第5部分（第1页）

down　in　Estes　Park；　but　that　was　just　about　all。　Pretty　good；　considerin　the

reputation　this　place　has　got。　I　expected　some　reporter　would　dig　it　all　up

again　and　just　sorta　put　Grady　in　it　as　an　excuse　to　rake　over　the　scandals。〃

〃What　scandals？〃

Watson　shrugged。　〃Any　big　hotels　have　got　scandals；〃　he　said。　〃Just　like　every

big　hotel　has　got　a　ghost。　Why？　Hell；　people　e　and　go。　Sometimes　one　of　em

will　pop　off　in　his　room；　heart　attack　or　stroke　or　something　like　that。　Hotels

are　superstitious　places。　No　thirteenth　floor　or　room　thirteen；　no　mirrors　on

the　back　of　the　door　you　e　in　through；　stuff　like　that。　Why；　we　lost　a　lady

just　this　last　July。　Ullman　had　to　take　care　of　that；　and　you　can　bet　your　ass

he　did。　Thats　what　they　pay　him　twenty…two　thousand　bucks　a　season　for；　and　as

much　as　I　dislike　the　little　prick；　he　earns　it。　Its　like　some　people　just　e

here　to　throw　up　and　they　hire　a　guy　like　Ullman　to　clean　up　the　messes。　Heres

this　woman；　must　be　sixty　fuckin　years　old　—　my　age！　—　and　her　hairs　dyed　just　as

red　as　a　whores　stoplight；　tits　saggin　just　about　down　to　her　belly　button　on

account　of　she　aint　wearin　no　brassy…ear；　big　varycoarse　veins　all　up　and　down

her　legs　so　they　look　like　a　couple　of　goddam　roadmaps；　the　jools　drippin　off

her　neck　and　arms　an　hangin　out　her　ears。　And　shes　got　this　kid　with　her；　he

cant　be　no　more　than　seventeen；　with　hair　down　to　his　asshole　and　his　crotch

bulgin　like　he　stuffed　it　with　the　funnypages。　So　theyre　here　a　week；　ten　days

maybe；　and　every　night　its　the　same　drill。　Down　in　the　Colorado　Lounge　from

five　to　seven；　her　suckin　up　singapore　slings　like　theyre　gonna　outlaw　em

tomorrow　and　him　with　just　the　one　bottle　of　Olympia；　suckin　it；　makin　it　last。

And　shed　be　makin　jokes　and　sayin　all　these　witty　things；　and　every　time　she

said　one　hed　grin　just　like　a　fuckin　ape；　like　she　had　strings　tied　to　the

corners　of　his　mouth。　Only　after　a　few　days　you　could　see　it　was　gettin　harder

an　harder　for　him　to　grin；　and　God　knows　what　he　had　to　think　about　to　get　his

pump　primed　by　bedtime。　Well；　theyd　go　in　for　dinner；　him　walkin　and　her

staggerin；　drunk　as　a　coot；　you　know；　and　hed　be　pinchin　the　waitresses　and

grinnin　at　em　when　she　wasnt　lookin。　Hell；　we　even　had　bets　on　how　long　hed

last。〃

Watson　shrugged。

〃Then　he　es　down　one　night　around　ten；　sayin　his　wife　is　indisposed　—

which　meant　she　was　passed　out　again　like　every　other　night　they　was　there　—　and

hes　goin　to　get　her　some　stomach　medicine。　So　off　he　goes　in　the　little　Porsche

they　e　in；　and　thats　the　last　we　see　of　him。　Next　morning　she　es　down　and

tries　to　put　on　this　big　act；　but　all　day　shes　gettin　paler　an　paler；　and　Mr。

Ullman　asks　her；　sorta　diplomatic…like；　would　she　like　him　to　notify　the　state

cops；　just　in　case　maybe　he　had　a　little　accident　or　something。　Shes　on　him

like　a　cat。　No…no…no；　hes　a　fine　driver；　she　isnt　worried；　everythings　under