Chapter 32 Chapter 32

The picturesque Okma village is a seaside town in the northwest of the Netherlands. It faces the North Sea and is a tourist attraction. However, the eastern part of the town is rarely visited by tourists.Jeff Stevens used to spend several holidays here with a KLM flight attendant who taught him Dutch.He was very familiar with this area, and the residents here generally only cared about their own affairs, and never had that embarrassing curiosity about foreign tourists.It's an ideal hideaway. Jeff's initial thought was to rush Tracy to the hospital, but that was too dangerous.Not only that, but every minute she was in Amsterdam added a new danger.He wrapped Tracy in a blanket, carried her to the car, and drove her to Okma. Tracy remained unconscious all the way, her pulse fluctuated rapidly and her breathing was shallow and rapid.

When he got to Oakma, Jeff checked into a small inn.He carried Tracy into the upstairs room, where the innkeeper watched in bewilderment. "We were on our honeymoon," Jeff explained, "and my wife was sick—a little upper respiratory infection. She needed to rest." "Do you need a doctor?" Jeff didn't know how to answer. "I'll let you know if necessary." Tracy's fever had to be brought down first.Jeff put her on the big double bed inside the room and took off her sweaty clothes.He sat her on her back and pulled her dress over her head.Then take off your boots and stockings.She was hot all over.Jeff twisted a wet towel, gently wiped her from head to toe, covered her with a blanket, and sat aside, listening to her irregular breathing.

If it doesn't improve tomorrow morning, Jeff decided, I'll have to call the doctor. The next morning, the sheets were soaked again.Tracy was still asleep, but it seemed to Jeff that she was breathing a little easier.He was worried that the housemaid would see Tracy; that would raise a lot of questions.He asked the boss for a replacement bed sheet and took it back to the room by himself.He scrubbed Tracy down again with a wet towel, imitating how he had seen nurses changing sheets in the hospital, changing the sheets without disturbing the patients, and then covering her with the blanket.

Jeff hung a "Do Not Disturb" sign on the door and wandered out to find the nearest pharmacy.He bought aspirin, a thermometer, a sponge and some rubbing alcohol.Tracy was still awake when he returned to the room.Jeff took her temperature: 40°C.He dipped a sponge in alcohol and wiped her all over.Her high fever subsided. An hour later, her temperature rose again.Should call a doctor.The problem is, the doctor is likely to want Tracy to be hospitalized.People will ask this and that.Jeff didn't know if the police were looking for them, and if they were, they would be in custody.Something must be done.He crushed four aspirin tablets, put the powder between Tracy's lips, and poured water into her mouth spoonful by spoonful until the powder was swallowed.He bathed her again.When he dried her, her skin felt less hot to the touch.He took her pulse again, and it seemed to calm down a bit.He put his head on her chest and listened.Is your breathing easier?He couldn't tell.There was only one thing he was sure of. He repeated it like a silent prayer over and over again: "You will recover." He kissed her gently on the forehead.

Jeff hadn't closed his eyes for forty-eight hours. He was exhausted and his eye sockets were sunken.I'll sleep later, he told himself.I'll squint for a while now. He fell asleep. Tracy opened her eyes, and the blurry ceiling gradually became clear, and she couldn't figure out where she was.After a while, she regained consciousness bit by bit.She seemed to be falling apart, sore and sore, as if she had returned home after a long journey.She opened her sleepy eyes and looked at this strange room, suddenly startled in her heart.Jeff was slumped in an armchair by the window, sound asleep.impossible.The last time she saw him, he took the diamond and left.What is he doing here?With a sinking heart, there was an answer: she must have given the wrong box—the one with the fake diamonds—and Jeff thought she had tricked him.He must have dragged her out of that safe house and dragged her to this damn place.

She tried to sit up and Jeff moved and opened his eyes.When his eyes met Tracy's, a smile slowly broke across his face. "You're finally awake." There was obvious relief in his voice, but Tracy was puzzled. "I'm sorry," Tracy said, her voice so hoarse that she could only hear it to her lips, "I gave you the wrong box." "what?" "I got two boxes mixed up." He walked up to her and said softly, "No, Tracy. You gave me real diamonds. It was sent to Gunther." She looked at him with increasing confusion. "Then—why—why did you come here?"

