

I was wrong.

I was wrong, you were right.

I have the papers here. His...

His death certificate says

much more than we know of.

- Look.

- From Moscow train station

all the way down the train tracks

to Rostov. It's very serious.

And if you find this man, Leo,

- what will you do?

- I bring him to justice.

- You will bring him to justice?

- Da.

You're nobody anymore, Leo.

You're nobody.

How you gonna bring him to justice?

Just the two of you?

Is this a joke?

Leo, if you really wanna help,

you find this man

and you cut his head off!

Can you do that?

Yes.

For you, Alexei, I will do this.

But if I do that,

then nobody will ever know.

Please.

Nina, we need to see the witness.

How can I help? I don't know anything.

Listen, Galina,

the man that killed my son,

he's still out there,

killing other children,

do you understand?

Nobody, nobody can get into any trouble

by simply describing what a worker

looked like on his way to work.

Do you understand? It's not possible.

He's here, talking to you. I'm here.

I guarantee you I am no threat.

You have my word.

Look at me. I have no uniform.

I promise you, you are safe

to speak to me, so please.

It was dark.

- Yes?

- Please.

Galina! What's going on?

Galina! Who are you talking to?

Please, whisper to me.

What did he look like?

We are just making conversation.

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