sk.theshining-第35节

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　be　a　friend　of　royalty；　presidents；　and　underworld　kingpins；　it　was　supposed　by　many　that　he　was　the　richest　man　in　the　world。
　　But　he　had　not　been　able　to　make　a　go　of　the　Overlook；　Jack　thought。　He　put　the　scrapbook　down　for　a　moment　and　took　the　small　notebook　and　mechanical　pencil　he　always　kept　with　him　out　of　his　breast　pocket。　He　jotted　〃Look　into　H。
　　Derwent；　Sidwndr　Ibry？〃　He　put　the　notebook　back　and　picked　up　the　scrapbook　again。　His　face　was　preoccupied；　his　eyes　distant。　He　wiped　his　mouth　constantly　with　his　hand　as　he　turned　the　pages。
　　He　skimmed　the　material　that　followed；　making　a　mental　note　to　read　it　more　closely　later。　Press　releases　were　pasted　into　many　of　the　pages。　So…and…so　was　expected　at　the　Overlook　next　week；　thus…and…such　would　be　entertaining　in　the　lounge　（in　Derwent's　time　it　had　been　the　Red…Eye　Lounge）。　Many　of　the　entertainers　were　Vegas　names；　and　many　of　the　guests　were　Top　Mark　executives　and　stars。
　　Then；　in　a　clipping　marked　February　1；　1952：
　　
　　MILLIONAIRE　EXEC　TO　SELL　COLORADO　INVESTMENTS　Deal　Made　with　California　Investors　on　Overlook；　Other　Investments；　Derwent　Reveals
　　
　　By　Rodney　Conklin；　Financial　Editor　In　a　terse　munique　yesterday　from　the　Chicago　offices　of　the　monolithic　Derwent　Enterprises；　it　was　revealed　that　millionaire　（perhaps　billionaire）　Horace　Derwent　has　sold　out　of　Colorado　in　a　stunning　financial　power　play　that　will　be　pleted　by　October　1；　1954。　Derwent's　investments　include　natural　gas；　coal；　hydroelectric　power；　and　a　land　development　pany　called　Colorado　Sunshine；　Inc。；　which　owns　or　holds　options　on　better　than　500；000　acres　of　Colorado　land。
　　The　most　famous　Derwent　holding　in　Colorado；　the　Overlook　Hotel；　has　already　been　sold；　Derwent　revealed　in　a　rare　interview　yesterday。　The　buyer　was　a　California　group　of　investors　headed　by　Charles　Grondin；　a　former　director　of　the　California　Land　Development　Corporation。　While　Derwent　refused　to　discuss　price；　informed　sources　。　。　。
　　
　　He　had　sold　out　everything；　lock；　stock；　and　barrel。　It　wasn't　just　the　Overlook。　But　somehow。。　。　somehow。　。　。
　　He　wiped　his　lips　with　his　hand　and　wished　he　had　a　drink。　This　would　go　better　with　a　drink。　He　turned　more　pages。
　　The　California　group　had　opened　the　hotel　for　two　seasons；　and　then　sold　it　to　a　Colorado　group　called　Mountainview　Resorts。　Mountainview　went　bankrupt　in　1957　amid　charges　of　corruption；　nest…feathering；　and　cheating　the　stockholders。　The　president　of　the　pany　shot　himself　two　days　after　being　subpoenaed　to　appear　before　a　grand　jury。
　　The　hotel　had　been　closed　for　the　rest　of　the　decade。　There　was　a　single　story　about　it；　a　Sunday　feature　headlined　FORMER　GRAND　HOTEL　SINKING　INTO　DECAY。　The　acpanying　photos　wrenched　at　Jack's　heart：　the　paint　on　the　front　porch　peeling；　the　lawn　a　bald　and　scabrous　mess；　windows　broken　by　storms　and　stones。
