- Micki and Ryan race to find an old World Series ring that enables its owner to see gambling results before they happen.
- Micki and Ryan kook for a cursed White Sox World's Series ring that lets it owner win at any gambling event - as long as they use let the ring kill someone else first. The current owner's father was shot together, apparently by the gangster he tried to break with his bets, and now his son faces the same fate unless the man's mother steps in.—Gislef
- 1982
William Wren is on the phone while watching a car race on TV. The man looks at a 1919 World Series ring and tells his bookie on the phone that his system is putting the bookie out of business for good. William tells his bookie that he'd better have William's winning ready when he comes to collect, and hangs up. Someone comes up and shoots William turns and looks at his shooter, surprised.
The Present
William's son Donald is watching a car race on TV. The driver Donald bet on loses, and he kicks in the TV screen in frustration. Donald's mother Mrs. Wren comes in when she hears the noise, and realizes that Donald bet on something again even though he promised her that he wouldn't. Donald insists that he needs money to pay off his debts, and figures his bad-luck streak will change eventually.
Donald goes out of the apartment above their shop, grabbing money from the cash register so he can bet on the horse races. Mrs. Wren asks how much he's lost, and insists that gambling is wrong. A man knocks at the shuttered door and calls Donald's name, and Donald tells his mother that he can't talk to the man and asks her to get rid of him so they don't kill him like they killed William.
Donald hides behind the counter, and the man, Angelo, comes in. Mrs. Wren tells him that Donald is out on errands, and Angelo punches her and easily finds Donald hiding. He grabs Donald's lapel and shoves him into the back room, and tells Donald to pay the money he owes. Angelo breaks one of Donald's thumbs and searches Mrs. Wren's dresser for anything of value. Still searching, Angelo finds the ring and puts it on.
The ring flashes with magical power and throws Angelo around the room and finally out into the hallway. Donald goes to the body and takes the ring off of Angelo's finger. In the ring's stone, Donald sees the future and a jockey winning the horse race he was going to bet on.
Later at Curious Goods, Micki is on the phone with the police property room trying to locate the ring. Ryan comes in as Micki learns that the ring is no longer there. Her cousin notes that the ring is the first item that Lewis sold, and worries that it's been out there doing evil more than any other antique. The ring was sold to Luke Spicer, and Micki suggests the ring might be tied to gambling since the White Sox threw the 1919 World Series game.
When Mrs. Wren wakes up, Donald tells her that Angelo is gone and Donald took care of everything. She says that she's fine, and Donald tells his mother that his luck has finally changed and everything will be just fine. Once Donald leaves, Mrs. Wren realizes that the ring is gone.
That night, Anthony Macklin is at his club counting up the money his men have collected. One of his enforcers, Johnny Morrow tell him that Angelo has disappeared, and he was working on Donald's "account" before he disappeared. Macklin and his enforcers figure that Angelo cut himself a private deal, He tells Morrow to take of Donald while the other enforcer, Louis Hunt, tracks down Angelo.
At the shop, Micki and Ryan check anything relating to gambling to determine if it's connected to the ring. Mrs. Wren comes in and says that she got a mailer from the shop and has the ring they asked about. She sits down with the cousins and explains that she had the ring for six years and it was just stolen, and she hoped the cousins could help her get it back.
Mrs. Wren says that she didn't respond to the mailer in six years because she didn't know if she could trust them, and explains that she knew what the ring could do. She tells them that the ring gives and takes. The ring gave her husband William the power to win, but he was shot. The police thought Macklin had William shot but couldn't prove it. Now Donald owes money, and Mrs. Wren worries that Macklin has the ring and will use it on Donald.
After winning at the track, Donald goes to a bar and buys drinks for everyone. Morrow is there and demands what Donald owes Macklin, and beats Donald when he only has $2k instead of the $405k that he owes Macklin.
The enforcer drives Donald to a parking lot across from the shop. Donald offers Morrow the ring as "insurance", and Morrow gives Donald five minutes to meet with Mrs. Wren. Donald gets out of the car, and Morrow puts the ring on out of curiosity. It kills him like it killed Angelo, and Donald comes back and learns about a hockey match he should bet on is. Mrs. Wren watches from the apartment window and sees what Donald is doing with the ring. Meanwhile, Donald dumps Morrow's body in the sewer.
Later after Donald wins betting on the game, Donald gets his mother a new TV and a necklace. Mrs. Wren is not impressed, and Donald tells her that he paid off Macklin and now he'll break him. She says that she saw Donald kill Morrow, and Donald only says that he's a roll that will never stop. With that, he walks out.
At the shop, Micki tells Ryan that Macklin is mentioned in a lot of the articles. Ryan has learned that Donald is winning, and the cousins go to talk to him.
At the bar, Donald pays the bartender Mike his tab. Another man, Benny, comes up and Donald tells Benny and Mike that he's going to ruin Macklin. Benny follows Donald out and asks him to give him some tips. When Donald refuses, Benny says that he's going to tell Macklin what Donald said about him. Donald seemingly gives in, and goes into an alleyway. When Benny asks what they're going to bet on, Donald shows him the ring and suggests that he try it on. Benny does so and the ring kills him. Donald then gets another "tip" from the ring on a basketball game.
Micki and Ryan go to the Wrens' shop and ask Mrs. Wren if Donald has the ring. She says that Donald wouldn't hurt an innocent man, and Morrow was a gangster. Mrs. Wren says that Donald goes to a bar and she was going to check them out, and the cousins take her.
