[children chattering]
[Hess] Bjarke…
I didn't mean to…
I just felt bad for her, that her dad, he…
What? Come on, Bjarke. Tell me.
I really need to know where she is. Tell me everything you know about her.
-[crow caws] -[child laughs]
-[girl] It's just like this big, okay? -[boy laughs]
-[girl] And it's such a cutie pie. -[Bjarke] Are you keeping up?
[Bjarke, present day] She was just a kid.
Happy and social.
Very curious. She always was.
-Take a look at that. -[Bjarke] Even that day in the marsh.
Come see.
-[girl 1] Eww. -[girl 2] What's going on?
[Bjarke] She was so interested in nature.
The birds, and, of course, the cuckoo chick.
Then another will die.
[children exclaiming in disgust]
[Bjarke] But it was as if something happened to her
when the police arrived.
[eerie, frightening music playing]
[Hess] What?
Come on!
[sighs]
[radio chatter]
[Bjarke, present day] The boy had been missing for weeks.
It was in all the newspapers, and everybody was talking about it.
[officer] Did you see anything else, or hear anything?
No! No, I didn't.
[Hess] And then?
She… she just had a… strange reaction.
[Thea] Is he dead?
[teacher] Uh… Come on, girls.
-Let's get on the bus now. -Is he?
So you think Thea knew that her dad had killed Daniel?
Well, it was just that… that thing she did.
What thing?
-[Bjarke] Thea, let's get on the bus. -No! I don't want to! I can't find my bag.
-I can't find mine either. -[Bjarke sighs] I'll go find them.
Okay. Come. Come on, girls. Find a seat.
[crow cawing]
[cuckoo calling]
[sinister music playing]
[Bjarke] She had basically crucified it.
[Hess] So you thought it was Thea who had crucified the cuckoo chick?
[sighs]
[music intensifying]
[Bjarke, present day] Yeah, maybe.
[Hess] Why didn't you tell the police?
Well, it was all about the boy,
and the thing with the cuckoo chick, that was the least of it.
[Hess] You could have told it later. You've known for all these years.
-[sighs] -[Bjarke] I'm sorry.
I need a photo of Thea.
Do you have one?
[Bjarke] We probably have one in the office.
-But… -[Hess] Let's go! Show me!
[Bjarke, present day] But why now? What has she done?
[intense, ominous music playing]
HIDE AND SEEK
[Thor] Hey!
Hi.
-[woman on TV] Yes, please. -[man] All right.
[laughter]
[man] Your first ever runway show. You did just fine.
Where's Mom?
[Molly] I don't know.
[man] …so we can go on the runway…
[Thor] Weren't we gonna eat together?
She said she'd make osso buco.
There won't be time for that now.
-[Molly] What? -[man] So…
Go, go, go, go, go!
[ringing tone]
You've reached Marie Holst. I can't answer right--
[Thor] No answer.
Maybe she's with Signe?
[trembling]
[phone ringing]
[creaking]
[Signe] Hey, Thor.
[whimpers]
[Signe] No, no, it's fine. You can always call. What's up?
[foreboding music playing]
Uh, no, I'm on my way to a job interview, so keep your fingers crossed.
Why do you ask?
-[shudders] -[Signe] Oh? That's strange.
She'll probably be home soon.
-[Thor] Did she mention going anywhere? -No.
But she did sound a bit down last time I talked to her, I think.
She didn't really want to talk about it, so…
I think she just needed some space.
But hey, I'll let you know if I hear from her, okay?
And if you hear anything, please let me know.
-Yeah. I will. -Good.
-No need to worry, Thor. -No.
-Okay? -Yeah.
-Good. Bye. -See you.
[Signe sighs]
[music fades]
I'm really sorry about this, Marie.
It wasn't supposed to be like this.
It… [sighs]
I think the two of us have been good together.
I…
feel that…
you and Molly and Thor…
[sighs] …that you're my family.
[muffled gasp]
[whimpers]
If only you had just let it go!
-[Signe hisses] -[breathing shakily]
You've got to understand that I had to do it.
It was Emma's fault that my family was torn apart.
[ominous music playing]
I had to kill her.
[muffled sobbing]
After her dad died in prison,
Thea took her mom's maiden name, Nowak,
and moved out of town.
And the photo I sent you was taken just before she moved.
