Word Count: 96,015
Summary of Events:
Vera was informed by the gemologists that the stone in question was far and away the largest specimen of a highly rare gem known as painite, which had as much as four times the value of a ruby; they were willing to offer €31,000,000 for it, so Gemo offered to take them to Thailand to prove he was the rightful owner. Hammy contacted Vera and they updated each other on what they'd learned. Vera met with Z in-person and was given some extra equipment to help her in Thailand. Hammy arrived in Afghanistan and met the agent there who'd been investigating the trail of the painite after its theft. Vera was surprised by Gemo taking them out of Bangkok on their arrival in Thailand; upon inquiry she learned their destination was Chiang Mai . . .
Excerpt of the Day:
""You're taking us to visit your lover?" Vera asked, unimpressed.
"It is her brother that I brought the painite from," Gemo replied. "They live together."
Vera nodded.
"But not for long," Gemo said.
"What do you mean?" Vera asked.
"I am going to marry Maia and she will move to Italy with me, where we'll live in my mansion, worship at my pagoda, and have all we could ever want together," Gemo replied.
Vera nodded slowly.
"I will marry her in a traditional Buddhist ceremony, and then legally change my name so that all will be required to identify me by my true name, and we will be Mongkut and Maia Somchai," Gemo said.
Vera shifted her jaw. She was glad she wasn't related to Gemo, or going to have any further interactions with him beyond this case. He was nothing short of odd, as far as she was concerned.
"He will prove that you purchased the painite from him," Vera said.
"Of course," Gemo replied. "Somporn is a wonderful friend, if he were interested in joining us in Italy, I would invite him, but he is pleased to do his work here in Thailand, and we will visit him regularly."
Vera nodded. "He won't object to a bill of sale?"
"Of course not," Gemo replied. "As I said, Somporn is a wonderful friend."
Part of Vera was sceptical; she was impressed that Gemo was interested in marrying a young woman who was more than likely related to a gangster, but then again, being as he had a potential gangster in the form of Signore Gimondi as a friend, it wasn't entirely surprising either.
She had a feeling, though, that there wouldn't be as much agreeability to a bill of sale as Gemo predicted there was going to be. Gangsters hardly liked to keep records, especially any sort of remotely legitimate sorts of records, or records that would be seen by legitimate sorts of people.
If anything, they were probably willing to associate with Gemo because he didn't seem to even realise what sort of clandestine work they were engaging in, and he also had a lot of money, which might well serve them, especially if they separated him from it by selling him jewels and gemstones.
Since her conversation with Signore Gimondi, too, Vera was starting to see how Signore Gimondi was right: Gemo was rather dense and unobservant. He viewed the world through a proverbial pair of rose-coloured glasses and didn't seem to notice much of anything that was of particular importance.
After all, if he would've been more observant, he would've realised that he'd had an impostor pilot and stewardess — surely, unless they'd been disguised well — and he might well have noticed that he was being conned with the sale of the painite in the first place.
That, though, was a question mark; it all depended on what they learned once they got to Chiang Mai. What Gemo's future brother-in-law — according to him — told them, or even how he behaved when they were with him, would determine what exactly the goal of selling the painite to Gemo was."
Pronunciations:
Mongkut: mohnkoot
Somchai: sohmch'aye
Somporn: sohmpohrn
Signore Gimondi: sihgnohray zheemohndee
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