He kept a portmanteau always ready packed for the purpose, for he often left at a few moments' notice.

Mrs.Higgins added that her master stayed at the Great Western Hotel in London, for it was there that she was instructed to wire if anything urgent required his presence back in Birmingham.
"'On the night of the 14th,' she continued, 'at nine o'clock or thereabouts, a messenger came to the door with the master's card, and said that he was instructed to fetch Mr.Beddingfield's portmanteau, and then to meet him at the station in time to catch the 9.35 p.m.up train.
I gave him the portmanteau, of course, as he had brought the card, and I had no idea there could be anything wrong; but since then I have heard nothing of my master, and I don't know when he will return.' "Questioned by the coroner, she added that Mr.Beddingfield had never stayed away quite so long without having his letters forwarded to him.
There was a large pile waiting for him now; she had written to the Great Western Hotel, London, asking what she should do about the letters, but had received no reply.

She did not know the messenger by sight who had called for the portmanteau.

Once or twice before Mr.Beddingfield had sent for his things in that manner when he had been dining out.
"Mr.Beddingfield certainly wore his Inverness cape over his dress clothes when he went out at about six o'clock in the afternoon.

He also wore a Glengarry cap.
"The messenger had so far not yet been found, and from this point--namely, the sending for the portmanteau--all traces of Mr.
Timothy Beddingfield seem to have been lost.