Wild Cards (2024) s02e02 Episode Script
Once a Con a Time in the West
1
Previously on Wild Cards.
You lied to me, Max.
I could be on the other
side of the world right now.
I'll give you the egg.
You keep your badge.
I stay out of jail and you can
catch your brother's killer.
That's why I need my
best people on this.
That means you.
- Thank you.
- Her too.
- What do you want?
- Six more months off my dad's sentence.
- Two weeks?
- Deal.
He's dead.
The 33 million is nothing
compared to what this can get us.
What is this?
What's this? This is
the con man's bible.
The handbook of hornswoggle.
The fundamentals of the fleet.
Yeah, I know what it
is. I've already read it.
- You gave it to me for my 16th birthday.
- Well, read it again.
You need to be focused on the long game.
I am focused.
You've gone soft, honey.
Et tu bruté?
You did give back our $33 million egg.
Okay, we need to give
it a rest, fellas, and rise up.
How can we move forward if
we keep living in the past,
- all right?
- Thanks for the insight, Dr. Phil
But are you planning
on handing anything else
- over to the cops?
- Yeah, that shirt because that's a crime.
That was uncalled for.
You're right. I was feeling
attacked, I apologize.
Darling, what we wanted to
say is We forgive you.
Well, it sure doesn't seem like it.
- But don't do it again.
- Which brings us back to the book.
- Remember who you are, kiddo.
- I hear you, pops.
So we all agree to leave the past behind
and look forward to
our very bright future.
If this keeps up, I'm going
to need a shot of insulin.
Next on the docket.
Where are you two living?
Ricky's gonna find us a place.
Which would have been far easier
on a budget of 33 million.
Sorry, I am I'll find
us something acceptable.
[NOTIFICATION ALERT]
Oh, speaking of self-sacrifices.
Hello, Chief Li. How can
I be of service today?
Of course. I would love
to do another assignment.
But for two weeks off my dad's
sentence, as we discussed.
Oh, and I want a mini basketball hoop.
- And a mini basketball hoop.
- And a thighmaster.
- And a thighmaster.
- Face cream.
And face cream.
Chief Li
- Hello.
- [CALL ENDS]
He must have cut off
or he was going through
a tunnel or something.
How's your breakfast?
Hi, there.
You need to clean out your scuppers.
- Are you talking to me?
- Yeah. Scuppers are clogged up.
My what?
The gutters that drain the excess water.
- They need to be cleaned out.
- Oh. I mean, it's fine.
The boat never leaves
the marina, so I'm good.
I used to do it for
your brother, Daniel.
Now it's your home.
Need to take care of it.
Show it some love or
it'll rot from the inside.
- I'll be by this weekend.
- I'm fine, really. It's
[PHONE RINGS]
Morning, Chief.
Are you gonna tell me what the case is?
Li didn't tell me much about it.
Well, is there a file?
Really?
Okay, can we just lay all our cards out
on the table and hash this out?
There's nothing to hash out.
Oh, there's a bunch
of hashing to be done.
What do you want me to say, Max?
I don't know, say anything.
Say that you hate me.
Say that I'm a liar.
Say that you think my
new shoes are super cute?
Thanks. I got them on sale.
But can we move past this
and back to the way we were?
We'll never go back to
the way things were, Max.
You still don't trust me, do you?
- Why should I?
- Oh, I don't know. Let me count the ways.
Did I steal the egg? Yes.
But did I return it? Of course I did.
But I also helped you
get your desk back,
handed you your brother's killer
And took the blame when
you disobeyed these orders.
But sure, feel free to hold a grudge.
All right. Fine. Look, there's
been an attempted murder
at the Pruett Ranch.
On who?
Target's name is Paul.
That's all I know.
Why all the secrecy?
Pruetts are a really private family.
They've been on their land
for a hundred years or so now,
and they carry a lot of
influence in the area.
Russo wants their endorsement for mayor.
Yeah, exactly.
Saddle up, partner.
This little bit of country
is about to get a lot more rock 'n roll.
♪
[COW MOOING]
Hi. Detective Ellis to see the Pruetts.
We didn't send for any police.
These aren't the droids
you're looking for.
Max.
- Wait here.
- Thank you.
Well, they don't seem very neighbourly.
No.
[BUZZER]
You must be Russo's detectives.
- That's us.
- I'm Rose Pruett.
Follow me.
♪
Russo didn't give us much
information about the victim.
I didn't give any.
- Why not?
- Our business is our business.
A woman with few words and
great jeans, I like that.
Okay, well, is there
anything you can give us?
Someone tried to kill Paul.
Who's Paul?
[HORSE WHINNIES]
This is Paul.
♪
Someone tried to kill your horse?
He has a name, don't you, Paul?
Someone knocked out the ranch hand
I had posted here to get to him.
Is it normal for you to post
guards in front of your stables?
No, but he's a $10 million stud.
Whoa, Nelly!
Ten million buckaroos
just for being suave.
He's a champion-breed horse.
Horses have good intuition about people.
Look, he trusts you.
You hear that? The horse trusts me.
Look, ma'am, no offense,
but isn't there some kind
of a livestock commission
that handles these cases?
That's like sending a locksmith
to deal with a bank robbery.
Okay. Fair enough.
Walk me through what happened.
My men saw the flames
from the bunkhouse,
and then a figure
running off in the dark.
Did your men chase after this figure?
Yeah, but they lost him.
They had to put out the
fire to save my horse.
Well, look, I've been to my
fair share of arson sites,
and, uh, this is not it.
- How so?
- There's no sign of an accelerant.
It's a wood barn full of hay, right?
I mean, if the point
was to burn it down,
they would have used gasoline.
The whole thing would have
been up in flames in minutes.
What, you don't agree?
I absolutely agree, but I
just stepped in something,
and I'm pretty sure it's not oatmeal.
I hope you kept the receipt.
Hey.
Oh, this is Lana, our vet.
I called her right away.
Detective Ellis, this is Max.
Did Paul sustain any injuries?
My examination isn't finished,
but aside from some mild
smoke inhalation, he's okay.
Rose, you got trouble in pasture nine.
Shane's getting into it with
Mike Wyatt, and he took his gun.
- Who's Shane?
- My son.
Cattle didn't knock
over your fence, mike.
You're telling me that's
not the Pruett brand
on those cattle?
You calling me a liar?
Where I'm standing,
it's the only explanation
that makes sense.
You take one more step, Shane,
you'll meet the business
end of a shotgun.
- [GUN SHOT]
- Hey, hey, hey, hey!
[HORSES WHINNY]
Forget the boots. I'm
going to need a rifle.
What the hell is going on?
Y'all broke down my fence so
your cattle can graze on my land.
- Mike, you know better.
- He's a liar.
He's the one who can't
build a proper fence.
And you can? You know,
calling you a cowboy
is like putting socks on a rooster.
- It don't fit.
- Oh, burn.
Okay. That's it. Shane,
get back in the car.
I bet he's the one who
tried to kill our horse.
That's a damn lie!
[WHISTLE]
My apologies. I don't have a gun yet.
- I'm working on it.
- All right, that's enough. Metro PD.
Everybody put their guns
away and go home now.
All right. I'll talk to Mike Wyatt.
You talk to rose.
See if our suspect left
behind any clues, all right?
Got it.
Partner.
Doesn't seem like there's any love lost
between you and the Pruetts.
Ah.
Everyone's out for themselves nowadays.
So it wasn't always like this.
This used to be a community
that looked out for each other.
Rose and I played together as kids.
My family would go to her house
for barbecues all the time.
So what changed?
Guess the Pruetts decided
to shut everybody out
and keep what they had for themselves.
Where were you last night, Mr. Wyatt?
Me and my men were on the road
coming back from cattle auction.
Got home this morning.
Got lots to verify that.
Send me what you have.
