ss.iftomorrowcomes-第44部分

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　The　operator　came　back　on　the　line。　〃I'm　sorry；　Mrs。　Benecke　has　checked　out。〃
　
　〃Then　ring　whatever　suite　she's　moved　to。〃
　
　〃Mrs。　Benecke　has　checked　out　of　the　hotel。〃
　
　〃That's　impossible。　She…〃
　
　〃I'll　connect　you　with　reception。〃
　
　A　male　voice　said；　〃Reception。　May　I　help　you？〃
　
　〃Yes。　What　suite　is　Mrs。　P。J。　Benecke　in？〃
　
　〃Mrs。　Benecke　checked　out　of　the　hotel　this　morning。〃
　
　There　had　to　be　an　explanation。　Some　unexpected　emergency。
　
　〃May　I　have　her　forwarding　address；　please。　This　is…〃
　
　〃I'm　sorry。　She　didn't　leave　one。〃
　
　〃Of　course　she　left　one。〃
　
　〃I　checked　Mrs。　Benecke　out　myself。　She　left　no　forwarding　address。〃
　
　It　was　a　jab　to　the　pit　of　his　stomach。　Halston　slowly　replaced　the　receiver　and　sat　there；　bewildered。　He　had　to　find　a　way　to　get　in　touch　with　her；　to　let　her　know　that　he　had　finally　located　the　emerald。　In　the　meantime；　he　had　to　get　back　the　250；000　check　from　the　Contessa　Marissa。
　
　He　hurriedly　dialed　the　Savoy　Hotel。　〃Suite　twenty…six。〃
　
　〃Whom　are　you　calling；　please？〃
　
　〃The　Contessa　Marissa。〃
　
　〃One　moment；　please。〃
　
　But　even　before　the　operator　came　back　on　the　line；　some　terrible　premonition　told　Gregory　Halston　the　disastrous　news　he　was　about　to　hear。
　
　〃I'm　sorry。　The　Contessa　Marissa　has　checked　out。〃
　
　He　hung　up。　His　fingers　were　trembling　so　hard　that　he　was　barely　able　to　dial　the　number　of　the　bank。　〃Give　me　the　head　bookkeeper。。。。　quickly！　I　wish　to　stop　payment　on　a　check。〃
　
　But；　of　course；　he　was　too　late。　He　had　sold　an　emerald　for　100；000　and　had　bought　back　the　same　emerald　for　250；000。　Gregory　Halston　sat　there　slumped　in　his　chair；　wondering　how　he　was　going　to　explain　it　to　the　Parker　brothers。
　
　
　
　BOOK　THREE
　Chapter　22
　
　
　
　It　was　the　beginning　of　a　new　life　for　Tracy。　She　purchased　a　beautiful　old　Georgian　house　at　45　Eaton　Square　that　was　bright　and　cheerful　and　perfect　for　entertaining。　It　had　a　Queen　Anne…　British　slang　for　a　front　garden…　and　a　Mary　Anne…　a　back　garden…　and　in　season　the　flowers　were　magnificent。　Gunther　helped　Tracy　furnish　the　house；　and　before　the　two　of　them　were　finished；　it　was　one　of　the　showplaces　of　London。
　
　Gunther　introduced　Tracy　as　a　wealthy　young　widow　whose　husband　had　made　his　fortune　in　the　import…export　business。　She　was　an　instant　success；　beautiful；　intelligent；　and　charming；　she　was　soon　inundated　with　invitations。
　
　At　intervals；　Tracy　made　short　trips　to　France　and　Switzerland　and　Belgium　and　Italy；　and　each　time　she　and　Gunther　Hartog　profited。
　
　Under　Gunther's　tutelage；　Tracy　studied　the　Almanach　de　Gotha　and　Debrett's　Peerage　and　Baronetage；　the　authoritative　books　listing　detailed　information　on　all　the　royalty　and　titles　in　Europe。　Tracy　became　a　chameleon；　an　expert　in　makeup　and　disguises　and　accents。　She　acquired　half　a　dozen　passports。　In　various　countries；　she　was　a　British　duchess；　a　French　airline　stewardess；　and　a　South　American　heiress。　In　a　year　she　had　accumulated　more　money　than　she　would　ever　need。　She　set　up　a　fund　from　which　she　made　large；　anonymous　contributions　to　organizations　that　helped　former　women　prisoners；　and　she　arranged　for　a　generous　pension　to　be　sent　to　Otto　Schmidt　every　month。　She　no　longer　even　entertained　the　thought　of　quitting。　She　loved　the　challenge　of　outwitting　clever；　successful　people。　The　thrill　of　each　daring　escapade　acted　like　a　drug；　and　Tracy　found　that　she　constantly　needed　new　and　bigger　challenges。　There　was　one　credo　she　lived　by：　She　was　careful　never　to　hurt　the　innocent。　The　people　who　jumped　at　her　swindles　were　greedy　or　immoral；　or　both。　No　one　will　ever　mit　suicide　because　of　what　I've　done　to　them；　Tracy　promised　herself。
