Gemsicuted

Written by Julian Robov


Fifty Four


Ruth had been staying in a boarding school after the false pregnancy sign, and Chin’s forced hospitalization. After heeding to expert’s recommendations, Sanders decided to send her far away from Bangkok’s the so-called feel free environment. He believed the strict disciplinary environment in Singapore was the best panacea, while he sorted out issues regarding his divorce with Chin. He had lawyers working on it, and believed positively that at the right time Ruth would be able to return and stay with him or he could go to Singapore and visit her, whichever was convenient provided everything went well according to his plan.

Then came his special relationship with Goldie, as it was entering into a serious phase. He would have loved to officially marry Goldie and make it public and well known. Due to the entangled business interests she had with her inactive American husband and the commitments with several private, and government agencies the task became more difficult. But they loved to continue the relationship the way it stood, irrespective of the pressures and commitments from elsewhere. Staying alone in different condos and villas around Bangkok, to avoid detection by the Russian gangs made him vulnerable and less free.

On the contrary, he would have loved to stay with Ruth and repair the damages done in their relationship, but for safety reasons he had to send her away, Chin was a confirmed lost case after the strange diagnosis by his controversial friend Dr Tuchinda. A carefully drafted divorce was the only way to put a full stop to avoid any further backlashes from her relatives and friends, who wanted a big share of his wealth.

But he had Jeb and Baddy standing behind to give him moral and financial support in case he had to flee the country knowing the unpredictable business landscape and the sliding economy in general. The big blow came after they found Troublov’s dead body in front of Goldie’s condo, the night he was with her. The news flashed on the front page of the local daily newspapers alleging a coverup or some business dispute among the foreigners with Melvin’s and Goldie’s picture inset. The gem trade couldn’t believe that Sanders was having such a relationship with a Russian blonde, who in turn according to the papers happened to be a Russian spy operating in Thailand. Some quarters were enjoying his downfall, while his friends worried about his future business prospects in Bangkok, especially in the gem circle.

People in the trade have gone through ups and downs due to economic cycles and other external factors for which they had no control, but not in a way Sanders was accused of after the Troublov murder. More and more juicy stories began to appear about their relationship and theories behind the suspicious environment. The Bangkok police released him on bail on condition that he would not leave the country till the investigation was complete.

Goldie too was going through a similar experience. She was devastated by the way her accusers in the media portrayed her. None of them expected that an incident such as this would have major implication on their career and personal life. She went into hiding to avoid any further attacks by the Troublov sympathizers who had a genuine reason to see both Sanders and Goldie disappear forever. They knew Troublov had come to the condo to kill both of them, but what they couldn’t understand was the circumstances behind the trespassers mysterious murder. The police found his duffel bag, goggles, and the gun left intact inside her condo. So the search began for the murderer who shot Troublov and dragged the corpse to the front door. Extramarital relationships were nothing new to the gem trade. Quite a lot of them did have that privilege, but due to his popularity and the volume of business Sanders did in the gem market, everyone expected him to be a big guy with a clean image. Now that image had gone after the incident, and the responsibility to continue the business as usual fell upon Jeb and Baddy. They too had problems in their own way, but never became a media target. No one knew Sanders’s whereabouts, except Jeb and Baddy.

It was shocking news for both, Tito and Miko as well. They called Jeb to offer their full support for Sanders, and since they were the targets by the Russians staying low profile became the best alternative. They knew the judicial system and the way it worked. In the end the true story never came out in its entirety. But it was an experience they couldn’t stomach remembering the deal they had just sealed for the acquisition of that fateful and elusive 37carat ruby. They praised all the Gods for making the sale possible. Now the ruby had gone to the right owner and the profits from the deal had also been shared according to the gentlemen’s agreement. In fact they were looking for more deals, but now after the incident, they began to feel reluctant the way events were moving day by day.

They were too afraid to go and visit Jeb and Baddy personally to let them know how much they cared for them irrespective of what the public thought about them. Instead, Jeb reminded both, Tito and Miko, to stay out of this murky situation because they were the next targets according to the information he had from a reliable source.

