Nearly a year later, London is shocked by a terrible crime. Late at night, a maid is looking out of her window. She sees an old, kind-looking gentleman walking down the street. He meets a small, evil-looking man, whom she recognizes as Mr. Hyde.
The old gentleman politely asks Mr. Hyde a question. Suddenly, Mr. Hyde becomes very angry. He attacks the old man with a heavy cane, hitting him repeatedly. The maid is horrified and faints.
When she wakes up, it is two o’clock in the morning. She calls the police, but Mr. Hyde has already gone. The victim is found dead on the street. The police find a broken cane and a letter addressed to Mr. Utterson on the body.
The next morning, Mr. Utterson is informed about the crime. He identifies the dead man as Sir Danvers Carew, a well-respected member of society and one of his clients. Mr. Utterson realizes that Mr. Hyde is the murderer.
Mr. Utterson takes the police inspector to Mr. Hyde’s house in a poor part of London called Soho. An old woman, Mr. Hyde’s servant, answers the door. She is happy to hear that Mr. Hyde is in trouble. Inside, they find the other half of the broken cane and signs that Mr. Hyde left in a hurry. They also find the remains of burned papers.
The police search for Mr. Hyde but cannot find him. No one knows much about him, and he seems to have disappeared. Everyone who has met him describes him as a strange and ugly man who makes them feel uneasy.