A couple of years later, she showed up at the youth center Bakkegården.
After that, there's no trace of either Thea Staal or Thea Nowak.
But everything points to her going to her mom in Poland.
Then we'll need help from Europol.
Yeah. I talked to them. They're on it.
Great work, Hess. Thanks. We'll take it from here.
-[line beeps] -Wait, wait…
Sandra and Hess have found DNA samples that prove that Thea was behind
the murders of Zara Solak, Andreas Lund and Emma Holst.
-[woman] Do we know her motive? -No, not yet.
But she probably made Peter Hougård and Ditte Kølster's deaths look like suicide.
She was at the tavern, just like Hess said.
And her DNA was found on the axe.
[Foldager] Thank you, Sandra. Let's focus on finding her.
Find out who Thea Staal is today.
How did she know her victims?
We have to find her before she kills someone else.
[phone chimes]
I'M HEADING OUT TO THAT YOUTH FACILITY
KEEP ME IN THE LOOP
[foreboding music playing]
[door opens]
[woman] You're the one who called about Thea Staal.
Hey. Mark Hess. Copenhagen Police.
Agnete Munk. I'm the managing director here.
I have her file here.
I had just started here as an educator when she was dropped off.
Thea was a very calm and loving girl, but it wasn't an easy time for her.
Did she ever talk about her dad?
No, never.
She told me that they spat at her mom in the street,
yelled at her that she must have known, and should have done something.
And one day, her mom was suddenly gone.
Gone back to Poland.
-And she was placed here? Thea? -Yes.
Here's a photo of her.
Did she ever find a… a foster family?
Sadly not. That would have been good for her.
[tense music playing]
[Hess] I need to know where she might've gone back then,
or where she might be now.
Does anything in her file give any indication of that?
I don't know what that could be.
-Would you mind if I looked through it? -Well, it's confidential…
[Hess] Yes, I know.
[Signe] We were so young when we met.
We had the boys so fast.
[Marie breathing shakily]
Marcus…
and Mathias.
We were so happy together.
Roy and I.
Until your horny daughter started fucking him!
[yells]
Marriage is sacred.
-Doesn't your family get that? -[whimpering]
[man] Verbs are word such as machen, to do,
gehen, to walk.
-Could you stop that? -…spielen, to play…
What's up with you?
She wouldn't disappear without saying anything.
Yeah. Maybe an appointment she forgot.
-It's something you do… -[Thor sighs] I'll check her calendar.
Two. How to conjugate a verb in present tense.
You use the word stem of the verb and add an ending.
Example, machen.
DEAR MOLLY, DEAR THOR THIS IS SO HARD TO WRITE
AND IT PAINS ME IN MY HEART, BUT I HAVE TO LEAVE YOU, MY LOVELY KIDDOS.
[Thor] Molly!
[buzz of voices]
Good. I just talked to Europol.
Thea Nowak moved to Poland
and worked under a clean Polish name, Juliana Stasiak.
Searching for that name, I get a Danish marriage certificate.
Juliana Stasiak married a Roy Bohm-Møller in 2012 and is now Signe Bohm-Møller.
[suspenseful music playing]
Do you know where this was taken?
Could it be from their summer cottage?
Where the father committed the abuse?
She kept going there?
Every time we couldn't find her, she was there to calm her thoughts.
[phone buzzing]
Just a second.
-Sandra, what's up? -We got her name and address.
Hang on a second. I'm taking this with me,
and send me the address for the summer cottage.
Talk to me.
Signe Møller, 40 years old, was married to the now deceased Roy Bohm-Møller,
and guess where she works.
She's a therapist at Agency for Family Law.
I'm going to see if that's how she knows the victims.
She's not at her home address,
but I'll take a look to see if something can point us somewhere.
Perfect. Send me the address.
-I'll be right there. -Uh, no, Hess. I can't do that.
-What are you talking about? -Foldager says you're going to a debrief.
No. No, no, no, no. You wouldn't have found her if it weren't for me, damn it.
Hess… you went to Naia's funeral today.
[sighs]
[sighs shakily]
[suspenseful music continues]
[officer] We, uh, talked to the neighbors.
She mostly keeps to herself. Says hello, but… but no more than that.
No one has seen her, and no one knows anything.
