Possible Clues:

• Where character may be absent, misplaced too perhaps?
• Sign of missing letter? It's addressed to absentee
• Part of man's address?
• An indication of possessiveness?
• Firm's structure has one but companies do not
• When it's lost, it's indicating possession
• One's got one
• A sure sign that some letters are missing
• Lord's must have one and won't
• Perhaps too involved in punctuation?