Chapter 25 Chapter 25

Every year on the first Saturday in June, Count Martini holds a ball donating to the Paris Children's Hospital.In and out of such occasions, the men are all well-dressed and heroic;Although the ticket price for each guest is as high as US$1,000, celebrities from all over the world always arrive as scheduled. Martini Castle is located on the Cape of Antibos and is one of the scenic spots in France.The beautifully groomed surroundings are stunning, while the castle itself is centuries old, dating back to the 15th century.On the night of the reception, the big and small ballrooms were packed with richly dressed guests and friends, and the waiters in unique uniforms shuttled back and forth, handing people glasses of champagne after glasses.There are large cold tables in the ballroom, and a set of large Georgian-style silver plates are filled with various snacks and snacks. There are so many patterns and exquisite workmanship that people are full of praise.

Tracy was wearing a long dress trimmed with white lace, her hair was tied up in a high bun and pinned with a diamond hairpin, and anyone who saw it could not help but feel swayed.At the moment, she is dancing with Count Martini, the host of the party.Martini is a widower in his sixties, not tall, with a heavy appearance. His face is slightly pale, but his features are regular and small.The Earl's annual ball for the children's hospital donation was a hoax, Gunther Hartog had told Tracy.Ten percent of the income goes to the child—ninety percent goes into his own pocket. "You dance very well, Duchess," said the count.

Tracy smiled. "That's because of my partner, too." "How come I never saw you before?" "I've always lived in South America," Tracy explained, "in the jungle, maybe." "how is this possible?" "My husband owns several mines in Brazil." "Ah, your husband is here tonight?" "No. Unfortunately, he has to stay in Brazil to take care of the business." "He was unlucky, but I was lucky." The arms around her waist tightened even more. "I hope we can be very good friends." "Me too," Tracy murmured.

Tracy looked over the Earl's shoulder and suddenly saw Jeff Stevens, dark and almost too muscular.He was dancing, too, with a beautiful, slender brunette.She was wearing a scarlet taffeta dress, and she clung to him, as if she was afraid he would run away.Jeff also caught Tracy's eyes and smiled. The bastard should be content, Tracy thought bitterly.In the previous two weeks, Tracy had orchestrated two burglaries.She sneaks into the first house and opens the safe, only to find it empty.Jeff Stevens got there first.The second time, just as Tracy tiptoed towards the house she was looking for, she heard the sound of the car revving up, and she caught a glimpse of Jeff running away.Once again he had thwarted her plan, and it really made her very angry.This time, he's back where I was going to strike, Tracy thought.

Jeff and his partner moved aside, and Jeff smiled and said, "Good evening, Earl." Count Martini smiled back. "Oh, Jeffrey, good evening. I'm so glad to have you here." "I won't miss it." Jeff's gaze immediately shifted to the flirtatious woman in his arms. "This is Miss Wallace. Count Martini." "Nice meeting, good meeting!" The count turned to Tracy again. "Duchess, may I introduce you to Miss Wallace and Mr. Geoffrey Stevens, Duchess de la Rosa." Jeff raised his eyebrows in confusion. "Sorry, I didn't catch you."

"De La Rosa," Tracy said flatly. "De la Rosa... de Toloza." Jeff looked at Tracy. "The name sounds familiar. Oh, of course! I know your husband. Is this dear old companion here?" "He's in Brazil." Tracy felt herself gnashing her teeth involuntarily. Jeff smiled slightly. "Oh, what a coincidence. We used to hunt together a lot. Before his accident, of course." "What happened?" asked the Count. "Yeah." Jeff's tone was a little sad. "His gun accidentally went off and wounded that very sensitive part of him. It was just one of those stupid things." He turned to Tracy. "Is there any hope for him to return to normal?"

Tracy said flatly: "I'm sure, one day he will be as normal as you, Mr. Stevens." "Oh, that's all right. Will you send me my best regards when you get back, will you, Duchess?" The song is over.Earl Martini said to Tracy with apology: "Please forgive me, my dear, as the master, I still have a few others to take care of." He squeezed her hand. "Don't forget, you are sitting at my table." After the Earl had gone, Jeff said to his mate, "My little angel, did you keep some aspirin in your handbag? Could you fetch one for me? I have a terrible headache. "

"Oh, my poor darling." There was a look of admiration in her eyes. "I'll be right back, dear." Tracy watched her float away. "Aren't you afraid that she will give you diabetes?" "She's sweet, isn't she? How are you doing, Duchess?" Tracy smiled, not wanting those around her to see that they were having a fight. "It's really none of your business, is it?" "Oh, that's very relevant. In fact, it's because I care so much that I'm giving you some kind advice. Don't think about the castle." "What? You want to strike first?"

