anchor: He decided that Tuppence, in the throes of anxiety, had gone to the police, and that his disappearance having been made public the gang had not been slow to put two and two together.
positive: He thought that Tuppence, being full of angst, went to law enforcement and that public knowledge of the fact that he was missing made public the group didn't put the two facts together.
negative: Tuppence was content and lacked worry and didn't leave the house.