[hoosiermama]

evidenced by his visit to Nemours asking for money to get a train to Philadelphia....

A man with his money asking for money...Why didn't he just use his debit card or go to his bank....?

IMO his Cards/ID was taken with his briefcase.

His Mission may have been trying to get away from someone instead of going to something. Need to check in the river for his brief case!

[Sacajaweau]

Like I've said...A man and his briefcase is not the same as a woman and her purse.

My car got stolen. They popped the lock on my briefcase..saw the business papers...and realized "0" value. Not one pice of paper was out of order. All the cash in my glove compartment and every other item was taken.

What I don't understand...John didn't call his wife. He didn't call a friend. He didn't call Mitre. He didn't go back home.

[Albion Wilde]

A man with his money asking for money...Why didn't he just use his debit card or go to his bank....?"

His Mission may have been trying to get away from someone instead of going to something.

That's my impression -- that he was trying to elude a known (to him) assassin by not taking his car, not going where he said he was going, trying to get rides to unusual destinations, etc.