The Shadow 268 by Maxwell Grant

Author:Maxwell Grant
Language: eng
Format: mobi
Published: 0101-01-01T00:00:00+00:00

PROMPTLY the door swung open and in stepped Matthew Clinch.

“I heard you, Quimby!” spoke Clinch. “Heard you clear out in the street. I thought at first it was a broadcast from Station WRED. I never did believe that Napoleon could address an army of a hundred thousand men, but now I know it was possible.”

Pushing his way up to the platform, Clinch pressed Quimby aside, giving him a cold stare.

“I could call you a fool, Quimby,” declared Clinch. “But to do so would be an insult to the intelligence of your listeners. They already know it.”

Turning to the throng, Clinch addressed them in the same crisp tone. Briefly, he summarized Quimby’s arguments in cold, impartial fashion. Boldly, Clinch declared that he could believe such things, even when they applied to himself. Then:

“Quimby has made me out a ruthless man,” asserted Clinch. “As such I should have ordered the dam destroyed earlier so that it would carry away the trestle before the train came across. That would have been the end of all the equipment bound for Iron Lake as well as for the investors in the mining property.”

Harry threw a glance toward Cranston and saw that his eyes were riveted on Clinch. Small wonder! Even The Shadow had seldom listened to statements such as these, wherein an accused man was baring the possibilities of a crime attempted but not accomplished!

“Being ruthless,” added Clinch, “I would have hired men as ruthless as myself. Remarkable men, those. So remarkable, so steeped in evil, that they were willing to destroy themselves in order to complete the purpose I ordained!”

There was a great hush in the courtroom. The listeners were dwelling on Clinch’s words and waiting to hear more. Clinch spoke again, his tone unchanged, but this time he was facing Quimby.

“I could believe those things,” declared Clinch. “Yes, I could believe them, Quimby, but only if I were as big a fool as you. But that is impossible because you are so great a fool you did not even think of them!”

Clinch sat down and the courtroom buzzed while the coroner’s jury filed out. Within five minutes they were back again to declare that the failure of the dam at Summit Pond and the deaths resulting therefrom were the result of misadventure. Men thrust themselves up to the platform to shake hands with Matthew Clinch, the biggest man in Redland. Clinch waved them back.

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