(thunder crashing)
(phonograph powers up)
(slow ragtime jazz playing)
(mechanical creaking)
(chimes tinkling)
(thunder crashes)
ANNOUNCER: John Lee Pedimore has taken the lead again...
Two more laps, Macklin.
Two more laps and I clean you out!
(chuckles)
My system's putting you out of business once and for all.
Yeah. Well, I'm coming to collect.
You better have my money ready.
(TV plays indistinctly)
ANNOUNCER: He's starting to pull away,
a good couple of car lengths between them.
Now there they go into the turn three.
Jefferson seems to know he's lost it.
He may be trying, but Pedimore's driving like a man possessed.
Look at that boy go!
ANNOUNCER 2: Dale in number three is really pulling on Samson's tail
as they gear down for the hairpin,
taking him on the inside.
Jeremy Dale of Canada with the lead
as they accelerate toward the checkered flag.
This is an unbelievable finish...
You can't do this to me.
Samson sets a blistering pace all afternoon,
but in the end, the unsung young driver
from the Great White North...
Stinking son of a..!
(explodes, crackles)
WOMAN: Donald?!
Donald? What's happening in there?
What have you done to the television?
It's nothing, Ma. I'll get you another one.
You bet on something again, didn't you?
You promised me you wouldn't.
I got debts, Ma.
I need some money.
(sighs)
Nobody can do this bad forever.
Benny gave me a tip on the trots.
I still got time to make the post.
Donald, how much do you owe?
(cash register dings)
Is this all there is?
How much did you lose?
Don't worry about it.
Look, gambling's wrong.
It's the Devil's game.
You could go to jail.
(knocking)
MAN: Don? Damn...
Ma, I can't talk to this guy.
Get rid of him.
You want them to do me like they did Pop? Huh?
Come on.
Come in. It isn't locked.
Good afternoon. Is Donald around?
He's out for a while.
He's doing some errands.
This is very nice.
Thank you.
(grunts)
(body thuds)
(footsteps approach)
Donald.
You shouldn't leave your mother alone.
She could hurt herself.
Ma? (grunts)
Oh...!
What about this?!
Angelo, please. Huh?!
I couldn't get ahold of the money.
I tried. Try harder!
(bone snaps) (screams)
She doesn't have anything worth taking.
Hey, didn't you hear what I said?
(rattles)
(clattering)
Hey, a World Series ring.
I always wanted one of these things.
Huh? Oh...
What the...? (crackling)
(groans)
(yelling)
(groaning)
(screaming)
(grunts)
(crackling, whooshing)
(groaning)
(whooshing)
ANNOUNCER: Number five, Dandy Don, leading by a head.
And at the wire, it's Dandy Don!
Winner of the eighth race, Dandy Don!
Spanky's Hanky in place and Rain Dancer to show.
(whooshing)
(quietly): Yeah.
MICKI: Yes, It's inscribed "World Series, Chicago, 1919."
Perhaps you could just take a look?
Great.
Hey, I finally got through to the police property room.
But, listen, you're gonna have to cross your fingers.
We need a break on this.
Yes.
Are you sure?
No, it's fine.
Thank you for your help.
Yes, I am aware that Cincinnati won the World Series in 1919.
Thank you, though.
Back to square one, huh?
That ring is the first thing Lewis listed;
the first antique he sold.
It's been out there doing God knows what
longer than anything else.
Well, let's review what we already know.
That ring was designed for the Chicago White Sox
because they were a shoo-in to win the World Series in 1919.
Right, right.
And then they threw it over for a gambling syndicate.
It was sold to Luke Spicer.
The late Luke Spicer.
Where do we go from here?
What about gambling?
Well, yeah. I mean, we've chased down
cursed objects before that had an association with past evil.
Right.
Lewis might just have made that association stronger.
It's worth checking out.
It's okay, Ma.
(groans softly)
He's gone.
I took care of everything.
But your hand?
It's okay, Ma.
Don't worry.
How about you?
I'm fine.
Good, good.
Take it easy, huh?
Yeah.
Our luck's finally changed, Ma.
I can feel it.
Everything's gonna be just fine.
The ring...
Good work. It's all here.
Did he give you any trouble?
That's part of the fun.
Something else you want to say to me?
Angelo's disappeared, Mr. Macklin.
So who's account was he working on?
Donald Wren.
He went to pick up the installment
and, uh, that's the last we saw of him.
We just heard Wren picked up five grand on a perfecta.
So you think Angelo cut himself a private deal?
