The Bookstore Owner

The Bookstore Owner
You live in Providence, Rhode Island, in Ma Shanks’ Boarding House. The Depression has hit your bookstore business very hard. You may have to give up your dream of selling rare books, all because the flow of orders coming in has dropped to a trickle. Only one order from
a collector has come in this month, but it is a significant one—however, there is one small problem.
Your business affords you the opportunity to read through all sorts of arcane books, typically of an occult bent. While most of your business is conducted with clients around the world, you have a special place in your heart for the local customers. A year ago Mr. Gardiner, who actually lives in the same boarding house as you, approached you to help make contact with an estate sale of books. The small fee you earned was appreciated and you were able to pick up a few old tomes as well.
Apparently, Mr. Gardiner got what he wanted and for a very reasonable price; although he never talked about what book he might have purchased. Mr. Gardiner seemed obsessed with dreams. You both have talked on the subject at length in your store. You wouldn’t really call him a friend but certainly a colleague. When he asked to borrow a few books from your store, you were happy to make a short-term loan. Unfortunately, one of the books you loaned him is the one the collector wishes to purchase. All you need to do is get the book back from Mr. Gardiner.
Compounding the problem is the fact that you’ve seen neither hide nor hair of Mr. Gardiner for a week. You’ve asked if the other tenants in your boarding house have seen Gardiner but none of them have, so you’ve asked the landlady to check up on him—giving you the chance to enter his room and find the book. After all, if this sale goes through, your shop will be able to stay open for at least another six months.

You have loaned James Gardiner the follow books:
• The Dreamer’s Dictionary, a rare 1815 first edition
– this is the book the collector wants to buy.
• Myths and Legends of Ancient Greece and Rome,
by E.M. Berens.
• The Interpretation of Dreams, by Sigmund Freud.
• A Primer in Greek Vocabulary.

Roleplaying hooks:
• Get The Dreamer’s Dictionary back from Gardiner.
• Check that Gardiner is okay and not poorly or
something

Other tenants in the boarding house:
• The Landlady (player character) and her 11-yearold son, Tommy.
• Nosy Neighbor (player character).
• Business Associate (player character).
• The Tough Guy/Dame (player character), one of
the Skirgaila family.
• Ma Shanks, the frail and elderly building owner.
• Mrs. Madeira, who lives across the hall from
James Gardiner. She is grieving for her husband,
who died in an industrial accident last March.
• The rest of the Skirgaila family, Lithuanian
brothers and sisters who are hard workers, with
jobs in the city

Great stuff... apart from the financial desperation. :P
I've downloaded the 7e quick rules and I'll have a look over them later today.

Great. And feel free to ask questions. I will be posting rules tips as we play so don't feel you need to cram the quick rules book, but it's a 'nice to have'