Clutching the killer's message in his hand, Razvan fought against the urge to unfold it and see what was written within. He regretted volunteering to be the one to bring it to Corita and catch her up on the murders that had occurred. Granted, Draul, Mariel, and Kennick had to go to the garrison, so he was the only option. Sheriff Hemlock had volunteered to take the letter to Corita but Razvan felt that it was best that she heard about what happened from a friend. Although he knew where to find her at the Sandpoint Theatre, he didn't expect for her rehearsal to take so long. Waiting to see what the killer had written was unbearable, but at the same time, it didn't feel right to read the message without Corita. He pocketed the message silently, continuing his wait.

Razvan wasn't sure what kind of game the killer was playing but he was certain that Corita had nothing to do with the killings herself. He knew her well enough to know that she was too kind to have anything to do with such brutal murders. Sheriff Hemlock suggested that the killer may have been trying to frame Corita for the crimes. Why the killer would choose the bard was still a mystery, but among the adventurers, she was the least likely to have killed anyone in cold blood. There had to have been some purpose for the killer singling out Corita but Razvan couldn't figure out what it was. Corita was a rising star both for her heroics and for her performances at the Sandpoint Theatre but this didn't seem to be the actions of a stalker to him.

As much as Razvan hated the idea, it was possible that the killer may attempt to attack Corita at some point. If that was the killer's plan, then Razvan would do whatever it took to stop them. He was friends with all of his adventuring companions but felt that he was closest with Corita. Kennick was too quiet, Mariel preferred studying ancient history than talking, and Draul could be too righteous at times. With Corita, Razvan felt comfortable being himself. They were both free spirits in their own way, and while they were on different paths, they both enjoyed having fun when they weren't out saving the day. Razvan was ready to do whatever it took to ensure that the killer didn't lay a finger on Corita.

Razvan sighed in relief when he saw Corita step out from the Sandpoint Theatre, joined by around a dozen of her fans. At the very least, the killer hadn't yet struck at her directly. For a second, Razvan was worried that the killer could be one of Corita's followers as she shared stories with them but he reminded himself that the killer was most likely undead. There was no rotten smell in the air and so he knew that the killer wasn't around. Razvan waited until Corita looked in his direction before waving her over. The bard kindly dismissed her fans, who lingered outside of the theatre. They were likely hoping to overhear some gossip from two of Sandpoint's heroes but Razvan intended to keep what he knew to Corita only.

"Morning, Razvan!" Corita greeted cheerfully. "I didn't expect you to be out waiting for me. You never struck me as someone interested in plays."

"Come on, Corita," Razvan gestured for her to follow him. "You've missed out on a lot."

"Orik's trial, right?" Corita asked, walking next to Razvan as they turned to another street. "That's today, isn't it?"

"It is but it hasn't happened yet," Razvan looked around, making sure no one was following them, before whispering. "There's been more murders."

"Like the ones Kennick told us about? That's old news to us, remember?"

"Quiet," Razvan warned Corita. "The killer struck again in Sandpoint, at the sawmill. Two people are dead, one of the mill employees and Katrine, Shayliss' older sister. There's a lot to go over and Sheriff Hemlock doesn't want anyone to panic."

"Why didn't you invite me to the investigation?" Corita questioned quietly. "I could have helped."

"We know, but well, the killer's trying to play some tricks. The sheriff found this on Ibor, the murdered employee."

Razvan reached into his pockets and pulled out the blood-stained message. Corita's eyes went wide in shock as he held the parchment out to her. Hesitantly, she claimed the message and unfolded it. Razvan crossed his arms and leaned against the nearby building, letting her process what the message had to say. There was still much he had to tell Corita about the investigation but he was going to take it one step at a time. The last thing he wanted was to overwhelm her like he had been at the sawmill.

"This… this is terrible," Corita muttered softly, holding the message back. "Have you read this for yourself?"

"It was addressed to you," Razvan shook his head. "None of us have read it."

"You have my permission to read it," Corita told Razvan, closing her eyes. "I don't want to keep this to myself."

Razvan waited for a moment to make sure Corita was certain before taking the parchment from her. His eyes skimmed the short message written in ink across the parchment.

You will learn to love me, desire me in time as she did. Give yourself to the pack and it shall all end.

Signed, Your Lordship

Razvan had to fight against his anger to stop him from crumpling the note outright. The Lordship signature didn't give him any idea as to who they're dealing with but the threats were clear. The killer wanted Corita for himself as part of a twisted infatuation. While the killer was dangerous, especially if he was able to control some sort of pack, Razvan wasn't going to let him get to Corita. He took a deep breath to calm himself down and offered the message back to Corita, who took the parchment to put away in her pockets.