I wouldn't put it past him.
Louis, find Angelo.
Johnny, I want you to take care of Mr. Wren.
I believe he has 5,000 of mine.
And if he won't pay?
Then you cancel his account.
Okay, we've got syndicates, bookies,
big winners, big losers...
About anything you can relate to gambling.
Now all we have to do is relate it to the ring.
(door opens, bells jangle)
Oh, ma'am, I'm sorry.
We're closed right now,
but of you'd like to come back tomorrow...
Oh, I didn't want to buy anything.
You see, I got one of these mailers about a year ago.
You bought something from the store?
No, well, not exactly.
But-But I had something that you wanted.
Had? What was it?
It was a ring;
an old World Series ring.
So, Mrs. Wren, let me get this straight.
You've had this ring stored
in a little box for almost six years,
and it's just been stolen?
That's right.
I thought you might be able to help get it back.
Well, you got that mailer a while ago.
Why didn't you come to us earlier?
I didn't know if I could trust you.
I didn't know what you might use it for.
Use it? What do you mean use it?
You know what that ring can do, don't you?
Well, I couldn't go to the police.
I thought you might know how to stop it.
All right, all right, all right.
Just tell us what's happening.
Tell us how it works.
Well, it gives and it takes.
My husband was a weak man,
and the ring gave him the power to gamble and to win,
but it turned him into a murderer.
What happened to him?
He was shot.
The police thought it was a bookie named Anthony Macklin,
but they couldn't prove it.
Now my son owes Macklin money,
and if Macklin has that ring...
He may use it on your son.
Yeah.
Mrs. Wren, it's all right.
It's all right.
You've come to the right place.
Now, tell us exactly how it works.
Boys, you're looking at a winner here today.
(laughs)
DONALD: Drinks for everybody.
When I got it, I spread it around.
Yeah? Well, how about paying up your last tab?
Just show me the bottom line.
I'll get it.
MORROW: You got other debts to pay first.
Come on, Johnny.
I was going to get you guys.
When?
When you needed another loan?
There's less than two grand here.
We heard you won five.
No, no, no, no. You heard wrong.
(Donald grunts in pain)
You're into us for $40,000.
This isn't even a day's interest.
Please, Johnny, I'll have it for you by tomorrow.
I just wanted to get something for my mom.
Isn't that sweet?
Let's go.
My mother's sleeping.
I don't want to wake her up.
Come on, Johnny, give me a break.
I'll be back.
I'll-I'll give you some insurance.
It's a World Series ring.
You can get $5,000, $6,000 for it anywhere.
Do I look like a pawnbroker?
Okay.
You got five minutes.
Sure.
I bet you dreamed of having one of those
when you were a kid.
Five.
(distant siren wailing)
(Morrow groaning)
(crackling)
(whooshing)
(Morrow groaning, moaning in pain)
(Morrow screaming, eerie whooshing)
(laughing)
(crackling, Morrow screaming)
(laughing maniacally)
(Morrow screaming)
(laughing)
(crackling, pained groaning)
(laughing)
(Donald continues laughing)
(crackling stops, Donald's laughter fades)
SPORTSCASTER: And Seal's got the puck now with two seconds to go.
Up to Gordica, he's moving in on net...
He sends it across in front, Eisen scores!
And the Seals win, four-three.
(Donald grunting with effort)
(dog barking in distance)
(Donald grunting)
(strained grunting)
(crowbar clatters)
(strained grunting)
(splashing)
It can get a hundred channels, in stereo.
And there's a remote.
No more sitting through commercials.
But that ain't the best.
Come on, try it on.
I can't.
Come on, Ma, relax.
So it's gambling money. It's still money.
I bet on a hockey game.
It paid off big.
I even took care of Macklin.
I don't owe him a cent anymore.
You know what this means? Huh?
It means we're even.
He'll have to take my action again.
I'm going to use his money to break him, Ma.
Please.
The money is dirty.
It has blood on it.
I saw you kill that man last night.
I'm through losing, Ma.
This time
I'm on a roll that'll never stop.
(slams box)
(stomping)
(bells jangling)
Ryan, this Anthony Macklin's mentioned
in some of these newspaper stories,
and he's not a small-time bookie.
If you think that's interesting, take a look at this.
MICKI: Donald Wren.
Mrs. Wren's son.
Maybe he got lucky.
Maybe he took the ring and this is how it works.
I guess we better go talk to him.
I think so.
Hey, hey, hey, better late than never, huh, Mike?
