"And so, if you wish to be detectives," Holmes concluded, "you must remember the devil's agents are all too often of flesh and blood. No ghosts need apply." As if to emphasize his point, he nudged the bound and unmasked man with the toe of his boot.
The blond young man, his three companions, and – oddly enough – their oversized dog nodded enthusiastically. "Oh, we will, Mr. Holmes!" said he. "Is there anything else we should know?"
Holmes smiled. "Oh, yes. Pay close attention the first person you meet. He or she may prove to be the key to the mystery."