ss.iftomorrowcomes-第67部分

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　〃They　all　seem　so　small　and　vulnerable；〃　Tracy　said；　〃and　so　easy　to　walk　away　with。〃
　
　The　guard　at　the　counter　smiled。　〃A　thief　wouldn't　get　very　far；　miss。　The　cases　are　all　electronically　wired；　and　armed　guards　patrol　the　convention　center　day　and　night。〃
　
　〃That's　a　great　relief；〃　Jeff　said　earnestly。　〃One　can't　be　too　careful　these　days；　can　one？〃
　
　That　afternoon　Daniel　Cooper　and　Inspector　Joop　van　Duren　called　on　Chief　missioner　Willems　together。　Van　Duren　placed　the　surveillance　reports　on　the　missioner's　desk　and　waited。
　
　〃There's　nothing　definite　here；〃　the　chief　missioner　finally　said；　〃but　I'll　admit　that　your　suspects　seem　to　be　sniffing　around　some　very　lucrative　targets。　All　right；　Inspector。　Go　ahead。　You　have　official　permission　to　place　listening　devices　in　their　hotel　rooms。〃
　
　Daniel　Cooper　was　elated。　There　would　be　no　more　privacy　for　Tracy　Whitney。　From　this　point　on；　he　would　know　everything　she　was　thinking；　saying；　and　doing。　He　thought　about　Tracy　and　Jeff　together　in　bed；　and　remembered　the　feel　of　Tracy's　underwear　against　his　cheek。　So　soft；　so　sweet…smelling。
　
　That　afternoon　he　went　to　church。
　
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　When　Tracy　and　Jeff　left　the　hotel　for　dinner　that　evening；　a　team　of　police　technicians　went　to　work；　planting　tiny　wireless　transmitters　in　Tracy's　and　Jeff's　suites；　concealing　them　behind　pictures；　in　lamps；　and　under　bedside　tables。
　
　Inspector　Joop　van　Duren　had　mandeered　the　suite　on　the　floor　directly　above；　and　there　a　technician　installed　a　radio　receiver　with　an　antenna　and　plugged　in　a　recorder。
　
　〃It's　voice　activated；〃　the　technician　explained。　〃No　one　has　to　be　here　to　monitor　it。　When　someone　speaks；　it　wi　automatically　begin　to　record。〃
　
　But　Daniel　Cooper　wanted　to　be　there。　He　had　to　be　then　It　was　God's　will。
　
　
　
　BOOK　THREE
　Chapter　33
　
　
　
　Early　the　following　morning　Daniel　Cooper；　Inspector　Joop　van　Duren；　and　his　young　assistant；　Detective　Constable　Witkamp；　were　in　the　upstairs　suite　listening　to　the　conversation　below。
　
　〃More　coffee？〃　Jeff's　voice。
　
　〃No；　thank　you；　darling。〃　Tracy's　voice。　〃Try　this　cheese　that　room　service　sent　up。　It's　really　wonderful。〃
　
　A　short　silence。　〃Mmmm。　Delicious。　What　would　you　like　to　do　today；　Tracy？　We　could　take　a　drive　to　Rotterdam。〃
　
　〃Why　don't　we　just　stay　in　and　relax？〃
　
　〃Sounds　good。〃
　
　Daniel　Cooper　knew　what　they　meant　by　〃relax；〃　and　his　mouth　tightened。
　
　〃The　queen　is　dedicating　a　new　home　for　orphans。〃
　
　〃Nice。　I　think　the　Dutch　are　the　most　hospitable；　generous　people　in　the　world。　They're　iconoclasts。　They　hate　rules　and　regulations。〃
　
　A　laugh。　〃Of　course。　That's　why　we　both　like　them　so　much。〃
　
　Ordinary　morning　conversation　between　lovers。　They're　so　free　and　easy　with　each　other；　Cooper　thought。　But　how　she　would　pay！
　
　〃Speaking　of　generous〃…　Jeff's　voice…　〃guess　who's　staying　at　this　hotel？　The　elusive　Maximilian　Pierpont。　I　missed　him　on　the　QE　Two。〃
　
　〃And　I　missed　him　on　the　Orient　Express。〃
　
　〃He's　probably　here　to　rape　another　pany。　Now　that　we've　found　him　again；　Tracy；　we　really　should　do　something　about　him。　I　mean；　as　long　as　he's　in　the　neighborhood。。。〃
　
　Tracy's　laughter。　〃I　couldn't　agree　more；　darling。〃
　
　〃I　understand　our　friend　is　in　the　habit　of　carrying　priceless　artifacts　with　him。　I　have　an　idea　that…〃
