The Chestnut Man: A Novel

At a task force briefing, Thulin summarizes the pattern of murders: Both victims were mutilated and killed in the same manner. A trace of the envelope containing Laura’s hand confirms it was delivered by courier. Hauge’s lawyer presents a credible alibi for his whereabouts at the time of Anne’s murder. Nylander adds that both chestnut men bear Kristine Hartung’s fingerprint. Hess says two prints can’t be coincidence, suggesting the original investigation was flawed. Tim Jansen, who investigated the Hartung case, accuses Hess of criticizing their work. Hess stresses the need to pursue all leads before the killer strikes again, a prediction that intrigues Nylander.

Privately, Hess theorizes the killer is symbolically building a chestnut man out of human limbs, which is why he suspects the killer may kill again. Nylander refuses to reopen the Hartung case, citing Bekker’s confession, though he promises to personally share their findings with the Hartungs. 

Nylander asks Thulin about Hess; she confirms he’s sharp. Nylander keeps them on the case but implies her NC3 transfer depends on whether or not she can report Hess committing any insubordination.

Thulin and Hess interview Erik Sejer-Lassen, who remains in shock after Anne’s murder. Erik doesn’t recognize Laura or Rosa in their photos. Thulin presses him about Anne’s packed bag, prompting Erik to admit that he was engaging in affairs, which Anne may have discovered. None of the evidence on Anne’s devices support this claim, however.

Thulin tries to discuss the two victims’ reasons for being killed in the midst of an escape, but Hess is more interested in hearing what Forensics has to say. Genz reveals that he found old blood traces in the hallway floor. Erik explains his older daughter Sofia broke her nose and collarbone months prior. She received treatment in the pediatrics department at Rigshospital.

Realizing Magnus Kjær was also a patient at Rigshospital, Thulin and Hess go directly to the pediatric ward, where Hess is unsettled to hear children singing about a chestnut man.

The senior consultant, Dr. Hussein Majid, confirms he treated both Magnus and Sofia, but thinks it unlikely that their mothers ever met. Offended when Thulin asks if he ever had any personal relationships with the mother, Majid denies them. He recalls, however, that Laura stopped bringing Magnus to appointments after she was notified of being anonymously accused of parental neglect.

Hess reaches out to social worker Henning Loeb at City Hall to retrieve Magnus’s file. Loeb is reluctant to help because he is balancing a heavy workload with an upcoming job interview. 

Loeb reveals that an anonymous email through the minister’s whistleblower scheme accused Laura of being an unfit mother. The ensuing investigation found the claim baseless. Loeb refuses to share the anonymous email without a warrant. Asked to check similar reports on the Sejer-Lassen children, he notices something in the file, checks back to Magnus’s file, and warily lies that no such file exists.

That evening, the detectives return to Laura’s house. Hess insists on re-examining given the anonymous tip. He sends Thulin to canvass neighbors while he enters alone.

Hess’s searches turns up empty. Thulin returns with similar results. Annoyed, she leaves Hess to finish his search.

Getting into her car, Thulin resolves to review the files focusing on Majid’s connection. She notices a suspicious black estate car that only recently parked nearby. She gets a call from Le reminding her to pick her up. She drives away without running the suspicious car’s plate.

Hess searches Magnus’s bedroom, feeling defeated. Glancing out the window, he spots drawings pinned to the wall depicting the house with increasing skill. The final drawing renders the garage as disproportionately massive and ominous.

Hess opens the garage and realizes someone has recently entered it. He finds a rubber mat covering a hidden hatch and climbs into a small furnished subterranean room with a bed, camera on tripod, and MacBook Air. About to leave, he spots fresh footprints. An attacker lunges from a wardrobe and strikes his head.

Dazed, Hess fights back. The struggle moves up onto the garage floor. Hearing Thulin call his name, Hess grabs a heavy steel shelving unit and pulls it crashing down.

Thulin, back on Laura’s property, sees a figure bolt from the garage and chases him onto the train tracks. A freight train cuts her off. Between carriages she glimpses Hauge as the figure before he vanishes.

Thulin had realized the suspicious car was likely Hauge’s. This is enough to issue a warrant for his arrest. 

Genz examines the hidden garage room and reports that it was recently built and made to be soundproof. Evidence suggests Hauge streamed content anonymously from the room, but they are unable to access the password-protected MacBook.

Thulin bypasses the security using her expertise. The hard drive contains video files organized by month. Thulin plays the most recent one and is sickened.

It is revealed that Hauge had been sexually abusing Magnus for over a year, filming and streaming it online. Thulin and Hess move to ensure that Magnus is protected from Hauge. They deduce that the anonymous tip must have made Laura suspicious, prompting her to change the house locks, though it was unlikely that she ever knew what Hauge was actually doing. 

Hess believes the tipster is the killer. Thulin notes Hauge had a motive to kill Laura but not Anne. Hess theorizes the killer targeted Laura because she “ought to have known” what was happening in her house (210). Thulin suggests investigating whether the Sejer-Lassen girls’ “accidents” were also abusive.

At home, Thulin is surprised by Sebastian. She sends him away to focus on work. 

Hess calls: hospital records show the Sejer-Lassen girls have a long injury history suggesting abuse. They agree to check the council in the morning. Thulin notices a silhouetted figure watching from scaffolding across the street. It disappears, unnerving her.