　
　The　newspapers　began　to　carry　stories　of　the　daring　escapades　that　were　occurring　all　over　Europe；　and　because　Tracy　used　different　disguises；　the　police　were　convinced　that　a　rash　of　ingenious　swindles　and　burglaries　was　being　carried　out　by　a　gang　of　women。　Interpol　began　to　take　an　interest。
　
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　At　the　Manhattan　headquarters　of　the　International　Insurance　Protection　Association；　J。　J。　Reynolds　sent　for　Daniel　Cooper。
　
　〃We　have　a　problem；〃　Reynolds　said。　〃A　large　number　of　our　European　clients　are　being　hit　apparently　by　a　gang　of　women。　Everybody's　screaming　bloody　murder。　They　want　the　gang　caught。　Interpol　has　agreed　to　cooperate　with　us。　It's　your　assignment；　Dan。　You　leave　for　Paris　in　the　morning。〃
　
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　Tracy　was　having　dinner　with　Gunther　at　Scott's　on　Mount　Street。
　
　〃Have　you　ever　heard　of　Maximilian　Pierpont；　Tracy？〃
　
　The　name　sounded　familiar。　Where　had　she　heard　it　before？　She　remembered。　Jeff　Stevens；　on　board　the　QE　II；　had　said；　〃We're　here　for　the　same　reason。　Maximilian　Pierpont。〃
　
　〃Very　rich；　isn't　he？〃
　
　〃And　quite　ruthless。　He　specializes　in　buying　up　panies　and　stripping　them。〃
　
　When　Joe　Romano　took　over　the　business；　he　fired　everybody　and　brought　in　his　own　people　to　run　things。　Then　he　began　to　raid　the　pany。。。。　They　took　everything…　the　business；　this　house；　your　mother's　car。。。。
　
　Gunther　was　looking　at　her　oddly。　〃Tracy；　are　you　all　right？〃
　
　〃Yes。　I'm　fine。〃　Sometimes　life　can　be　unfair；　she　thought；　and　it's　up　to　us　to　even　things　out。　〃Tell　me　more　about　Maximilian　Pierpont。〃
　
　〃His　third　wife　just　divorced　him；　and　he's　alone　now。　I　think　it　might　be　profitable　if　you　made　the　gentleman's　acquaintance。　He's　booked　on　the　Orient　Express　Friday；　from　London　to　Istanbul。〃
　
　Tracy　smiled。　〃I've　never　been　on　the　Orient　Express。　I　think　I'd　enjoy　it。〃
　
　Gunther　smiled　back。　〃Good。　Maximilian　Pierpont　has　the　only　important　Fabergé　egg　collection　outside　of　the　Hermitage　Museum　in　Leningrad。　It's　conservatively　estimated　to　be　worth　twenty　million　dollars。〃
　
　〃If　I　managed　to　get　some　of　the　eggs　for　you；〃　Tracy　asked；　curious；　〃what　would　you　do　with　them；　Gunther？　Wouldn't　they　be　too　well　known　to　sell？〃
　
　〃Private　collectors；　dear　Tracy。　You　bring　the　little　eggs　to　me；　and　I　will　find　a　nest　for　them。〃
　
　〃I'll　see　what　I　can　do。〃
　
　〃Maximilian　Pierpont　is　not　an　easy　man　to　approach。　However；　there　are　two　other　pigeons　also　booked　on　the　Orient　Express　Friday；　bound　for　the　film　festival　in　Venice。　I　think　they're　ripe　for　plucking。　Have　you　heard　of　Silvana　Luadi？〃
　
　〃The　Italian　movie　star？　Of　course。〃
　
　〃She's　married　to　Alberto　Fornati；　who　produces　those　terrible　epic　films。　Fornati　is　infamous　for　hiring　actors　and　directors　for　very　little　cash；　promising　them　big　percentages　of　the　profits；　and　keeping　all　the　profits　for　himself。　He　manages　to　make　enough　to　buy　his　wife　very　expensive　jewels。　The　more　unfaithful　he　is　to　her；　the　more　jewelry　he　gives　her。　By　this　time　Silvana　should　be　able　to　open　her　own　jewelry　store。　I'm　sure　you'll　find　all　of　them　interesting　pany。〃
