The Irrational (2023) s02e13 Episode Script
Murder She Rode
1
[DWIGHT YOAKAM'S "FAST AS YOU"]
- [HORSE SNORTING]
- Whoa. Easy, girl.
[UPBEAT COUNTRY MUSIC]
Morning, Jodie. Have a good ride?
Mm-hmm.
Maybe I'll be fast as you ♪
Morning, Susan. See you in a bit.
- Okay.
- [HORSE CHUFFS]
- [HORSE WHINNIES]
- Hey, buddy.
When your turn to hurt comes around ♪
Maybe I'll break hearts
and be as fast as you ♪
Ready for your ride? Hmm?
♪
There's the love of my life.
Kathleen. You're back early.
Conference was a bore. I need a ride.
Okay if I work him out?
Yeah. Just gonna grab his bridle.
- [HORSE SNORTS]
- [CHUCKLES]
[SOFT MUSIC]
[HORSE SNORTS]
♪
[HORSE SNORTS]
There's a good boy.
♪
He did great on
the vertical jumps by the way,
and the combos.
Sounds like you kept him busy.
That was the idea.
Misses you when you're gone.
I miss him too.
[HORSE SNORTS]
Muck the stall while we're out?
Yeah.
[HORSE SNORTS]
Have a good ride.
♪
[GATE HINGES CREAK]
[HORSE WHINNIES]
Whoa! Whoa! Stop! Stop! Help! Help!
- [HORSE WHINNYING]
- Kathleen?
[TENSE MUSIC]
Kathleen!
♪
- [HORSE SNORTS]
- Easy, boy.
Whoa.
We all want to believe
we're good at multitasking.
But the truth is,
our brains aren't capable
of doing multiple things at once.
Instead, we switch from task to task.
But all this constant rapid switching
actually decreases performance.
We call it task switch cost.
Studies show that optimal performance
requires singularity of focus
and that multitasking isn't
all it's cracked up to be.
Yeah?
But if I don't multitask,
I won't get everything done.
I relate.
But isn't completing fewer tasks
in an optimal way better than
doing more things less well?
Say you're right.
How do you know what to eliminate?
Now, that's a task our brains
are well-equipped to handle
thanks to executive function,
which we will talk about more next week.
Great lecture.
- Thanks.
- Wanna grab a bite?
Yeah.
Uh, would you excuse me a second?
Seb? What are you doing here?
I'm sorry to just stop by like this.
It's about the ranch.
I need your help.
[TENSE MUSIC]
[KNOCK AT DOOR]
Professor, I'd like you to meet
my friend, Sebastian Winn.
- You can call me Seb.
- Seb, pleasure.
Seb works at the horse ranch
where I used to ride as a kid.
He's the lead stable hand.
But mostly, I take care of Zeus.
I'm guessing Zeus is a horse?
He's a prize-winning stallion.
He belongs to Kathleen Kross.
A legendary Olympic jumper who
retired a few years ago.
That's when she bought
the ranch that I work at.
I've been taking care of Zeus
every day since.
He's why I'm here.
[INQUISITIVE MUSIC]
Kathleen was killed
while riding Zeus yesterday.
It seems like she was thrown,
possibly trampled.
Seems like?
No one actually saw it.
Seb wants our help finding out
what actually happened to Kathleen.
Are you thinking the horse
didn't kill her?
A horse's instinct
is to protect its rider.
Zeus has never been violent,
and he would never hurt Kathleen.
Whatever happened in that ring,
it wasn't Zeus's fault,
and I need to prove it
before it's too late.
With Kathleen gone,
ownership of Zeus falls
to her ex-husband, Jacob,
who's calling for Zeus to be euthanized.
They're saying he's a menace,
a murderer.
Finding the truth about what
happened is the only way to save him.
We have to at least try, don't we?
Please, Professor?
So you want me to prove that a horse
is not guilty of murder?
This place hasn't changed a bit.
I used to come here every afternoon.
I did my homework in the hayloft.
