You do realize that a streak of gruesome murders occurred dockside within a week of your departure? And has continued unabated for nearly two months? The victims were all strangled and left dead in the streets. The local militia Captain informs me of a similar occurrence shortly before your departure, but that a ‘strange band of fellows – whom I first mistook for ruffians but were operating under official writ – pledged that they had dealt with the serial murderer.”  The first deaths were not reported for some weeks, as it appears the murderer was canny and preyed upon transients and shiftless riffraff. Need I remind you that the killer remains at large?