It was a rather bleak day, rain pouring heavily outside. Emily, contemplating the last couple of days of traveling on the countryside, now sitting indoors sipping her tea. While the trip had been quite uneventful it had given her an opportunity to escape the apartment for a few days and the dreadful London weather. Spring always carried such dreadful weather to the city.

As she was about to move the cup to her lips once more it knocked on the door. Emily put away her cup and rose, quickly made her way to the front door. She opened it to discover her brother outside smiling.

– “Good afternoon, sister.” He smiled cheery. “Mind if I come in or are you just going to leave me out here in the rain, catching a cold?” Without hesitation Emily let him in.
– “What brings to you to this part of town in this pesky weather, brother?” Helping him with his coat which was soaking wet.
– “I got a letter, from our friend ___________. An invitation rather to his studio, it doesn’t quite say much more than he would like help  with something. It doesn’t say what it is but it might be something interesting. He also asks me to bring a few companions who’s capable – and I couldn’t think of anyone else but you, sweet sister.” He smiled that quirky smile he always did when he had something up on his mind he wanted to save for that special moment as he handed over a small letter, still untouched from the humidity outside. Emily quickly skimmed through the letter. As always, ________ were thin on the details. She thought that the old man were specifically vague whenever he wrote anything – just so that their company would be required in order to understand what he truly wanted. Emily took a quick glance outside and watched the dreadful downpour outside. However it would be nice to have an excuse to leave the apartment in this weather.
– “Who else did you plan on inviting, Charles?” Emily had her ideas already but courtesy bade her to ask.
– “Oh, just Richard and John. I’m sure we’d be able to handle the old man.” Charles smiled, sly as ever.

Emily smiled to herself. While her brother Charles never quite revealed how he gotten to know John and Richard, they felt like an good addition to the small group of adventurers. Emily however suspected that Charles got to know them through the military – how, she wasn’t quite sure but had managed to piece together it had something to do with the Great War which had ended not too many years ago.

– “Would you like some tea?” I just brewed a fresh pot.” Charles couldn’t help his frown – while he didn’t mind tea he couldn’t forget the time before the war when Emily had brewed some sort a kind of decoction made from something he had no idea about.. The taste had however been awful and the taste had stuck for days. While she claimed it was made to clear his cold, he suspected it had been brewed more specifically as a revenge for one of his pranks, having no health aspects to it. Emily laughed as she caught his frown. “Don’t worry brother, it’s nothing like that. I promise.” as if she had knew exactly what was on his mind.
– “As much as I would love to, dear sister. I just stepped in to bring you along to _________. If you wouldn’t mind…?” as he continued to stand beside the comfortable armchair.
– “I see. Alright. Just let me get my coat and I’ll join you to the man.”

As they all were all gathered and sitting in ______ ‘s reading room, he started.
– “Well, as you all know, I asked you to come to a friend of mine, which seems to be in a bit of a pinch. He has asked me find some cunning people, in order to help him out with his estate. There is some odd things happening there. He lives on the east coast of Scotland and seem to have some problem with people disappearing off his island. With the authorities having found nothing. I would go myself, but I fear my health and age have seen better days.” He shook his head slowly. He is offering you to either come as friends or as a business venture. In either way, he would be grateful for any help you can offer.” He finished with laying his hands on his belly.

– “Well, what say you…?”.