And after I mucked stalls
and fed and watered the horses,
then I'd saddle up and hit the trails.
Sounds like you worked here.
Nah, Phoebe was a barn rat,
not a stable hand.
What's the difference?
We go home from time to time.
What's with the dirty looks?
Clients. Upset about the
killer horse on the premises.
They're all scared of him now.
Well, that's understandable,
considering what happened.
But we don't know what happened.
Wait till you meet Zeus.
You'll see he's no killer.
Alec, Phoebe, this is Pete Kross.
Kathleen's brother.
Phoebe used to ride here.
Sorry for your loss.
Still can't believe it.
Like, how could Zeus kill Kathleen?
That's what I'm here to find out.
Leif Corbin, animal behaviorist.
Really?
Alec Mercer, human behaviorist.
We're here to help with whatever we can.
Well, thank you.
But right now, all I need
is a little time with Zeus.
I'm here to examine him.
Leif was sent by the company
who underwrites Zeus's insurance policy.
What are you examining him for?
Injury, illness,
behavioral or cognitive issues.
Any condition that
would meet the criteria.
- Criteria?
- For euthanasia.
So the insurance will pay out.
So Kathleen's ex kills Zeus
and you write him a check for it?
How much is the policy worth?
I'm just a contractor.
- I don't
- $2 million.
Kathleen told me.
Pete!
Look, I don't like it
any more than you do,
but we can't have
what happened to my sister
happen to anyone else.
So if Zeus is dangerous,
we need to know.
Excuse me.
[HORSES NEIGHING]
[ZEUS NICKERING]
Sorry to interrupt.
I couldn't resist
behavioral science applied
to the animal kingdom.
I was hoping to watch you work.
Better yet, you can lend a hand.
- He's the perfect gentleman.
- It's a trait of the breed.
Warmbloods like him are known
for their good nature.
So the sudden violent outburst,
what could cause that?
It could be anything
from physical stress
to a neurological condition.
I'll run a full battery of tests on him.
Do you think he knows?
- About Kathleen?
- He might.
There are stories of elephants
returning to the place
that they lost a loved one
almost a year to the day that they died.
Animals definitely mourn.
They're more intuitive
than they get credit for,
especially horses.
So if Pete does know
about Kathleen's death
[INHALES DEEPLY]
The real question is, does he know why?
[PENSIVE MUSIC]
♪
Come here.
Thanks for getting the
professor to agree to come here.
See why you admire him so much.
If anyone can figure it out,
it's the professor.
Glad you're in such a good place.
Even if you had to give
all this up to get there.
[TRACTOR WHIRRING]
- [TRACTOR ENGINE BACKFIRING]
- [ZEUS WHINNYING]
Professor!
Whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa.
[TENSE MUSIC]
♪
Are you okay?
It's okay. Really, look.
Something's wrong.
With Zeus? He's totally calm now.
Yeah, but the tractor shouldn't
have set him off like that.
I'd say it's a fairly typical
reaction for a sound that loud.
No, no, he's
he's used to sounds like that.
They don't bother him.
That might be typical for
other horses, but not for him.
Something's definitely wrong.
Increased sensitivity
to sound, but what caused it?
Could it be a symptom of PTSD?
Horses do experience trauma.
Maybe the trauma of Kathleen's death
is making Zeus more sensitive,
even to things he's used to.
Has anyone ridden him
since Kathleen's death?
[SUSPENSEFUL MUSIC]
Let me get his bridle.
- [ZEUS WHINNYING LOUDLY]
- Whoa!
Whoa. Easy, boy. Easy.
Whoa!
[PANTING]
Easy, easy, easy.
Seb, you gotta get out of there.
I'm not leaving him!
We gotta get this figured out!
He's reacting worse than
he did to the tractor.
- Easy, easy, easy.
- Reacting to what?
It's his head.
Can you take the bridle off?
Yeah. Easy, boy.
That's okay.
Shh, shh, shh, shh, shh.