I'll be following up.
You know, I've been around
horse breeding my whole life.
Stud horse like that
is worth $250,000 a pop.
But if he start shooting blanks,
he's more valuable dead than alive.
What are you suggesting?
Horses like that are
insured up the wazoo.
My ranch hands chased him this way,
but lost them in the dark.
Well, can't hurt to check again.
You never know what you'll
find in the light of day.
So it's just you and your son.
My daughter Callie works the ranch, too.
My husband died almost 20 years ago.
And since then, it's
just been the three of us.
Stop!
Wait. What is that?
It's a boot print with a
scorpion carved into the heel.
Do you recognize it?
No. Everyone who works at
Pruett ranch has a P like this.
It's an old tradition.
That way, if you die off site,
they know which ranch to
send your body back to.
Gruesome but practical.
Okay.
I know one man's trash
is another man's treasure,
but what is this?
Well, this could be a horse killer.
These two found this by the fence line.
I know sometimes
ranchers use electrocution
as a way to put down animals.
- We don't do that here.
- It's horrible, and I don't agree with it,
but it's the most humane
method if they're suffering.
- What's he looking for?
- Sh. He's horse whispering.
Let me ask you something,
is Paul still an active stud horse?
- Yes.
- So he's still able to breed.
Sperm's perfectly healthy.
He's booked out for the next year.
Wow.
Take a look at you, buddy.
Huh?
You see that?
The burn mark is about
the same size as the clamp.
- What do you think, Lana?
- It could be,
but he's also got a few
minor burns from stray embers.
Someone was trying to
electrocute the horse.
The fire could have started
from a spark on the ground.
- [CAR HONKING]
- [SHANE] Mom, you here?
Excuse me.
Well, that could explain
why there was no accelerant.
Yeah, but why go
through all the trouble?
Why not just shoot the horse?
What did Mike Wyatt say?
Where was he last night?
He was out of town with his men.
But I have to ask, is Paul insured?
For 20 million he's the prime producer.
Twenty mil for getting jiggy with it?
I'm gonna need to take a
look at that insurance policy,
as well as any financial
records you have.
Why is that?
They think we tried to
electrocute our own horse
for the insurance money.
Get the hell out of here.
Look, I can come back with a warrant,
but it's going to slow things down.
Paul has a pre-existing condition.
It's a heart murmur. It's
nothing serious for a stud horse,
but you have to put it
on record for the policy.
Okay. And?
Have you ever seen an autopsy report
for a horse that dies by electrocution.
It would come back
listed as a heart attack.
Which would make your policy void.
And your family wouldn't get a dime.
So unless you think we're dumb
enough to spit in the wind,
you have to get to work
and find the real killer.
I've heard enough.
- Where are you going?
- The office.
Vendors got to be paid.
Payroll needs to ready.
This place doesn't run itself.
You know, if you want to waste
your time with them, go ahead.
Who put a snake in his boot?
Shane's just protective.
Growing up without a father,
he took it on himself to
be the man of the family.
Look, ma'am we're just trying
to do our jobs here, okay?
We have to explore every option.
It ain't my first rodeo. I can take it.
Just find out who's behind this.
What about one of your ranch hands?
Do any of them have a scorpion
on the bottom of their boot?
I don't know, but I trust
them. Same as family.
Sometimes it's the people closest to you
that take advantage of that trust.
We do have day workers coming through.
Callie is the ranch manager,
so if one of them where's that mark,
she'd know about it.
- Where is she?
- This time of day,
she's probably out at pasture five.
But you can't get
there on foot or by car.
So how?
Time to saddle up, partner.
Nope. No way.
I don't ride anything that
makes its own decisions.
That makes so much sense, you know that.
Show off.
Come on.
Grab on.
Come on.
Come on.
There you go.
Okay. Hold on tight, all right?
Okay.
Just take it slow.
- [SCREAM]
- [HORSE WHINNIES]
♪
♪
Callie Pruett?
Yeah, I heard you'd be coming.
Max, you can let go now.
I will when we stop moving.
Oh, we have?
Yeah.
I'm afraid you guys came all
the way out here for nothing.
Been sleeping with the
herd for the last month.
You don't sleep in the main house?
No. Uh, mom and Shane and me
get along a whole lot better
with a couple hundred acres between us.
Do you recognize this boot print
from any of your day workers?
Nope. But I don't check
every one of their boots.
We're gonna need a list
of names and addresses
for all the ranch hands
you currently employ.
Yeah, a lot of these guys
don't have proper addresses.
But it is Thursday night.
- So?
- It's time to brush up on your
apple jacks and corkscrews.
These ranch hands won't talk to a cop.
They'll scatter faster than a
sneeze through a screen door.
- What do you got in mind?
- I'll be a filthy rich Texas
heiress with a PhD in sass.
Call me Darlene.
Why not Jolene?
Because everybody knows Jolene
is a man-stealing home-wrecker.
But only Darlene has a
bow-legged husband named Earl.
You're my tall drink of
bitterness and seething rage.
Max, we're doing this by the book, okay?
Now, Callie said that the day workers
are going to be at the bar tonight.
So all we got to do is go there
and match the boot heel
to the one in the photo
and just keep a low profile.
Clear?
Clear as creek water in July.
Pull over at that tack shop.
Why?
Yee-haw.
Finding that boot is about
as hard as putting a
saddle on a rattlesnake.
Right, Earl?
Pony up ♪
If there's trouble ♪
We gon find it ♪
Pony up ♪
- Be right back, hon.
- What?
- Pony up ♪
- Make it rain ♪
Till that sun rises ♪
We're riding high tonight ♪
Oh, we're riding high tonight ♪
Pony up ♪
♪
Okay.
♪
Honey, do you have a map?
A map? No. Why?
Because I just got lost in your eyes.
Oh boy.
Shoo, ladies.
You're about as welcome here
as a porcupine at a nudist colony.
Pony up ♪
Don't be shy now.
Pony up ♪
What did you do?
[APPLAUSE]
I found a way to look at some boots.
All right, all right. Listen up, folks.
An anonymous patron has
just ponied up 500 buckaroos
to see who is the best line
dancer in this honky tonk.
Who's up for the challenge?
[CHEERS]
You better know how to heel-toe hustle.
By the way, can I borrow 500 buckaroos?
♪
Any man of mine ♪
Better be proud of me ♪
Even when I'm ugly ♪
He still better love me ♪
I can't be late for a date ♪
That's fine ♪
But it better be on time ♪
Any man of mine ♪
I say it fits just right ♪
When last year ♪
Just a little too tight ♪
Anything I do or say better be okay ♪
When I have a bad hair day ♪
♪
And if I change my mind ♪
A million times ♪
I want to hear him say ♪
Yeah, yeah, yeah ♪
I like it that way ♪
Any man of mine ♪
Better walk the line ♪
Better show me teasin
squeezin pleasing ♪
Kind of good time ♪
I need a man who knows ♪
How the story goes ♪
He's gotta be a ♪
breathtaking earthquaking kind ♪
Any man of mine ♪
♪
[APPLAUSE]
It's time to slow
things down now, folks.
So grab that special someone.
[SLOW TEMPO] ♪
Who's gonna tell you when ♪
It's too late? ♪
♪
Who's gonna tell you things? ♪
I didn't see any boot
heels with a scorpion on it.
Did you?
Nope.
Can't go on thinkin' ♪
You were right.
nothing's wrong ♪
I was right?
About what?
We'll never go back
to the way things were.
It's okay, 'cause. It'll
just be something new.
Who's gonna pick you up ♪
When you fall ♪
There he is.
Let's go take him down and hogtie him
like the no-good varmint he is.
No, not based off one boot print.
Certainly not in a crowd like this.
Okay, we need to isolate
him. Get him alone.
- Question him.
- Oh, okay. I got a better idea.
