Geralt began searching the house for clues. He had already examined Cronin's corpse from head to toe. The killer had acted with practiced precision: the fatal wound was on the neck, his throat cut from behind with a dagger. Then he had been bled, dragged into the living room, and disemboweled.
He described it silently in his mind with an almost detached calm, speculating about the murderer's identity. Whoever had done this had to be both bold and meticulous, and had likely done it many times before. Killing him was one thing, but deliberately arranging the scene so horrifically—was it meant as a warning to someone?
The Witcher entered Cronin's study and began going through his letters. Most were ordinary correspondence, from tax officials, the Academy he attended, or family members. There was nothing unusual, except for three letters worth noting.
The first bore no signature. It had been written in blood.
"We know very well what you're trying to do, Cronin. You'd better stop. For the sake of your family, perhaps we'll let you off. But if you persist in your foolishness, then Lady Gregory may only get to see her son's cold corpse. You'd better warn your companions too, boy. You must stop immediately!"
Geralt silently slipped the letter into an inner pocket and began reading the second. It was brief, sent by someone named K, and carried the fragrance of bellflowers.
"Gods, Cronin, you must leave at once. I'm begging you, stop what you're doing! This is far too dangerous! They won't stand by and let you continue!"
The third letter had been written by Cronin himself. He had not sent it, nor had he even written down an intended recipient. The young man's handwriting was neat and elegant, but its contents were anything but.
"To hell