Mike Dixon

„No. It was that trouble with the Russians in Afghanistan. I
remember because Charles was still working for the Americans
then. One evening I heard them talking. They probably
thought I wasn‟t clever enough to understand.‟
She took a small bite from a sandwich.
„They used to speak in Russian or Chinese. It was their
way of making people feel small.‟
Kirstin nodded sympathetically.
„This time they spoke in English. Charles told daddy about
the guns they‟d been giving to the Muhagees and daddy said
it would have been cheaper to give drugs to the Russian sol-
diers …‟
Cecilia‟s voice drifted away and Kirstin saw that she had
taken a photograph from her bag.
„Your father said it would have been cheaper to give drugs
to the Russian soldiers,‟ she prompted.
„Yes. Then Charles said they‟d done that and it wasn‟t
cheap at all. He said he‟d handed over millions and millions
of dollars buying drugs.‟
„Why do you think they fell out – Charles and your father?‟
„I think Charles continued to deal in drugs after he‟d left
the Americans. I‟m sure that‟s what daddy thought.‟
„How did Charles get to know Sue Lynne?‟
„She was his daughter-in-law … Harald‟s wife.‟ Cecilia became
animated. „Harald treated Sue Lynne abominably and
Charles took care of her. That‟s the one good thing I have to
say about my brother.‟
Her eyes returned to the photograph.
„Harald was a vicious, nasty child and he grew up into a
vicious, nasty adult. I shall never forgive him for what he did
to David. He lied about his injuries. He wasn‟t hurt badly
when he fell downstairs. Harald made it all up.‟
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