How about you go over there and
stand next to him at the bar?
And do what?
Just look pretty, okay? Trust me.
Go.
Go.
[APPLAUSE]
I'll take a whiskey.
Damn, partner. That looks painful.
- How'd you get that?
- You've never seen a rope burn before.
It comes from being a real cowboy.
Oh!
I've given you everything,
Earl. Best months of my life.
And all you've ever given
me is disappointment.
You're all hat and no cattle.
Yeah, well, maybe if you weren't
such a lying, cheating, no good wife,
I'd trust you more often.
You've never trusted
me, and you never will.
Oh, trusting you was the
biggest mistake I ever made.
Oh, really?
Well, how about I trust you
with one thing to get lost!
Uh with pleasure.
Anything's better than sitting
here and listening to your lies.
Good for nothing, jackass.
[LAUGHTER]
Tonight, it just feels so ♪
Ooh.
- Ooh!
- Oh.
I am tighter than bark on a log.
But you you're straight as an arrow.
You can sure hold your liquor, Darlene.
Oh, thank you kindly, Sam.
You know, Earl never says
sweet things like that to me,
but as I was saying, Earl
bought me a stud horse.
I think he's firing
blanks just like him.
You know what I mean?
[LAUGHING]
Oh, I wish there was a
way I could put him down.
And the horse, too.
Can you believe anyone would
spend $1 million on a horse?
He could have just bought me diamonds.
Is that Is that horse insured?
For more than the house.
Are you serious about this?
Dead serious.
But I'd want to do it in a humane way.
You know, I wouldn't want him to suffer,
the horse, not the husband.
[LAUGHS]
You could talk the legs
off a chair, Darlene.
You know, I do get that a lot.
I bet you do.
You know what?
I can't help you with your husband.
Oh, my achy-breaky heart.
But I could help you
with your horse problem.
Let's say $5,000.
2,500 now, the rest when it's all done.
Really?
Well, you got yourself a deal.
Oh.
Not here.
Let's uh, meet out back in 20 minutes.
Red pickup truck.
Okay.
[CHUCKLES]
Oh, hello.
♪
Okay, he said he's in a red pickup.
There it is.
Whoa, whoa, whoa. Hold on a sec.
Stay back. He could have a gun.
Looks like somebody had
a gun, but it wasn't Sam.
Yates, what do you got?
Killer didn't leave
anything but a bullet.
But forensics found electrical clamps
and car batteries in
the back of his truck.
Yeah. Just did a quick background check.
No fixed address. No next of kin.
What about his financials?
He made a cash deposit of $2,500
just before the fire at Pruett ranch.
That's the same amount
he asked for at the bar.
Which confirms that Sam was
the one hired to kill the horse.
We find out who killed Sam.
We find out who hired him.
Anyone around town know him?
Nope. He was a ghost even before
he was dragged up by the spurs
up to cowboy heaven.
Wait. Hang on. He never
worked on the ranch.
Don't know him.
Well, he's the one who
tried to kill your horse,
which for most would
be an expensive loss,
but a drop in the bucket
for you folks, I'm sure.
- What's your point?
- His point is, killing Paul only makes sense
if someone were trying to
hit you in the pocketbook.
But judging by the size of this ranch,
you guys certainly aren't hurting.
How does any of that matter?
You were brought here to find
who tried to kill our horse.
Send them home. Our
business is our business.
- [LAUGHS] What?
- What's so funny?
Our business is our business.
You hate it here, Shane.
You'd be way happier in some
corner office far from here.
Oh, says my sister, who lives
in a tent and plays cowgirl.
You think that keeps this place running?
I'm the one trying to save this ranch.
Save the ranch from what?
We gotta to tell him the truth, mom.
Callie, shut your mouth.
Enough!
The truth is, we're broke.
If the horse dies, we lose everything.
Unless we sell the ranch.
Over my dead body.
Fine.
I'm gonna go try and find a
way to make payroll this week.
Shane
And you wonder why I never come home.
We used to be so close
Like a real family.
Show yourselves out.
Boy, and I thought we had issues.
Yeah. Yikes.
Well, he's not a happy camper.
I think he's hiding something.
I agree.
Let's find out what it is.
The building you followed Shane to
doesn't belong to the Pruetts.
It's owned by Kildare Builders.
They're like the christie's
of country western real estate.
They don't touch anything
for less than eight figures.
And get this, I did some digging.
They made several offers to rose Pruett
over the past few years,
and she turned them
down every single time.
- Mm.
- Shane Pruett took two
round trip flights to
Dallas in the past month.
Guess whose head office
is in the lone star state?
Kildare Builders.
Well, we know rose won't sell,
so why is he meeting with buyers?
Because her last offer was
upwards of $200 million.
Well, I imagine for that kind of money,
you'd do anything to sell
a ranch, including murder.
And why would you want
to kill the stud horse?
Because it would have forced
rose's hand to sell the ranch.
She would have had no choice.
You think I killed someone?
The money from the ranch sale
could add up to be a lot of motive.
Where were you when Sam was killed?
I was with the Kildare CEO,
drinking scotch and eating
steaks all last night.
Why are you doing all this
behind your mom's back?
Every generation of Pruett has taught us
their responsibility to
keep the land in the family.
No matter what.
In mom's mind, selling
the ranch would mean
her life has been a total failure.
So she'd rather go down
fighting than give it up.
You ever had someone
who you loved so much,
who was so infuriating,
made your blood boil?
- Yeah.
- Oh, yeah.
- [GUN SHOT]
- [HORSE WHINNIES]
- Mom!
- Hey.
Are you okay?
Hey! Hey!
How's our patient?
She refuses to go to the hospital.
But why would she?
She only got shot once.
I'm fine.
She's lucky the bullet
just grazed her shoulder.
What are you doing?
Whoever tried to kill Paul
is out there. Not in here.
Look, my partner's
calling for backup, okay?
We're gonna post two
uniforms at your front door.
You'll do no such thing.
I have 12 ranch hands with rifles.
We haven't found him.
Ranch hands are still
scouring the perimeter.
Mom this isn't worth it.
Just sell this place
before it kills you.
Oh, yeah. You'd love that, wouldn't you?
I've been talking to Kildare.
- They upped their offer.
- You did what?
You're trying to save our legacy,
but you're going to
leave us with nothing.
- Get the hell out of here!
- Mom just
Get out! Go on!
What? You have something to say?
Yeah, I do.
But you're too stubborn to listen.
I'm gonna go check on the boys.
You can't keep running out to
that pasture when things get tough.
Someone's trying to
take our family down.
I don't see much family left, mom.
Sorry you had to hear all that.
Forget it.
Check in on you later.
Can I get you anything?
I need a drink.
Have you ever thought about
selling just a piece of your land.
People have been trying
to get their hands
on this land for over 100 years.
I'm not going to be the
first Pruett to sell out.
We're on duty. Thanks.
Speak for yourself.
Why not lease off a few
hundred acres of land
to a neighbor, like Mike Wyatt?
He doesn't even speak to us anymore.
Wyatt says you guys
used to be a community
- that looked out for each other.
- We used to be.
The Wyatts were on one side,
the O'Neill family on the other.
It didn't even seem
like there were fences.
- So what changed?
- My husband discovered
the O'Neills were poisoning our cattle.
Damn.
Yeah, it was devastating.
They were our best friends.
So why would they do that?
Our cattle went to market
at the same time as theirs.
And with us out, they
just sell their whole lot
- without any competition.
- Mm.
My husband told me they were struggling.
I just couldn't believe
they would do that.
What happened after that?
The main water source for the
whole valley is on our property
and we would always
share with the neighbors,
But after that my husband dammed it up.
No water for their
livestock or their crops.
They were gone in three months.
Good old country justice.
We've done so many things
to hang on to this ranch,
but if you're alone at the
dinner table every night,
What's the point?
