gasps as he began to
mount the stairs。
》
HALLORANN ARRIVES
Larry Durkin was a tall and skinny man with a morose face overtopped with a
luxuriant mane of red hair。 Hallorann had caught him just as he was leaving the
Conoco station； the morose face buried deeply inside an army…issue parka。 He was
reluctant to do any more business that stormy day no matter how far Hallorann
had e； and even more reluctant to rent one of his two snowmobiles out to this
wild…eyed black man who insisted on going up to the old Overlook。 Among people
who had spent most of their lives in the little town of Sidewinder； the hotel
had a smelly reputation。 Murder had been done up there。 A bunch of hoods had run
the place for a while； and cutthroat businessmen had run it for a while； too。
And things had been done up at the old Overlook that never made the papers；
because money has a way of talking。 But the people in Sidewinder had a pretty
good idea。 Most of the hotel's chambermaids came from here； and chambermaids see
a lot。
But when Hallorann mentioned Howard Cottrell's name and showed Durkin the tag
inside one of the blue mittens； the gas station owner thawed。
〃Sent you here； did he？〃 Durkin asked； unlocking one of the garage bays and
leading Hallorann inside。 〃Good to know the old rip's got some sense left。 I
thought he was plumb out of it。〃 He flicked a switch and a bank of very old and
very dirty fluorescents buzzed wearily into life。 〃Now what in the tarnal
creation would you want up at that place； fella？〃
Hallorann's nerve had begun to crack。 The last few miles into Sidewinder had
been very bad。 Once a gust of wind that