　　This　would　be　a　part　of　the　book；　if　he　actually　wrote　it；　too…the　phoenix　going　down　into　the　ashes　to　be　reborn。　He　promised　himself　he　would　take　care　of　the　place；　very　good　care。　It　seemed　that　before　today　he　had　never　really　understood　the　breadth　of　his　responsibility　to　the　Overlook。　It　was　almost　like　having　a　responsibility　to　history。
　　In　1961　four　writers；　two　of　them　Pulitzer　Prize　winners；　had　leased　the　Overlook　and　reopened　it　as　a　writers'　school。　That　had　lasted　one　year。　One　of　the　students　had　gotten　drunk　in　his　third…floor　room；　crashed　out　of　the　window　somehow；　and　fell　to　his　death　on　the　cement　terrace　below。　The　paper　hinted　that　it　might　have　been　suicide。
　　Any　big　hotel。　have　got　scandals；　Watson　had　said；　just　like　every　big　hotel　has　got　a　ghost。　Why？　Hell；　people　e　and　go　。　。　。　
　　Suddenly　it　seemed　that　he　could　almost　feel　the　weight　of　the　Overlook　bearing　down　on　him　from　above；　one　hundred　and　ten　guest　rooms；　the　storage　rooms；　kitchen；　pantry；　freezer；　lounge；　ballroom；　dining　room　。　。　。
　　（In　the　room　the　women　e　and　go）　（。　。　。　and　the　Red　Death　held　sway　over　all。）　He　rubbed　his　lips　and　turned　to　the　next　page　in　the　scrapbook。　He　was　in　the　last　third　of　it　now；　and　for　the　first　time　he　wondered　consciously　whose　book　this　was；　left　atop　the　highest　pile　of　records　in　the　cellar。
　　A　new　headline；　this　one　dated　April　10；　1963。
　　
　　LAS　VEGAS　GROUP　BUYS　FAMED　COLORADO　HOTEL　Scenic　Overlook　to　Bee　Key　Club
　　
　　Robert　T。　Leffing；　spokesman　for　a　group　of　investors　going　under　the　name　of　High　Country　Investments；　announced　today　in　Las　Vegas　that　High　Country　has　negotiated　a　deal　for　the　famous　Overlook　Hotel；　a　resort　located　high　in　the　Rockies。　Leffing　declined　to　mention　the　names　of　specific　investors；　but　said　the　hotel　would　be　turned　into　an　exclusive
　　〃key　club。〃　He　said　that　the　group　he　represents　hopes　to　sell　memberships　to　highechelon　executives　in　American　and　foreign　panies。
　　High　Country　also　owns　hotels　in　Montana；　Wyoming；　and　Utah。
　　The　Overlook　became　world…known　in　the　years　1946　to　1952　when　it　was　owned　by　elusive　mega…millionaire　Horace　Derwent；　who　。　。　。
　　
　　The　item　on　the　next　page　was　a　mere　squib；　dated　four　months　later。　The　Overlook　had　opened　under　its　new　management。　Apparently　the　paper　hadn't　been　able　to　find　out　or　wasn't　interested　in　who　the　key　holders　were；　because　no　name　was　mentioned　but　High　Country　Investments…the　most　anonymous…sounding　pany　name　Jack　had　ever　heard　except　for　a　chain　of　bike　and　appliance　shops　in　western　New　England　that　went　under　the　name　of　Business；　Inc。
　　He　turned　the　page　and　blinked　down　at　the　clipping　pasted　there。
　　
　　MILLIONAIRE　DERWENT　BACK　IN　COLO…　RADO　VIA　BACK　DOOR？
　　High　Country　Exec　Revealed　to　be　Charles　Grondin
　　
　　By　Rodney　Conklin；　Financial　Editor　The　Overlook　Hotel；　a　scenic　pleasure　palace　in　the　Colorado　high　country　and　once　the　private　plaything　of　millionaire　Horace　Derwent；　is　at　the　center　of　a　financial　tangle　which　is　only　now　beginning　to　e　to　light。
