Underworld #7

A priceless idol carved centuries ago by the Maharajah Afgu-Bar carries a curse as dark as its history—anyone who dares remove the giant ruby embedded in its forehead meets a gruesome end. When the artifact is lent to an English museum under Clemens's patronage, Inspector Larand stations guards to protect it, but a theft in the night leaves the guards dead, the ruby missing, and a mystery that defies explanation. As Larand investigates, the line between curse and calculated crime grows disturbingly thin.

El Mono, former wrestling champion of Spain, resurfaces after twenty-five years to confront Jake Morta, the man who sabotaged him decades ago by kidnapping his family to throw a crucial match. When Jake recognizes his old nemesis at a wrestling exhibition, he realizes the reckoning he's long feared is finally at hand, and desperation drives him to desperate measures. El Mono stalks his quarry with methodical precision, leaving Jake no escape from the personal vendetta that has consumed a quarter-century.

Pat Clark, a talented model hungry for success, lands a coveted position with jewelry importer Fritz Steiger—only to discover during her glamorous buying trips across Europe that she's unwittingly become a smuggler in an international jewel-trafficking scheme. Now aware of Steiger's operation, Pat faces a dangerous reckoning when she threatens to expose him to the authorities.

James Ortley and Howard Gibbs run a lucrative arson scheme for dishonest insurance companies, but when Gibbs starts skimming profits, Ortley devises an elaborate plan to silence him with a staged accident. What looks like a perfect crime unravels when sharp state troopers notice the details that don't add up—snowfall patterns, engine temperature, and forensic evidence—forcing Ortley to face the consequences of his greed and violence.

When five American business partners depart India after the death of a colleague in a river accident, they believe they're leaving their troubles behind—but a mysterious presence seems determined to follow them home. As Pamela reunites with her uncle Gray and his associates, strange and fatal circumstances begin to unfold, suggesting that someone—or something—is exacting a terrible price for what happened in the East. This 1949 crime tale explores whether the dead truly have the final word.