The Shining 原版小说-第37章
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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 16…23 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 Time makes slot machines for the Nevada crowd; pinball machines; and
jukeboxes (Melody…Coin) for the rest of the country。 He has done time for
assault with a deadly weapon (1940); carrying a concealed weapon (1948);
and conspiracy to mit tax fraud (1961) 。
Peter Zeiss; a Miami…based importer; now nearing 70。 For the last five
years Zeiss has been fighting deportation as an undesirable person。 He has
been convicted on charges of receiving and concealing stolen property
(1958); and conspiracy to mit tax fraud (1954)。 Charming; distinguished;
and courtly; Pete Zeiss is called 〃Poppa〃 by his intimates and has been
tried on charges of murder and accessory to murder。 A large stockholder in
Scarne's Fun Time pany; he also has known interests in four Las Vegas
casinos。
Vittorio Gienelli; also known as 〃Vito the Chopper;〃 tried twice for
gangland…style murders; one of them the ax…murder of Boston vice overlord
Frank Scoffy。 Gienelli has been indicted twenty…three times; tried fourteen
times; and convicted only once; for shoplifting in 1940。 It has been said
that in recent years Gienelli has bee a power in the organization's
western operation; which is centered in Las Vegas。
Carl 〃Jimmy…Ricks〃 Prashkin; a San Francisco investor; reputed to be the
heir apparent of the power Gienelli now wields。 Prashkin owns large blocks
of stock in Derwent Enterprises; High Country Investments; Fun Time
Automatic Machines; and three Vegas casinos。 Prashkin is clean in America;
but was indicted in Mexico on fraud charges that were dropped quickly three
weeks after they were brought。 It has been suggested that Prashkin may be
in charge of laundering money skimmed from Vegas casino operations and
funneling the big bucks back into the organization's legitimate western
operations。 And such operations may now include the Overlook Hotel in
Colorado。
Other visitors during the current season include。。。
There was more but Jack only skimmed it; constantly wiping his lips with his
hand。 A banker with Las Vegas connections。 Men from New York who were apparently
doing more in the Garment District than making clothes。 Men reputed to be
involved with drugs; vice; robbery; murder。
God; what a story! And they had all been here; right above him; in those empty
rooms。 Screwing expensive whores on the third floor; maybe。 Drinking magnums of
champagne。 Making deals that would turn over millions of dollars; maybe in the
very suite of rooms where Presidents had stayed。 There was a story; all right。
One hell of a story。 A little frantically; he took out his notebook and jotted
down another memo to check all of these people out at the library in Denver when
the caretaking job was over。 Every hotel has its ghost? The Overlook had a whole
coven of them。 First suicide; then the Mafia; what next?
The next clipping was an angry denial of Brannigar's charges by Charles
Grondin。 Jack smirked at it。
The clipping on the next page was so large that it had been folded。 Jack
unfolded it and gasped harshly。 The picture there seemed to leap out at him: the
wallpaper had been changed since June of 1966; but he knew that window and the
view perfectly well。 It was the western exposure of the Presidential Suite。
Murder came next。 The sitting room wall by the door leading into the bedroom was
splashed with blood and what could only be white flecks of brain matter。 A
blank…faced cop was standing over a corpse hidden by a blanket。 Jack stared;
fascinated; and then his eyes moved up to the headline。
GANGLAND…STYLE SHOOTING AT
COLORADO HOTEL
Reputed Crime Overlord Shot at Mountain Key Club
Two Others Dead
SIDEWINDER; COLO (UPI)…Forty miles from this sleepy Colorado town; a
gangland…style execution has occurred in the heart of the Rocky Mountains。
The Overlook Hotel; purchased three years ago as an exclusive key club by a
Las Vegas firm; was the site of a triple shotgun slaying。 Two of the men
were either the panions or bodyguards of Vittorio Gienelli; also known
as 〃The Chopper〃 for his reputed involvement in a Boston slaying twenty
years ago。
Police were summoned by Robert Norman; manager of the Overlook; who said
he heard shots and that some of the guests reported two men wearing
stockings on their faces and carrying guns had fled down the fire escape
and driven off in a late…model tan convertible。
State Trooper Benjamin Moorer discovered two dead men; later identified
as Victor T。 Boorman and Roger Macassi; both of Las Vegas; outside the door
of the Presidential Suite where two American Presidents have stayed。
Inside; Moorer found the body of Gienelli sprawled on the floor。 Gienelli
was apparently fleeing his attackers when he was cut down。 Moorer said
Gienelli had been shot with heavy…gauge shotguns at close range。
Charles Grondin; the representative of the pany which now owns the
Overlook; could not be reached for。。。
Below the clipping; in heavy strokes of a ball…point pen; someone had written:
They took his balls along with them。 Jack stared at that for a long time;
feeling cold。 Whose book was this?
He turned the page at last; swallowing a click in his throat。 Another column
from Josh Brannigar; this one dated early 1967。 He only read the headline:
NOTORIOUS HOTEL SOLD FOLLOWING MURDER OF UNDERWORLD FIGURE。
The sheets following that clipping were blank。
(They took his balls along with them。)
He flipped back to the beginning; looking for a name or address。 Even a room
number。 Because he felt quite sure that whoever had kept this little book of
memories had stayed at the hotel。 But there was nothing。
He was getting ready to go through all the clippings; more closely this time;
when a voice called down the stairs: 〃Jack? Hon?〃
Wendy。
He started; almost guiltily; as if he had been drinking secretly and she would
smell the fumes on him。 Ridiculous。 He scrubbed his lips with his hand and
called back; 〃Yeah; babe。 Lookin for rats。〃
She was ing down。 He heard her on the stairs; then crossing the boiler
room