Kwei Quartey - Murder at Cape Three Points

“Did you spend time with Mr. Smith-Aidoo outside of the workplace?”

“As much as time allowed.” Calmy-Rey’s eyes became softer. “He was outgoing, charming, wonderfully funny… just so likeable and good to be around.”

“But evidently someone didn’t like him,” Dawson observed.

Calmy-Rey nodded, his gaze dropping contemplatively. “It’s a tragedy. Charles’s career could not have been on a better track.” He paused, and it seemed to Dawson that he was carefully choosing his next words. “Em… I think the state of family was where the trouble was-issues with his sister, Eileen, and his brother, Brian. The only day I ever saw Charles even remotely upset was after he’d had an argument with Brian.”

Dawson sat up a little. “When was this, Mr. Calmy-Rey?”

“It could have been in April of this year. Or May, perhaps.”

“Did he say what this argument was about?”

“Not really, but I think money was involved.” He looked uneasy. “I’m sorry, perhaps it would be best to ask Sapphire about it. I feel uncomfortable that I may give you the wrong facts.”

Dawson nodded. “I understand. Are you aware of anyone who might have wanted Charles Smith-Aidoo and/or his wife dead?”

“There are any number of activists and advocates who see the oil companies as dire enemies bent on destroying the livelihoods of fishermen. Charles was our public face and the most accessible. Sure, one or two of these people might like to kill me -” a smile crept to Calmy-Rey’s face “-but it’s a lot harder to get to me than it was Charles.”

“You say ‘one or two people’ might like to kill you. Are you referring to anyone specific?”

“No, I’m not. I haven’t met any of these activist types, although Charles had. I do know that the most vocal is a man by the name of Quashie Quarshie, who is the head of an NGO called Friends of Axim, or FOAX, as they call it. Mind you, in mentioning him, I’m not directing an accusation at him.”

Something clicked in Dawson’s brain. “Reportedly, when the Smith-Aidoos visited Mr. Cardiman at Ezile Bay, they were coming from a function in Axim. Could that have been a meeting with the FOAX people?”

“It might have, I don’t know,” Calmy-Rey said, standing up, “but we can easily find out.”

He opened the office door, put his head around it, and asked Janice to look up Charles’s calendar for that week in July. She came into the office two minutes later and quietly handed Calmy-Rey a sheet of paper.

“You were right,” he said to Dawson. “This shows his schedule for the entire month, and on Monday, the seventh of July, he was due for a meeting at eight o’clock in the morning with FOAX.”

He leaned forward to hand the paper to Dawson, who studied it with Chikata looking on. Other meetings during the month seemed innocuous and routine, but the one with FOAX might have been significant. What if there had been acrimony between Charles and the activists, and one or more of them had decided that Charles Smith-Aidoo had to be eliminated? He, or they, could have followed him and his wife to Ezile Bay and ambushed them on their way back.

“Who else in the office, besides you,” Dawson asked Janice, “knew or might have known about Mr. Smith-Aidoo’s schedule?”

The light from the window framed her face perfectly.

“I don’t know of anyone,” she said. “I certainly didn’t mention it-there was really no need to.”

“Thank you for this,” Dawson said. “May we keep this copy?”

“Certainly,” Calmy-Rey said.

“What about here at Malgam itself?” Dawson asked. “Could anyone have held a grudge against Charles?”

Calmy-Rey shook his head slowly. “Very small chance of that. We all work well together with mutual respect from the CEO down to the housekeepers. Of course, I don’t know every employee intimately, but I would be tremendously surprised if we harbored anyone with such murderous intent.”

“However, I’ve heard something a little troubling.”

Calmy-Rey looked concerned. “About Charles?”

“Yes. That he was carving out business deals for himself while he represented Malgam.”

“I seriously doubt that,” Calmy-Rey said, confidently shaking his head. “If that had been going on, it would have been brought to my notice. People say all sorts of things for all sorts of reasons, and I always approach any accusations with great caution. I am not convinced that Charles was operating under any serious conflicts of interest.”

“What if someone felt he was doing wrong by the company?”

The CEO flicked his head sideways. “I know of no one. That’s all I can tell you, but you’re welcome to ask around, Inspector.”

“Have you ever heard of someone named Peter Duodo?” Dawson asked. “He’s a real estate developer who was a close friend of Charles’s.”

“No, never. I’m sorry, I wish I could help more.”

“No problem,” Dawson said. “How have you enjoyed your time in Ghana?”

Calmy-Rey smiled broadly. “It has been inspiring. The work environment in this country is highly attractive. My late father, Ulysses Calmy-Rey, founded the company in 1955. In Malgam Oil, he has left a legacy of ‘capitalism with care.’ He was always very concerned about the well-being of the people indigenous to the areas of oil discovery. I strive to follow his example and maintain a responsibility to the environment and to the people. I have to care about the people of Takoradi, and I have to care about the fishermen. It’s important to me. Ghana is a very important account for us, and we want to be around for many, many years as the country grows and develops because of well-managed oil exploration.”

Dawson nodded. The man was very smooth.

“Is there anything else I can help you with, Inspector? I’m at your disposal.”

“No. Thank you very much, sir.” Dawson stood up, and Chikata followed.

“I’ll walk you out,” Calmy-Rey said.

Just as they got to the mahogany door, Dawson had a thought.

“Oh, one other thing,” he said. “Did you and Mr. Smith-Aidoo know Lawrence Tetteh, the CEO of Goilco?”

“Oh, yes, of course,” Calmy-Rey said, nodding. “We both had lots of contact with Lawrence-Charles and our chief financial officer more so than I did, but still, I knew him well, and I made sure I kept in touch with him. Goilco has a ten percent carried interest in the Legacy Oilfield. His death was another tragedy, and just a month or so before the Smith-Aidoos’ murder. It’s very sad. I understand Lawrence’s stepbrother was charged in his murder.”

“Yes. Do you know if Tetteh had enemies in the oil industry, or in government?”

“He was a perfectly straightforward, experienced, and knowledgeable gentleman. On the face of it, he shouldn’t have had any enemies at all.”

“Might you have Mr. Tetteh’s mobile phone number?”

“No, I’m afraid not. But I may be able to find it for you.”

“If you can, I would be grateful.”

“But of course.” Calmy-Rey smiled again. “I’m very glad to have met you, Inspector.”

In the lift down to the lobby, Chikata said, “He seems to be a very nice man.”

Dawson grunted. “A little too much sugar in the cup.”

“What do you mean?”

“He ‘cares about the people of Takoradi and the fishermen?’ Come on.”

“You don’t trust him?”

“I just question the sincerity, that’s all. Do any of these exploiters really care that much?”

They waited until they were outside the building before resuming the discussion.

“Do you suspect him of being involved with the murder?” Chikata asked.

“Not at the moment, but…”

Chikata looked at him quizzically. “Did your juju hand speak to you?”