- Marshal Gib Scott: Is the Starkey woman a client of yours?
- Clay Culhane: No. I doesn't look like she needs a lawyer right now as much as she needs someone to see she isn't killed.
- [Gunther is staring at a chessboard]
- Clay Culhane: You're black?
- Ed Gunther: Uh-huh.
- Clay Culhane: Where's white?
- Ed Gunther: Denver.
- Karl Borgen: Things happen to a man. Sometimes he remembers them; sometimes he forgets.
- Clay Culhane: A man gets it in the spine with a bullet, he remembers it. He also remembers who did it.
- Karl Borgen: It might be I just don't choose to speak about it. One faculty I've got left, speech - or silence.
- Clay Culhane: Taking over a whole town wasn't easy. It takes a brain. Starkey wasn't smart enough. Oh, he was tough, used to taking orders - especially from his old commanding officer.
- Marshal Gib Scott: What happened, Gunther? He get greedy... or just fed up?
- Clay Culhane: Oh, I don't suppose it mattered much, Marshal. Pawns are expendable - they come cheap.
- [last lines]
- Ed Gunther: You know, there's a difference between check and mate, Mr. Culhane. The people in this town are my friends. A jury would never convict me - not on a wild story like that.
- [the crowd at the inquest edge away from Gunther]
- Clay Culhane: Think not? Vox populi, Mr. Gunther - the voice of the people, essence of democracy. He's all yours, Marshal. I'm going to tell Nora.