“No worries at all. I appreciate this very much.”
“Call me if you need anything-even tonight. I don’t mind.”
Once Abraham had left, Dawson hung his clothes up in the wardrobe and then remembered what he had meant to do earlier. Sly had unwittingly given him an idea about how witchcraft might have some connection to the Smith-Aidoos’ murder.
Dr. Allen Botswe, a professor at the University of Ghana, specialized in African criminal psychology. His landmark book, Magic, Murder, and Madness: Ritual Killing in West Africa, was the authoritative text on the relationship between homicide and traditional West African culture, particularly in Ghana. Botswe had helped Dawson out during his last case.
He dialed the professor’s number, but no one answered. He redialed, a trick that often worked, and this time Botswe picked up.
“Mr. Dawson! How nice to hear from you. I hope all is well?”
“Yes, thank you, Doctor.” He got down to business. “I’m investigating a case in Takoradi of a murdered man and his wife who ended up in a canoe out by an oil rig.”
“The Smith-Aidoos-the man who was decapitated?”
“You know about it?”
“Only the bare elements.”
Dawson summarized the most important points. “My older son,” he continued, “who accidentally saw the photograph of the severed head said he believed witchcraft or juju was involved.”
“Possibly. Could I see the photograph?”
“I’ll text it to you. Please call me back once you’ve had a chance to look at it.”
“Yes, of course.”
Dawson opened up the docket, took the clearest possible picture of the severed head with his mobile, and sent the image to Botswe, who called back a few minutes later.
“Gruesome,” the professor said. “Some of the features here suggest a ritual killing, which is a murder committed in connection with the powers of gods, spirits, or ancestors. That often involves taking the victim’s head, eyes, lips, tongue, breasts, genitals, or internal organs. Sometimes the blood may be drained as well. The sacrifice victim is often selected for his or her perceived purity or unspoiled nature-a child, or a virgin, for example. In that regard, Charles Smith-Aidoo doesn’t quite fit the bill, but it still doesn’t rule out a bloody ritual. Were any other body parts missing?”
“No, but I should have told you that an old pocket watch was found stuffed in his mouth with the scrawled inscription, ‘blood runs deep.’ ”
“Aha,” Botswe said, his tone changing from interested to intrigued. “Fascinating. The murderer might have been trying to invoke family ties, the old watch indicating generations past, maybe a vendetta, something terrible done to his family member or members, or to an ancestor. He is deeply embittered and vengeful. A human sacrifice aspect could be separate but related to the family issue. My feeling is you should look very closely at the Smith-Aidoos’ family history, or one tied up with theirs-specifically ancestral tragedies or murders. When you do that, you may find the answer to this killing.”