He's completely calm.
It's like when the tractor stopped.
That has to be what's setting him off.
Is this bridle new, Seb?
No, he's worn it a million times.
Something about it's
got to be different.
Could it have been used
by a different horse?
Oh. Looks like our problem
is human in nature.
I don't know much about bridles,
but that can't be standard issue.
It's a speaker.
Many animals hear sound frequencies
outside human range
dolphins, bats, and horses.
Look at that.
This frequency is ten times
worse than a backfiring car.
And it was sounding directly
into Zeus's ears.
- So while we heard nothing
- He was being tortured.
[SOFT SOMBER MUSIC]
He was wearing that bridle
the day Kathleen was killed.
So someone put that in Zeus's bridle
to trigger a violent reaction
when she tried to ride him.
This is the reason he trampled her.
Which means that Kathleen was murdered.
And that horse was the weapon.
♪
This is what you called me for?
I called you because this
is an unincorporated county,
which makes it state jurisdiction.
And here, I thought you missed me.
- Ha.
- Tell me about the speaker.
It seems to be motion-activated.
I think it triggered
a fear response known as
the running blind effect.
Humans have it too.
When trying to avoid a threat,
we panic and make things worse.
Animals in this state
have been known
to run into electric fences,
ensnare themselves on barbed wire,
even harm their owners.
Sounds like a very elaborate
way to kill somebody, you ask me.
I don't disagree,
but in my experience
Mm, yeah, people are irrational.
I'm into it.
But I could use a hand
with all this horse stuff.
Thanks for your help.
And I hope it works out for Zeus.
- Yeah. Me too.
- Hey.
With Kathleen's death
being a murder investigation,
does that mean Zeus is off the hook?
The initial incident wasn't his fault,
but the trauma could have
permanent impact on his mental state.
I need more time to observe him
before making my recommendation.
So no get out of jail free card?
I'm afraid not.
As of now, euthanasia
is still on the table.
[SOMBER SUSPENSEFUL MUSIC]
♪
[KNOCK AT DOOR]
- Hey.
- Hey, Raina.
I hear the Tucker Johnson appeal case
is going into depositions this week.
Tomorrow, actually.
Class six felony, possession
of a firearm, multiple counts.
- I was just brushing up.
- You feel good about it?
The case was a few years ago.
I wasn't on scene,
but I was the team lead.
Deposition shouldn't be a problem.
Good. Glad to hear it.
Because the defense is gearing
up for a fight on this one.
Oh?
They've added
another attorney to the team,
pulled him in from the Detroit office.
He wants to talk to you, actually.
Well, I can talk to him
tomorrow at the deposition.
I don't think
he wants to wait that long.
He's here.
What?
- Right now?
- He's in the bullpen.
[SUSPENSEFUL MUSIC]
Special Agent Clark.
Cam
you'rethe attorney from Detroit?
I wanted to tell you myself.
Do you two know each other?
Kind of.
Might wanna mention that to the judge.
♪
You're saying
someone rigged Zeus's bridle
to kill my sister?
Why?
We were hoping you
could help us answer that.
Were you two close?
Our parents died when
we were teenagers, so,
you know, it was kind of
Kathleen and me against the world.
I work in finance now, venture capital.
But I get out to the ranch
as much as I can.
I figure Kathleen could use the hand.
I mean, God knows Jacob's no help.
Jacob. That Kathleen's husband?
Ex-husband, or soon to be.
The divorce has gone on
forever, thanks to him.
He wants everything, including Zeus.
The guy doesn't even like Zeus.
It happens all too often in divorce.
People who love each other
become vindictive.
They'll fight for something
they don't even want
just to keep the other person
from getting it.
He wanted to leave Kathleen
empty-handed to punish her.
Punish her for what?
[SIGHS]
He's just a jerk. That's all.
You want to protect your sister.
I get it.
But if this ex of hers had
some kind of grudge,
it could speak to motive.
[SUSPENSEFUL MUSIC]
It's just rumors.