He sat on the edge of the bed. "When you gave me the diamonds, it was like dying. I thought I should have waited at the airport until you got on the plane. You didn't show up. I knew something was wrong. I ran to the house and found you. I couldn't Let you die there." He said nonchalantly. "That's going to be a lead for the police." She stared at him intently, thinking hard. "Tell me what's the real reason you came back to me." "It's time to take your temperature." He easily changed the subject. "It's fine," he said to her a few minutes later, "37.8°C. You're such a good patient."

"Jeff..." "Trust me," he said. "hungry?" Tracy suddenly felt unbearably hungry. "Very hungry." "Okay, I'm going to do some shopping." He brought back from the store a big paper bag full of orange juice, milk, fresh fruit and what the Dutch call brugi, which is really a big loaf of different cheeses, meats and fish roll. "This kind of chicken soup seems to be Dutch, but it works anyway. Well, take your time." He helped her sit up and fed her mouthful.He was so careful and gentle, and Tracy was suspicious.He must have asked me.

They were eating when Jeff said, "I called Gunther just now when I was out. He has received the diamonds. He has deposited your fee into your Swiss bank account." She couldn't bear it anymore and asked, "Why don't you swallow it alone?" Jeff's tone of voice was serious. "Because I think it's high time we stopped this calculating game, Tracy. Okay?" Of course, it was another trick of his.However, she was too tired to think about it. "OK." "Could you tell me your size," Jeff said, "and I'll get you some clothes. The Dutch are open enough, but they'd be surprised if you went out like this."

Tracy suddenly realized that she was naked, and quickly pulled the blanket up again to cover her body.She only vaguely remembered that Jeff had undressed and washed her.Why did he stay and take care of her at such a risk?She always thought she knew him.I don't know him at all, Tracy thought.Not at all. She fell asleep again. In the afternoon, Jeff brought back two suitcases, which were full of nightgowns, nightdresses, underwear, dresses, shoes, a box of cosmetics, a comb, a brush, hair dryer, toothbrush, toothpaste, etc. . He also bought himself some extra clothes, and brought home a copy of the International Herald Tribune, which had a front page report of the diamond being stolen in the air, but according to the paper, the thieves left nothing behind. Follow up leads.

Jeff said excitedly: "We are free to go home! The only thing to do now is for you to recover as soon as possible." It was Daniel Cooper's idea not to reveal the TW scarf to the press. "We know," he had told Prosecutor Trinant, "whose scarf this is, but that is not enough to prosecute. Her lawyers will enumerate all the women in Europe whose names begin with TW, Make you unable to step down on the spot." In Cooper's view, the police have been fooled.God will give her to me. In the dark, sitting on a hard wooden pew in the chapel, he prayed: O Lord, give her to me.Give her to me to punish her, so that I may be able to wash away my sins.The evil in her soul must be cast out, her flesh must be whipped... He felt his own erection at the thought of Tracy's naked body being at his mercy.He fled the church in panic, fearing that God would see him, and for this he would punish him even more terrible. Tracy awoke to nightfall.She sat up and turned on the lamp on the bedside table.She was alone in the room.he's gone.A feeling of fear and uneasiness hit my heart.It was a stupid mistake for her to allow herself to become more and more dependent on Jeff.I deserve it right, Tracy thought wretchedly. "Trust me," Jeff had told her just now, and she did.He took care of her just to protect himself, not for any other reason.She finally believed that he had a crush on her.She really wanted to believe him, to get the real feeling that he liked her.She leans back on the pillow, closes her eyes, and thinks, I will miss him.God bless, I will miss him. God made a big joke on her.Why does it have to be him?She wanted to ask what happened, but the reason was not important.She will make arrangements as soon as possible to get out of here and find another place to recuperate, a place where she can feel safe.Ah, you bloody fool, she thought.you…… The sound of someone opening the door.I heard Jeff yelling, "Tracey, are you awake? I'll bring you some books and magazines. I thought you