Cyrus Barker and Thomas Llewellyn are private investigators.
Enquiry agents, as they were known in the United Kingdom of the late 19th Century, routinely handle a wide range of cases since they earn their livings enquiring into whatever matters their clients pay them to ask; finding lost items, following wayward spouses, vetting would-be employees and identifying those with sticky fingers, those are some of the examples that would not be unexpected by anyone who enter that line of work. These are, however, several of the things that would bore the senior partner to distraction.
We first meet the two in March of 1884 as Barker, in need of a new assistant, placed an advert in The Times seeking "ASSISTANT to prominent enquiry agent. Typing and shorthand required. Some danger involved in performance of duties. Salary commensurate with ability." Surprisingly considering that statement about 'some danger', the line of applicants ahead of Llewellyn as he came to apply was quite long. Not surprising once we get to know how the word irascible seems to have been created just for Barker, each one lasted but a few minutes in the interview before fleeing or storming (depending on the individual) out of the office. Understandably, Llewellyn was a bit apprehensive when his turn came but since he would go on to join Barker on numerous hair-raising adventures, he got the job.
One of the reasons that Llewellyn was surprised he was the choice was because his one-page resume clearly listed two major points, one good and one bad, in his life. The good was that he had attended Oxford college for a time. The bad was that he had also attended, at the government's insistence, an Oxford prison. For a description, we are told, some by Barker as he comments to Llewellyn and some by the man himself as he narrates the adventures, that Llewellyn was still easily considered a young man with the word gutsy quite warranted. He is of a short stature, 5'5", in good physical shape and possessing black hair and a swarthy skin complexion curtesy of his Welsh Celtic roots.
As part of his interview, Llewellyn was asked to describe Barker (after Barker placed his tall desk chair back between them. That accurate rendition was spot on:
"You are about forty years of age, I believe, stand six foot two inches tall, and weigh about fifteen stone. You have a large mustache which extends down to your jawline and are wearing a pair of round, smoky spectacles with sidepieces. There is a scar dividing your right eyebrow. Your hair is black and combed to one side, the right side, I believe. Your face is pitted and seamed by what I assume was smallpox (corrected to be boils and Llewellyn chided to 'not theorize')". In addition to what Barker was wearing at the time, Llewellyn observed, "Your accent is Scottish but it is not vet thick. Lowland, perhaps." Some other words that Llewellyn thinks of that help us get an idea of the man Barker is consists of eccentric, enigmatic, scrupulously neat, fastidious, and unashamedly blunt.
Many of the adventures that have been recorded for these two are of standard (well, perhaps that is far from true but certainly non-governmental) fare while a good number also are at the behest of the Crown so Barker is well received by many in the intelligence business and they are quite pleased when given the opportunity to make use of his very, very impressive set of talents.