I think I am going to
go lie down for a while.
Excuse me.
Of course.
[DOOR SLAMS SHUT]
I can hear the grinding of gears.
Whatcha thinking?
I think we may be looking
at this case all wrong.
What if it's not about the
future of the Pruett ranch?
What if the motive
is buried in the past?
I got a copy of the land
records for the Pruett ranch.
Okay. What are you hoping to find?
A reason for murder.
Now, this is all the Pruett land.
Up here is the Wyatts.
Okay. And over here, the
O'Neills had 5,000 acres.
That is, until rose's husband
dammed up the water supply
and they sold their entire
property to Rose Pruett.
The Pruetts took the O'Neills'' land.
They bought it technically,
but for pennies on the dollar.
Well, if I was the O'Neills,
I'd have a hard time
burying my past with
the Pruetts after that.
If there's any O'Neills left.
I got Yates looking
into that, by the way.
[NOTIFICATION ALERT]
There she is now.
It turns out there is one O'Neill left.
Look who it is.
I need to talk to rose right now.
Let's go.
Come on, rose, pick up.
[GUN COCKS]
Damn it!
Callie's not picking up either.
[NOTIFICATION ALERT]
Listen to this. Lana's
mother died six months ago.
Lana started working for
the Pruetts right after that.
That timing can't be a coincidence.
Why wouldn't Lana tell
them that she's an O'Neill?
To get close to the family
and hurt them from the inside.
We need to find Rose.
Hello?
- Rose isn't here.
- Yeah. One of the ranch hands said
he saw Lana with rose earlier,
but he doesn't know where they went.
Me and the guys are getting a
ride out, search the pastures.
Oh, and Mike Wyatt
offered to watch the house.
He should be there.
He just got here.
Okay, look, stay where
you are, all right?
I'll call you if we find rose.
Did you know Lana,
the vet, is an O'Neill?
- Let's go.
- [HORSES WHINNY]
Lana, where are we going?
We're gonna put the past right.
Over here.
You think that this is
all because the Pruetts
- Let's check here.
- took the O'Neill land?
Maybe. But that was over 20 years ago.
If Lana wanted revenge, why
would she wait until now?
You said her mom died six months ago.
And Lana came right after that.
Well, maybe her mom
finally told her the truth.
There were rumors back in the day.
What rumors?
Come on, Ellis, pick up.
[VOICEMAIL] This is Detective
Ellis. Please leave a message.
Ellis. I know where they are.
I'm headed to the O'Neill homestead.
Get in.
Why? I don't understand.
Come on, Ellis.
This is why I need a badge and a gun.
Lana, what are we doing here?
We're here because of what you did.
What did I do to you?
You destroyed my family.
I don't know your family.
And now I'm gonna bury you on the land
that was rightfully ours.
Your land?
Who are you?
Maybe I can help.
What the hell are you doing here?
Don't suppose you'd
believe I was looking for
the little cowgirl's room.
Where's your partner?
Rustling up some backup.
It doesn't matter. There's
enough room in that grave for two.
I can tell you've gone
through a lot of trouble here.
Digging up a grave is a lot of work.
But this could kind of be like
a sisterhood of the traveling
pants kind of moment.
Not that we're gonna try on
each other's secondhand jeans
to see if one pair fits us all.
There's so much more to that
movie, but, like, family
- [GUN COCKS]
- Enough!!!
Okay, I can see family is
a touchy subject for you,
but I think you need to know
the truth before you do this.
So do I. What the hell is going on?
Rose, your husband was having
an affair with Lana's mother.
- How do you
- Because of the affair,
they had a baby girl.
You?
It's true.
He knew what you would
do if you found out.
I would kick him to the curb
with only the clothes on his back.
And that's why he lied to you
and tricked you into
driving the O'Neills away.
Mom felt so ashamed.
She kept the affair a
secret up until the end.
I didn't know anything about this, Lana.
You have to believe me.
Whoa, whoa.
Rose was lied to.
Just like you.
The Pruetts took
everything from my family.
This all should have been ours.
You forced my family to sell out to you.
My mother left with nothing,
except me in her belly.
Look, you can't turn back the clock.
And killing rose wouldn't fix anything.
I want every last Pruett
to know what it feels like
to lose your home, to lose everything.
God knows I've made a lot
of mistakes in my past.
I've hurt people.
I've betrayed those who trusted me.
But the past is the past.
Okay, please.
You gotta just move on.
Not until the Pruetts
have lost everything
like my family did.
[GUN SHOT]
Hey. You all right?
I think so.
Max.
- Max!
- Yeah. I'm here. Relax.
The reports of my death have
been greatly exaggerated.
Will do.
Thank you, Commissioner.
I just got off the phone
with commissioner Russo.
She sends her appreciation.
- Hm.
- Appreciation is nice,
But how about the
basketball hoop, thigh-master
- and the face cream?
- [ELLIS CLEARS HIS THROAT]
Okay, appreciation is good.
Nice work, you two.
Thank you, sir.
What?
What.
I thought I told you to
stay at the Pruett house.
I thought you said eek at the mouse.
I'm serious, Max. It was dangerous.
You could have been killed.
Heavens to Betsy.
Is this your passive-aggressive,
emotionally stunted way of saying
You actually care about little old me?
I'll see you around, Max.
See you, Earl.
Hey, what are you all doing here?
We wanted to say we're sorry.
And that we want to try to
make this a family again.
- [LAUGHS]
- Who's gonna tell you when ♪
That's a surprise.
We have another surprise for you.
It's too late ♪
Who's gonna tell you things? ♪
Got room for a few more stragglers.
Mike.
You can't go on ♪
Keep your eyes closed.
- No peeking.
- Nothing's wrong ♪
Okay.
Oh, no ♪
You can look now.
Who's gonna drive you home tonight. ♪
Oh, my god, is that
Yep.
From the stardust casino.
I got it before it was demolished.
And you ain't seen nothing yet, girl.
I'm not finished yet, but it's
somewhere to sleep tonight.
It's not a private
island or even a mansion,
but it is officially our humble home.
Do you like it?
You're not speaking. Why are
you not speaking? What's wrong?
It's perfect, Ricky.
Just like you.
I have one more surprise.
- There's more?
- Mm-hmm.
Okay. You've outdone yourself.
Your dad asked you to
brush up on your con skills.
I managed to get Jonathan
Ashford's video diary.
Think of it as your cliffsnotes.
It'll tell you everything
you need to know.
How did you get this?
Ricky is magic, buttercup.
Don't you know that by now?
Yeah. All too well.
All right. Video's on the laptop.
Ronni's egg rolls are on the counter.
I have a date.
Don't wait up.
Well, here we are.
I never had any intention
of doing one of these
look back on your life sort of things,
but well, it seems that
time has come, even for me.
In my line of work,
I have accomplished what
many say is the impossible.
I got out while I was still ahead,
and believe me, that sounds
a lot easier than it was.
It takes a great deal
to trust your instinct
and walk away from a sure thing
when you know it's too risky,
or to turn your back on a
person or a relationship,
Because that's even riskier.
Bottom line I never got caught.
My name is still a mystery.
My whereabouts unknown,
and I've managed to hang
on to most of the wealth
I've acquired over the years.
I made it to the finish
line, so to speak.
I won the game.
So how did I get here?
There's quite a lot to go through.
I made some notes so
as not to miss anything.
Oh, and in case you're
wondering if any of this is true,
you'll just have to take my word for it.
And you know, I do love
to have the last word,
which is perfect, because once I'm gone,
there'll be no one
left to confirm or deny.
Which raises the question,
why am I here alone?
Because, frankly, if you're as fortunate
as I was to make your
living in this business,
there will be no Rosencrantz
to your Guildenstern,
no Holmes to your Watson.
