ss.iftomorrowcomes-第57部分

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　They　said　very　little　during　the　ride　back　to　the　hotel。　At　the　door　to　Tracy's　room；　she　turned　and　said；　〃It's　been…〃
　
　Jeff's　lips　were　on　hers；　and　her　arms　went　around　him；　and　she　held　him　tightly　to　her。
　
　〃Tracy…？〃
　
　The　word　on　her　lips　was　yes；　and　it　took　the　last　ounce　of　her　willpower　to　say；　〃It's　been　a　long　day；　Jeff。　I'm　a　sleepy　lady。〃
　
　〃Oh。〃
　
　〃I　think　I'll　just　stay　in　my　room　tomorrow　and　rest。〃
　
　His　voice　was　level　when　he　answered。　〃Good　idea。　I'll　probably　do　the　same。〃
　
　Neither　of　them　believed　the　other。
　
　
　
　BOOK　THREE
　Chapter　29
　
　
　
　At　10：40　the　following　morning　Tracy　was　standing　in　the　long　line　at　the　entrance　to　the　Prado　Museum。　As　the　doors　opened；　a　uniformed　guard　operated　a　turnstile　that　admitted　one　visitor　at　a　time。
　
　Tracy　purchased　a　ticket　and　moved　with　the　crowd　going　into　the　large　rotunda。　Daniel　Cooper　and　Detective　Pereira　stayed　well　behind　her；　and　Cooper　began　to　feel　a　growing　excitement。　He　was　certain　that　Tracy　Whitney　was　not　there　as　a　visitor。　Whatever　her　plan　was；　it　was　beginning。
　
　Tracy　moved　from　room　to　room；　walking　slowly　through　the　salons　filled　with　Rubens　paintings　and　Titians；　Tintorettos；　Bosches；　and　paintings　by　Domenikos　Theotokopoulos；　who　became　famous　as　El　Greco。　The　Goyas　were　exhibited　in　a　special　gallery　below；　on　the　ground　floor。
　
　Tracy　noted　that　a　uniformed　guard　was　stationed　at　the　entrance　to　each　room；　and　at　his　elbow　was　a　red　alarm　button。　She　knew　that　the　moment　the　alarm　sounded；　all　entrances　and　exits　to　the　museum　would　be　sealed　off；　and　there　would　be　no　chance　of　escape。
　
　She　sat　on　the　bench　in　the　center　of　the　Muses　room；　filled　with　eighteenth…century　Flemish　masters；　and　let　her　gaze　wander　toward　the　floor。　She　could　see　a　round　access　fixture　on　each　side　of　the　doorway。　That　would　be　the　infrared　beams　that　were　turned　on　at　night。　In　other　museums　Tracy　had　visited；　the　guards　had　been　sleepy　and　bored；　paying　little　attention　to　the　stream　of　chattering　tourists；　but　here　the　guards　were　alert。　Works　of　art　were　being　defaced　by　fanatics　in　museums　around　the　world；　and　the　Prado　was　taking　no　chance　that　it　could　happen　there。
　
　In　a　dozen　different　rooms　artists　had　set　up　their　easels　and　were　assiduously　at　work　copying　paintings　of　the　masters。　The　museum　permitted　it；　but　Tracy　noticed　that　the　guards　kept　a　close　eye　even　on　the　copiers。
　
　When　Tracy　had　finished　with　the　rooms　on　the　main　floor；　she　took　the　stairs　to　the　ground　floor；　to　the　Francisco　de　Goya　exhibition。
　
　Detective　Pereira　said　to　Cooper；　〃See；　she's　not　doing　anything　but　looking。　She…〃
　
　〃You're　wrong。〃　Cooper　started　down　the　stairs　in　a　run。
　
　It　seemed　to　Tracy　that　the　Goya　exhibition　was　more　heavily　guarded　than　the　others；　and　it　well　deserved　to　be。　Wall　after　wall　was　filled　with　an　incredible　display　of　timeless　beauty；　and　Tracy　moved　from　canvas　to　canvas；　caught　up　in　the　genius　of　the　man。　Goya's　Self…Portrait；　making　him　look　like　a　middle…aged　Pan。。。　the　exquisitely　colored　portrait　of　The　Family　of　Charles　IV。。。　The　Clothed　Maja　and　the　famed　Nude　Maja。
　