"That bastard is going to get what's coming to him soon enough," Razvan declared.

"If we can find him," Corita reminded Razvan with a sigh. "I didn't find anything that we can use from that message to find the killer."

"There were a few clues about his identity, but no solid leads," Razvan nodded, frowning.

"So what do we do now?" Corita asked.

"The sheriff has some suspects locked up at the garrison," Razvan said. "I don't think any of them are going to be the lead we need but maybe they might know something."

"Then what are we waiting for? Let's go."

Razvan and Corita walked off toward the Sandpoint Garrison, preparing themselves to question the suspects. On the way to the garrison, Razvan took the time to explain what he and the others found out from their investigation to Corita. He was careful not to go into detail about the gruesome nature of the murders if only because there was no reason to. Corita had enough going on with a psychopathic killer potentially stalking her and he didn't want to add anything else to her troubles. He was able to keep the conversation quiet as well, ensuring that any townsfolk walking around didn't overhear anything. Corita nodded along with the explanation, offering very few questions. She kept a neutral expression and that was troubling enough for Razvan, who remembered how cheerful she was before.

The pair arrived at the Sandpoint Garrison together and stepped inside. Sheriff Hemlock was busy and away from the garrison but he had told the guards present to expect the adventurers. Razvan and Corita followed the guard to the holding cells, although they were led in the opposite direction from where Nualia and the others were held. The guard unlocked the first cell and stepped aside, allowing the adventurers to take the lead on the interrogation. Razvan nodded to Corita and led the way into the cell.

Within the cell, seated on a stone bench set against the far wall, was a young man with dark brown hair. His white tunic and leather trousers were stained in faint blood. It wasn't a lot of blood and Razvan figured that the blood was from discovering the scene at the sawmill rather than any malicious deed. The man looked up at the pair of adventurers, dark bags under his haunted eyes. Having seen the gruesome scene at the sawmill, Razvan had an idea on what was going through the man's head. He kept quiet, shaking his head slowly. Corita hung back toward the door, leaving Razvan to handle the questioning.

"Ibor Thorn," Razvan addressed the man. "We have some questions if you don't mind answering them."

"I've already told the sheriff everything," Ibor said, his hands trembling. "I don't know what else there is to say."

"We know you didn't have anything to do with the murders," Razvan told Ibor. "It's just that we need some more information to find out about the killer's motives. If you can answer a few more questions, the guards will let you go."

"They will," Ibor said, then sighed. "Alright. What do you want to know?"

"Banny Harker worked at the sawmill with you, but Katrine didn't," Razvan started. "What was she doing that night?"

"They were probably sleeping together," Ibor said nonchalantly. "The sawmill is one of their favorite spots for privacy."

"Did Ven know?"

Ibor shook his head. "No, and even if he did, what I saw wasn't the deed of an overprotective father."

"We figured as such," Razvan nodded in agreement. "With that said, you were close to Banny. You worked together. Is there anything you knew about him that could be a reason why someone would want to kill him?"

Ibor was quiet for a few seconds before answering. "I don't know anything."

Razvan crossed his arms. "Everything you say stays between the three of us but you need to be honest with me. I'll ask again: did anyone have any motive to kill Banny Harker?"

Looking down at the ground after being caught in a lie, Ibor slowly nodded. "I wasn't involved but Banny had a habit of 'cooking the books' and skimmed from the sawmill's earnings for years."

"So he was stealing from the sawmill," Razvan said. "Who owns the mill?"

"The Scarnetti's," Ibor grew pale at the mention of their name.

"They sound familiar," Corita commented, breaking her silence for the first time.

"They're one of Sandpoint's four noble families," Razvan looked over his shoulder as he explained to Corita. "I think they're responsible for the lumber and grain trade in Sandpoint."

"I heard Titus Scarnetti had several grain mills that didn't work for him burnt to the ground," Ibor said, tapping his foot on the ground. "He's not a man you want to cross."

"And you think that he, or someone else in his family, could be responsible?" Razvan asked.

"It wouldn't surprise me if they were," Ibor said. "That's all I know. I swear."

"Corita, do you have anything to ask him?"

With a shake of her head, Corita turned back to the cell door. Razvan followed her out of the cell as the guard stepped inside to escort Ibor out of the garrison. After some thought, Razvan was starting to connect the dots. Banny was stealing from the sawmill's earnings while Tarch, Lener, and Gedwin were con men. Aside from Katrine, who Razvan suspected was at the wrong place at the wrong time, all of the victims were pursuing illegal means to make gold. It didn't narrow down the killer's identity by any means but he figured that the illegal thefts were part of the motive in some way.