The Seals really come through for you, huh, Donny?
Who would've thought that crummy team would of won one.
...490, 500.
Plus a little something for your patience.
Well, thanks, Donald.
So you gonna pay Macklin back now?
I already did.
40 grand, in small bills.
(whistles) I wouldn't get on his wrong side, if I was you.
Macklin's a two-bit hustler.
I'm going to own him. You watch.
Hey, Donny, maybe you can you let me in
on some of your tips, huh?
Forget it. What do you mean?
I leant you money for the Super Bowl, didn't I?
I don't need any partners, Benny.
You owe me, Donny.
Now, I came through when you were down.
Get lost.
Yeah, sure.
Maybe I go tell Macklin what I heard you say about him.
Hey, Benny.
Let's see what we can do for you.
So, what are we gonna bet on, Donny, huh?
The horses, the fights?
Hey, Stanford's playing UCLA tonight.
How about that?
I don't know yet.
Mm. Oh.
My good luck charm.
Try it on.
What for?
You want in on this or not?
Okay.
Geez.
There. Satisfied?
I will be.
Hey, where you going?
(crackling whoosh)
Donny, it's hurting me.
(cries out)
(choking gasps)
(wails)
Come on, come on.
SPORTSCASTER: Higgins goes up, three seconds left,
he puts it up-- oh, he misses.
Chitwood gets the rebound.
He goes up, at the buzzer, it's in.
Stanford beats UCLA, 100 to 97.
Mrs. Wren.
I'm sorry, I can't talk to you now.
RYAN: Did you see this morning's paper?
Where's Donald?
Mrs. Wren, does he have the ring?
Yes.
Oh! Did he use it?
Look, I know my son.
He wouldn't hurt an innocent person.
The man he killed was a gangster.
He came here to hurt us.
Where's Donald now?
Well, I'm not sure.
Now, you mustn't call the police.
No, no, no. We just want the ring.
Well, there's a couple of bars he goes to in the evening.
I was just going to look for him.
Come on. We'll take you.
SPORTSCASTER: ...inside to Kelly Smith.
Up and in for two points.
Yeah! Way to go!
You see that shot? Huh?
I thought you bet on Stanford.
I like it to be interesting.
...Stanford defense, got 22 points already with no fouls.
Clearly one of the best freshman guards in the NCAA...
There he is.
MICKI: We've got to get him away from all those people.
He'll talk to his mother.
(broadcast continues indistinctly)
Donald. (whistle blows, crowd cheers on TV)
Ma, what are you doing here?
Donald, I have to talk to you.
(sighs)
You've got to stop gambling.
I'm finally making money, Ma.
And I'm gonna make some more.
We'll be rich.
No. You can't, Donald.
Not like this.
Give me that ring.
I don't know what you're talking about.
Give it back before anyone else gets hurt.
Your father died because of that thing.
It doesn't bring you good luck-- it's evil.
Look, Ma, you gotta understand.
I'm doing this for you.
When this game is over,
we're going to have all the money we ever wanted.
You know that home you wanted to retire to in Florida?
Well, you're not going.
I'm gonna buy you your own place...
in the Bahamas.
You can fill it with all those tropical plants you love.
Spend all day on the beach.
Then you promise you won't use it again?
After tonight, I don't need to.
Hey, I'm not like Pop.
I'm not gonna give you any trouble.
Come here.
Now you go on home.
(sighs)
I'll be back after I collect from Macklin. Hmm?
Tomorrow...
we'll go looking for some travel brochures, huh?
...are really Stanford's strength.
Without these two, the rest of the starting five
have only accumulated a total of nine points tonight.
Doma gets the ball inside the court.
It's a fall-away banker.
He's got a nice touch off the glass, folks.
Did you get it?
He promised he wouldn't use it again.
He's bringing it home tonight.
I knew he was stronger than his father.
Why don't you get Mrs. Wren a taxi
and wait in the car.
I'll get him by himself.
Maybe I should do that.
Are you gonna get him
to go home with you tonight?
Higgins can't make the pass.
The UCLA defense is meshing perfectly here.
They move it to Stanford's big man down low,
and the point guard passes from the perimeter.
Now, Higgins goes for a prayer and hits it.
Ah, you got another three.
Yeah, yeah.
They'll win by three.
100 to 97.
Give me another drink.
Here.
Help yourself.
SPORTSCASTER: Nowhere to go.
Moving it back out to Higgins.
Looking around.
Keith Richmond over in the corner.
