Striking up conversations with strangers to search for clues was not something that could be done in a short period of time, so Shade spent two hours that afternoon visiting and questioning different members of the Norsan Opera Troupe.
Much like the bearded landlord had said, the people here also said that after Mr. Bundy's eyes had been cured three months ago, he had been very happy for several days. But afterward, his mood turned gloomy, and he gradually became afraid of darkness and being alone.
He became nervous and jumpy, even making a few mistakes during the opera troupe's performances.
As for the prohibited drugs mentioned by the bearded landlord, no one in the troupe had noticed anything. In their impression, Frank Bundy had been friendly and extremely self-disciplined. Mr. Bundy did not even smoke, though after his eyes recovered, he had tried playing Rhodes Cards.
As for the suicide note, the musician had devoted a great deal of space to writing about his life and lamenting it. The later distribution of his estate matched what the bearded landlord had said. At the end, he mentioned the location he had chosen for his grave and thanked his neighbors, landlord, and friends from the Norsan Opera Troupe for caring for him over the years.
The date beneath the signature was the day Mr. Bundy had committed suicide. Its wording was clear, and the arrangements for his property and grave were highly organized. Yet the handwriting itself was utterly frenzied. Those letters looked like a terrifying language scrawled by a madman after witnessing something unknowable.
Because Mr. Bundy had once been blind, Shade specifically asked the troupe leader whether he had previously been able to write normally. He learned that the musician could write, and that his handwriting had even been