"So, do you think the Scarnetti's are responsible?" Corita asked quietly while waiting for the guard to return. "Could one of them be a necromancer or have hired one to work for them?"

"The Scarnetti's have the wealth and motive, sure, but I don't think they're involved," Razvan answered, leaning against a stone wall.

"And why's that?"

"Titus Scarnetti owns the sawmill," Razvan explained. "If he wanted Banny dead, he wouldn't have him killed at the mill. Now, the mill's a crime scene, and out of operation for the time being."

"Meaning that the mill isn't making him any money," Corita said, catching onto Razvan's logic.

"Exactly," Razvan nodded quickly. "It seems to me that gold has something to do with the killer's motives. Banny was stealing from the mill and the others were conmen scamming others out of their money."

"What about Katrine?"

"I think she arrived at the sawmill for a romantic night with Banny when she stumbled onto the killer during the deed," Razvan said, closing his eyes. "It's a damn tragedy."

"The other suspect is her father, right?" Corita asked, glancing towards the cell door at the end of the hall. "Ibor didn't think he had anything to do with the murders."

"Ibor's right, and even then, I don't think Ven is going out of his way to kill three men outside of Sandpoint. Honestly, I don't think we need to question Ven."

"We should speak with him anyway. At the very least, we might be able to comfort him."
Razvan hesitated with the idea Corita had. He had a good idea of what Ven Vinder was like, and while he was far from a killer, he was a man that could get furious at a moment's notice. Razvan had been fortunate enough to avoid Ven's rage so far but there was a part of him that was sure that the shopkeeper knew about what he and Shayliss were up to. Sandpoint was a small town and gossip was bound to get back to Ven eventually. While there wasn't anything to confirm the rumors, Razvan wasn't sure if Ven would care after losing one daughter that he tried so hard to protect.

Yet, Razvan also knew that Corita had been more reserved since reading the message from the killer. The investigation was getting to her as she kept to herself during Ibor's questioning. If she wanted to meet with Ven, it could be a way to help her deal with the killer's motives for her. Although Razvan was tempted to let Corita meet with Ven alone, he realized it wouldn't be good of him to let her face the shopkeeper's rage alone. Holding back a sigh, Razvan nodded and gestured for the returning guard to lead the way. Although he wasn't looking forward to the meeting, Razvan saw a flicker of a smile from Corita when he agreed to her idea.

The guard opened another cell and Razvan and Corita stepped inside. Ven was impatiently pacing inside of the cell when he turned toward the pair of adventurers with a glare. The shopkeeper was middle-aged with short graying hair and a beard. He towered over Razvan and Corita by several inches and was closer to Draul in height. His arms were muscular and many of Sandpoint's townsfolk had seen him physically throw out disruptive customers. Razvan tried his best to calm himself, always knowing that facing an enraged Ven was one of his worst fears even after all he had went through on his adventures.

"Good morning, Ven," Corita greeted, her voice without emotion. "We're sorry about-"

"You!" Ven turned on Razvan, getting right up to him. "You had something to do with this!"

"Me?!" Razvan gasped.

"Don't play dumb with me!" Ven jabbed a finger right into Razvan's chest. "I heard the rumors about you and Shayliss! Yet you couldn't keep yourself to only one of my daughters, but when Katrine rejected you!"

"I've barely even talked to Katrine!" Razvan tried to defend himself, holding his hands up. "We've been investigating the murders and we're certain that the killer isn't human, but rather a monster!"

"Like the one your paladin friend locked up in the garrison!" Ven continued his accusations. "It wouldn't surprise me if you freed Nualia and let her out to do the deed for you!"

"Ven, please," Corita spoke up softly.

"You're in on it too!" Ven turned on the bard with a growl. "You're all in on this conspiracy!"

"Leave Corita out of this!" Razvan said, making the mistake of trying to push Ven back.

"Keep your hands off me!" Ven shouted, his hands curling up in fists. "You're both banned from my shop! All of your adventuring friends are too! And if I see you with Shayliss again-"

Corita sighed and grabbed Razvan by the forearm. "Let's go."