Jeff took Tracy's arm and led her to a quiet spot near the piano.A dark-eyed young man was playing some American movie episodes, banging the keys so that he couldn't play the pieces. During the music, only Tracy could hear Jeff's voice. "Indeed, I have a little plan, but it's too dangerous." "Really?" At this point in the conversation, Tracy felt a little interesting. She took comfort in the fact that she had stopped playing and was back to being her true self.The Greeks had a suitable word, Tracy thought, from the Greek word for actor, hypocrite. "Listen, Tracy." Jeff's tone became serious. "It can't be done. First of all, you can't get out alive. They put a dog that can kill people on guard at night."

Suddenly, Tracy became engrossed.Jeff himself was plotting what to do with the house. "Every door and window is connected in a circuit. The alarm system is directly connected to the police station. Even if you manage to get inside the house, the whole house is surrounded by dense infrared light." "I know all of this." Tracy was a little smug. "You must also know that the infrared light doesn't set off the siren when you go in. It goes off when you come out. It's sensitive to thermal changes. It's impossible to get out without setting off the siren. of."

She doesn't know anything about it.How did Jeff find out? "Why are you telling me this?" He smiled.At this moment, she found him more likable than ever. "I really don't want you to be caught, Duchess. I want you by my side. You know, Tracy, we could be very good friends." "You're wrong," Tracy told him emphatically.She saw Jeff's female companion hurrying towards them. "Ms. Diabetes is here. Take advantage of it." As Tracy paced away, she heard Jeff's companion say, "I brought you some champagne to take the medicine down, poor baby." The richness of the dinner reached the point of luxury.Each dish is paired with corresponding wine, which is poured by waiters wearing white gloves.The first course was local asparagus in a mushroom sauce, followed by nightshade chicken consommé.The third course is a piece of lamb tenderloin, served with fresh vegetables from the earl's vegetable garden.Then there's another crunchy, buttery lettuce salad. Desserts consisted of ice cream poured out of various tins, served in a set of silver cups like a chandelier of flowers, filled with assorted sweet shortbread.Finally coffee and brandy.The waiters handed cigars to the gentlemen, and the female guests each presented a small bottle of happy perfume, which was made of Bacatonte crystal stone, which was very unique. After the dinner, Count Martini said to Tracy: "You mentioned just now that you would like to see some of my collection of paintings. Would you like to see them now?" "That would be great," Tracy replied. Earl's gallery is nothing more than a private art gallery, which is filled with famous paintings of Italian master painters, French Impressionists and Picasso.The magical colors and forms of these immortal masterpieces filled the long hall with splendor.Here you have Monet and Renoir, Kenaletto, Gvadis and Tintoretto.There is a very fine masterpiece by Tiepolo, a Gercino and a Titian, and there is almost a wall full of Cezanne.There is no doubt that the Earl's collection is an invaluable treasure. Tracy stood in front of the paintings for a long time, concentrating on them, savoring the subtleties of one work after another. "I hope these paintings are well protected." There was a slight smile on the earl's mouth. "Three times thieves have tried to get my hands on my darling. One was killed by our dogs, the second was severely maimed, and the third was sentenced to life in jail. My old castle is an impenetrable fortress ,Duchess." "I am relieved now, count." A flash of light flashed outside the gallery. "The fireworks are starting," said the count, "I guess you will like it very much." He stretched out his dry hand, took Tracy's soft little hand, and led her out of the gallery. "Tomorrow morning, I'm going to Deauville, where I have a villa on the sea. Next weekend, I have invited some friends to go there. Maybe you will like it." "I'm sure I will," said Tracy ruefully, "but my husband is going to be restless. He wants me to go back." The fireworks lasted nearly an hour, and Tracy took the opportunity to do a field trip to the house inside and out.Jeff was telling the truth, the chances of success in trying to steal something here were slim, but that made Tracy all the more eager to try.She knew that in the earl's bedroom upstairs, there were jewelry worth two million dollars, and there were six famous paintings, including a treasure by Leonardo. This old castle is a treasure house, Gunther Hartogg once told her, and it is indeed as heavily guarded as a treasure house. If you can't be sure, you must not act rashly. Now, I've got a