In the end,
the only person you can count
on is you, yourself, alone.
♪
Previously on Wild Cards.
You lied to me, Max.
I could be on the other
side of the world right now.
I'll give you the egg.
You keep your badge.
I stay out of jail and you can
catch your brother's killer.
That's why I need my
best people on this.
That means you.
- Thank you.
- Her too.
- What do you want?
- Six more months off my dad's sentence.
- Two weeks?
- Deal.
He's dead.
The 33 million is nothing
compared to what this can get us.
What is this?
What's this? This is
the con man's bible.
The handbook of hornswoggle.
The fundamentals of the fleet.
Yeah, I know what it
is. I've already read it.
- You gave it to me for my 16th birthday.
- Well, read it again.
You need to be focused on the long game.
I am focused.
You've gone soft, honey.
Et tu bruté?
You did give back our $33 million egg.
Okay, we need to give
it a rest, fellas, and rise up.
How can we move forward if
we keep living in the past,
- all right?
- Thanks for the insight, Dr. Phil
But are you planning
on handing anything else
- over to the cops?
- Yeah, that shirt because that's a crime.
That was uncalled for.
You're right. I was feeling
attacked, I apologize.
Darling, what we wanted to
say is We forgive you.
Well, it sure doesn't seem like it.
- But don't do it again.
- Which brings us back to the book.
- Remember who you are, kiddo.
- I hear you, pops.
So we all agree to leave the past behind
and look forward to
our very bright future.
If this keeps up, I'm going
to need a shot of insulin.
Next on the docket.
Where are you two living?
Ricky's gonna find us a place.
Which would have been far easier
on a budget of 33 million.
Sorry, I am I'll find
us something acceptable.
[NOTIFICATION ALERT]
Oh, speaking of self-sacrifices.
Hello, Chief Li. How can
I be of service today?
Of course. I would love
to do another assignment.
But for two weeks off my dad's
sentence, as we discussed.
Oh, and I want a mini basketball hoop.
- And a mini basketball hoop.
- And a thighmaster.
- And a thighmaster.
- Face cream.
And face cream.
Chief Li
- Hello.
- [CALL ENDS]
He must have cut off
or he was going through
a tunnel or something.
How's your breakfast?
Hi, there.
You need to clean out your scuppers.
- Are you talking to me?
- Yeah. Scuppers are clogged up.
My what?
The gutters that drain the excess water.
- They need to be cleaned out.
- Oh. I mean, it's fine.
The boat never leaves
the marina, so I'm good.
I used to do it for
your brother, Daniel.
Now it's your home.
Need to take care of it.
Show it some love or
it'll rot from the inside.
- I'll be by this weekend.
- I'm fine, really. It's
[PHONE RINGS]
Morning, Chief.
Are you gonna tell me what the case is?
Li didn't tell me much about it.
Well, is there a file?
Really?
Okay, can we just lay all our cards out
on the table and hash this out?
There's nothing to hash out.
Oh, there's a bunch
of hashing to be done.
What do you want me to say, Max?
I don't know, say anything.
Say that you hate me.
Say that I'm a liar.
Say that you think my
new shoes are super cute?
Thanks. I got them on sale.
But can we move past this
and back to the way we were?
We'll never go back to
the way things were, Max.
You still don't trust me, do you?
- Why should I?
- Oh, I don't know. Let me count the ways.
Did I steal the egg? Yes.
But did I return it? Of course I did.
But I also helped you
get your desk back,
handed you your brother's killer
And took the blame when
you disobeyed these orders.
But sure, feel free to hold a grudge.
All right. Fine. Look, there's
been an attempted murder
at the Pruett Ranch.
On who?
Target's name is Paul.
That's all I know.
Why all the secrecy?
Pruetts are a really private family.
They've been on their land
for a hundred years or so now,
and they carry a lot of
influence in the area.
Russo wants their endorsement for mayor.
Yeah, exactly.
Saddle up, partner.
This little bit of country
is about to get a lot more rock 'n roll.
♪
[COW MOOING]
Hi. Detective Ellis to see the Pruetts.
We didn't send for any police.
These aren't the droids
you're looking for.
Max.
- Wait here.
- Thank you.
Well, they don't seem very neighbourly.
No.
[BUZZER]
You must be Russo's detectives.
- That's us.
- I'm Rose Pruett.
Follow me.
♪
Russo didn't give us much
information about the victim.
I didn't give any.
- Why not?
- Our business is our business.
A woman with few words and
great jeans, I like that.
Okay, well, is there
anything you can give us?
Someone tried to kill Paul.
Who's Paul?
[HORSE WHINNIES]
This is Paul.
♪
Someone tried to kill your horse?
He has a name, don't you, Paul?
Someone knocked out the ranch hand
I had posted here to get to him.
Is it normal for you to post
guards in front of your stables?
No, but he's a $10 million stud.
Whoa, Nelly!
Ten million buckaroos
just for being suave.
He's a champion-breed horse.
Horses have good intuition about people.
Look, he trusts you.
You hear that? The horse trusts me.
Look, ma'am, no offense,
but isn't there some kind
of a livestock commission
that handles these cases?
That's like sending a locksmith
to deal with a bank robbery.
Okay. Fair enough.
Walk me through what happened.
My men saw the flames
from the bunkhouse,
and then a figure
running off in the dark.
Did your men chase after this figure?
Yeah, but they lost him.
They had to put out the
fire to save my horse.
Well, look, I've been to my
fair share of arson sites,
and, uh, this is not it.
- How so?
- There's no sign of an accelerant.
It's a wood barn full of hay, right?
I mean, if the point
was to burn it down,
they would have used gasoline.
The whole thing would have
been up in flames in minutes.
What, you don't agree?
I absolutely agree, but I
just stepped in something,
and I'm pretty sure it's not oatmeal.
I hope you kept the receipt.
Hey.
Oh, this is Lana, our vet.
I called her right away.
Detective Ellis, this is Max.
Did Paul sustain any injuries?
My examination isn't finished,
but aside from some mild
smoke inhalation, he's okay.
Rose, you got trouble in pasture nine.
Shane's getting into it with
Mike Wyatt, and he took his gun.
- Who's Shane?
- My son.
Cattle didn't knock
over your fence, mike.
You're telling me that's
not the Pruett brand
on those cattle?
You calling me a liar?
Where I'm standing,
it's the only explanation
that makes sense.
You take one more step, Shane,
you'll meet the business
end of a shotgun.
- [GUN SHOT]
- Hey, hey, hey, hey!
[HORSES WHINNY]
Forget the boots. I'm
going to need a rifle.
What the hell is going on?
Y'all broke down my fence so
your cattle can graze on my land.
- Mike, you know better.
- He's a liar.
He's the one who can't
build a proper fence.
And you can? You know,
calling you a cowboy
is like putting socks on a rooster.
- It don't fit.
- Oh, burn.
Okay. That's it. Shane,
get back in the car.
I bet he's the one who
tried to kill our horse.
That's a damn lie!
[WHISTLE]
My apologies. I don't have a gun yet.
- I'm working on it.
- All right, that's enough. Metro PD.
Everybody put their guns
away and go home now.
All right. I'll talk to Mike Wyatt.
You talk to rose.
See if our suspect left
behind any clues, all right?
Got it.
Partner.
Doesn't seem like there's any love lost
between you and the Pruetts.
Ah.
Everyone's out for themselves nowadays.
So it wasn't always like this.
This used to be a community
that looked out for each other.
Rose and I played together as kids.
My family would go to her house
for barbecues all the time.
So what changed?
Guess the Pruetts decided
to shut everybody out
and keep what they had for themselves.
Where were you last night, Mr. Wyatt?
Me and my men were on the road
coming back from cattle auction.
Got home this morning.
Got lots to verify that.
Send me what you have.
I'll be following up.
You know, I've been around
horse breeding my whole life.