Goes up on Schmidt, puts it up and in from 15 feet.
Stanford is coming back.
Where did they find the bodies?
Floating in the sewer.
They could've been dumped in anywhere.
(phone ringing)
Yeah?
It's Mike.
I'd say the odds on Donald Wren knowing
about your missing boys just dropped to even money.
Don't let him leave.
All right.
Can I buy you a drink?
What took you so long to ask?
Oh, well, I was playing hard to get.
(both chuckling)
Can't make a pass... he calls time out
before the five-second violation.
Well, now that we got that over with...
why don't we go someplace quiet?
This place gives me a headache.
Hey, Donny, where you going?
Out.
Stanford down by two with time beginning to run out.
Yeah, it's Mike again.
Listen, uh, my apartment's a bit of a mess.
Why don't we go up to your place?
(chuckles)
(engine starting)
(tires screeching)
♪ ♪
What are you doing?
You're working for Macklin.
You're trying to set me up!
(tires screeching)
Macklin gives you a lot of jewelry, doesn't he?
I bet you've never seen anything
like this before, huh?
Let go of me, you creep.
Shut up!
I need another winner.
And every time there's another winner,
there's a loser.
Sorry, babe.
(groaning)
(screaming)
MICKI: No!
(yelling)
(tires screeching)
Hello, Donald.
Can we, uh, give you a ride?
(tires screeching)
Ryan!
(tires screeching)
Ryan!
Micki!
What the hell happened?
Somebody grabbed Donald!
(tires screeching)
Good evening, Mr. Wren.
I'm glad you could make time for us.
What the hell is this, Macklin?
Well, I'd like to discuss a turn of events.
Yesterday...
you owed me $40,000, Donald.
Two bets later, I owe you $40,000.
Now, how do you suppose that happened?
I got a system.
A few guys bet Stanford tonight.
A few guys covered the spread.
But you... you knew the exact score.
I told you I got a system.
Oh, like the one your father used?
(grunts)
Your old man was a loser his whole life.
Then, all of a sudden, he got a system, too.
And now you got it.
I want to know what it is.
Maybe it's genetics, huh?
(groaning in pain)
Now, I'm not upset with you, Donald.
Losing a few guys for a good system
like you got is a fair trade.
So what is it?
You kill me... and you'll never know.
(screaming)
(shrieking)
(Donald howling in agony)
(Donald sobbing)
Hey.
(whimpering)
You got nine more to go before I even start
to think about killing you, you lousy scumbag.
Get him out of here.
(Donald crying)
I don't believe it.
He promised he wouldn't use it again.
Oh, my God. Who's taken him?
Macklin.
Donald wanted to bankrupt him.
Why?
You see, my husband won big the day he died,
and Macklin wouldn't pay up.
Donald blames Macklin for his father's murder.
Okay, where can we find Macklin?
He's got a club down by the river.
I saw it in the clippings.
Well, let's go.
Look, it's wasn't Donald's fault.
It was the ring.
(door opening)
SPORTSCASTER: And a nice straight left hand to the body from DeBerge.
He's punching a little more effectively
here in the third. SPORTSCASTER 2: That's right, Angelo.
Randy got off to a bad start.
I think Tony Jones surprised him
with that flurry of jabs at the bell.
You're absolutely right, Bob, and Jones
has got the reach on him, too, a good seven inches.
Yeah, he's gonna force DeBerge to have to go inside...
Bring him in here.
Up until now, he's been too far away for the punches
he has landed to have any effect.
Jones with a weak right and a left,
enough to back DeBerge away, but not
doing any real damage.
Both these fighters are being cautious
in the early going.
Neither one of them has gone...
I thought you might like
to watch somebody else get beat up for a while.
Whoa, there's a wicked right from DeBerge.
Jones comes back with a left...
Who's gonna win, Donald?
Looks like he was just testing the water.
You've got to give Jones the points
on reach and strength, but DeBerge is a...
(angrily): I said, "Who's gonna win?"
Now, Wren!
What do we do now?
I don't know yet.
(sighs)
They're ready to start next door.
I'll be out there in a minute.
Tell 'em to go ahead.
I don't need the round, Donald.
I just need the winner.
Those of you who remember
and have been following his career
know he took a very nasty head butt
from Pedro Hidalgo last month...
The one in the white.
How do you know that?
I'm guessing.
That's all I do.
(horn beeps twice)
(taxi door opens)
Wait a minute, Ryan, look.
RYAN: That's Mrs. Wren.