plan, Tracy thought, and whether it's safe or not, we'll find out tomorrow. On the second night, the weather was gloomy and cold. Wearing a black smock, soft-soled rubber shoes, and a pair of soft black gloves, Tracy came to the castle again with a satchel on her back.She stood in the dark and watched, and the high walls gave people an eerie feeling.In a trance, Tracy's mind suddenly appeared the prison courtyard wall, and she trembled involuntarily. She drove a rental van along the stone wall to the back of the estate.From the other side of the wall came a dull, blood-curdling growl, followed by another bark, and the vicious dog was leaping high and coming towards her.Tracy seemed to have seen the German Doberman's huge body and deadly teeth. She greeted the people sitting in the car softly: "Start." A short, middle-aged man, also dressed in black and carrying a multi-layered canvas bag, stepped out of the car.He holds a female Doberman on a lead.The hound was in estrus, and the barking on the other side of the courtyard wall instantly turned into an impatient whimper. Tracy helped lift the bitch up.Standing on the roof of the van, it is exactly the same height as the courtyard wall. "One, two, three." She counted in a low voice. The two pushed hard, pushing the bitch over the courtyard wall and into the courtyard.Only two screams were heard, followed by a series of dull and rapid sniffing sounds, and the two dogs ran away.Everything returned to calm again. Tracy said to her accomplice, "Let's go." The man nodded.His name was Jean-Louis, and she had found him in the Antibes.The man was a habitual thief who had spent most of his life in prison.He wasn't too bright, but he was a genius at dealing with locks and alarm systems, and he did his best for the operation. Tracy stepped from the roof of the car onto the wall, lowered a coiled ladder, and fastened one end to the wall.The two went down the ladder, and there was a lawn at their feet.The whole estate looked very different from what it had seen the night before.At that time, the lights were bright and there were laughing guests everywhere, but now, the surroundings are pitch black, and it looks so desolate and lonely. Jean-Louis followed Tracey, looking around frightenedly, lest the Doberman should come suddenly. The walls of the castle are covered with ivy, and the vines of these century-old vines cover the castle from top to bottom.The night before, Tracy had tested the strength of the vines with feigned indifference.At this moment, she clings to a vine, climbs up, and looks down while climbing.The hounds disappeared without a trace.Let's hope they stay busy for a long time.She prayed secretly. Tracy climbed onto the roof, gestured to Jean-Louis, and waited for him to crawl beside her.She flicked on the spotlight, and with a pinpoint-sized gleam of light, they found a glass skylight, but it was locked.Tracy watched the movement around vigilantly, and Jean-Louis took out a small and exquisite glass knife from the canvas bag on his back.In less than a minute, he had removed the glass. Tracy looked inside and saw the siren system's cobweb of wires blocking her way. "Is there anything you can do, Jean?" she asked quietly. "I can handle that. No problem." He took out a handle-length piece of wire with alligator-nose pliers from his canvas bag.He slowly unhooked the beginning of the siren wire, stripped off the outer layer of the wire, and connected the other end of the siren with alligator wire.Then he took a pair of wire cutters and carefully cut the wire.Tracy tensed up, as if the sirens were about to go off, but everything was fine.Jean-Louis looked up, grinning. "Okay, done." Damn it, Tracy thought.This is just the beginning. They put down another ladder and climbed in through the skylight.So far so good.They came to the attic.Yet Tracy's heart pounded again when she thought of what was about to happen to her. She took out two pairs of goggles with red lenses and handed one to Jean-Louis. "Put on your glasses." She figured out a good way to lure the Doberman away, but the infrared siren proved a more difficult problem to solve.Jeff was right: the whole house was surrounded by dense infrared light.Tracy took several deep breaths in quick succession.Focus all your energy: luck, relax.She forced her thoughts to focus on an unambiguous fact: When a person enters the infrared, nothing happens, but as soon as he moves out, the sensor detects the temperature change and triggers the alarm.Before the thief could open the safe, the alarm bell would have sounded, and before he could do anything, the police had arrived. Here, Tracy felt, was the weak link in the system, and she needed to find a way to delay the siren from going off until after the safe was opened.At half past six in the morning she finally found a way.Things were available, and