[TV playing]
[Foldager] Jesper, check with all her previous workplaces
if they have any idea where she might be.
-[Jesper] Copy that. -[Sandra] Foldager.
Look at this. Of course she has more.
Search them. See if you can find her computer.
-We need to find her. -Yeah.
[somber music playing]
[tapping phone]
[ringing tone]
[sighs]
-[boy 1] Hey, stop it. Esther. -[phone ringing]
-[boy 2] It'll be fun. -[Le] One sec, let me get this.
[boy 1] You know I have my permit. Give me the keys.
-Hello? -[boy 1] I got it.
[Hess] Hi, Le. It's me.
-Hey. -What's up?
Just, uh… Where are you?
-At Esther's place. -At Esther's?
Yeah. We just finished the wake.
I just wanted to, um… check in.
I just wanted to say that, um…
[sighs] …it was a really nice funeral.
Well… But you weren't there. You left.
Yeah.
Yeah. I'm sorry. It, um…
But I'd like to meet. If you want?
Don't worry about me. I'm fine.
I know, but I'd like to see you. What do you say?
[melancholy, tense music playing]
[Le] Go home, Hess.
-You can't just come and go like this. -[line beeps]
[phone chimes]
THE COTTAGE IS AT TERNEVEJ 12, ØSTBY. BEST, AGNETE, BAKKEGÅRDEN
-[siren wailing] -[boy 1] Shit!
-[girl] Shit, it's the police! Shit, shit. -[boy 2] Police? Pull over.
-[girl 2] My mom will lose it. -[girl 1] Mine too.
[knocking]
[officer] May I see your driver's license?
[melancholy, tense music continues]
[Aksel] Thanks a lot, guys.
[door closes]
What on earth were you thinking, Le?
You're not my dad!
-Mind your own business. -[Johnny chirps]
[music fades]
[Le sniffles]
[sniffling]
[sobs] I miss my mom.
So do I.
[clattering]
-[Sandra] I feel like I know her. -[officer] What do you mean?
[Sandra] I don't know. She just looks familiar.
[officer] Okay.
Well, but according to the accident report,
they hit a truck head on on their way to soccer practice with their two boys,
and the dad and the boys were killed instantly.
-[Sandra] But Signe Møller survived. -[officer] Yes.
She was in the hospital for several weeks and received psychiatric care.
In the interview, she stated that she had a fight with her husband
while he was driving.
Said he wanted a divorce.
It's just weird. Her kids die in 2023…
[radio chatter]
…but she's still washing the clothes and filling in the family planner.
There are new traces of them all over the house.
Okay, so her entire family dies, and shortly after, she kills Emma.
[ominous music playing]
[clattering]
[Marie breathing shakily]
-[rattling] -[drawer closing]
[whimpers]
[Signe] I know you have thought about suicide.
You said so at grief counseling.
I'm just not sure how.
[Marie sobs]
Would you take an overdose?
I'm not sure about that.
What do you think?
[Marie whimpers]
Signe… please listen to me.
I'm your friend. Right?
I know you so well, and… and I understand you.
I know what it's like to lose someone.
-To be in mourning. Right? -Hmm.
Uh… and you can't control your emotions,
and you don't know what you're doing, and you do stupid things.
-I get that. -[sighs]
Signe, we have so much in common.
-We… we've shared so much. -Yeah…
Yeah. Yes, we have.
Yes.
I still remember the day you joined the grief counseling group.
I didn't know if it would work, putting a flyer in your mailbox.
You were so sad.
And it really helped me,
getting to know you,
and getting close to you.
I can help you.
Just like you've helped me.
But now you ruined everything.
Now I have to find the solution.
No… Signe!
Signe, you need me. You've only got me!
That's not true. I've still got Thor and Molly.
[gasping]
You're sick!
[Marie sobbing]
You're the type who would drown yourself in the marshes.
That's what you'll do.
[Marie] Stay away from my kids!
"Dear Molly, dear Thor. This is so hard to write,
and it pains me in my heart,
but I have to leave you, my lovely kiddos."
She didn't write that! She would never call us kiddos.
-[Michael] No. I'm calling the police. -[whispers]
[Michael] Come here.
[Molly sobbing]
[tense, somber music playing]
[Johnny chirping]
-[knocking at door] -Yeah?
[sighs]
[music fades]
Gunna made tea and cookies.