　
　Another　voice；　female。　〃Dag；　mijnheer；　dag；　mevrouw。　Would　you　care　for　your　room　to　be　made　up　now？〃
　
　Van　Duren　turned　to　Detective　Constable　Witkamp。　〃I　want　a　surveillance　team　on　Maximilian　Pierpont。　The　moment　Whitney　or　Stevens　makes　any　kind　of　contact　with　him；　I　want　to　know　it。〃
　
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　Inspector　van　Duren　was　reporting　to　Chief　missioner　Toon　Willems。
　
　〃They　could　be　after　any　number　of　targets；　Chief　missioner。　They're　showing　a　great　deal　of　interest　in　a　wealthy　American　here　named　Maximilian　Pierpont；　they　attended　the　philatelist　convention；　they　visited　the　Lucullan　diamond　at　the　Nederlands　Diamond…Cutting　Factory；　and　spent　two　hours　at　The　Night　Watch…〃
　
　〃Een　diefstal　van　de　Nachtwacht？　Nee！　Impossible！〃
　
　The　chief　missioner　sat　back　in　his　chair　and　wondered　whether　he　was　recklessly　wasting　valuable　time　and　manpower。　There　was　too　much　speculation　and　not　enough　facts。　〃So　at　the　moment　you　have　no　idea　what　their　target　is。〃
　
　〃No；　Chief　missioner。　I'm　not　certain　they　themselves　have　decided。　But　the　moment　they　do；　they　will　inform　us。〃
　
　Willems　frowned。　〃Inform　you？〃
　
　〃The　bugs；〃　Van　Duren　explained。　〃They　have　no　idea　they　are　being　bugged。〃
　
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　The　breakthrough　for　the　police　came　at　9：00　A。M。　the　following　morning。　Tracy　and　Jeff　were　finishing　breakfast　in　Tracy's　suite。　At　the　listening　post　upstairs　were　Daniel　Cooper；　Inspector　Joop　van　Duren；　and　Detective　Constable　Witkamp。　They　heard　the　sound　of　coffee　being　poured。
　
　〃Here's　an　interesting　item；　Tracy。　Our　friend　was　right。　Listen　to　this：　'Amro　Bank　is　shipping　five　million　dollars　in　gold　bullion　to　the　Dutch　West　Indies。'　〃
　
　In　the　suite　on　the　floor　above；　Detective　Constable　Witkamp　said；　〃There's　no　way…〃
　
　〃Shh！〃
　
　They　listened。
　
　〃I　wonder　how　much　five　million　dollars　in　gold　would　weigh？〃　Tracy's　voice。
　
　〃I　can　tell　you　exactly；　my　darling。　One　thousand　six　hundred　seventy…two　pounds；　about　sixty…seven　gold　bars。　The　wonderful　thing　about　gold　is　that　it's　so　beautifully　anonymous。　You　melt　it　down　and　it　could　belong　to　anybody。　Of　course；　it　wouldn't　be　easy　to　get　those　bars　out　of　Holland。〃
　
　〃Even　if　we　could；　how　would　we　get　hold　of　them　in　the　first　place？　Just　walk　into　the　bank　and　pick　them　up？〃
　
　〃Something　like　that。〃
　
　〃You're　joking。〃
　
　〃I　never　joke　about　that　kind　of　money。　Why　don't　we　just　stroll　by　the　Amro　Bank；　Tracy；　and　have　a　little　look？〃
　
　〃What　do　you　have　in　mind？〃
　
　〃I'll　tell　you　all　about　it　on　the　way。〃
　
　There　was　the　sound　of　a　door　closing；　and　the　voices　ended。
　
　Inspector　van　Duren　was　fiercely　twisting　his　mustache。　〃Nee！　There　is　no　way　they　could　get　their　hands　on　that　gold。　I；　myself；　approved　those　security　arrangements。〃
　
　Daniel　Cooper　announced　flatly；　〃If　there's　a　flaw　in　the　bank's　security　system；　Tracy　Whitney　will　find　it。〃
　
　It　was　all　Inspector　van　Duren　could　do　to　control　his　hair…trigger　temper。　The　odd…looking　American　had　been　an　abomination　ever　since　his　arrival。　It　was　his　God…given　sense　of　superiority　that　was　so　difficult　to　tolerate。　But　Inspector　van　Duren　was　a　policeman　first　and　last；　and　he　had　been　ordered　to　cooperate　with　the　weird　little　man。
　
