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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。 Quickly； without thinking why he might be doing it； be stuffed the
scrapbook under a pile of bills and invoices。 He stood up as she came through
the arch。
〃What in the world have you been doing down here？ It's almost three o'clock！〃
He smiled。 〃Is it that late？ I got rooting around through all this stuff。
Trying to find out where the bodies are buried； I guess。〃
The words clanged back viciously in his mind。
She came closer； looking at him； and he unconsciously retreated a step； unable
to help himself。 He knew what she was doing。 She was trying to smell liquor on
him。 Probably she wasn't even aware of it herself； but he was； and it made him
feel both guilty and angry。
〃Your mouth is bleeding；〃 she said in a curiously flat tone。
〃Huh？〃 He put his hand to his lips and winced at the thin stinging。 His index
finger came away bloody。 His guilt increased。
〃You've been rubbing your mouth again；〃 she said。
He looked down and shrugged。 〃Yeah； I guess I have。〃
〃It's been hell for you； hasn't it？〃
〃No； not so bad。〃
〃Has it gotten any easier？〃
He looked up at her and made his feet start moving。 Once they were actually in
motion it was easier。 He crossed to his wife and slipped an arm around her
waist。 He brushed aside a sheaf of her blond hair and kissed her neck。 〃Yes；〃 he
said。 〃Where's Danny？〃
〃Oh； he's around somewhere。 It's started to cloud up outside。 Hungry？〃
He slipped a hand over her taut； jeans…clad bottom with counterfeit lechery。
〃Like ze bear； madame。〃
〃Watch out； slugger。 Don't start something you can't finish。〃
〃Fig…fig； madame？〃 he asked； still rubbing。 〃Dirty peeotures？ Unnatural
positions？〃 As they went through the arch； he threw one glance back at the box
where the scrapbook
（whose？）
was hidden。 With the light out it was only a shadow。 He was relieved that he
had gotten Wendy away。 His lust became less acted； more natural； as they
approached the stairs。
〃Maybe；〃 she said。 〃After we get you a sandwich…yeek！〃 She twisted away from
him； giggling。 〃That tickles！〃
〃It teekles nozzing like Jock Torrance would like to teekle you； madame。〃
〃Lay off； Jock。 How about a ham and cheese 。。。 for the first course？〃
They went up the stairs together； and Jack didn't look over his shoulder
again。 But he thought of Watson's words：
Every big hotel has got a ghost。 Why？ Hell； people e and go。。。
Then Wendy shut the basement door behind them； closing it into darkness。
》
OUTSIDE 217
Danny was remembering the words of someone else who had worked at the Overlook
during the season：
Her saying she'd seen something in one of the rooms where 。。。 a bad thing
happened。 That was in Room 217 and I want you to promise me you won't go in
there； Danny 。。。 steer right clear 。。。
It was a perfectly ordinary door； no different from any other door on the
first two floors of the hotel。 It was dark gray； halfway down a corridor that
ran at right angles to the main second…floor hallway。 The numbers on the door
looked no different from the house numbers on the Boulder apartment building
they had lived in。 A 2； a 1； and a 7。 Big deal。 Just below them was a tiny glass
circle； a peephole。 Danny had tried several of them。 From the inside you got a
wide； fish…eye view of the corridor。 From outside you could screw up your eye
seven ways to Sunday and still not see a thing。 A dirty gyp：
（Why are you here？）
After the walk behind the Overlook； he and Mommy had e back and she had
fixed him his favorite lunch； a cheese and bologna sandwich plus Campbell's Bean
Soup。 They ate in Dick's kitchen and talked。 The radio was on； getting thin and
crackly music from the Estes Park station。 The kitchen was his favorite place in
the hotel； and he guessed that Mommy and Daddy must feel the same way； because
after trying their meals in the dining room for three days or so； they had begun
eating in the kitchen by mutual consent； setting up chairs around Dick
Hallorann's butcher block； which was almost as big as their dining room table
back in Stovington； anyway。 The dining room had been too depressing； even with
the lights on and the music playing from the tape cassette system in the office。
You were still just one of three people sitting at a table surrounded by dozens
of other tables； all empty； all covered with those transparent plastic
dustcloths。 Mommy said it was like having dinner in the middle of a Horace
Walpole novel； and Daddy had laughed and agreed。 Danny had no idea who Horace
Walpole was； but he did know that Mommy's cooking had begun to taste better as
soon as they began to eat it in the kitchen。 He kept discovering little flashes
of Dick Hallorann's personality lying around； and they reassured him like a warm
touch。
Mommy had eaten half a sandwich； no soup。 She said Daddy must have gone out
for a walk of his own since both the VW and the hotel truck were in the parking
lot。 She said she was tired and might lie down for