Razvan allowed Corita to pull him out of the cell and quickly closed the cell door before Ven could follow them out. They walked away from the cell, hearing Ven continue to rant on angrily. Razvan imagined that it would be a few more hours before Ven calmed down and was allowed to leave the garrison. While he was frustrated with the shopkeeper, he tried his best to move past what Ven had said. The townsfolk of Sandpoint liked Ven and they would be inclined to trust his word, even if he had evidence. The last thing Razvan needed to do was escalate the conflict by fighting back. His companions would be appreciative if they could return to the general store one day and the townsfolk would look on the adventuring group kindly for not taking direct action against Ven once they cleared their name.

"Don't let Ven get to you, Corita," Razvan told his friend with a sigh. "He's grieving in his own way."

"I know," Corita nodded with a frown. "I just wanted to try to help him. I can't imagine what he and Shayliss are going through."

"It's a damn shame about what happened to Katrine, that's for sure," Razvan said in agreement. "She did nothing wrong and didn't deserve to die as she did."

"I wished I was better friends with her or Shayliss," Corita admitted. "Could you pass on my condolences to Shayliss the next time you see her?"

"Maybe," Razvan said without thinking over his answer.

"Maybe?" Corita blinked in surprise. "But I thought that you and Shayliss were, well, romantically involved with one another."

"I wouldn't say that we are," Razvan answered, scratching the back of his head. "We sleep together a lot but there aren't any strong feelings between us. We're young and we like to have fun."

"I see," Corita nodded, frowning. "And you don't intend to see Shayliss again even while she's mourning the loss of her sister?"

"The kind of company I bring isn't something she likely wants right now," Razvan answered with a shrug.

Corita opened her mouth as if to say something before closing it. She closed her eyes and took a quick yet deep breath. The moment she opened her swings, she slapped Razvan across his cheek.

Razvan felt the hand slam across his right cheek. He nearly fell back, feeling the stinging pain as he brought his hand to where she struck him. It was easy to forget just how strong Corita was given the way she acted.

"What in the hells is wrong with you?!" Razvan gasped, holding his face in pain.

"What's wrong with me?!" Corita advanced on Razvan, her voice full of rage. "You're one to talk! You sleep around other women, and then when the going gets tough for your lover, you leave them because there isn't any more fun to be had in bed!"

"Why does it matter so much about what I do in private?" Razvan snapped back at Corita.

"It's not private when there's a lot of gossip going around Sandpoint already!" Corita jabbed her finger into Razvan's chest. "How did I ever become friends with an asshole that only cares about women for the sex!"

"Now that's not true at all! I haven't even a move on you at all!"

Razvan realized that what he said was wrong the moment the words left his mouth. Before he could take back what he said in the heat of the moment, Corita slapped him across his other cheek. Razvan took a few steps back, groaning in pain and biting back the anger he felt.

"We're done here," Corita told Razvan bitterly. "I hope you take this time to think about what kind of man you are."

Razvan stepped aside, letting Coritta storm past him. He had wanted to say something else but he wasn't sure what he could say. Just like Ven, Corita was processing the murders in her own way. She had shut her emotions away, and now, she unleashed them even against her friends. It was hard for Razvan to disagree with her, realizing that what he said for her was hardly different from the taunting words the murderer wrote to her. The murderer only cared for Corita for her looks rather than any deeper meaning, just as Razvan was more interested in the physical aspects of his relationship with Shayliss than anything else. Razvan wanted to believe that in that moment, Corita was lashing out at the killer using him as a substitute.

And although she had acted out in anger, Corita was right. Razvan had been more likely to objectify women for their looks than anything else. Corita and Mariel were exceptions given that they had gone through much together but he was starting to realize that there was something wrong with him. His mother had raised him to be a better man, to follow more courtly love as the followers of Shelyn promoted. If his mother was around now, she would hate the kind of man he grew up to be. Razvan sighed to himself, thinking that at the very least, he was going to check in on Shayliss without making a move. It was the right thing to do and he needed to start taking steps to become a better man.

Razvan looked over his shoulder at the guard that had been escorting them. The young man had stood at attention, his eyes going wide at the confrontation.

"I'll need to see the bodies of the three men murdered before if you don't mind," Razvan told the guard. "Oh, and not a word of what you saw to anyone else."

The guard nodded and quietly led the way down the hall, gesturing for Razvan to follow. He wasn't sure if the guard wouldn't spread rumors but he wasn't sure what else to do after everything else. Once Razvan examined the corpses, he would have to check in with the other adventurers on what to do and find time to apologize to Corita about his behavior.

A/N: Not a lot to report on for this chapter, just covering up loose ends and setting up drama. I will say that it is my goal to finish The Skinsaw Murders before the end of 2025, which I think I'll be able to pull off as I've started writing chapter 5 already.

Until next time.