　And　there；　next　to　The　Witches'　Sabbath；　was　the　Puerto。　Tracy　stopped　and　stared　at　it；　her　heart　beginning　to　pound。　In　the　foreground　of　the　painting　were　a　dozen　beautifully　dressed　men　and　women　standing　in　front　of　a　stone　wall；　while　in　the　background；　seen　through　a　luminous　mist；　were　fishing　boats　in　a　harbor　and　a　distant　lighthouse。　In　the　lower　left…hand　corner　of　the　picture　was　Goya's　signature。
　
　This　was　the　target。　Half　a　million　dollars。
　
　Tracy　glanced　around。　A　guard　stood　at　the　entrance。　Beyond　him；　through　the　long　corridor　leading　to　other　rooms；　Tracy　could　see　more　guards。　She　stood　there　a　long　time；　studying　the　Puerto。　As　she　started　to　move　away；　a　group　of　tourists　was　ing　down　the　stairs。　In　the　middle　of　them　was　Jeff　Stevens。　Tracy　averted　her　head　and　hurried　out　the　side　entrance　before　he　could　see　her。
　
　It's　going　to　be　a　race；　Mr。　Stevens；　and　I'm　going　to　win　it。
　
　**********
　
　〃She's　planning　to　steal　a　painting　from　the　Prado。〃
　
　mandant　Ramiro　looked　at　Daniel　Cooper　incredulously。　〃Cagajón！　No　one　can　steal　a　painting　from　the　Prado。〃
　
　Cooper　said　stubbornly；　〃She　was　there　all　morning。〃
　
　〃There　has　never　been　a　theft　at　the　Prado；　and　there　never　will　be。　And　do　you　know　why？　Because　it　is　impossible。〃
　
　〃She's　not　going　to　try　any　of　the　usual　ways。　You　must　have　the　museum　vents　protected；　in　case　of　a　gas　attack。　If　the　guards　drink　coffee　on　the　job；　find　out　where　they　get　it　and　if　it　can　be　drugged。　Check　the　drinking　water…〃
　
　The　limits　of　mandant　Ramiro's　patience　were　exhausted。　It　was　bad　enough　that　he　had　had　to　put　up　with　this　rude；　unattractive　American　for　the　past　week；　and　that　he　had　wasted　valuable　manpower　having　Tracy　Whitney　follow　around　the　clock；　when　his　Policía　Nacional　was　already　working　under　an　austerity　budget；　but　now；　confronted　by　pito；　telling　him　how　to　run　his　police　department；　he　could　stand　no　more。
　
　〃In　my　opinion；　the　lady　is　in　Madrid　on　a　holiday。　I　calling　off　the　surveillance。〃
　
　Cooper　was　stunned。　〃No！　You　can't　do　that。　Tracy　Whitney　is…〃
　
　mandant　Ramiro　rose　to　his　full　height。　〃You　will　kindly　refrain　from　telling　me　what　I　can　do；　se？or。　And　now；　if　you　have　nothing　further　to　say；　I　am　a　very　busy　man。〃
　
　Cooper　stood　there；　filled　with　frustration。　〃I'd　like　to　continue　alone；　then。〃
　
　The　mandant　smiled。　〃To　keep　the　Prado　Museum　safe　from　the　terrible　threat　of　this　woman？　Of　course；　Se？or　Cooper。　Now　I　can　sleep　nights。〃
　
　
　
　BOOK　THREE
　Chapter　30
　
　
　
　The　chances　of　success　are　extremely　limited；　Gunther　Hartog　had　told　Tracy。　It　will　take　a　great　deal　of　ingenuity。
　
　That　is　the　understatement　of　the　century；　Tracy　thought。
　
　She　was　staring　out　the　window　of　her　suite；　down　at　the　skylight　roof　of　the　Prado；　mentally　reviewing　everything　she　had　learned　about　the　museum。　It　was　open　from　10：00　in　the　morning　until　6：00　in　the　evening；　and　during　that　time　the　alarms　were　off；　but　guards　were　stationed　at　each　entrance　and　in　every　room。
　
　Even　if　one　could　manage　to　take　a　painting　off　the　wall；　Tracy　thought；　there's　no　way　to　smuggle　it　out。　All　packages　had　to　be　checked　at　the　door。
　
　She　studied　the　roof　of　the　Prado　and　considered　a　night　foray。　There　were　several　drawbacks：　The　first　one　was　the　high　visibility。　Tracy　had　watched　as　the　spotlights　came　on　at　night；　flooding　the　roof；　making　it　visible　for　miles　around。　Even　if　it　were　possible　to　get　into　the　building　unseen；　there　were　still　the　infrared　beams　inside　the　building　and　the　night　watchmen。