But there was talk about an affair.
With a stable boy.
Do you know which stable boy?
It wasn't an affair.
We didn't start dating
until the divorce was filed.
I would never do that
and neither would Kathleen.
You really cared about her.
We were good together.
Till she ended it.
That's why I didn't tell you.
It's hard to talk about getting dumped.
Why would she end it
if things were so good?
The divorce.
She said that maybe we could
try again once it was filed.
I'm sorry, Seb.
[ENGINE REVS SOFTLY]
♪
Speak of the devil.
What's Jacob doing here?
Why don't you put Zeus away?
I'll find out what he wants.
Yeah, knowing him, it's nothing good.
[SIGHS]
Come on, Zeus.
That's the last person either
of us needs to see right now.
[CAR DOOR CLOSES]
Which one of you is the horse whisperer?
I guess that would be me, Leif Corbin.
The insurance company tells me that
you've been examining my horse.
Yes, and it's good news so far.
Great. So when are we euthanizing him?
Well, that's the good news.
You may not have to.
May not have to?
That horse killed my wife.
I want him put down.
Who are you?
This is Phoebe. She's been helping out
with the case.
Which, as you know,
is a homicide investigation.
So?
Zeus's behavior was
a result of foul play,
not an underlying condition.
I hope whoever messed with that bridle
gets brought to justice. I really do.
But it doesn't change the fact
that that horse is a killer.
Zeus has proven to be a compliant
and even-mannered animal
despite the measurable trauma
he's undergone.
I'm not convinced he meets
the criteria for euthanasia.
He trampled my wife to death!
What more criteria do you need?
[SCOFFS]
[SOFT PLAYFUL MUSIC]
That's my horse. He's stealing my horse.
Hey!
He's stealing my horse!
Maybe he's just going for a ride?
♪
- What he's
- Maybe not.
This is what I call a slow-speed chase.
[SOFT PLAYFUL MUSIC]
♪
Looks like the end of the line.
Step down off the horse.
Sorry, buddy.
Just trying to save Zeus's life.
That's touching, but taking a horse
that doesn't belong to you
is grand larceny.
♪
You thought you could just
ride off into the sunset with my horse?
He's not your horse. He hates you.
Yeah, well, the feeling is mutual.
Officer, I'd like my horse
returned to me.
You can't let him do that.
He's gonna kill him.
You know, technically,
that horse is evidence in an
ongoing murder investigation.
Who the hell are you?
Technically, I'd say that's true.
Surely the Commonwealth
would want to protect
evidence that valuable.
Zeus could be the key to the case.
You might say that
he is a material witness.
We'll go with evidence.
Let's get a trailer out here!
We're taking that evidence
into police custody.
No one touches him until
the investigation is concluded.
In the meantime, there are
some things I'd like to discuss
with you down at the station.
First thing tomorrow work for you?
Yeah.
Judge Bester, thank you for
seeing us on such short notice.
There's been a recent
development that we want to disclose.
Development?
She's my mom.
Uh
Sorry, I'm a rip the
Band-Aid off kind of person.
Good to know.
Your Honor, with the
depositions getting underway,
we wanted to make you aware
that the counsel for the defense
is also technically my son.
Technically?
- Biologically.
- I was adopted.
Grew up out-of-state, had no contact,
but then recently,
I looked her up and we met for
the first time two weeks ago.
And now you're facing off
on a federal appeals case.
You know,
now that you say that,
I can see a resemblance.
[SOFT MUSIC]
The fact of your biological connection
does not pose an
inherent conflict, in my view.
Do you feel you can remain objective
despite your newfound relationship?
Uh, I do.
- Yes, Your Honor.
- Great.
Because I would prefer
not to delay this case.
Let's move forward.
The divorce was getting ugly.
Maybe you didn't like
how long things were taking
and decided to speed things up,
make sure you got everything you wanted.
I didn't need to kill my wife
to get what I wanted.
I would have beat her
no matter how long it took.