What in the hell's she doing here?
I don't know.
Let's try and get in the back way-- come on.
LOUIS: Hey, boss, we got a visitor.
Ma?
MRS. WREN: Donny.
Oh, my God.
(Mrs. Wren gasping)
I'm sorry if this disturbs you,
but Donald has been very
uncooperative.
What have you done to him?
Maybe if you'd talk some sense into him,
we won't have to do any more.
I gave you the winner, Macklin.
Oh, did you?
Oh, DeBerge lands a crushing right!
Jones stumbles back to the ropes.
DeBerge hammering him with punches.
Jones falling back.
He's losing it.
Whoa!
That had to hurt!
Uh-oh, Jones is in trouble.
DeBerge has him backed into the corner.
Jones is going down. I think that's... (bell rings)
Get up, you slob.
(hissing): Get up!
Not a very educated guess.
Go cut off his other thumb.
No!
No, please.
For God's sake, no!
I want to know the system.
Tell him, Donald. No, Ma.
If I tell him, he'll kill me.
Just like he killed Pop.
And if you don't,
I'll kill her.
No! No!
No!
(crowd clamoring in distance)
What the hell's going on around here?
(whimpering)
(grunts)
(whimpers)
No, please, Louis!
You gonna tell us?
(whimpering)
(panting)
Let me go.
I can make us a fortune. Hmm?
(panting)
This is all I got on me.
Hmm? Take it.
What do you think I am?
What's it going to be?
Another one of his fingers,
or the truth?
(sighs)
It's the ring.
(indistinct shouting and whistling)
Hi.
I'm, uh, supposed to meet somebody here.
Do you think you could let me in?
(grunts)
You're getting good at this.
I'm getting a lot of practice.
That's it.
That's my system.
It'll give you luck!
Try it on.
You expect me to believe that some ring picks his bets?
(screaming)
(screaming continues in distance)
Bring her with you.
(screaming continues)
Oh! Come on.
(yelling)
(grunting)
(crowd shouting and whistling)
Oh, Donald, no.
(indistinct shouting and whistling)
Damn.
There's a bare-knuckle fight.
A blond guy beats a black guy.
That's all I know, honest.
How do you know that?
I'm just telling you who'll win.
That's what you wanted, isn't it?
MRS. WREN: He does it with the ring.
Just put it on, you'll see.
Ah, geez, here they come.
(indistinct crowd shouting and whistling)
MACKLIN: Hey, where's Sammy?
Oh!
Macklin's got the ring.
Hey, Sammy!
(crowd clamoring in distance)
(crowd shouting and whistling)
(blows landing)
(shouting and whistling continue)
You ever seen one of these fights before?
No referee.
No bell.
They just fight till somebody falls down.
I don't know how you knew about this.
MACKLIN: An awful lot of money riding on this bout.
Told you the blond guy'll win.
Now, let my mother go.
Blond guy, huh?
(shouting and whistling)
MACKLIN: I want to put a G note on the blond.
I always knew you had money to burn.
(whistling)
Kid was 20 to one.
Some guys get all the luck.
Huh.
You did good, Donald.
Real good.
Come on over here.
I want to talk to you for a minute.
Bring Mom along.
MAN: Keep going.
Right over here.
Go right out there.
This is nuts.
How are we gonna get by this guy?
The fight's about to start.
Maybe that'll distract him.
I gave you a winner, Macklin.
(door closes)
You gonna let her go?
Pocket change.
You won me some pocket change.
Now, there's some more fights tonight.
Lot of high rollers out there with full pockets.
I want you to show me how to empty 'em.
MRS. WREN: All you have to do
is put on the ring.
Please.
Just do it and let Donald go.
(laughs)
(Donald laughs)
(Macklin yells)
(laughing)
(yelling)
(laughing)
(grunting)
(yelling)
(fighter grunting, crowd shouting)
Get ready.
(Donald laughing)
Donald, let go of it.
There's no one in our way now, Ma.
We can have anything we want.
Get rid of it before it destroys us, too.
We'll be rich.
We can have it all!
Give it up! Never.
Hi.
We were, uh...
(Ryan shouting)
(grunts)
I tried to make my husband stop using the ring,
but I couldn't.
So you shot him.
I had no choice.
Just like I had no choice with...
Shh, shh, shh.
This may not mean much,
but that ring will never hurt anyone again.
Mrs. Wren, if there's anything we can do...
Are you going to tell the police?
Thank you.
(door bells jangling)