After hearing the news, Tito closed their office in the Sita Building temporarily, and decided to stay at different places to avoid detection by the hungry avengers. They believed their killers, for whatever reason were still around for unfinished business. But no one had any clue as to who was behind this cold murder. The suspicion surrounded the Russian Mafia’s in Pattaya and Bangkok, but that was too difficult to pin down. Obviously, the real culprits would have already left the country, but that was not the case.

Vladimir and Papov were closely watching the events from their offices in Bangkok and Pattaya, like the police investigation team asking themselves what on earth went wrong with Troublov when he was already inside the building. Only Vladimir remained close enough, and he had a reason to kill Troublov, because he saw a different Troublov, after seeing him walk toward the elevator with his hands on his cock. He knew immediately Troublov didn’t do the job. The old Troublov was so cool and focused when he killed Pavlov the way they had earlier planned, but not this time. Something had bothered him and that’s what everybody wanted to know. The lawyers acting on behalf of Goldie and Sanders remained deadlocked as to how much information should be released to the investigating team, because lawfully their clients didn’t do anything wrong. Like close friends, they were having a good time. No one had a clue as to what prompted someone from outside to chase Troublov to gun him down, as he came out of the condo. Only Troublov knew the person, and as he was now dead. He couldn’t help solve his own exit from this world.

But most important of all was the irreparable damage done to Sanders’s and Goldie’s businesses, and reviving them back to their original status was something they worried about at their safe hideout. Sanders had no idea how to relay the truth to Ruth who had been calling his office since the incident. Chin’s family too wanted to know the whole truth if he had any part in this cold murder due to the alleged relationship with Goldie. The real guys having the last laugh were Ris Rubyhall and Winston Lord. They loved to see their competitor fade in disgrace and financial ruin, especially Lord, after he lost the ruby deal. He knew Sanders had a role in its acquisition and both, Tito and Miko, were part of that old game. Now they were wondering where Tito and Miko were hiding with all that profit they made from the deal.

After the unexpected incident both, Rubyhall’s and Lord’s fracture-filled friendship became stronger than ever, and they had a genuine reason to be that way to protect their market share. In reality both, Jeb and Baddy were down, but not out. They had no intention of abandoning their good old friend in such a disastrous situation. Business was as usual with their office open like any other day. The staff too, felt that this was the time they had to cooperate and pull through the rough ride instead of facing further consequences. So there was a genuine support within the organization. It was the negative publicity floating around, which made the old trust and connection difficult. For reasons they couldn’t explain even Jeb’s and Baddy’s disgruntled wives began to show their full support for their husbands at this crucial moment, which meant a lot for both. So things were gradually getting back to normal, while the investigation was underway.

In the end, they knew both, Goldie and Sanders, had no part in Troublov’s tragic murder rather his gang had a strong reason to silence him forever. Eventually, the whole world would forget the episode, like any other high profile scandals happening elsewhere in the world, it would fade away with time.

Sanders felt the terror and loneliness at his hideout at the O. P. Towers on Silom Road. Jeb had a unit in his name to entertain his friends, and he decided to keep Sanders there till it was safe to be taken elsewhere. He took care of Sanders well, but he felt unhappy at the events that led to all the chaos. It took him a while to realize the cause and the eventual effect that followed, though he didn’t believe in any karmic beliefs like the Buddhists in the country. Now he was pondering that very possibility and his attitude began to change. He realized his fault and his inner voice began to sound louder warnings that it was not over.

It was just the beginning. He couldn’t understand why such a thought was emerging from nowhere. He was never a religious person. Strange though deep inside his subconscious mind, the guilt feeling and the way he had treated Chin and their sour relationship, and other secret relationships he had with women in the past during the several buying trips in all the countries he had visited began to flashback. He had no idea why it was coming back to him at this crucial juncture though he pushed hard to forget about it. It was coming back again. Now he really began to worry about the significance behind such thoughts. He was not dreaming. Something was wrong somewhere and he had no words to explain. The only consolation he thought of at the moment was in a matter of few minutes Jeb or Baddy were going to be at his side to update the latest. He missed the office and the busy environment he began to curse himself for all the mess.

But it was too late, and he seriously followed the advice of his friends. He began to wonder what Goldie was doing. It was a tragic fault to be with her that night, though he didn’t see anything wrong in order to satisfy their sexual needs. Now he realized the pain of that sexual relationship alone. There was no sexual urge anymore. It was all gone. He desperately wanted to get back to work when the investigation was over.