　　On　April　10　of　last　year　the　hotel　was　purchased　by　a　Las　Vegas　firm；　High　Country　Investments；　as　a　key　club　for　wealthy　executives　of　both　foreign　and　domestic　breeds。　Now　informed　sources　say　that　High　Country　is　headed　by　Charles　Grondin；　53；　who　was　the　head　of　California　Land　Development　Corp。　until　1959；　when　he　resigned　to　take　the　position　of　executive　veep　in　the　Chicago　home　office　of　Derwent　Enterprises。
　　This　has　led　to　speculation　that　High　Country　Investments　may　be　controlled　by　Derwent；　who　may　have　acquired　the　Overlook　for　the　second　time；　and　under　decidedly　peculiar　circumstances。
　　Grondin；　who　was　indicted　and　acquitted　on　charges　of　tax　evasion　in　1960；　could　not　be　reached　for　ment；　and　Horace　Derwent；　who　guards　his　own　privacy　jealously；　had　no　ment　when　reached　by　telephone。　State　Representative　Dick　Bows　of　Golden　has　called　for　a　plete　investigation　into　。　。　。
　　
　　That　clipping　was　dated　July　27；　1964。　The　next　was　a　column　from　a　Sunday　paper　that　September。　The　byline　belonged　to　Josh　Brannigar；　a　muck…raking　investigator　of　the　Jack　Anderson　breed。　Jack　vaguely　recalled　that　Brannigar　had　died　in　1968　or　'69。
　　
　　MAFIA　FREE…ZONE　IN　COLORADO？
　　
　　By　Josh　Brannigar　It　now　seems　possible　that　the　newest　r&r　spot　of　Organization　overlords　in　the　U。S。　is　located　at　an　out…of…the…way　hotel　nestled　in　the　center　of　the　Rockies。　The　Overlook　Hotel；　a　white　elephant　that　has　been　run　lucklessly　by　almost　a　dozen　different　groups　and　individuals　since　it　first　opened　its　doors　in　1910；　is　now　being　operated　as　a　security…jacketed　〃key　club；〃　ostensibly　for　unwinding　businessmen。　The　question　is；　what　business　are　the　Overlook's　key　holders　really　in？
　　The　members　present　during　the　week　of　August　1623　may　give　us　an　idea。
　　The　list　below　was　obtained　by　a　former　employee　of　High　Country　Investments；　a　pany　first　believed　to　be　a　dummy　pany　owned　by　Derwent　Enterprises。　It　now　seems　more　likely　that　Derwent's　interest　in　High　Country　（if　any）　is　outweighed　by　those　of　several　Las　Vegas　gambling　barons。　And　these　same　gaming　honchos　have　been　linked　in　the　past　to　both　suspected　and　convicted　underworld　kingpins。
　　Present　at　the　Overlook　during　that　sunny　week　in　August　were：　Charles　Grondin；　President　of　High　Country　Investments。　When　it　became　known　in　July　of　this　year　that　he　was　running　the　High　Country　ship　it　was　announced…considerably　after　the　fact…that　he　had　resigned　his　position　in　Derwent　Enterprises　previously。　The　silver…maned　Grondin；　who　refused　to　talk　to　me　for　this　column；　has　been　tried　once　and　acquitted　on　tax　evasion　charges　（1960）　。
　　Charles　〃Baby　Charlie〃　Battaglia；　a　60…year…old　Vegas　empressario　（controlling　interests　in　The　Greenback　and　The　Lucky　Bones　on　the　Strip）。
　　Battaglia　is　a　close　personal　friend　of　Grondin。　His　arrest　record　stretches　back　to　1932；　when　he　was　tried　and　acquitted　in　the　gangland…style　murder　of　Jack　〃Dutchy〃　Morgan。　Federal　authorities　suspect　his　involvement　in　the　drug　traffic；　prostitution；　and　murder　for　hire；　but
　　〃Baby　Charlie〃　has　only　been　behind　bars　once；　for　ine　tax　evasion　in　1955…56。
　　Richard　Scarne；　the　principal　stockholder　of　Fun　Time　Automatic　Machines。
　　Fun