He definitely has
a win at all costs mindset.
He also still refers
to Kathleen as his wife.
Divorce wasn't final, I guess.
Maybe he didn't want it to be.
Maybe he was dragging out the divorce
as a way to stay close to Kathleen.
Why would he do that?
Letting go of a marriage
can be harder than it seems.
You think he still loves her?
It's possible.
That doesn't mean he didn't kill her.
Let's talk about the horse.
You seem very determined
to put him down.
He's dangerous.
He became dangerous,
but only after someone
tampered with his bridle.
And you think that someone is me?
As co-owner of the ranch,
you had easy access to his equipment.
A lot of people had access.
Anyone could have rigged that bridle.
Only you had the insurance policy.
That horse gets put down
for violent behavior,
and you're $2 million richer.
That's nothing.
Zeus can easily make that
much money with his stud fees.
Stud fees?
Yeah, stud fees.
A purebred stallion
with hisOlympic record?
Are you kidding me?
That horse's semen is liquid gold!
Is that why you wanted Zeus
in the divorce settlement?
He ruined my marriage.
Figured he owed me.
But now that thing could someone else,
and I don't need the headache.
Tell me about this stud fee business.
How does it work?
Kathleen ran the day-to-day.
Sure her sperm broker
has all the details.
Did you just say "sperm broker"?
Look, I'll give you her number.
Give her a call.
She'll explain everything,
including how much that horse
is worth to me alive.
[ELEVATOR BELL RINGS]
It was worthless.
I've never seen a stud fee lose
value the way Zeus has had.
Jacob made it sound like the
stud fee business was booming.
Emphasis on "was."
With the divorce, I'm guessing Kathleen
wasn't too concerned
with keeping him in the loop.
Can you explain this whole
sperm broker thing?
I prefer siring agent.
A veterinarian procures
the stallion specimen,
which we call straws.
I collect those straws
on behalf of clients
looking to breed their mares.
The mares get inseminated,
I get a commission, and eventually,
you get a baby horse.
How long you been working with Kathleen?
Over ten years. We had a good run.
Zeus was my most valuable stud.
So what changed?
People's mares stopped getting pregnant.
Some kind of fertility problem?
Fertility can decline over time,
but this was something else.
All of the samples were bad.
Not a single good sample.
Batch after batch.
- What did Kathleen say?
- Nothing.
Clients were blowing up my phone.
There were even threats.
Kathleen just said
give me a couple months.
Is that typical of her,
putting off clients like that?
I chalked it up to the divorce.
She wasn't herself.
But clients pay upwards
of 12 grand a straw.
They wanted answers,
and Dr. Kelley wouldn't deal with me.
Dr. Kelley. That the veterinarian?
I was desperate.
I mean, it's my reputation too.
Your reputation
and your pocketbook, right?
Given the commission fees.
[CHUCKLES]
It's true. My bottom line took a hit.
But Kathleen's death
wouldn't have fixed that.
I needed her to make things
right with the clients.
The longer they waited for
answers, the angrier they got.
Do you have a number
for this Dr. Kelley?
Yeah.
I wanna know what's
wrong with that horse.
And if one of Kathleen's clients
was angry enough to kill her over it.
[SUSPENSEFUL MUSIC]
[HORSE WHINNYING]
Thanks for making the call.
It seems like Dr. Kelley's
schedule is so stacked,
she wouldn't have been able
to see us so fast otherwise.
The horse world here
is small but inundated.
Happy to help any way I can.
And if it's not too much,
I'd love to stick around.
Really?
Animals, I get.
But humans still stump me.
[DOOR OPENS]
Dr. Kelley.
Please, call me Janet.
Janet.
I heard about what happened.
How can I help?
[INQUISITIVE MUSIC]
Can somebody tell me
what I'm looking at?
This is Sheila.
She helps to collect samples
from our prize-winning stallions.
And she's successful every time.
Uh, so a sex doll for horses?
Just when you think
you've seen it all, right?