At Benny's bar, Donald is watching the game and it goes like the ring showed him. Mrs. Wren and the cousins come in, and Mrs. Wren goes to speak to her son. She tells Donald that he has to stop gambling and demands the ring before anyone else got hurt, and William died because of it. Donald insists that he's doing it for his mother, and once the game is over they'll have all the money they ever wanted. Mrs. Wren makes him promise he won't use it again, and Donald says that he'll return home when he collects from Macklin.
Mrs. Wren returns to the cousins and tells them that Donald said he would bring the ring home later. She says that she knew Donald was stronger than William and leaves. Micki tells Ryan to get Mrs. Wren home while she gets Donald off on his own so she can get the ring. Once Ryan leaves, Micki approaches Donald.
At Macklin's club, the Liberty, Louis tells his boss that Angelo's and Morrow's bodies were found in the sewers. Mike calls and tells Macklin that Donald knows about Macklin's missing enforcers. Macklin tells Mike not to let Donald leave. Meanwhile, Donald goes over to Micki and hits on her. She plays along and then suggests that they go somewhere quiet. Mike calls Macklin and tells him that Donald has left.
Out by the car, Micki suggests that they go to Donald's place. He agrees and they drive off, while Ryan secretly follows them. Micki confirms that Ryan is behind them, and Donald spots Ryan as well. He figures that Micki is working for Macklin and she's trying to set him up, and loses Ryan. Donald pulls over at an oil refinery and tries to put the ring on Micki's finger so he can get another winner. When she struggles, Donald drops it and Micki gets out of the car and runs while he tries to find the ring. Louis pulls up and trains his gun on Donald, gets Donald into his car, and drives off. Ryan pulls up, and Micki runs over and tells her cousin what happened.
Louis takes Donald to the Liberty,. Macklin wants to know why he's now owing Donald money, and Donald insists that he has a system. The bookie asks it's like the one William had, and William suddenly got a system before he died. Macklin wants to know what the system is so he can use it, and twists Donald's broken and bandaged thumb. He takes out a knife and cuts off Donald's thumb, then tells Donald that he'll keep cutting his fingers off until he talks.
At the Wren shop, Micki and Ryan tell Mrs. Wren what happened. She tells them about Macklin, and Donald blames Macklin for William's death. As they go, Mrs. Wren says that it wasn't Donald's fault but the ring's.
Macklin watches a boxing match on TV, has Donald brought in, and tells him to say who the winner will be.
Micki and Ryan pull up outside the Liberty and wonder what to do next.
Inside, Macklin tells Donald that he just needs the winner. Donald gives him a boxer and admits that he's guessing and that's all he does.
The cousins see Mrs. Ryan arrive in a taxi and go into the club. They wonder why she's there, and try to find a way in through the back.
Louis brings Mrs. Wren in, and Macklin suggests that she talk some sense into her son. The boxer Donald predicted to win goes down, and Mrs. Wren tells Donald to tell Macklin his "system". Donald figures that they'll kill him if he talks, and Macklin says that he'll kill Mrs. Wren if Donald doesn't talk.
Micki and Ryan go around the back, and see three of Macklin's men go into a building where people inside are cheering.
Louis drags Donald to the club kitchen and prepares to cut off another of his fingers. He offers Louis the ring as payment.
Macklin pressures Mrs. Wren for the truth, and she tells him that it's the ring.
Micki approaches the enforcer on guard, and Ryan knocks the man out from behind.
Donald tells Louis that the ring is his system and will give him luck. Louis puts on the ring and it kills him. Macklin, Mrs. Wren, and Macklin's remaining thug hear Louis scream, and the two men go to the kitchen, taking Mrs. Wren with them.
After taking the ring from Louis' body, Donald gets the next winner in a bare-knuckle fight. Macklin and the others come in, and Mrs. Wren realizes that Donald has killed again.
Ryan and Micki try to find a way into the club.
Donald tells Macklin who wins in the fight, and Mrs. Wren tells Macklin to put on the ring so he can see how Donald predicts winners. Macklin takes the ring and examines it, but doesn't put on and drags Donald away instead. Ryan and Micki head as the group comes out, and they go to the building next door where the cheering is coming from.
The cousins follow the group into the building, and find an illegal bare-knuckle fight going on inside. Meanwhile, Macklin tells Donald that there's a lot of money riding on the fight. Macklin bets on Donald's prediction, who is losing as they watch, then comes back to the group and they watch as the losing boxer comes back and wins. The bookie collects his winnings then talks to Donald and Mrs. Wren privately. The cousins follow them but a guard closes the door behind Macklin's group. Micki figures that the next fight will distract the guard and they can get past him.
In an office, Macklin tells Donald that he wants Donald to predict more fights again. Mrs. Wren tells him to put on the ring and then let Donald go, and Macklin finally does so. The ring drags him around the office, killing him.
When the guard is distracted, Micki and Ryan slip past him.
Donald goes to get the ring and his mother tells him to let go of it. He tells her that now they can have anything they want, and says that he'll never give it up.
Ryan tackles the guard standing watch outside the office, and Micki clubs the guard unconscious from behind.
Donald takes the ring, and Mrs. Wren takes her revolver out of her purse and shoots her son dead. The cousins come in and Micki takes Mrs. Wren out, while Ryan recovers the ring.
The next day at the shop, Mrs. Wren says that she tried to get William to stop the ring. She couldn't so she killed him. Ryan assures her the ring will never hurt anyone else again, and Mrs. Wren asks them if they're going to tell the police. The cousins say that they aren't, and Mrs. Wren thanks them before going.
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