Definition: "not here"

This is a charade - look for parts of the clue that can be combined to build the answer word by word or piece by piece.

Think about what the 'first couple of letters' might refer to in terms of the alphabet, then combine this with a word meaning 'dispatched' or 'sent'.

Answer: ABSENT | AB (first couple of letters in the alphabet) + SENT (dispatched) = ABSENT (not here)