Vizima Confidential

Vizima Confidential is the main quest of Act II in The Witcher, spread across the Temple Quarter, the Dike and the Swamp Forest. It starts the first time Geralt talks to Raymond Maarloeve, a private investigator who offers to help him find someone on Salamandra’s payroll and use that person to reach Azar Javed.

The case is a proper detective story. A captured Salamandra agent points to the alchemist Kalkstein and the bandit Ramsmeat; Raymond survives an assassination attempt and goes into hiding, leaving Geralt a list of suspects; then the witness dies in the night and an autopsy with Shani raises some very uncomfortable questions. Get the deduction right and Geralt realises that the real Raymond is dead and Azar Javed has been wearing his face all along. The act ends at the mage’s tower in the swamp, where Javed drops the disguise.

Walkthrough

Talk to Raymond Maarloeve at his house in the Temple Quarter to start the case.
Question the captured Salamandra agent (see The Crown Witness); he points to Kalkstein and Ramsmeat.
While Raymond looks into Ramsmeat, earn Kalkstein’s trust by finding the two books he wants (the opening of A Mysterious Tower).
Return to Raymond’s house and fight off four assassins (they only appear when you enter, so leave and re-enter if needed). Raymond goes into hiding and leaves you a list of suspects; talk to each of them.
When a boy in the Temple Quarter says Raymond wants to see you, meet him and pay 200 orens. He tells you the prisoner died overnight.
Do the autopsy with Shani (Anatomy of a Crime) and name the culprit: the right answer is that Raymond is dead and Azar Javed is impersonating him (A Gravedigger’s Gratitude points the same way).
Raymond orders Ramsmeat’s death. If you have not unmasked him, kill Ramsmeat at his house (bribe the guards 20 orens by day or kill them at night); if you have, simply tell him it is done.
Meet Raymond at the mage’s tower in the Swamp Forest; he gives you the Keth’aar Sephirah to open it.
Take the Tower Mage’s Book from the chest. On the way out Javed attacks with an ifrit and the Professor; fight until the Professor poisons you, which ends the quest and Act II.

Quest Consequences & Choices

Autopsy verdict: blaming Kalkstein or Ramsmeat is the wrong conclusion; identifying the fake Raymond is the correct one.
Ramsmeat: if you know the truth, you lie about killing him rather than doing it.
Pressing the fake Raymond too hard about who he is makes him attack, and you cannot win that fight.