Tracy felt the familiar excitement again. Now, she puts on the infrared goggles, and everything in the room is faintly shrouded in red.Before the attic exit, Tracy saw a beam of light that would have been invisible without her glasses. "Climb under it," she warned Jean-Louis. "Be careful." They crawled under the beams into a corridor that led to Martini's bedroom.Tracy flicked on the flashlight again to show her way.Through infrared goggles, Tracy saw another beam of light just below the bedroom threshold.She jumped cautiously across the beam, with Jean-Louis right behind her. Tracy shone the flashlight at the walls, where there were famous paintings, memorable and adoring paintings. Be sure to bring the Leonardo one, Gunther had told her.Of course, there's all that jewelry. Tracy took the painting down and turned it over on the floor.She carefully took the painting out of the frame, rolled it into a roll, and put it in the satchel she was carrying.The next step is how to open the safe, which is in an alcove at the other end of the bedroom with a curtain on the outside. Tracy opened the curtain.From top to bottom, four infrared beams sealed the alcove, and these four beams intersected each other, making it impossible to approach the safe without cutting off the beams. Jean-Louis stared despondently at the beams. "Damn it! We can't get through. You can't get under it, you can't jump over it." "You do as I tell you," Tracy said.She leaned against his back, wrapping her arms tightly around his waist. "Okay, walk with me, move your left foot first." In this way, they moved one step, another step toward the beam. Jean-Louis gasped: "Okay! We're in the infrared!" "right." They moved all the way to the center of the beams, and Tracy stopped at the intersection of several beams. "Well, listen to me carefully," she said, "I want you to go over to the safe." "But these infrared rays..." "Don't worry. It's okay." She desperately hoped she was right. Jean-Louis staggered forward and finally stepped out of the infrared beam.All is calm.He turned and stared at Tracy with wide-eyed horror.She was motionless, standing at the intersection of the beams, the sensor not triggering the siren due to her body temperature.Jean-Louis hurried to the safe.Tracy was staked there, knowing that if she moved, the siren would go off. Tracy squinted and saw Jean-Louis take out a few tools from his backpack and start to fiddle with the knob lock on the safe.She still stood there motionless, taking slow, deep breaths.Time stood still.It seemed that Jean-Louis would never be able to open the safe.Tracy felt her right calf ache and cramp.She clenched her teeth, not daring to move a step. "How long?" she asked in a low voice. "Ten to fifteen minutes." Tracy felt as if she was going to stand there forever.The muscles in her left leg also began to cramp, and she wanted to cry out in pain.She was pinned there by the beam, frozen there.She heard a click.The safe was opened. "It's too big! It's a big bank! Want everything in it?" asked Jean-Louis. "No papers. Just jewels. All the cash inside is yours." "thanks." Tracy heard Jean-Louis go through the safe.After a while, he came towards her. "Great!" he said. "But how can we escape without cutting the beam?" "No way," Tracy told him. Jean-Louis stared. "what?" "Stand in front of me." "But……" "Do as I say." Jean-Louis stepped tremblingly into the beam. Tracy held her breath.Nothing happened. "Okay. Listen, slowly, slowly, get out of this room." "But the next step?" Jean-Louis' eyes looked extra large through the goggle lenses. "Next, my friend, let's run as fast as we can." They backed away inch by inch in the beam, toward the curtain, the beginning of the beam moved.Once at the top, Tracy took another deep breath. "Okay. I say run, and we step out together just as we came in." Jean-Louis nodded as he listened.Tracy felt his small body tremble. "run!" Tracy turned and headed for the door, Jean-Louis following closely.As soon as they stepped out of the beam, the siren went off.The sound was really deafening, and it made people's souls go out of their bodies. Tracy ran quickly up the attic and up the stairs, Jean-Louis following.They ran to the other end of the roof, climbed down the vines, and ran across the open field to the bottom of the wall where the ladder was hung.After a while, they jumped to the ground beyond the wall.Tracy jumped into the driver's seat and Jean-Louis sat down beside her. As the van raced down the lane, Tracy caught a glimpse of a car parked by a grove of trees.For a split second, the van's headlights illuminated the interior of the sedan.At the wheel sat Jeff Stevens, flanked by a large Doberman.Tracy laughed out loud, blew a kiss to Jeff, and the van sped away. In the distance came the buzz of a police car arriving after hearing the news.