might..." Seeing that her expression was not right, he stopped talking suddenly. "Hey! What's going on?" "Not now," Tracy murmured, "Not now." The next morning, Tracy's fever subsided. "I want to go out," she said, "do you think we can go out for a walk, Jeff?" Everyone in the living room looked at them curiously.The innkeeper and his wife were very happy to see Tracy recover. "Your husband is so kind. He doesn't want others to help you with everything. He has to do it for you himself. He doesn't know how much he has been worrying about these days. How lucky a woman is to have a man who loves her so much." Tracy looked at Jeff, and she expected him to blush. Outside the house, Tracy said: "They're so nice." "Sentimental people," Jeff retorted. Jeff got a cot and put it next to Tracy's bed, and he slept by himself.That night, Tracy was lying on the bed, thinking about Jeff taking care of her these days, meeting her various needs, feeding her food and water, even washing her, and so on.She already felt his presence very strongly, and felt that someone was protecting her. This made her nervous again. As Tracy recovered, she and Jeff went out more and more frequently, exploring all corners of this charming little village.Along the winding cobblestone streets, the two of them came to the head of Okma, these stone paths have a long history, dating back to the Middle Ages; they came to the tulip fields outside the city, and they stayed for several days. Hours.Together they went to the cheese market, to the old weighing place, to the Municipal Museum.Tracy was surprised to find that Jeff could talk to the locals in Dutch. "Where did you learn it?" Tracy asked. "I used to know a Dutch girl." Tracy regretted asking this. As the days passed, Tracy got better and looked younger and healthier again.When Jeff felt that Tracy was fully recovered, he rented two bicycles and they rode into the countryside together to visit the windmills dotted there.It was like a vacation, every day was so relaxing and fun that Tracy wished it could last forever. Jeff always has new and unexpected tricks.He was so considerate and gentle to Tracy, and at last her defenses melted away.But he never made sexual demands.Tracy thought he was an enigma.She thought of the beautiful women she had seen with him, and she knew he could have had any of them.But why did he insist on staying with her in this small place with stagnant water? Tracy found herself talking to him about topics she'd never wanted to talk to.She told Jeff about Joe Romano and Antoine Wusardy, about Ernestine Littlechap and Big Bertha, and little Amy Brannigan.Jeff listened, alternately angry, sad, and sympathetic.Jeff told about his stepmother, his Uncle Willie, his days in the traveling entertainment company, and his marriage to Louise.Tracy never felt so close to anyone. Suddenly, it was time to leave. One morning Jeff said, "The police have stopped chasing us, Tracy. I think we should go." Tracy felt a prick of disappointment. "Well, when?" "tomorrow." She nodded. "I'll pack up tomorrow morning." That night, Tracy tossed and turned, unable to sleep.Jeff's presence filled the space like never before.It was an unforgettable phase of her life, and it was now coming to an end.She rolled over and looked at the crib where Jeff lay. "Asleep?" Tracy asked softly. "No……" "What are you thinking?" "Tomorrow. Get out of here. I'll think about it." "I'll miss you, Jeff." The words blurted out before swallowing. Jeff sat up slowly and looked at her. "Where do you want to go?" he asked softly. "I want to die." After a while, he appeared beside her bed. "Tracey..." "Shh - don't talk. Hold me. That's it." The whole night they were in love, talking about everything and nothing, it was as if a long-closed floodgate had suddenly opened for them.At dawn, when the canal outside was sparkling again, Jeff said, "Marry me, Tracy." She was sure she had heard it wrong, but Jeff repeated it.Tracy knew it was irrational, impossible, and never going to work.And yet it's extremely desirable, and of course it's achievable.So she murmured to him, "Yes, ah, yes!" She sobbed, and Jeff held her tightly, making her feel safe.I will never be alone again, Tracy thought.We are made for each other.Jeff is my whole future. Tomorrow is here. After a while, Tracy asked, "When did you find out, Jeff?" "When I saw you in that room, I thought you were going to die. I was so anxious that I was out of my body." "I thought