[CHUCKLES]
We spoke to Zeus's siring agent.
We're trying to figure out
what's wrong with Zeus's samples.
Nothing.
Bianca said his recent
batches were all nonviable.
After collection,
the first thing we do
is check for viability.
It's procedure.
We don't hand it off to the
agents unless it's viable.
So whatever happened to those samples
happened after they left this office.
[PHONE BUZZES]
Excuse me.
Hey, Brown. Perfect timing.
Dr. Kelley says that Zeus's
samples were originally good,
so something made them all nonviable.
Not all of them.
I have something you need to see.
I'll be right there.
Her name is Mariposa.
Owner says she's four months pregnant.
With Zeus's offspring?
He's got the paperwork to prove it.
It's obvious Zeus
can produce healthy samples.
So why did this horse get
pregnant, but the rest didn't?
Someone tampered with the other straws.
But only Kathleen and Bianca had access.
They had no incentive
to ruin those samples.
I'm not so sure about that.
Kathleen told Bianca
to hold off her clients
for a couple of months.
Maybe she was
sabotaging her own business
in case Jacob got custody of Zeus.
Who would have run their
own business into the ground?
Someone desperate to keep
their opponent from winning.
It's a cynical plan, but it makes sense
given how ugly the divorce was.
There's a chance
she would have gotten Zeus.
What then?
You blame it on bad storage.
Motivated reasoning.
It means that people
will believe a bad excuse
if it fits their narrative.
As long as Kathleen
provided the clients with new,
viable samples,
she'd be back in business.
Well, looks like someone beat her to it.
[SOFT SUSPENSEFUL MUSIC]
Bianca had another viable supply.
Then why didn't she tell us about it?
Mm.
Mr. Kross?
The professor's out.
Can I help you?
You can start by explaining
why a college professor
has so much pull
with the Virginia State Police.
My horse is still in custody.
I think it's just part
of the investigation.
Well, this "investigation"
is none of his damn business.
We don't want to see Zeus destroyed
just so that you can say you won.
- Oh, I'll win.
- You might.
If it's that important to you.
[SCOFFS] What the hell
is that supposed to mean?
I've been trying to figure
out who you remind me of.
And the funny thing is
I think it's me.
At least a part of me.
You know, one of the reasons
I gave up riding was
I wasn't the best.
I didn't win a whole lot
of ribbons or medals.
And if you don't win, what's the point?
Exactly.
I was wrong, though.
I might have won other things,
but I gave up something I really loved.
So I guess I'm the one who lost.
Does this have a point?
This battle over Zeus
[SOFT DRAMATIC MUSIC]
Is winning really going to make
up for everything you lost?
♪
Tell the professor
I stopped by, will you?
I want my horse out of horse jail.
♪
Special Agent Clark, as you know,
we're here on behalf
of the Tucker Johnson case.
Can you confirm you were
the lead agent in charge?
I was.
What happened July 17th, 2020?
There was a shooting
in Columbia Heights,
a drug bust gone wrong.
We suspected that the assailant
was still in the area,
so we used geofence data
to locate every tech device nearby.
Which led you to my client,
a man who was simply riding his
bike by the scene of the crime
when you pulled the data.
2:00 a.m. is an odd time
to go for a bike ride.
And your client had a record,
a steep one at that.
What happened next?
We presented our case to a judge.
We secured a warrant
to search your client's house.
And that is when we found a safe
full of his grandfather's guns.
All of which were antiques
and none of which
matched the murder weapon.
There is nothing
tying my client to this case,
and still, your team insisted
on searching the safe.
Your client has a felony on his record.
And it is illegal
for him to have a firearm.
Sure.
But legally, the warrant you ordered
only allows you to search the house
and anything in plain sight.
The safe was a gray area.
They should have waited for
another warrant to be issued.
It was a judgment call
that was made in the moment.
My client is now dealing
with multiple gun charges,
all of which will put him away
for the rest of his life.
All because what?
He owned a phone and had
a few prior charges?
