He swung his lightweight wheelchair around to face Dawson as he took a seat. “So, what’s up, little brother?”
“I’m off to Takoradi on Tuesday,” Dawson said.
“Oh? What’s going on there?”
“New case. Don’t know if you ever read about the murder of Charles and Fiona Smith-Aidoo off Cape Three Points.”
Cairo searched his memory for a moment and shook his head. “Doesn’t ring a bell. What’s the story?”
Dawson gave him a quick rundown, explaining that the case came to CID via petition.
“Hope it goes well for you,” Cairo said sincerely. “You know we all like to have you right here in Accra. It’s a pity you have to leave Hosiah right now.”
“I know,” Dawson said, shaking his head regretfully. “I hate it myself, but Lartey is in no mood to be messed with, and I’m coming up for promotion soon.”
“Audrey and I will have Christine and the boys over at the house or drop in to see them,” Cairo offered.
“Thank you. I’m sure she’ll appreciate that.”
There was a slight pause.
“I saw Papa yesterday,” Cairo said quietly.
Dawson leaned his cheek against his knuckles and fixed his gaze at the floor. “And?”
“He asked for you.”
Dawson grunted noncommittally, and Cairo cleared his throat awkwardly. “Darko, I know there’ve been hard feelings between the two of you, but he’s getting old now, and he’s not going to live forever. I’m just saying maybe it’s time to not so much forget, but to forgive. He does love you.”
Dawson snorted. “You don’t hit the people you love, and whether Papa used his hand or a cane, he hit me a lot. It was never the same for you, since you were his favorite, so maybe you don’t understand, but I didn’t deserve to be treated that way just because I was attached to Mama and a skinny boy who wasn’t good at sports.”
“I think I do understand, Darko.” Cairo sighed heavily, rubbing the fist of his left hand slowly against the palm of his left as he contemplated this still unresolved family predicament. “Papa had a violent streak and he scapegoated you, that’s for sure, but…”
“But what?”
“Isn’t this something of a case of ‘he who is without sin cast the first stone’?”
Dawson looked at him in surprise. “I have never once hit my wife or my kids, and God strike me down if I ever do.”
“I know that,” Cairo said reassuringly. “I’m not talking about your family. You are a caring husband and father, but you haven’t been without violence in your work. A few years ago, especially up until the time you found out the truth about Mama, you were almost out of control-beating suspects up, losing your temper, remember?”