Stud horse like that
is worth $250,000 a pop.
But if he start shooting blanks,
he's more valuable dead than alive.
What are you suggesting?
Horses like that are
insured up the wazoo.
My ranch hands chased him this way,
but lost them in the dark.
Well, can't hurt to check again.
You never know what you'll
find in the light of day.
So it's just you and your son.
My daughter Callie works the ranch, too.
My husband died almost 20 years ago.
And since then, it's
just been the three of us.
Stop!
Wait. What is that?
It's a boot print with a
scorpion carved into the heel.
Do you recognize it?
No. Everyone who works at
Pruett ranch has a P like this.
It's an old tradition.
That way, if you die off site,
they know which ranch to
send your body back to.
Gruesome but practical.
Okay.
I know one man's trash
is another man's treasure,
but what is this?
Well, this could be a horse killer.
These two found this by the fence line.
I know sometimes
ranchers use electrocution
as a way to put down animals.
- We don't do that here.
- It's horrible, and I don't agree with it,
but it's the most humane
method if they're suffering.
- What's he looking for?
- Sh. He's horse whispering.
Let me ask you something,
is Paul still an active stud horse?
- Yes.
- So he's still able to breed.
Sperm's perfectly healthy.
He's booked out for the next year.
Wow.
Take a look at you, buddy.
Huh?
You see that?
The burn mark is about
the same size as the clamp.
- What do you think, Lana?
- It could be,
but he's also got a few
minor burns from stray embers.
Someone was trying to
electrocute the horse.
The fire could have started
from a spark on the ground.
- [CAR HONKING]
- [SHANE] Mom, you here?
Excuse me.
Well, that could explain
why there was no accelerant.
Yeah, but why go
through all the trouble?
Why not just shoot the horse?
What did Mike Wyatt say?
Where was he last night?
He was out of town with his men.
But I have to ask, is Paul insured?
For 20 million he's the prime producer.
Twenty mil for getting jiggy with it?
I'm gonna need to take a
look at that insurance policy,
as well as any financial
records you have.
Why is that?
They think we tried to
electrocute our own horse
for the insurance money.
Get the hell out of here.
Look, I can come back with a warrant,
but it's going to slow things down.
Paul has a pre-existing condition.
It's a heart murmur. It's
nothing serious for a stud horse,
but you have to put it
on record for the policy.
Okay. And?
Have you ever seen an autopsy report
for a horse that dies by electrocution.
It would come back
listed as a heart attack.
Which would make your policy void.
And your family wouldn't get a dime.
So unless you think we're dumb
enough to spit in the wind,
you have to get to work
and find the real killer.
I've heard enough.
- Where are you going?
- The office.
Vendors got to be paid.
Payroll needs to ready.
This place doesn't run itself.
You know, if you want to waste
your time with them, go ahead.
Who put a snake in his boot?
Shane's just protective.
Growing up without a father,
he took it on himself to
be the man of the family.
Look, ma'am we're just trying
to do our jobs here, okay?
We have to explore every option.
It ain't my first rodeo. I can take it.
Just find out who's behind this.
What about one of your ranch hands?
Do any of them have a scorpion
on the bottom of their boot?
I don't know, but I trust
them. Same as family.
Sometimes it's the people closest to you
that take advantage of that trust.
We do have day workers coming through.
Callie is the ranch manager,
so if one of them where's that mark,
she'd know about it.
- Where is she?
- This time of day,
she's probably out at pasture five.
But you can't get
there on foot or by car.
So how?
Time to saddle up, partner.
Nope. No way.
I don't ride anything that
makes its own decisions.
That makes so much sense, you know that.
Show off.
Come on.
Grab on.
Come on.
Come on.
There you go.
Okay. Hold on tight, all right?
Okay.
Just take it slow.
- [SCREAM]
- [HORSE WHINNIES]
♪
♪
Callie Pruett?
Yeah, I heard you'd be coming.
Max, you can let go now.
I will when we stop moving.
Oh, we have?
Yeah.
I'm afraid you guys came all
the way out here for nothing.
Been sleeping with the
herd for the last month.
You don't sleep in the main house?
No. Uh, mom and Shane and me
get along a whole lot better
with a couple hundred acres between us.
Do you recognize this boot print
from any of your day workers?
Nope. But I don't check
every one of their boots.
We're gonna need a list
of names and addresses
for all the ranch hands
you currently employ.
Yeah, a lot of these guys
don't have proper addresses.
But it is Thursday night.
- So?
- It's time to brush up on your
apple jacks and corkscrews.
These ranch hands won't talk to a cop.
They'll scatter faster than a
sneeze through a screen door.
- What do you got in mind?
- I'll be a filthy rich Texas
heiress with a PhD in sass.
Call me Darlene.
Why not Jolene?
Because everybody knows Jolene
is a man-stealing home-wrecker.
But only Darlene has a
bow-legged husband named Earl.
You're my tall drink of
bitterness and seething rage.
Max, we're doing this by the book, okay?
Now, Callie said that the day workers
are going to be at the bar tonight.
So all we got to do is go there
and match the boot heel
to the one in the photo
and just keep a low profile.
Clear?
Clear as creek water in July.
Pull over at that tack shop.
Why?
Yee-haw.
Finding that boot is about
as hard as putting a
saddle on a rattlesnake.
Right, Earl?
Pony up ♪
If there's trouble ♪
We gon find it ♪
Pony up ♪
- Be right back, hon.
- What?
- Pony up ♪
- Make it rain ♪
Till that sun rises ♪
We're riding high tonight ♪
Oh, we're riding high tonight ♪
Pony up ♪
♪
Okay.
♪
Honey, do you have a map?
A map? No. Why?
Because I just got lost in your eyes.
Oh boy.
Shoo, ladies.
You're about as welcome here
as a porcupine at a nudist colony.
Pony up ♪
Don't be shy now.
Pony up ♪
What did you do?
[APPLAUSE]
I found a way to look at some boots.
All right, all right. Listen up, folks.
An anonymous patron has
just ponied up 500 buckaroos
to see who is the best line
dancer in this honky tonk.
Who's up for the challenge?
[CHEERS]
You better know how to heel-toe hustle.
By the way, can I borrow 500 buckaroos?
♪
Any man of mine ♪
Better be proud of me ♪
Even when I'm ugly ♪
He still better love me ♪
I can't be late for a date ♪
That's fine ♪
But it better be on time ♪
Any man of mine ♪
I say it fits just right ♪
When last year ♪
Just a little too tight ♪
Anything I do or say better be okay ♪
When I have a bad hair day ♪
♪
And if I change my mind ♪
A million times ♪
I want to hear him say ♪
Yeah, yeah, yeah ♪
I like it that way ♪
Any man of mine ♪
Better walk the line ♪
Better show me teasin
squeezin pleasing ♪
Kind of good time ♪
I need a man who knows ♪
How the story goes ♪
He's gotta be a ♪
breathtaking earthquaking kind ♪
Any man of mine ♪
♪
[APPLAUSE]
It's time to slow
things down now, folks.
So grab that special someone.
[SLOW TEMPO] ♪
Who's gonna tell you when ♪
It's too late? ♪
♪
Who's gonna tell you things? ♪
I didn't see any boot
heels with a scorpion on it.
Did you?
Nope.
Can't go on thinkin' ♪
You were right.
nothing's wrong ♪
I was right?
About what?
We'll never go back
to the way things were.
It's okay, 'cause. It'll
just be something new.
Who's gonna pick you up ♪
When you fall ♪
There he is.
Let's go take him down and hogtie him
like the no-good varmint he is.
No, not based off one boot print.
Certainly not in a crowd like this.
Okay, we need to isolate
him. Get him alone.
- Question him.
- Oh, okay. I got a better idea.
How about you go over there and
stand next to him at the bar?