you ran away with the diamond." Tracy told the truth. He took her in his arms again. "Tracey, that time in Madrid, I wasn't in it for the money. It was a joke—a competition. That's why we got together, isn't it? Whenever you meet a When you have an insoluble problem, you always want to find a solution.” Tracy nodded yes. "I know that at first I needed money and then I didn't; I've given away a great deal. I like to punish with wisdom those shameless people who made their way by cunning. I like to live on the edge of danger." After a long silence, Jeff said, "Tracey...are you willing to give up this life?" She looked at him in bewilderment. "Give up? Why?" "We used to do our own things. It's different now. If something happens to you, I can't stand it. Why take the risk? We've got money we'll never spend in our lifetimes. Why can't we just think about it What about retirement?" "So what are we going to do, Jeff?" He grinned. "Got to think of something to do." "Seriously, baby, what are we going to do with the rest of our lives?" "Do what we want, dear. We can travel and indulge our passions. I've been fascinated by archaeology for a long time. I want to go to Tunisia to do an excavation. I once promised an old friend of mine. .We can fund the excavation ourselves, we can travel the world.” "Sounds interesting." "Then what do you say?" She looked at him for a long time, "Yes, if it's your wish." Tracy said tenderly. He hugged her tightly and laughed. "I'm wondering if we should make a formal announcement to the police?" Tracy laughed with him. These teachings were often older than anything Cooper had seen before.Some even date back to pagan times before Christianity.Therefore, he is often not sure whether he is praying to the devil or to God.He came to the old Beguin Church, St. Bavok's Church, and the Peterske and Newwick Churches in Delft, and sat there with his head bowed in prayer, repeating the same sentence every time: Let me make her suffer as I do. The next day, while Jeff was out, Gunther Hartog called. "How does it feel?" Gunther asked. "I feel very good." Tracy replied. After Gunther heard about Tracy's situation, he called every day to inquire.Tracy decided not to tell him about the new developments in her relationship with Jeff for a while.Not yet.She hoped to keep this matter hidden in her heart, dig it out and review it from time to time, and enjoy a kind of tenderness. "How are you and Jeff getting along?" She smiled. "It's been great." "Would you like to work together again?" Now she couldn't hide it. "Gunther...we...washed our hands and quit." The other party was silent for a while. "I do not understand." "Jeff and I -- like in that James Cagney movie -- are going to get right." "What? But...why?" "It was Jeff's idea, and I agree. No more risks." "What if I told you that I have a thing worth two million dollars, and there is no risk at all?" "I'll be laughing from ear to ear, Gunther." "I'm not joking, my dears. You're going to Amsterdam, which is only an hour from where you live now, and..." "You'll have to find someone else to do it." He sighed. "I'm afraid no one else can do it. Could you at least talk it over with Jeff?" "Okay, but it won't help." "I'll call again tonight." When Jeff returned, Tracy relayed the conversation. "Didn't you tell him from time to time that we're already law-abiding citizens?" "Of course, honey, I told him to find someone else." "But he won't?" Jeff guessed. "He insisted we do it. He said there was no risk, and two million dollars for a little effort." "That said, what he had in mind had to be as airtight as Fort Knox." "Or like the Prado," Tracy said mischievously. Jeff grinned. "That was the perfect time for your plan, darling. I think that's when I started to fall in love with you." "I think I hated you after you stole my Goya." "To be fair," Jeff said primly, "you hated me long before that." "Yes. What do we say to Gunther?" "Didn't you already tell him? We'll never do that kind of thing again." "Shouldn't we at least hear what he thinks?" "Tracey, we've agreed..." "Aren't we going to Amsterdam?" "Yes, but..." "Well, we're going there anyway, honey, why don't we hear what he has to say?" Jeff eyed her suspiciously. "You want to do it, don't you?" "Of course not! But there's no harm in listening to what he has to say..." The next day, they drove to Amsterdam and checked into the Amstel Hotel.Gunther Hartog flew in from London to meet them. They boarded one