The Moonstone - Part Two

Originally Aired: November 23, 1953 Suspense #527, "The Moonstone - Part Two," continues Wilkie Collins' classic detective story as Sergeant Cuff investigates the mysterious theft of a cursed diamond. Franklin Blake has given the legendary Moonstone to his cousin Rachel Verinder as a birthday gift, only to have it vanish overnight. While the Indian jugglers suspected of the theft were locked in jail when the diamond disappeared, Sergeant Cuff discovers a telling clue: a smudge on Rachel's freshly painted door, made by someone's petticoat around two in the morning. The detective's investigation takes a disturbing turn when he requests to search everyone's wardrobe, but Rachel refuses and breaks down in tears, insisting she won't cooperate. Despite Franklin's protests and his love for Rachel, Sergeant Cuff's suspicions grow darker. He reveals that the housemaid Rosanna Spearman has a criminal past as a thief, and suggests Rachel herself may be hiding a terrible secret or scandal that forced her to arrange the diamond's disappearance. When Rachel suddenly flees the house, Cuff's theory seems confirmed. The pursuit leads Franklin, the Sergeant, and butler Bettridge racing toward the beach, where Rosanna has been spotted running toward the treacherous quicksand.