And do what?
Just look pretty, okay? Trust me.
Go.
Go.
[APPLAUSE]
I'll take a whiskey.
Damn, partner. That looks painful.
- How'd you get that?
- You've never seen a rope burn before.
It comes from being a real cowboy.
Oh!
I've given you everything,
Earl. Best months of my life.
And all you've ever given
me is disappointment.
You're all hat and no cattle.
Yeah, well, maybe if you weren't
such a lying, cheating, no good wife,
I'd trust you more often.
You've never trusted
me, and you never will.
Oh, trusting you was the
biggest mistake I ever made.
Oh, really?
Well, how about I trust you
with one thing to get lost!
Uh with pleasure.
Anything's better than sitting
here and listening to your lies.
Good for nothing, jackass.
[LAUGHTER]
Tonight, it just feels so ♪
Ooh.
- Ooh!
- Oh.
I am tighter than bark on a log.
But you you're straight as an arrow.
You can sure hold your liquor, Darlene.
Oh, thank you kindly, Sam.
You know, Earl never says
sweet things like that to me,
but as I was saying, Earl
bought me a stud horse.
I think he's firing
blanks just like him.
You know what I mean?
[LAUGHING]
Oh, I wish there was a
way I could put him down.
And the horse, too.
Can you believe anyone would
spend $1 million on a horse?
He could have just bought me diamonds.
Is that Is that horse insured?
For more than the house.
Are you serious about this?
Dead serious.
But I'd want to do it in a humane way.
You know, I wouldn't want him to suffer,
the horse, not the husband.
[LAUGHS]
You could talk the legs
off a chair, Darlene.
You know, I do get that a lot.
I bet you do.
You know what?
I can't help you with your husband.
Oh, my achy-breaky heart.
But I could help you
with your horse problem.
Let's say $5,000.
2,500 now, the rest when it's all done.
Really?
Well, you got yourself a deal.
Oh.
Not here.
Let's uh, meet out back in 20 minutes.
Red pickup truck.
Okay.
[CHUCKLES]
Oh, hello.
♪
Okay, he said he's in a red pickup.
There it is.
Whoa, whoa, whoa. Hold on a sec.
Stay back. He could have a gun.
Looks like somebody had
a gun, but it wasn't Sam.
Yates, what do you got?
Killer didn't leave
anything but a bullet.
But forensics found electrical clamps
and car batteries in
the back of his truck.
Yeah. Just did a quick background check.
No fixed address. No next of kin.
What about his financials?
He made a cash deposit of $2,500
just before the fire at Pruett ranch.
That's the same amount
he asked for at the bar.
Which confirms that Sam was
the one hired to kill the horse.
We find out who killed Sam.
We find out who hired him.
Anyone around town know him?
Nope. He was a ghost even before
he was dragged up by the spurs
up to cowboy heaven.
Wait. Hang on. He never
worked on the ranch.
Don't know him.
Well, he's the one who
tried to kill your horse,
which for most would
be an expensive loss,
but a drop in the bucket
for you folks, I'm sure.
- What's your point?
- His point is, killing Paul only makes sense
if someone were trying to
hit you in the pocketbook.
But judging by the size of this ranch,
you guys certainly aren't hurting.
How does any of that matter?
You were brought here to find
who tried to kill our horse.
Send them home. Our
business is our business.
- [LAUGHS] What?
- What's so funny?
Our business is our business.
You hate it here, Shane.
You'd be way happier in some
corner office far from here.
Oh, says my sister, who lives
in a tent and plays cowgirl.
You think that keeps this place running?
I'm the one trying to save this ranch.
Save the ranch from what?
We gotta to tell him the truth, mom.
Callie, shut your mouth.
Enough!
The truth is, we're broke.
If the horse dies, we lose everything.
Unless we sell the ranch.
Over my dead body.
Fine.
I'm gonna go try and find a
way to make payroll this week.
Shane
And you wonder why I never come home.
We used to be so close
Like a real family.
Show yourselves out.
Boy, and I thought we had issues.
Yeah. Yikes.
Well, he's not a happy camper.
I think he's hiding something.
I agree.
Let's find out what it is.
The building you followed Shane to
doesn't belong to the Pruetts.
It's owned by Kildare Builders.
They're like the christie's
of country western real estate.
They don't touch anything
for less than eight figures.
And get this, I did some digging.
They made several offers to rose Pruett
over the past few years,
and she turned them
down every single time.
- Mm.
- Shane Pruett took two
round trip flights to
Dallas in the past month.
Guess whose head office
is in the lone star state?
Kildare Builders.
Well, we know rose won't sell,
so why is he meeting with buyers?
Because her last offer was
upwards of $200 million.
Well, I imagine for that kind of money,
you'd do anything to sell
a ranch, including murder.
And why would you want
to kill the stud horse?
Because it would have forced
rose's hand to sell the ranch.
She would have had no choice.
You think I killed someone?
The money from the ranch sale
could add up to be a lot of motive.
Where were you when Sam was killed?
I was with the Kildare CEO,
drinking scotch and eating
steaks all last night.
Why are you doing all this
behind your mom's back?
Every generation of Pruett has taught us
their responsibility to
keep the land in the family.
No matter what.
In mom's mind, selling
the ranch would mean
her life has been a total failure.
So she'd rather go down
fighting than give it up.
You ever had someone
who you loved so much,
who was so infuriating,
made your blood boil?
- Yeah.
- Oh, yeah.
- [GUN SHOT]
- [HORSE WHINNIES]
- Mom!
- Hey.
Are you okay?
Hey! Hey!
How's our patient?
She refuses to go to the hospital.
But why would she?
She only got shot once.
I'm fine.
She's lucky the bullet
just grazed her shoulder.
What are you doing?
Whoever tried to kill Paul
is out there. Not in here.
Look, my partner's
calling for backup, okay?
We're gonna post two
uniforms at your front door.
You'll do no such thing.
I have 12 ranch hands with rifles.
We haven't found him.
Ranch hands are still
scouring the perimeter.
Mom this isn't worth it.
Just sell this place
before it kills you.
Oh, yeah. You'd love that, wouldn't you?
I've been talking to Kildare.
- They upped their offer.
- You did what?
You're trying to save our legacy,
but you're going to
leave us with nothing.
- Get the hell out of here!
- Mom just
Get out! Go on!
What? You have something to say?
Yeah, I do.
But you're too stubborn to listen.
I'm gonna go check on the boys.
You can't keep running out to
that pasture when things get tough.
Someone's trying to
take our family down.
I don't see much family left, mom.
Sorry you had to hear all that.
Forget it.
Check in on you later.
Can I get you anything?
I need a drink.
Have you ever thought about
selling just a piece of your land.
People have been trying
to get their hands
on this land for over 100 years.
I'm not going to be the
first Pruett to sell out.
We're on duty. Thanks.
Speak for yourself.
Why not lease off a few
hundred acres of land
to a neighbor, like Mike Wyatt?
He doesn't even speak to us anymore.
Wyatt says you guys
used to be a community
- that looked out for each other.
- We used to be.
The Wyatts were on one side,
the O'Neill family on the other.
It didn't even seem
like there were fences.
- So what changed?
- My husband discovered
the O'Neills were poisoning our cattle.
Damn.
Yeah, it was devastating.
They were our best friends.
So why would they do that?
Our cattle went to market
at the same time as theirs.
And with us out, they
just sell their whole lot
- without any competition.
- Mm.
My husband told me they were struggling.
I just couldn't believe
they would do that.
What happened after that?
The main water source for the
whole valley is on our property
and we would always
share with the neighbors,
But after that my husband dammed it up.
No water for their
livestock or their crops.
They were gone in three months.
Good old country justice.
We've done so many things
to hang on to this ranch,
but if you're alone at the
dinner table every night,
What's the point?