of Price Cruises' yachts on the Emstel, as if they were strangers who met by chance. "I am delighted to hear that you two are getting married," Gunther said. "Please accept my warmest congratulations." "Thank you, Gunther." Tracy thought it was from his heart. "I respect your wish to consider retirement, but I have a very special situation right now. I feel I must bring it to your attention. Maybe it will be a 'swan song' worthwhile." "We're listening," Tracy said. Gunther leaned forward and whispered.After finishing speaking, he added another sentence: "If successful, two million dollars." "That's impossible," Jeff said without interest. "Tracey..." Tracy didn't hear it.In her mind she was nervously figuring out how to succeed. The Amsterdam City Police Headquarters, located at the junction of Mannix Street and Ehrengracht Street, is an old-fashioned five-storey building made of tan bricks. Access to the upper floors.There is a meeting going on in the conference room upstairs.In the room sat six Dutch detectives.The only foreigner is Daniel Cooper. Sergeant Roup Van Duren was a surprisingly tall and well-built man with a handsome mustache on his fat round face and a soft-spoken voice.Listening to him was the tactful Superintendent Thun Wellen, the head of the police in Amsterdam. "Tracey Whitney arrived in Amsterdam this morning, Superintendent. Interpol has concluded that she was responsible for the De Beers diamond incident. This Mr. Cooper believes that her presence in Holland will lead to another serious crime." Director Waylon turned to Cooper: "Can you provide some evidence, Mr. Cooper?" Daniel Cooper doesn't need any proof.He knew everything about Tracy like the back of his hand.She came here, of course, to commit a crime, the magnitude of which was unimaginable with their tiny intelligence.He tried to keep himself calm. "There's no evidence. That's why we had to catch her red-handed." "So, what specific suggestions do you have?" "We can't let this woman escape our surveillance for a moment." The word "our" offended the Director.He had previously spoken to prosecutors in Trinan in Paris about Cooper.He's annoying, but he knows what to do.If we had listened to him, we would have caught this Whitney on the spot.Cooper used the word just now. Thun Velen made a decision, but it was made in part because of the frequent reports in the press that the French police had failed to capture the mastermind of the De Beers diamond case.The French police failed, but the Dutch police were set to succeed. "Very well," said the superintendent, "if this woman comes to Holland to test our efficiency in solving crimes, we will let her learn." He turned to Sheriff Van Duren. "Take whatever measures you deem necessary." The city of Amsterdam is divided into six police districts, and each police district is responsible for the security of this section.On the orders of Sergeant Van Duren, the zoning lines were cancelled, and the tracking and monitoring teams were composed of detectives from different police districts. "I let you watch her twenty-four hours a day, and you must not let her escape from your nose." Sheriff Van Duren turned to Daniel Cooper. "I say, Mr. Cooper, you should be satisfied now?" "As long as you don't catch her, you can't be satisfied." "It will be caught," the sheriff assured him. "You see, Mr. Cooper, we are proud to have the most outstanding police force in the world." Amsterdam is a common place for tourists. There are windmills and dams everywhere, and the trees on both sides of the canal are covered by cobwebs; rows of wooden houses with sharp attics are connected to each other and echo each other. The river is full of people on the water. Pots of geraniums and various flowers and plants are decorated, and laundry blows in the breeze.The Dutch are the friendliest people Tracy has ever met. "Looks like they're all happy," Tracy said. "Don't forget, they were the first gardeners. Tulips." Tracy laughed heartily and took Jeff's elbow.She was very happy with him.He is so nice.Jeff looked at her and thought, I'm the luckiest guy in the world. Like all tourists, Tracy and Jeff visited various tourist spots.They strolled through the open-air market of the Avenue Aubert Gup, a long street that runs through many blocks and is lined with small stalls selling all kinds of things; antiques, fruit, vegetables, flowers, clothing Wait, everything.They came to Dam Square, where many young people enjoyed touring