I've heard someone using the alchemy table when no one was there. Don't know about red dots, but two wolves' dots vanished tonight...well, one went in the river. Don't think things generally drown, so I figured he despawned.
Of course, I've been seeing things spawn, too...soldiers and a prisoner. They emerged from the road in front of me. Immersion, killed.
Maybe just one of those weird glitchy things?