RUBIES! A quiet call from within drove him crazy, as he walked up and down the room like a madman. Then a sudden numbness spread throughout his body, as he slumped to a nearby chair. He didn’t know what was going on. He was getting weaker, as if he was going to die. The gravity pull coming from nowhere absorbed him into a tunnel engulfed in white light, indescribable pulling him towards a blissful phase.
“Nooooooooooooooooooo!” he cried in vain. The gravity pull was beyond his control, and the more he resisted, the greater was the force. Sanders cried like a child pleading for freedom. Tears rolled down his cheeks waving his hands at the invisible force. He had no voice nor the strength left to plea. After one more last cry he fell unconscious. When he regained his consciousness, he saw Jeb standing beside him with a glass of water and warm cloth. There was a sudden fright followed by that warm hug they always did when Jeb came with whatever news he had to share settled him in peace. But Jeb was acting differently. He was not talking, instead gazing at Sanders like never before. He couldn’t understand what was going on. He was too weak to speak after the frightful experience. Jeb paused.
“Goldie killed herself,” he said cautiously.
Sanders went speechless after hearing the news. Now he realized what was going on for the past few minutes in the room. He didn’t want to talk to anyone about his experience. Even the mention of her didn’t make much difference anymore. He believed Goldie’s soul was pulling him from somewhere, and since the force was so strong, he could have only imagined the pain of death.

With that thought still intact, he sobbed first, and then cried like a child in his chair remembering everything they did together, till that fateful night in a quick flash. Jeb watched Sanders helplessly knowing that no one could have helped her, as it was her decision to end her life with a gunshot. Probably, she knew that it was going to be difficult to hide for that long, when her killers were already in town in several guises, and escaping from their claws was close to impossible. She had a good life with Sanders and there was nothing much to expect further, and the best alternative under the present circumstance remained to end her life once and for all to avoid their gunshot or a machete swing.

And now all the eyes were on Sanders, as he was the only suspect left. Any time he would be requested to explain the circumstances behind Goldie’s sudden suicide even though he had given the police all that he knew and remembered during that fateful night. It was a sickening and boring experience answering the same questions several times, but he knew peace and tranquillity were already gone from his life from now onwards. With her death, a quiet and pleasant relationship had come to an end.

Jeb waited. He had more to share regarding the business, which was more important than Goldie’s suicide. She was dead already, and they had no more part in that event. What he was more concerned about was Sanders’s physical and mental health. His friends wanted to meet Sanders personally so that they could know the whole true story, instead of reading junk news everyday. They wanted to know if he was mentally stable and physically well to do business knowing the magnitude of the situation. He had several rubies with him and they wanted to know their fate, whether they could still keep them with him or should they take them back. Most of those transactions were verbal rather than in writing, especially with the big rubies from Burma and Vietnam. They wanted an immediate answer from Sanders before it was too late.

Like always, business and friendship separated in times of crisis. Jeb knew it was difficult to let Sanders know all his thoughts, but he had to make the move, as the business opportunities never waited that long due to the peculiar nature of the ruby business. Everyone had a deal or a deadline with someone and they needed the rubies back if he wasn’t fit enough to survive the cutthroat competition.

Gradually Sanders woke up. He had to face the reality now. Hiding for that long was not good for the business or for his partners, and most important of all, he needed his friends back at any cost, because they were his suppliers. Hurting them in any sense meant, business closure or becoming a Buddhist monk for life. He didn’t have that many choices left, but his friends were ready to help him if he told them the truth and that’s exactly what Jeb and Baddy was expecting from Sanders. A safe place was arranged for such a meeting. But first, he needed Sanders’s whole and truthful commitment regarding pending deal and that from now onwards it was going to be a different business relationship due to the sudden twist and turn of events. It was a difficult choice for Sanders, as he listened to Jeb carefully and quietly. He had no reasons to disagree, as he knew too well, they were working hard for the survival of the business as well as his well being. Weighing all the possible options, they decided to conduct their secret meeting at the Holiday Inn with their friends after appearing at the Bangpongpang police station on Soi Suan Phru.