AFTER arresting Esmerelda - More info in Q

[Zanderfel]

So after arresting Esmerelda then finding the true murderer THEN telling Aureus about it, does she get released or is she stuck in prison?
Also does this affect her in any way with attitude drop/increase?

Just curious cause she does sell EPIC stuff later on (I restarted because of entering Phantom Forest trigger) and if she ends up staying in prison, I'd rather dodge this whole arrest thing.

[Frede]

You can have her freed afterwards by talking to Aureus, but I don't remember if it affects her attitude or shop in any way.

[rn_archl0rd]

Her prices go up and she may not talk to most of your party to trade with. Giving her a bunch of "cheap" stuff improves her attitude and prices.

[w.f.schepel]

Damn, I have played this game a lot and never even knew you could arrest her... How did you get there?

[Zanderfel]

Originally posted by w.f.schepel:

Damn, I have played this game a lot and never even knew you could arrest her... How did you get there?

You get there by questioning everyone in Cyceal, going to the scene of the crime, specifically the Mortician (House near the West Gate leading to the light house). You have to go to the graveyard, dig up "Jake" (If you have Pet Pal, his Dog will say "Whoever's buried there, it is not Jake"), you find the surprise, take to Mortician & ask him about it, win a RPS, then he'll tell you why he did it & if you ask further he'll name people he suspects.

Evelyn is obviously the real culprit, but you can still get Esmerelda. Go to her place. From the entrance, sneak to the NW room, on the desk is a book that talks about Murder (great detail) as a How To, for further evidence, go to her basement located West of the front door & South of the room where you got the Murder book.
After lots of you searching, you'll come across a Bloody Dagger. Now you can confront her about it - of course she will deny it & tell you to go after Evelyn instead.
Now just take the evidence to Aureus and after that I dunno if you arrest her or if Aureus or his men will arrest her, but either way she'll go to jail at that point.

You have to do all of this before breaking into Evelyn's place (to acquire her diary) and before bringing her Smelly clothes to Jake's dog - otherwise it might not work.

OR you can go here:
http://divinity.wikia.com/wiki/Divinity:_Original_Sin_-_Quests_-_A_Mysterious_Murder