So my party has a Sczarni initiate (or whatever that trait is from the players companion) and I had him steal a ledger from the Pixies Kitten as his task to prove himself. This was right after the end of the first book.
Next, while investigating in the second book I had the sheriff ask them to try and find the stolen book (since he has intimate knowledge of it's owner). They tried to steal the book back but were unable to acquire it from the back room of the sczarni bar.
After returning from the estate, I had them confronted by the sheriff accusing the one who stole the book of the theft and demanding he come quietly. Another player started to resist and one thing led to another and there was a little fight and now half the party are outlaws hiding in the town, the other half is trying to cooperate, and one lone player is running off to the mayor to "tattle" on the sheriff for detaining a possible criminal.
My intent was that the sczarni already showed the book to the scarnettis to start pressuring the madam to sell part of the brothel, and planted the book in the players room to distract the sheriff by sending an anonymous tip. My intent was a little sleuthing and a thief caught in the middle of a law/gang dispute. But now I've got a split party, an angry player who is going to tattle, and a town that is important to the rest of the adventure but may be largely hostile to over half the party.
Anyone have any suggestions on how I can un-F this scenario?
Have the Sheriff let the PCs clear their name by helping him. Depends where you are in the story, but that could be with Thistletop, or with the Skinsaw murders.