noon
Kent paused in indecision . What reply could he make without further involving Rochester in trouble ? He had not the faintest idea where Rochester was , but to state that he was missing could not but add to the belief that he had made away with all the money he could lay his hands on . The noon edition of the Times had hinted at Rochester 's disappearance but had stated they could not get the statement confirmed from Police Headquarters ; obviously Harding and Taylor had not seen the newspaper . Was it just to the men before him to keep them in the dark ? If their claims were true , and Kent never doubted that they were , they had already lost money through Rochester 's extraordinary behavior . Kent turned sick at the thought of his own loss -- his savings swept away .