entertainers and punk bands.They then visited Volendam in Meyd Zee, a picturesque old fishing village.There is also Madurodin, who seems to be the epitome of Holland.As they drove past the Schiphol Airport, which is full of tall buildings, Jeff said: "Not long ago, the entire area of ​​the airport was the vast North Sea. Schiphol means 'the graveyard of ships'." Tracy clung to him. "It's very sweet. What a blessing to be in love with such a bright young man." "You haven't finished listening. Twenty-five percent of the Netherlands is reclamation from the sea. The whole country is sixteen feet below sea level." "Sounds scary." "Don't bother. As long as that little guy's finger is in the dam, we're perfectly safe." Wherever Tracey and Jeff went, police detectives followed them.Every night, Daniel Cooper pored over the following report to Sheriff Van Duren.Although nothing suspicious was raised in the report, Cooper's doubts did not dispel in the slightest.She must be up to something, he thought.a big deal.I don't know if she knew that she was being followed and that I was going to kill her. To the detectives, Tracy Whitney and Jeff Stevens were just ordinary tourists. Inspector Van Duren asked Cooper: "Are you mistaken? It is entirely possible that they came to Holland for sightseeing." "No," said Cooper stubbornly, "I'm not mistaken. Follow her." He had a foreboding that time was running out, and that if Tracy Whitney didn't act soon, the police would order another Cancel tracking monitoring.We must never go this far again.So he personally participated in the surveillance of Tracy. Tracey and Jeff booked two connecting rooms in Amsterdam. "It fits who we are," Jeff said to Tracy, "but I won't let you go very far." "Is this a promise to me?" Every night, Jeff was with her until the dawn, and the house sex between them always lasted late into the night.He is such a versatile love-making veteran, sometimes so gentle and considerate, and sometimes so rough and violent. "For the first time," Tracy murmured, "I've really realized what my body is for. Thank you, my dear." "This pleasure is all I got." "Only half of it is what you get." They seem to be wandering around the city aimlessly.At noon, they had lunch at the Excelsi restaurant of the European Hotel, and at night they went to Powi Deli for dinner. At the Indonesian Bali restaurant, they ate all the twenty-two dishes served in one meal.They went for Dutch pea soup, a hot pot of potatoes, carrots, and onions, and a chowder of thirteen kinds of vegetables and bacon and sausage.They also visited Amsterdam's red-light district, where fat prostitutes in Japanese kimonos sat in windows facing the street, flirting with passers-by.Every evening the report sent to Roup van Duren was the same conclusion: nothing suspicious was found. Be patient, Daniel Cooper told himself.patience. At Cooper's instigation, Sheriff Van Duren went to see Director Waylon and asked for permission to install bugging devices on the residences of the two surveillance subjects.But the request was denied. "When you have more convincing evidence," said the Director, "come back to me. Before that, I cannot allow you to wiretap people who are only traveling in Holland and have not committed a crime." The conversation above took place on Friday.On Monday morning, Tracy and Jeff headed to Boruss Porter Avenue in the Costa District.Here is the center of the diamond industry in Amsterdam, and they came to visit the diamond processing in the Netherlands.Daniel Cooper is also a member of the tracking and monitoring team.The factory is full of tourists.An English-speaking guide leads the tour, explaining each step of the process.At the end of the tour, he led the crowd to a spacious showroom where display cases lined the walls displaying a wide variety of diamonds for visitors to purchase.Of course, this is the most fundamental reason why the factory is open to tourists.In the center of the showroom was a black high platform, on which was placed a glass case in a fancy way, inside which was a most exquisite diamond that Tracy had never seen before. The guide proudly announced to the visitors: "Ladies and gentlemen, here is the famous Rucalan diamond that you have read about in books. An actor once bought this diamond and presented it to his The wife of a movie star. The diamond is now worth tens of millions of dollars, it is a flawless diamond and one of the most famous diamonds in the world." "This must be the most coveted target of jewelry thieves," Jeff said aloud. Daniel Cooper hurried forward to hear better. The guide laughed out loud. "No, sir." He nodded to the armed policemen standing by the showroom. "This diamond is more closely guarded than the diamond jewels in the Tower of London. There is no danger of theft. One touch of the glass case and an alarm goes off—woo!