“What’s that?”
“His check book — the stubs — here. I went over it with his son to-day. We placed every check except one. Just a small amount — ten dollars. Look here!”
“Med,” read Biscayne, in a puzzled tone. “What does it mean?”
“I don’t know,” said Cardona, “but I do know this. Here are all of Thomas Sutton’s canceled checks, which we found in another drawer. That one check wasn’t cashed!”
“That’s significant,” nodded Biscayne. “Small though it is, it shows a transaction that was not completed. I’d like to see that canceled check — to know whose name is on it.”
“So would I,” agreed Cardona.
“M-e-d,” said Biscayne, looking at the stub. “An abbreviation — not initials. It might mean ‘medium’ — ‘medal’ — ‘medicine’ — that’s probably it. Medicine.
“That doesn’t help us much, Cardona. Probably Sutton ordered some medicine from a druggist, and gave him the check.”
“Then why hasn’t the check ever been cashed?” demanded the detective. “That’s what makes it important!”
“Perhaps the druggist can answer,” said Biscayne dryly. “Maybe the check was mislaid. Sutton may have forgotten to give it out.