　The　inspector　turned　to　Witkamp。　〃I　want　you　to　increase　the　surveillance　unit。　Immediately。　I　want　every　contact　photographed　and　questioned。　Clear？〃
　
　〃Yes；　Inspector。〃
　
　〃And　very　discreetly；　mind　you。　They　must　not　know　they　are　being　watched。〃
　
　〃Yes；　Inspector。〃
　
　Van　Duren　looked　at　Cooper。　〃There。　Does　that　make　you　feel　better？〃
　
　Cooper　did　not　bother　to　reply。
　
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　During　the　next　five　days　Tracy　and　Jeff　kept　Inspector　van　Duren's　men　busy；　and　Daniel　Cooper　carefully　examined　all　the　daily　reports。　At　night；　when　the　other　detectives　left　the　listening　post；　Cooper　lingered。　He　listened　for　the　sounds　of　lovemaking　that　he　knew　was　going　on　below。　He　could　hear　nothing；　but　in　his　mind　Tracy　was　moaning；　〃Oh；　yes；　darling；　yes；　yes。　Oh；　God；　I　can't　stand　it。。。　it's　so　wonderful。。。。　Now；　oh；　now。。〃
　
　Then　the　long；　shuddering　sigh　and　the　soft；　velvety　silence。　And　it　was　all　for　him。
　
　Soon　you'll　belong　to　me；　Cooper　thought。　No　one　else　will　have　you。
　
　During　the　day；　Tracy　and　Jeff　went　their　separate　ways；　and　wherever　they　went　they　were　followed。　Jeff　visited　a　printing　shop　near　Leidseplein；　and　two　detectives　watched　from　the　street　as　he　held　an　earnest　conversation　with　the　printer。　When　Jeff　left；　one　of　the　detectives　followed　him。　The　other　went　into　the　shop　and　showed　the　printer　his　plastic…coated　police　identity　card　with　the　official　stamp；　photograph；　and　the　diagonal　red；　white；　and　blue　stripes。
　
　〃The　man　who　just　left　here。　What　did　he　want？〃
　
　〃He's　run　out　of　business　cards。　He　wants　me　to　print　some　more　for　him。〃
　
　〃Let　me　see。〃
　
　The　printer　showed　him　a　handwritten　form：
　
　Amsterdam　Security　Services
　Cornelius　Wilson；　Chief　Investigator
　
　The　following　day　Constable　First…Class　Fien　Hauer　waited　outside　a　pet　shop　on　Leidseplein　as　Tracy　went　in。　When　she　emerged　fifteen　minutes　later；　Fien　Hauer　entered　the　shop　and　showed　her　identification。
　
　〃That　lady　who　just　left；　what　did　she　want？〃
　
　〃She　purchased　a　bowl　of　goldfish；　two　lovebirds；　a　canary；　and　a　pigeon。〃
　
　A　strange　bination。　〃A　pigeon；　you　said？　You　mean　an　ordinary　pigeon？〃
　
　〃Yes；　but　no　pet　store　stocks　them。　I　told　her　we　would　have　to　locate　one　for　her。〃
　
　〃Where　are　you　sending　these　pets？〃
　
　〃To　her　hotel；　the　Amstel。〃
　
　On　the　other　side　of　town；　Jeff　was　speaking　to　the　vice…president　of　the　Amro　Bank。　They　were　closeted　together　for　thirty　minutes；　and　when　Jeff　left　the　bank；　a　detective　went　into　the　manager's　office。
　
　〃The　man　who　just　walked　out。　Please　tell　me　why　he　was　here。〃
　
　〃Mr。　Wilson？　He's　chief　investigator　for　the　security　pany　our　bank　uses。　They're　revising　the　security　system。〃
　
　〃Did　he　ask　you　to　discuss　the　present　security　arrangements　with　him？〃
　
　〃Why；　yes；　as　a　matter　of　fact；　he　did。〃
　
　〃And　you　told　him？〃
　
　〃Of　course。　But　naturally　I　first　took　the　precaution　of　telephoning　to　make　sure　his　credentials　were　in　order。〃
　
　〃Whom　did　you　telephone？〃
　
　〃The　security　service…　the　number　was　printed　on　his　identification　card。〃
　
　At　3：00　that　afternoon　an　armored　truck　pulled　up　outside　the　Amro　Bank。　From　across　the　street；　Jeff　snapped　a　picture　of　the　truck；　while　in　a　doorway　a　few　yards　away　a　detective　photographed　Jeff。
　
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　At　police　headquarters　at　Elandsgracht　Inspector　van　Duren　was　spreading　out　the　rapidly　accumulating　evidenc