“People who get rich through dishonest means are always afraid of being caught and try hard to hide their secrets. Write an essay to prove this statement, using examples from Kevin Baldeosingh’s Cheque Mate.”

 In Cheque Mate, Kevin Baldeosingh exposes the lengths to which corrupt individuals go to conceal their ill-gotten wealth. Characters such as Sukiya and Randall operate in fear—fear of detection, betrayal, and legal consequences. Their desperate efforts to maintain secrecy highlight the fear and worry that comes with wealth obtained through dishonest means. 

Sukiya is an intelligent accountant, but her fear of exposure forces her into extreme secrecy. She cannot freely enjoy the wealth she earns because it is tainted. For instance, she avoids going to the bank branch where she holds her savings account because the staff there would be too familiar with her business.(p.98).

she steers clear of any interaction with bank managers, fearing that her transactions may raise suspicion.From the day she was appointed corporate secretary of company and got a tenfold salary raise, Sukiya had decided that she would not deal with any bank managers,even though she was now among the country's one percent of highest income earners.( p.99).A bank manager might wonder how a fifty-thousand-a -month salary became seven million dollars in savings within six years and he would know enough to make some educated guesses.An ordinary teller, on the other hand,would know little about how rich people conducted their business.( p.99).When she faces one of the tellers after carelessly depositing a cheque of five million dollars US she feels a flatter in her stomach.

Additionally, Sukiya’s salary does not reflect her real income, yet she makes no effort to correct this disparity—it serves as a facade to conceal her corruption. Her official tax-deductible salary was standard for top executives.But that money did not show her real income, which was how Randall had advised her to arrange her finances.( p.99).

She even keeps her studies in accounting a secret from her own father, who is unaware of the magnitude of her income. Her father had died from kidney failure at San Fernando General Hospital where there were only two dialysis machines.He had not known that Sukiya was studying accounts or that she had been making enough money to put him in a private clinic or even ,if she wanted, send him to Pakistan for a new kidney. This need for privacy is not out of modesty but self-preservation.

Her fear and worry extends to her home and digital life. Sukiya’s computer has no internet access, meaning no traceable online activity, and it is password protected, reinforcing her efforts to avoid digital surveillance or hacking. She stores her sensitive files locally, which only she can access.(p.105)

Moreover, her wealth is carefully hidden through offshore accounts in the Grand Caymans, where she deposits her US dollar cheques. She deliberately flies there to bank in person, avoiding local transactions that could raise questions.Randall insisted on paying for her extra duties involving foreign firms with US cheques.So, every two months, Sukiya had to fly from Trinidad to Grand Cayman to deposit them into her  account there.( p.104).These actions show that she constantly worries about legal oversight or audits uncovering her fraud.

Despite her secret income, Sukiya maintains a modest public persona. Her Audi is tinted for privacy, preventing people from seeing her and possibly connecting her to the wealth she possesses. She did not mind the traffic since she had bought her Q7.She liked the vehicle's high vantage point and the fact that there were very few Audi SUVs on the road and the quietness of the engine.But, most of all, Sukiya liked that no one could see her through the windows which were tinted far darker than the legal limit;the traffic police would know they would be wasting their time charging anyone who drove a vehicle which cost more than an ordinary person's house.Today, after carelessly depositing a cheque of t five million dollars US , none of these thoughts calmed her.She needed to find out if any mistake had been made and she needed to get to her apartment so she could be fully prepared when she met Randall.( p.104).

When meeting her boss Randall, she dresses in a royal-blue Armani suit, a deliberate strategic decision to project confidence while maintaining professionalism( p.102). Her grooming is carefully calculated—not to show off, but to avoid suspicion.She did not think Randall really noticed her appearance anymore, but he was a man and Sukiya wanted every advantage if the meeting turned into a negotiation.( p.105).These choices depict a woman cornered by her secrets. She must calculate every move, every appearance, to protect the truth about her wealth.

The fear of betrayal pervades her relationships too. Although she works closely with Randall, there is deep mistrust between them. Sukiya suspects she is being manipulated and even framed—especially when she learns that Randall forges his own signature using her pen, possibly to implicate her if things go wrong. Her response is cautious: she secretly records their meetings, preparing evidence to protect herself. This shows that even her survival tactics are governed by mistrust.(p.109).

Randall, a powerful businessman, goes even further in concealing the roots of his wealth. His company sponsors political campaigns, not out of civic duty, but to ensure political protection. These politicians, in return, defend his public image and block scrutiny from the media and regulatory agencies.He is awarded lucrative construction contracts, especially for projects dear to the prime minister—giving the impression of legitimacy, while shielding the corruption beneath. ( p.103).

To tighten his grip on those who work for him, he overpays both Sukiya and Margaret, not as a bonus but as a bribe for loyalty and silence.  Despite having no formal skills except typing and shorthand , she now functioned as Randall's executive assistant and actually had her own secretary to deal with routine duties.Margaret was also paid more than most managers in the company's subsidiaries and Sukiya felt this was because the woman knew more about Randall's dealings than anyone else in the company.( p.106) This strategic generosity is not kindness—it is control.

Sukiya is not at peace with her wealth. She often finds herself overthinking, wondering whether she has missed a detail or made an error that could expose her. She experiences anxiety and panic, even while enjoying her material gains like her luxury car.( p 104, 105).

When she realizes that Randall may be trying to pin everything on her, she weighs the risk of confronting him. Even her calm composure during their conversation is a calculated move. Ultimately, she decides to blackmail Randall using the recording—choosing to protect herself through deception rather than come 

Kevin Baldeosingh’s Cheque Mate presents a vivid exploration of how individuals who acquire wealth through dishonest means live in constant fear of discovery.  Their fear, mistrust, and obsession with control reflect the psychological burden of corruption. Wealth gained dishonestly may buy comfort, but it can never buy peace.