The Sheridan Road Mystery

THE SHERIDAN ROAD
MYSTERY
by PAUL AND MABEL THORNE

CONTENTS I THE SHOT II DETECTIVE SERGEANT MORGAN
III INVESTIGATION IV THE APARTMENT ACROSS THE HALL
V PECULIAR FACTS VI THE CABLE FROM LONDON VII MR.
MARSH VIII A DEFINITE CLUE IX THE LAST LETTER X THE
STOLEN SUITCASE XI THE TRAIL GROWS CLEARER XII
MISSING XIII STARTLING DISCLOSURES XIV THE NIGHT
CALL XV "DEAD MEN TELL NO TALES" XVI THE CLOSED
COUNTRY HOUSE XVII WHAT THE CARETAKER SAW XVIII
THE ENEMY SHOWS HIS HAND XIX KIDNAPPED XX THE
FALLEN PINE XXI THE CHIMNEY THAT WOULDN'T DRAW
XXII CORNERED XXIII SUNSET

THE SHERIDAN ROAD MYSTERY
CHAPTER I
THE SHOT
It was a still, balmy night in late October. The scent of burned autumn
leaves hung in the air, and a hazy moon, showing just over the
housetops, deepened the shadows on, the streets.
Policeman Murphy stopped far a moment, as was his custom, at the
corner of Lawrence Avenue and Sheridan Road. He knew that it was

about two o'clock in the morning as that was the hour at which he
usually reached this point. He glanced sharply up and down Sheridan
Road, which at that moment seemed to be completely deserted save for
the distant red tail-light of a belated taxi, the whir of whose engine
came to him quite distinctly on the quiet night air.
JUST THEN POLICEMAN MURPHY HEARD A SHOT!
Instantly his body quickened with an awakened alertness, and he
glanced east and west along the lonely stretch of Lawrence Avenue. He
saw nothing, and concluded that the sound he had heard must have
come from one of the many apartment buildings which surrounded
him.
Murphy pondered for a moment. Was it a burglary, a domestic row, or
perhaps a murder? The position of the shot was hard to locate, for it had
been but the sound of a moment on the still night. Murphy, however,
decided to take a chance, and started stealthily north on Sheridan Road,
keeping within the shadow that clung to the buildings.
He had moved only a short distance in this way when a man in a bath
robe dashed out of the doorway of an apartment house just ahead of
him and ran north. Murphy instantly broke into pursuit. At the sound of
his heavily shod feet on the pavement, the man in the bath robe stopped
and turned. Murphy slowed up and the man advanced to meet him.
"I'm glad you're handy, Officer," panted the man. "I think somebody
has been murdered in our building. Come and investigate."
"Sure," assented Murphy. "That's what I'm here for," and as they
mounted the steps of the apartment house, he inquired, "What flat was
it?"
"The top floor on the north side," replied the man, who then informed
Murphy that his name was Marsh, and that he lived on the second floor,
just below this apartment. "You see," Marsh continued, "a little while
ago my wife and I were awakened by a noise in the apartment over us.
It sounded like a struggle of some kind. As we listened we felt sure that

several people were taking part in it. Suddenly there was a shot, and a
sound followed as if a body had fallen to the floor. After that there was
absolute silence. I hastily put on my bath robe, and was hurrying out to
find a policeman when I met you."
By this time, Marsh, with Murphy at his heels, had reached the door of
the third floor apartment. Murphy placed a thick forefinger on the
button of the electric hell and rang it sharply several times. The men
could distinctly hear the clear notes of the bell, but no other sound
reached them. Again Murphy pressed the button without response.
"Murder, all right, I guess," muttered Murphy, "and the guy's probably
slipped down the back stairs. Who lives here, anyway?" he inquired,
turning to Marsh.
"That's the peculiar part about it," was the reply. "The people who rent
this apartment went to Europe this summer, and as I understand it, they
won't be back for another month. The apartment has been closed all
summer. That is what amazed Mrs. Marsh and myself when we heard
this sound above us."
"It looks like we'll have to break in," said Murphy. "Let me use your
telephone."
"Certainly," agreed Marsh, and led the way to his apartment.
Murphy sat down at the telephone. His hand was on the receiver when
he suddenly paused and turned to Marsh. "You know," he commented,
half meditatively, "it's funny we haven't seen anybody else show up in
the halls. I heard that shot way down at Lawrence Avenue. At least the
people across the hall ought to have been waked up by it. Are you sure
it