The Blue Sweatheart — David Goodis

Hunted for a priceless sapphire he recently acquired, Clayton hides in a seedy Ceylon bar, relying on his friend Kroner for escape. But Clayton's toxic history with the gem's ruthless seeker Rudy Hagen and Hagen's lover Alma soon erupts. When Alma makes a mysterious late-night visit, passions flare, trusts twist, and Clayton must risk everything in a breakdown ofcrossed signals, guns, and greed. Will Clayton wager the stone and his life for the woman who once scorned him?