You know what, Le? I'm sure the three of us will be all right after a while.
-Mm. -How about next week, we go shopping?
Then you can decorate this room any way you like.
I'd like that.
What about Mom's stuff?
It's all yours now.
I think we'll put it in storage.
Then you can have it the day you want your own place.
But if there's something you'd like to have,
then we'll go and get it, of course.
Thanks.
I know it's not, uh…
But we'll figure it out.
[tense, somber music playing]
Mm-hmm.
[intense, ominous music playing]
Foldager? Signe Møller has videos of all the children
in her therapy group at the Agency for Family Law.
And they're all there.
Zara Solak's daughter, Andreas Lund's son and Hougård's two daughters.
And who is that there?
-[girl] That's me. -[Signe] Mm?
You know what? I understand you're upset, Aska,
and that you're angry with your mom.
It's her fault that your family was torn apart.
That wasn't very nice of her, was it?
Signe seems almost pathologically obsessed…
[phone ringing]
…with the parents' divorce and infidelity.
Foldager.
Yeah. Okay. I'll be there as soon as I can.
-Marie Holst is missing. -What?
Her family can't get hold of her. They've talked to her friend, and…
-It seems… -Fuck. It's her.
Now I know where I've seen her.
Signe Møller is Marie's friend.
She came with her to the station.
-Are you sure about that? -Yes.
Because I remember thinking it was strange that she brought her friend.
Get hold of Hess. Maybe he knows something.
Tell him Signe Møller is still at large,
and Marie Holst is missing and might be in danger.
Yeah, but I can't reach him.
I've kept him updated, but now he's not responding.
Then try again.
I'll go to Marie's house and talk to her family.
-[ringing tone] -You've called Mark Hess…
[intense, ominous music playing]
[Marie gasping]
[whimpering]
-[doorbell rings] -[Marie gasps]
[music fades]
[muffled wailing]
-[gasps] -[doorbell rings]
[sinister music playing]
[music fades]
-Hi. -[Hess] Hello.
I, uh, might be lost. Is this Ternevej out here?
Yes.
And this is number 12?
Yes, this is number 12.
Are you the owner?
No. I'm just renting for a few weeks.
Why? What's this about?
-I'm with the police. I'm looking for… -Oh, fuck!
Is it because I'm here in the winter?
I asked if it was a problem, but they said I could live here all year round.
I should have paid more attention when I found out the owners are from Poland.
-[chuckles] -From Poland?
Okay, and how did you communicate with them?
I just speak with the rental company.
Why? What's this all about?
I'm investigating a crime.
Oh? How unsettling. Nothing serious, I hope?
What's your name?
-My name is Julia. -Julia?
Last name?
May I please see some ID?
[Hess sniffs] Sure.
Would you mind if I had a quick look inside?
-Not at all. Come on in. -[Hess clears his throat]
[foreboding music playing]
-[Hess] And can I see your ID too? -[Signe] Yes, of course.
[muffled, echoing sounds]
[groans]
[whimpers]
[sighs]
[Signe] Sorry about the mess. I'm… I'm in the middle of a divorce.
-[music fades] -[Hess] Are these your birds?
[laughing] No! No, of course not.
May I ask you… The crime, what happened?
Well, it involves the previous owners, the Staal family.
Thøger Staal, the father, was an amateur ornithologist, which explains the birds.
-Oh, okay. -The daughter's name was Thea.
Thea Staal.
-A quite horrific case. -Ugh.
Now it feels kind of weird to live here.
Right.
Could I see your ID?
Yes, of course.
[suspenseful music playing]
[Hess] When they lived here, there was a shed on the property.
-Is it still here? -[Signe] No, it's gone now.
[Hess] And the marsh is…
It's that way.
[Hess] Would you mind if I go take a look at it?
[Signe] No. Yeah, of course. You just go ahead.
-[Hess] Thank you. -Well, I can't find my wallet.
I think it's out here.
I'm… I'm a bit distracted, I'm afraid. It's…
It's just the divorce. It's been a rough couple of weeks.
-What about you? Are you married? -No.
[Signe] Good choice. You hear stories about how dreadful a divorce is,
but I don't think you get how horrible it really is until you try it yourself.
