1897. 4 strangers are dining at the exclusive gentleman's club The Grill, while a 5th, Sir Andrew, is just finishing the last few pages of a pulp mystery novel before he hurries back to the House of Commons to advocate on behalf of an unpopular naval spending bill. As Sir Andrew rises to leave, the visiting American diplomat announces to the others at the table that on the previous evening, he stumbled upon the scene of a double murder which has left Scotland Yard detectives baffled. Then a second man chimes in with what he knows of the murder victims. Sir Andrew listens raptly as each diner in turn each adds his own bits of background and theories about who could have killed the Russian princess and the young British adventurer. Of course, Sir Andrew misses his appointment, but two clever twists will have readers themselves feeling as though they, too, have been wandering in the fog.