—everyone in the room The doors and windows of the house were immediately sealed. At night, the electronic alarm device was activated, and if anyone entered the room, the siren at the police headquarters would go off." Jeff looked at Tracy and said, "I guess nobody's going to try to steal this diamond." Cooper exchanged glances with one of the detectives.That afternoon, Sheriff Van Duren received a report of the above conversation. The next day, Tracy and Jeff visited the Ricks Museum.Jeff bought a guidebook at the entrance, and he and Tracy walked through the central hall to the Museum of Famous Paintings.Works by masters such as Fra Angelico, Murillo, Rubens, Fanciukes and Thiepoulos are exhibited here.They walked slowly, stopping and looking at each painting.Then they went into the "Night Watch" room, where hung one of Rembrandt's most famous masterpieces, "The Night Watch".They stop.Oh, my God, thought lovable 1st Class Constable Finn Hall who had followed them all along. The painting, officially titled Captain Fran Banning and Lieutenant Waylon Van Luttemburg and Companions, in its unsurpassed clarity and composition, reproduces a troop of soldiers at the head of a captain in brightly colored uniform Under the leadership of the leader, the scene of preparing to set off for night patrol.The painting has been roped off around it, and a guard stands beside it. Unbelievable, Jeff said to Tracy, "Rembrandt got pissed because of this painting." "What's going on? It's so bizarre." "His patron—the captain in this painting—didn't like the importance Rembrandt gave to the other figures in the painting." Jeff turned to the guard and said, "I hope this painting is well protected .” "Yes, sir. Anyone who wants to steal anything from this museum can't escape the surveillance of electronic beams, cameras. At night, there are also two guards with dogs on patrol." Jeff smiled easily. "I guess this painting must be preserved here forever." Towards evening, the conversation was reported back to Sheriff Van Duren. "Night Watch," he exclaimed, "impossible!" Daniel Cooper, whose near-sighted eyes were delirious, said nothing but winked at Van Duren. At the convention center in Amsterdam, there was a gathering of philatelists, and Tracey and Geoff arrived early.The conference hall is heavily guarded, as many of the postage stamps on display here are priceless.As the two visitors wandered among the rarities, Cooper and another Dutch detective watched them closely.Tracey and Jeff stop at a British Guiana stamp, an unassuming magenta hexagon. "Look at the ugly stamp," Tracy remarked. "Don't underestimate it, my dear. It's the only stamp of its kind that survives." "How much is it worth?" "One million dollars." A manager next to him nodded yes. "That's right, sir. Most people can't imagine it when they see it. I think you, sir, love these stamps as much as I do. The history of the world is reflected in them." Tracy and Jeff went to the next display case and looked at a Jenning ticket upside down, showing an airplane flying upside down. "That's an interesting one," Tracy said. The manager said: "This value..." "Seventy-five thousand dollars." Jeff quoted the price. "Yes, sir, exactly." The two of them walked up to a two-cent blue ticket commemorating the mission in Hawaii. "This one's worth a quarter of a million dollars," Jeff said to Tracy. 库珀混杂在人群之中，正紧紧跟随在他俩身后。 杰夫又指指另一枚邮票。“这是一枚稀世珍品。一便士毛里求斯邮票。一个心不在焉的划版工将'邮资已付'误刻为'邮局'。今天它可值不少便士呢。” “这些邮票都这么小，又容易污损，”特蕾西说，“而且很容易被人顺手捎带走。” 柜台旁的警卫笑了。“那偷儿可别想跑远，小姐。所有这些柜子都有电子监视装置，武装警卫不分昼夜在大厅内巡逻。” “啊，这才叫人放心。”杰夫真诚地说。“这年月，多加防范总不会错，是吧？” 这天下午，丹尼尔·库珀和儒普·范杜伦警长一同来到威伦总监的办公室。范杜伦将监视跟踪报告放在总监的办公桌上，静静地等待着。 “这里都没有任何确凿的证据嘛，”总监终于开口说，“不过我承认，你们的怀疑对象的确是在一些非常贵重的目标中嗅来嗅去。好吧，警长，就这么办。你们已经获准对他们的旅馆房间安装窃听装置。” 丹尼尔·库珀兴奋得简直要跳起来。从此以后，你特蕾西·惠特尼就再也没有任何隐私可言。今后她想什么，说什么，干什么，他都将一清二楚。他脑中闪过特蕾西和杰夫同床共枕的场景，想起特蕾西的内衣留在他面颊上的感觉。那么柔软，那么馨香宜人。 这天下午，他又去了教堂。 这天晚上，当特蕾西和杰夫离开饭店外出用晚餐时，一组警方的特工人员紧张地忙碌开了。他们摸进特蕾西和杰夫的房间，在挂像后面、灯座里面以及床头柜底下都装上了微型无线电拾音器。 儒普·范杜伦警长命令将他俩房间楼上的那套房间占下，一名特工人员在那里安装了带天线的接收机，接收机又与一台录音机相连。 “这套系统是声动的，”特工人员解释说，“无须有人在此监听。只要有人说话，它就会自动开始录音。” 但是，丹尼尔·库珀希望留在那里。他必须留住那里。这是上帝的旨意。