　
　The　Prado　seemed　to　be　impregnable。
　
　What　was　Jeff　planning？　Tracy　was　certain　he　was　going　to　make　a　try　for　the　Goya。　I'd　give　anything　to　know　what　he　has　in　his　crafty　little　mind。　Of　one　thing　Tracy　was　sure：　She　was　not　going　to　let　him　get　there　ahead　of　her。　She　had　to　find　a　way。
　
　She　returned　to　the　Prado　the　next　morning。
　
　Nothing　had　changed　except　the　faces　of　the　visitors。　Tracy　kept　a　careful　lookout　for　Jeff；　but　he　did　not　appear。
　
　Tracy　thought；　He's　already　figured　out　how　he's　going　to　steal　it。　The　bastard。　All　this　charm　he's　been　using　was　just　to　try　to　distract　me；　and　keep　me　from　getting　the　painting　first。
　
　She　suppressed　her　anger　and　replaced　it　with　clear；　cold　logic。
　
　Tracy　walked　over　to　the　Puerto　again；　and　her　eyes　wandered　over　the　nearby　canvases；　the　alert　guards；　the　amateur　painters　sitting　on　stools　in　front　of　their　easels；　the　crowds；　flowing　in　and　out　of　the　room；　and　as　she　looked　around；　Tracy's　heart　suddenly　began　to　beat　faster。
　
　I　know　how　I'm　going　to　do　it！
　
　**********
　
　She　made　a　telephone　call　from　a　public　booth　on　the　Gran　Vía；　and　Daniel　Cooper；　who　stood　in　a　coffee　shop　doorway　watching；　would　have　given　a　year's　pay　to　know　whom　Tracy　was　calling。　He　was　sure　it　was　an　overseas　call　and　that　she　was　phoning　collect；　so　that　there　would　be　no　record　of　it。　He　was　aware　of　the　lime…green　linen　dress　that　he　had　not　seen　before　and　that　her　legs　were　bare。　So　that　men　can　stare　at　them；　he　thought。　Whore。
　
　He　was　filled　with　rage。
　
　In　the　telephone　booth；　Tracy　was　ending　her　conversation。　〃Just　make　sure　he's　fast；　Gunther。　He'll　have　only　about　two　minutes。　Everything　will　depend　on　speed。〃
　
　To：　J。　J。　Reynolds
　File　No。　Y…72…830…412
　FROM：　Daniel　Cooper
　CONFIDENTIAL
　SUBJECT：　Tracy　Whitney
　
　It　is　my　opinion　that　the　subject　is　in　Madrid　to　carry　out　a　major　criminal　endeavor。　The　likely　target　is　the　Prado　Museum。　The　Spanish　police　are　being　uncooperative；　but　I　will　personally　keep　the　subject　under　surveillance　and　apprehend　her　at　the　appropriate　time。
　
　**********
　
　Two　days　later；　at　9：00　A。M。；　Tracy　was　seated　on　a　bench　in　the　gardens　of　the　Retiro；　the　beautiful　park　running　through　the　center　of　Madrid；　feeding　the　pigeons。　The　Retiro；　with　its　lake　and　graceful　trees　and　well…kept　grass；　and　miniature　stages　with　shows　for　children；　was　a　magnet　for　the　Madrile？os。
　
　Cesar　Porretta；　an　elderly；　gay…haired　man　with　a　slight　hunchback；　walked　along　the　park　path；　and　when　he　reached　the　bench；　he　sat　down　beside　Tracy；　opened　a　paper　sack；　and　began　throwing　out　bread　crumbs　to　the　birds。　〃Buenos　días；　se？orita。〃
　
　〃Buenos　días。　Do　you　see　any　problems？〃
　
　〃None；　se？orita。　All　I　need　is　the　time　and　the　date。〃
　
　〃I　don't　have　it　yet；〃　Tracy　told　him。　〃Soon。〃
　
　He　smiled；　a　toothless　smile。　〃The　police　will　go　crazy。　No　one　has　ever　tried　anything　like　this　before。〃
　
　〃That's　why　it's　going　to　work；〃　Tracy　said。　〃You'll　hear　from　ma。〃　She　tossed　out　a　last　crumb　to　the　pigeons　and　rose。　She　walked　away；　her　silk　dress　swaying　provocatively　around　her　knees。
　
　**********
　
　While　Tracy　was　in　the　park　meeting　with　Cesar　Porretta；　Daniel　Cooper　was　searching　her　hotel　room。　He　had　watched　from　the　lobby　as　Tracy　left　the　hotel　and　headed　for　the　park。　She　had　not　orde