Freda, a weaver in the tavern, told the party: "The Redbrands hassle every business in town, except for the Phandalin Miner's Exchange. They don't want trouble with Halia Thornton, who runs it."
When the party spoke to Halia, and convinced her they were more than mere thugs, she asked them to find a woman called Agatha, who was reputed to live in Neverwinter Wood near the town of Conyberry. It was said she knew a great many things about the world and would, if dealt with politely, answer one question truthfully.
Halia told the party that her organization had been trying to find the spellbook of a storied wizard called Bowgentle, but that they had been unable to track its whereabouts beyond a few decades ago. She entreated the party to approach Agatha and ask the location of the book, warning them to be polite, and certainly not abuse her hospitality.