“You can hardly expect me to follow that advice,” said Hannasyde rather shortly, and took his leave.
But the quest of John Hyde proved to be a singularly thankless task. No one knew him; nor, when Hannasyde and Sergeant Hemingway, armed with a search warrant, visited his office, could any clue to his identity be discovered. The office, a dingy room above the shop, contained nothing but a table, a chair, a typewriter, and a safe.
“If this bird's an agent, what's become of his sample goods?” demanded Sergeant Hemingway.
Mr Brown, still in his shirt-sleeves, looked round the bare apartment with vague disquiet. “I never known him go off like this before, and no word said,” he muttered. “I seen him Tuesday before last, and I'll take my dying oath he ain't been near the place since.”
This oft-reiterated statement was borne out to a certain extent by Foster's Bank. On the 14th May a cheque of Hyde's for had been presented, made out to Bearer. Questioned, the cashier faithfully described Mr Brown, and added that he had been in the habit of cashing cheques made out by Hyde to Bearer. Mr Brown did not deny it. He stated that Mr Hyde had always employed him to cash his cheques for him, and that he had merely collected the money, and handed it over to Hyde. As it further transpired that he had very often paid in moneys for Hyde there seemed to be no reason for doubting this statement, but why he had been so employed or what his connection with Hyde was there was no getting out of him. He persisted in saying that he didn't know, he was sure; and that Mr Hyde never told him nothing. When asked whether Hyde ever had visitors he replied sulkily that Hyde did sometimes see people in the way of business, but who they were or where they came from he couldn't say.
The safe, when opened, disclosed nothing but a half used cheque-book, with every counterfoil blank, and a bundle of share-certificates.
“Well, this is the queerest turn I ever saw in my life!” said the Sergeant. “I've heard of people doing a bunk, but I never knew them leave their cheque-books and a tidy Bank balance behind till now. Looks almost as though this bloke had to clear out in the devil's own hurry, Chief. Something happened after he left this place on the 14th which made him scared stiff to come back.”
“But why did he keep his cheque-book in the safe?” demanded Hannasyde. “We know from the Bank that it was the only one he possessed. Most men would carry it about with them, if they'd only got one. Or they'd keep it in a desk at home—not in an office they visit at irregular intervals!”
“You can search me,” said the Sergeant. “The point is, where is his home?”
But this was something that the most rigorous inquiry failed to discover. An advertisement inserted in the papers asking for any information concerning Hyde produced no results, and an attempt to discover documents at his Bank which might give some clue to his identity also failed. He kept no documents at the Bank.