The Shadow 268 Murder Lake by Maxwell Grant

Author:Maxwell Grant [Grant, Maxwell]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Street & Smith
Published: 1943-05-31T22:00:00+00:00

TURNING to Quimby, who sat silent and forgotten, Clinch spoke in an indulgent tone.

“I am sorry for you, Quimby,” said Clinch. “So sorry that I withheld this statement until after the jury’s verdict. Last night I sent a telegram to the directors of the Summit Fishing Club. Here is their reply.”

Clinch read the reply. In the opinion of the directors the failure of the dam was due to the negligence of their local representative, Blaine Quimby. They intended to notify Quimby that he was no longer their Redland representative. They respectfully requested that Matthew Clinch would serve them in that capacity if he could find time to do so.

The directors agreed heartily with a suggestion included in the telegram; namely, that since Summit Pond no longer existed, the fishing club should transfer its headquarters to Iron Lake, now unrivaled as the State’s best fishing spot. To a man those same directors were willing to petition the State to preserve Iron Lake under the rigid law that protected all natural fishing waters and rendered them immune from molestation.

“We have already made up our minds regarding Iron Lake,” Clinch told the audience that now was entirely his. “This promise of an additional petition is another argument in favor of our cause.”

Leaving the courtroom, James Gravett found himself the center of a very tiny group, which consisted only of Roy Haskell, Harry Vincent and the investors in the Redland Iron Mine. To that small coterie, Gravett expressed the opinion:

“That’s the way with Matthew Clinch. He can always stack the deck the way he wants, even when another man deals the cards.”

One man was absent from the little group, which wasn’t surprising, since Lamont Cranston wasn’t actually an investor in the mining property. Cranston was at the courthouse door, shaking hands with Clinch. Not only was Clinch accepting congratulations, but he was inviting Cranston to come along in his car.

Roy Haskell saw that meeting. His forehead tightened into wrinkles and his teeth gave an audible grind.

The thing fitted with Roy’s idea that Cranston had been on the other side, right from the start.

Harry Vincent didn’t notice Roy’s reaction. It chanced that Harry was looking at Cranston, too. Harry’s reaction was quite the opposite of Roy’s, because Harry knew the inside facts.

Lamont Cranston was making friends with Matthew Clinch for a very special reason. He was preparing the way for his other self, The Shadow. It happened that The Shadow was always interested in meeting men who could stack the deck when other people dealt.

Sooner or later, The Shadow himself would become the dealer, just to see how well the cards would run.

Harry Vincent knew.

CHAPTER XII. CLINCH FINDS A FRIEND

MATTHEW CLINCH was always glad to make friends. The fact that he had hundreds, merely stimulated his urge for more. He had found a friend today, a man named Lamont Cranston, who was reputed to be very wealthy, which made it all the better, since Clinch preferred wealthy friends.

Riding in Clinch’s big car, these new friends

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