[Hess yells]
[ominous music playing]
[Signe hisses and growls]
[screams]
[whimpering]
[gasps]
[panting]
[groans]
[gasping]
[Hess wheezing hoarsely]
[ominous music continues]
[yelps]
[breathing heavily]
[footsteps]
[muffled sounds]
[Foldager] So, you spoke to your mom's friend, Signe?
-Uh, yeah. -[Foldager] When was that?
[sighs] I don't know. Maybe three hours ago.
-Did she say where she was going? -[Michael] Why?
[Foldager] We need to know where Signe is, and I need the phone number you called.
[Thor] Why do you care about Signe? It's my mom who's missing!
[ominous music continues]
[breathing heavily]
[grunts]
[whimpers]
[gasping]
[sobs]
[yelps]
[panting]
♪ Counting to one and counting to two ♪
♪ The hen does not wear a sock or a shoe ♪
-[frogs croaking] -[water splashing]
[breathing shallowly]
[Signe] ♪ Counting to three And four is a breeze ♪
♪ Eggs get all scrambled If you give them a squeeze ♪
♪ Counting to five and counting to six ♪
♪ If you're a troll You'll have kids with a witch ♪
-[Sandra] What the hell? -[door opens]
-Have you reached Hess? -[Sandra] No, he's still not answering.
But I found his car.
It's parked in the same area that Signe's phone call with Thor came from.
Close to Staal's summer cottage.
[Foldager] I thought the cottage had been demolished.
[Sandra] No. Just the shed.
-The house is still there. -Send me the address.
-We need a team out there. -Yeah.
[suspenseful music playing]
[panting]
[twig snaps]
♪ If you're a troll You'll have kids with a witch ♪
[loud squawking]
[gasps]
[Signe, cheerfully] Here I come!
[suspenseful music intensifies]
[Signe] Make a sound!
[music fades]
[boards creaking]
Where are you?
[sighs softly]
[duck quacking]
[creaking]
[Signe] Make a sound?
[footsteps]
[suspenseful music playing]
Cuckoo!
-Where are you? -[coughs]
[whimpering]
[ringing tone]
You've called Mark Hess. I can't answer at the moment.
Please leave a message.
Hi, Hess.
I just wanted to say that…
[gasping]
[Le] Could you please call me back?
Bye.
[gasping]
[crow cawing]
[groaning]
[whimpering]
Found you!
[Signe screams]
[Hess roaring]
[screeching]
[yells]
[Hess groans]
[wheezes]
[breathing hoarsely]
[quiet, solemn music playing]
[intense, dramatic music playing]
[gasps]
[blows landing]
[both gasping]
[solemn music playing]
TWO WEEKS LATER
[music fades]
[footsteps]
-[Hess] Hi, Le. -[Le] Hi.
[Hess] Thank you.
-It's a beautiful gravestone. -[Le] Mm-hmm.
Are you here to say goodbye?
There's something I want to show you first.
If I may?
-Hmm? -Mm-hmm.
When are you coming home?
The prosecutor is investigating if I'll be, uh… charged with murder.
-[Thor] What? -[Marie] Mm.
[Thor] Uh… but you saved that police officer.
Yeah. Well, it's… it's complicated.
They might argue that it wasn't just self-defense.
So… that means I'll probably go to jail.
Uh, for how long?
Two, three months max.
Because of mitigating circumstances.
[Thor] Okay.
-So, you'll be out for my graduation? -Yeah, I will.
I was just thinking…
May I… wear Emma's cap, when I graduate?
So she'll be there too?
[poignant music playing]
Yes. Of course you can, sweetie.
-That's a good idea. -Yeah.
But you have to pass first.
-[chuckles] Yeah. -Will you have a party?
[fading] No, I don't think so. A lot of other people are.
[inaudible]
Welcome.
Is it yours?
Yes.
I mean, have you bought it?
Yes, I did.
[Le] There's plenty of space.
Yeah, that's because I thought you might want to be here.
Every now and then.
What do you mean?
Come, have a seat.
[clears throat]
I'm quitting Europol.
And I'll find a job here in Denmark.
And I wondered if you want to live here with me?
And you can… you can… you can pick a room first, if you like.
[keys jingle]
Am I sharing a room with Johnny Margrethe?
[laughs]
[warm, poignant music playing]
BASED ON THE NOVEL BY SØREN SVEISTRUP