AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“I was paid to do it! He said that I needed to wound someone as a warning not to say anything about the Hayward murder. That if I scared him enough into keeping silent, I would be paid very handsomely.”
Rafe frowned.
“He? Who was it?”
“I don’t know. I didn’t get his name. He just came up to me in a public house and asked about my background. When he found out I had been a marksman in the army, he became interested.” Asante looked frantically from Charlie to Rafe and back again. “He asked me to help him out with a situation, that some secrets were going to come to light, and he wanted them to stay buried.”
“Did you really not get a name from the person who wanted you to shoot somebody you had never met before?” Charlie demanded. “You just heard you were going to be paid, and you went with it?”
“I need the money. I left the army under a dark cloud. My sister is a widow, and she has lots of children. I have to help look after them, and I struggle to find work.”
“That doesn’t excuse you from committing murder,” Charlie snapped. He turned to Rafe. “I think we should turn him over to the magistrate. He’ll be able to get everything before this murderer is hanged.”
Asante looked panicked. Rafe hadn’t planned on bluffing about Millinchip’s shooting, but it looked like it was paying off. The man looked like he was going to pass out.
“I’ll tell you everything!” Asante started towards Rafe, only to stop suddenly when Rafe made a move as if he was going to hit him. “Just put in a good word for me with the magistrate. Please!”
“A good word?” Rafe snorted. “How do you think that’s going to work after what you’ve done? You killed someone in my home, right in front of me. Why would I put a good word in for you?”
Asante floundered as he tried to search for words. Charlie nudged Rafe.
“How about we get absolutely everything we can, and then we’ll think about it? I mean, he might have something useful. Maybe we can figure out who it is.”
“I really don’t know who it is,” Asante protested. “I know he’s a member of theton, but that’s it. I don’t even know what title he has.”
“We’ll be able to figure it out. But you’d better tell us everything.” Charlie turned the knife over in his hands. “We don’t like to be ruffians and act in such a manner, but when something like this happens, sometimes you have to…well, let’s just say we can be less than gentlemanly.”
Asante looked like he was about to cry. Already, he was whimpering. Rafe couldn’t believe how cowardly he was. He didn’t feel any pity for this man at all. He leaned in, noticing Asante cower back.
“I may be an earl, but I’ve just spent the last six years dealing with dangerous beasts. I’ve also skinned said beasts.” Asante flinched. “It’s best that you tell us what you know, if you want to see your sister and her family again before your time arrives.”
Asante sagged to his knees. Then he began to sob. Rafe had never seen anything so pitiful. Resisting the urge to say anything further, he signalled at Charlie to take over. His friend was far better at extracting information.
“Now,” Charlie said as he leaned against the wall of the cave, “I think you’d better start at the beginning. And don’t leave anything out.”
