“You know what they want.” There’s no nonsense in Enat’s response. “What can you tell them?”
Millner shifts to face Cohen and me. “You tell me what you’re looking for and why, and I’ll see if I can help you out. Yes?” He grins.
I openly stare at the man, confused as to why anyone would believe this man could evade my father for years. How did this portly figure earn the legendary Archtraitor status?
Cohen taps my knee under the table. It’s his way of putting the reins in my hands.
“Enat said you knew my father, Saul Flannery,” I explain. “He was murdered here in Celize, and Cohen was accused of it. The king’s guard are after us, and if we’re caught, Cohen will be executed. We’re looking for the murderer.”
A broad smile sweeps across Millner’s round features. “I knew Saul. Salt of the earth, he was. And if I could, I would’ve given my life for his. To think, most people in your situation would’ve run. You’re a mighty impressive girl, trying to track down the killer of your father when you have the guards knocking down every door looking for you. They put a nice bounty on your head.”
“Which is why we’re here, talking to you,” Cohen reminds him.
“Yes, well, I’m not sure how much help I can be to you.” The fleshy skin beneath Millner’s chin shimmies like a turkey gobble when he speaks.
I frown.
“Now, Britta.” He pats his belly. “I have an idea of who murdered your father—?I’m just not sure how much it’ll help you with the guards. See, the night of the murder, a friend of mine was at the same tavern as your father. Lucky for him, he was taking care of some other business.” His face reddens and he coughs, as if I’m naive to what else happens inside taverns.
“Was he with a wench?”
Millner lets out a hearty laugh. “You’re smart. Not afraid to speak the truth. I like you. You remind me of your father.”
“Yes, well, I’d like you more if you could just give us a name.” I flash him a wry smile.
He chuckles. “Bear with me. I’m getting there. So this friend of mine just happened to be coming into the tavern through a hidden door when your father was killed. He had the wits to back right out that door before anyone saw him.”
“And where’d he go?”
“To me, of course.”
Millner has lost his seeds. I cross my arms and lean back. “Your friend saw a man killed, and then told no one but you?”
“Aye. Smart man, my friend. Information like this could’ve cost him his life.”
Even though his words register true, I’m still skeptical. “Please, don’t leave me in anticipation. What did your friend say?”
“The man who killed your father was wearing the king’s emblem on his coat.”
I let out a frustrated sigh. “Cohen and I have already determined that the only person who likely killed Papa was one of the king’s guards or one of the men close to him. That doesn’t help us.”
He clucks his tongue. “Patience, Britta. I wasn’t finished. Citizens of Celize aren’t subjects to King Aodren, but some still fear his reach, as well as the men who serve him. In a busy tavern, there should’ve been a dozen witnesses. Do you know how many there were?”
“Two,” I answer, remembering what Lord Jamis said.
“Two. So you see, people are afraid to talk.”
He has a point. “Do you have a description of the guard?”
Millner chuckles. “Just like your father—”
“A description?” If he compares me to my father again right now I might consider taking him back to Malam as well.
“Older man, dark hair, tall, with a solid build.”
“That description matches a number of guards.” Cohen steals the response right off my tongue.
There is a slight mischievous glint in Millner’s eyes as he leans closer to me. “I suppose I should also add that the man’s coat had five stripes. Do you know who wears five stripes on his uniform?” He sits up tall, gleaming triumphantly.
I know exactly whose coat he’s talking about. “Captain Omar,” I say, though hardly able to believe it’s true.
“Aye, Captain Omar.”
Did the captain really kill my father? Why would he accompany me on a hunt to find an innocent man? Perhaps his motive is to pin the murder on someone else. The truth of what Millner is saying warms me through, but the realization of his words shocks me to my core.
Perhaps Captain Omar needed me to lead him to Cohen so he could take Cohen’s life as the man who murdered the king’s bounty hunter. Such a devious move would leave the captain free of suspicion. It would even elevate him to the status of a hero. What would the captain gain from Malam and Shaerdan going to war?
“Now can you see why the truth won’t do you much good?” Millner’s question pulls me from my thoughts.