　
　〃I'm　looking　forward　to　it；〃　Tracy　said。
　
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　The　Venice　Simplon　Orient　Express　departs　from　Victoria　Station　in　London　every　Friday　morning　at　11：44；　traveling　from　London　to　Istanbul；　with　intermediate　stops　in　Boulogne；　Paris；　Lausanne；　Milan；　and　Venice。　Thirty　minutes　before　departure　a　portable　check…in　counter　is　set　up　at　the　entrance　to　the　boarding　platform　in　the　terminal；　and　two　burly　uniformed　men　roll　a　red　rug　up　to　the　counter；　elbowing　aside　eagerly　waiting　passengers。
　
　The　new　owners　of　the　Orient　Express　had　attempted　to　recreate　the　golden　age　of　rail　travel　as　it　existed　in　the　late　nineteenth　century；　and　the　rebuilt　train　was　a　duplicate　of　the　original；　with　a　British　Pullman　car；　wagon…lit　restaurants；　a　bar…salon　car；　and　sleeping　cars。
　
　An　attendant　in　a　1920's　marine…blue　uniform　with　gold　braid　carried　Tracy's　two　suitcases　and　her　vanity　case　to　her　cabin；　which　was　disappointingly　small。　There　was　a　single　seat；　upholstered　with　a　flower…patterned　mohair。　The　rug；　as　well　as　the　ladder　that　was　used　to　reach　the　top　berth；　was　covered　in　the　same　green　plush。　It　was　like　being　in　a　candy　box。
　
　Tracy　read　the　card　acpanying　a　small　bottle　of　champagne　in　a　silver　bucket：　OLIVER　AUBERT；　TRAIN　MANAGER。
　
　I'll　save　it　until　I　have　something　to　celebrate；　Tracy　decided。　Maximilian　Pierpont。　Jeff　Stevens　had　failed。　It　would　be　a　wonderful　feeling　to　top　Mr。　Stevens。　Tracy　smiled　at　the　thought。
　
　She　unpacked　in　the　cramped　space　and　hung　up　the　clothes　she　would　be　needing。　She　preferred　traveling　on　a　Pan　American　jet　rather　than　a　train；　but　this　journey　promised　to　be　an　exciting　one。
　
　Exactly　on　schedule；　the　Orient　Express　began　to　move　out　of　the　station。　Tracy　sat　back　in　her　seat　and　watched　the　southern　suburbs　of　London　roll　by。
　
　At　1：15　that　afternoon　the　train　arrived　at　the　port　of　Folkestone；　where　the　passengers　transferred　to　the　Sealink　ferry；　which　would　take　them　across　the　channel　to　Boulogne；　where　they　would　board　another　Orient　Express　heading　south。
　
　Tracy　approached　one　of　the　attendants。　〃I　understand　Maximilian　Pierpont　is　traveling　with　us。　Could　you　point　him　out　to　me？〃
　
　The　attendant　shook　his　head。　〃I　wish　I　could；　ma'am。　He　booked　his　cabin　and　paid　for　it；　but　he　never　showed　up。　Very　unpredictable　gentleman；　so　I'm　told。〃
　
　That　left　Silvana　Luadi　and　her　husband；　the　producer　of　forgettable　epics。
　
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　In　Boulogne；　the　passengers　were　escorted　onto　the　continental　Orient　Express。　Unfortunately；　Tracy's　cabin　on　the　second　train　was　identical　to　the　one　she　had　left；　and　the　rough　roadbed　made　the　journey　even　more　unfortable。　She　remained　in　her　cabin　all　day　making　her　plans；　and　at　8：00　in　the　evening　she　began　to　dress。
　
　The　dress　code　of　the　Orient　Express　remended　evening　clothes；　and　Tracy　chose　a　stunning　dove…gray　chiffon　gown　with　gray　hose　and　gray　satin　shoes。　Her　only　jewelry　was　a　single　strand　of　matched　pearls。　She　checked　herself　in　the　mirror　before　she　left　her　quarters；　staring　at　her　reflection　for　a　long　time。　Her　green　eyes　had　a　look　of　innocence；　and　her　face　looked　guileless　and　vulnerable。　The　mirror　is　lying；　Tracy　thought。　I'm　not　that　woman　anymore。　I'm