I think I am going to
go lie down for a while.
Excuse me.
Of course.
[DOOR SLAMS SHUT]
I can hear the grinding of gears.
Whatcha thinking?
I think we may be looking
at this case all wrong.
What if it's not about the
future of the Pruett ranch?
What if the motive
is buried in the past?
I got a copy of the land
records for the Pruett ranch.
Okay. What are you hoping to find?
A reason for murder.
Now, this is all the Pruett land.
Up here is the Wyatts.
Okay. And over here, the
O'Neills had 5,000 acres.
That is, until rose's husband
dammed up the water supply
and they sold their entire
property to Rose Pruett.
The Pruetts took the O'Neills'' land.
They bought it technically,
but for pennies on the dollar.
Well, if I was the O'Neills,
I'd have a hard time
burying my past with
the Pruetts after that.
If there's any O'Neills left.
I got Yates looking
into that, by the way.
[NOTIFICATION ALERT]
There she is now.
It turns out there is one O'Neill left.
Look who it is.
I need to talk to rose right now.
Let's go.
Come on, rose, pick up.
[GUN COCKS]
Damn it!
Callie's not picking up either.
[NOTIFICATION ALERT]
Listen to this. Lana's
mother died six months ago.
Lana started working for
the Pruetts right after that.
That timing can't be a coincidence.
Why wouldn't Lana tell
them that she's an O'Neill?
To get close to the family
and hurt them from the inside.
We need to find Rose.
Hello?
- Rose isn't here.
- Yeah. One of the ranch hands said
he saw Lana with rose earlier,
but he doesn't know where they went.
Me and the guys are getting a
ride out, search the pastures.
Oh, and Mike Wyatt
offered to watch the house.
He should be there.
He just got here.
Okay, look, stay where
you are, all right?
I'll call you if we find rose.
Did you know Lana,
the vet, is an O'Neill?
- Let's go.
- [HORSES WHINNY]
Lana, where are we going?
We're gonna put the past right.
Over here.
You think that this is
all because the Pruetts
- Let's check here.
- took the O'Neill land?
Maybe. But that was over 20 years ago.
If Lana wanted revenge, why
would she wait until now?
You said her mom died six months ago.
And Lana came right after that.
Well, maybe her mom
finally told her the truth.
There were rumors back in the day.
What rumors?
Come on, Ellis, pick up.
[VOICEMAIL] This is Detective
Ellis. Please leave a message.
Ellis. I know where they are.
I'm headed to the O'Neill homestead.
Get in.
Why? I don't understand.
Come on, Ellis.
This is why I need a badge and a gun.
Lana, what are we doing here?
We're here because of what you did.
What did I do to you?
You destroyed my family.
I don't know your family.
And now I'm gonna bury you on the land
that was rightfully ours.
Your land?
Who are you?
Maybe I can help.
What the hell are you doing here?
Don't suppose you'd
believe I was looking for
the little cowgirl's room.
Where's your partner?
Rustling up some backup.
It doesn't matter. There's
enough room in that grave for two.
I can tell you've gone
through a lot of trouble here.
Digging up a grave is a lot of work.
But this could kind of be like
a sisterhood of the traveling
pants kind of moment.
Not that we're gonna try on
each other's secondhand jeans
to see if one pair fits us all.
There's so much more to that
movie, but, like, family
- [GUN COCKS]
- Enough!!!
Okay, I can see family is
a touchy subject for you,
but I think you need to know
the truth before you do this.
So do I. What the hell is going on?
Rose, your husband was having
an affair with Lana's mother.
- How do you
- Because of the affair,
they had a baby girl.
You?
It's true.
He knew what you would
do if you found out.
I would kick him to the curb
with only the clothes on his back.
And that's why he lied to you
and tricked you into
driving the O'Neills away.
Mom felt so ashamed.
She kept the affair a
secret up until the end.
I didn't know anything about this, Lana.
You have to believe me.
Whoa, whoa.
Rose was lied to.
Just like you.
The Pruetts took
everything from my family.
This all should have been ours.
You forced my family to sell out to you.
My mother left with nothing,
except me in her belly.
Look, you can't turn back the clock.
And killing rose wouldn't fix anything.
I want every last Pruett
to know what it feels like
to lose your home, to lose everything.
God knows I've made a lot
of mistakes in my past.
I've hurt people.
I've betrayed those who trusted me.
But the past is the past.
Okay, please.
You gotta just move on.
Not until the Pruetts
have lost everything
like my family did.
[GUN SHOT]
Hey. You all right?
I think so.
Max.
- Max!
- Yeah. I'm here. Relax.
The reports of my death have
been greatly exaggerated.
Will do.
Thank you, Commissioner.
I just got off the phone
with commissioner Russo.
She sends her appreciation.
- Hm.
- Appreciation is nice,
But how about the
basketball hoop, thigh-master
- and the face cream?
- [ELLIS CLEARS HIS THROAT]
Okay, appreciation is good.
Nice work, you two.
Thank you, sir.
What?
What.
I thought I told you to
stay at the Pruett house.
I thought you said eek at the mouse.
I'm serious, Max. It was dangerous.
You could have been killed.
Heavens to Betsy.
Is this your passive-aggressive,
emotionally stunted way of saying
You actually care about little old me?
I'll see you around, Max.
See you, Earl.
Hey, what are you all doing here?
We wanted to say we're sorry.
And that we want to try to
make this a family again.
- [LAUGHS]
- Who's gonna tell you when ♪
That's a surprise.
We have another surprise for you.
It's too late ♪
Who's gonna tell you things? ♪
Got room for a few more stragglers.
Mike.
You can't go on ♪
Keep your eyes closed.
- No peeking.
- Nothing's wrong ♪
Okay.
Oh, no ♪
You can look now.
Who's gonna drive you home tonight. ♪
Oh, my god, is that
Yep.
From the stardust casino.
I got it before it was demolished.
And you ain't seen nothing yet, girl.
I'm not finished yet, but it's
somewhere to sleep tonight.
It's not a private
island or even a mansion,
but it is officially our humble home.
Do you like it?
You're not speaking. Why are
you not speaking? What's wrong?
It's perfect, Ricky.
Just like you.
I have one more surprise.
- There's more?
- Mm-hmm.
Okay. You've outdone yourself.
Your dad asked you to
brush up on your con skills.
I managed to get Jonathan
Ashford's video diary.
Think of it as your cliffsnotes.
It'll tell you everything
you need to know.
How did you get this?
Ricky is magic, buttercup.
Don't you know that by now?
Yeah. All too well.
All right. Video's on the laptop.
Ronni's egg rolls are on the counter.
I have a date.
Don't wait up.
Well, here we are.
I never had any intention
of doing one of these
look back on your life sort of things,
but well, it seems that
time has come, even for me.
In my line of work,
I have accomplished what
many say is the impossible.
I got out while I was still ahead,
and believe me, that sounds
a lot easier than it was.
It takes a great deal
to trust your instinct
and walk away from a sure thing
when you know it's too risky,
or to turn your back on a
person or a relationship,
Because that's even riskier.
Bottom line I never got caught.
My name is still a mystery.
My whereabouts unknown,
and I've managed to hang
on to most of the wealth
I've acquired over the years.
I made it to the finish
line, so to speak.
I won the game.
So how did I get here?
There's quite a lot to go through.
I made some notes so
as not to miss anything.
Oh, and in case you're
wondering if any of this is true,
you'll just have to take my word for it.
And you know, I do love
to have the last word,
which is perfect, because once I'm gone,
there'll be no one
left to confirm or deny.
Which raises the question,
why am I here alone?
Because, frankly, if you're as fortunate
as I was to make your
living in this business,
there will be no Rosencrantz
to your Guildenstern,
no Holmes to your Watson.
In the end,
the only person you can count
on is you, yourself, alone.
♪