“Listen,” came the Shadow’s accusation. “I shall tell the story of your crimes — the crimes which I have discovered and have pieced together.
“Matthew Wade — a man who loved to kill! A big-game hunter — who looked for bigger game — human game! A man of wealth — jealous of the power wielded by lords of the underworld. Inspired by an evil desire — to gain such power for himself!
“I have not only learned your crimes. I have fought against them. One by one I have met your underlings.
Tonight the last of them are gone — all but Tony Marano — and evidence will soon reach the police to put him where he belongs — in prison, as a murderer.
“Your first victim was your friend, Judge Harvey Tolland. You tried to bribe him to spare Tony Marano, against whom he had evidence. Why? Because you believed Marano would be useful to you. Tolland refused. You drove him away with a threatening message — the first of the so-called Double Z letters. He hid and was safe for many months.
“That began your reign of terror. Cautious, first, you used Sneaks Rubin, a man who brought you information. You obtained him through Loy Rook. You had learned of Loy Rook in Shanghai. You knew he was as evil as yourself — a man who loved crime. You felt that you could trust him.
“Through Rubin’s information you tipped the police on crime for three reasons: to frighten Tolland, who was in hiding; to make your name feared; to bring confusion to important figures in the underworld.
“You thwarted Lombrosi. You performed a job that he feared to do— the killing of Philip Farmington.
That was my first clew — the subtle poison, li-shun. Only Loy Rook could know of it. You, as a guest in Farmington’s home, put the poisoned cigar in his desk the night before he died.
“You had the killer desire even before that. Necessity had forced it on you when you had discovered Judge Tolland’s hiding place.