Does that sound fair to you,
Agent Clark?
[SOFT TENSE MUSIC]
♪
Someone else has samples from Zeus?
Alec and Detective Brown
spoke to a client
with a very pregnant mare.
He went through Bianca, too,
so either she kept a stockpile
- to herself
- Or she has another supplier.
Yeah, but how could someone
get samples from Zeus
without Kathleen knowing?
They'd have to go
through a different vet,
but it's possible.
A lot of people go in and out
of that barn.
I'm sorry I dragged you into this.
[SOFT SOMBER MUSIC]
Hey, that's not fair.
Some of my favorite memories
are on that ranch.
Like when my mom first brought
me there when I was seven.
She's the one who taught you
how to ride, right?
My mom wasn't a perfect
person by any means, but
when we rode together, it was perfect.
That ranch means a lot to me too.
Thank you.
Though I don't know what any
of it means without Kathleen.
Should have been me riding him that day.
What do you mean?
She came back from her trip early.
I was getting ready to
take Zeus out for his ride,
but she wanted to take him.
So if Kathleen wasn't
supposed to be there
[TENSE MUSIC]
Why is she dead?
So it might not have even
been about Kathleen at all.
Or whoever did it knew she
was coming back early somehow.
Seb asked for my help,
and so far all I've done
is make things worse.
You're doing everything you can.
I feel like I'm letting everyone down.
Seb, Zeus, the ranch.
The place means a lot
to you, doesn't it?
I mean, it used to. Yeah.
- So why'd you stop riding?
- It's complicated.
Anyway, we have to find
the other supplier
with the viable samples from Zeus.
Did Seb have any idea who it could be?
No, but we should look up
other veterinarians in the area.
And the professor
and Detective Brown are
going to go talk to Bianca right now.
- [PHONE BUZZES]
- With a warrant.
It's the professor.
[DRAMATIC MUSIC]
Bianca's dead.
[SIRENS WAILING]
[INDISTINCT RADIO CHATTER]
[ELEVATOR BELL RINGS]
What happened?
Brown's inside.
We arrived an hour too late.
[SOFT SUSPENSEFUL MUSIC]
♪
Bianca was shot right there,
in the back of the head.
That's all I know right now.
CSI techs are wrapping up.
Looks like they took her cash
but left her diamond jewelry.
If you ask me, this was no robbery.
It was a hit.
Why kill a sperm broker?
If she was secretly working
with this other supplier,
I'm thinking he was paying her
to keep the arrangement secret.
Then we came knocking.
Maybe she panicked.
You think she told
the supplier she wanted out.
Wanted out or wanted more money.
Whatever it was, looked like
they didn't come to an agreement.
Point-blank killing, sloppy cover-up.
Whoever did this saw Bianca as
a threat to their bottom line.
Which was significant,
thanks to artificial scarcity.
The temporary shortage caused
by Kathleen's bad samples
drove up the price of the good samples.
The supplier is taking
advantage of that.
But if the shortage were permanent,
it would drive the prices up
even higher.
Seb said Kathleen was
supposed to be out of town.
No one could have known
she'd be riding Zeus
the day she died.
Meaning whoever rigged the bridle
was trying to kill someone else.
Maybe Kathleen's ex was trying
to take out the stable boy.
Yeah, but any one of those stable hands
could have put the bridle
on Zeus at any time.
He couldn't have known who'd be killed.
He didn't.
I don't think Zeus
was the murder weapon.
He was the target.
No more horse, no more
samples equals big money.
I get the theory.
Take a look at this.
Bianca's delivery log.
Zeus's samples were dropped
to her four times last week,
all certified by a Dr. Azeb,
not Dr. Kelley.
And they were delivered by
someone other than Kathleen,
but on the signature line,
it's just an X.
Bianca was keeping
their identity a secret.
She was in on the scheme.
Until they turned on her.
It's a huge leap, though.
How does a person
go from putting a speaker
into a horse's bridle one day
to shooting a person
in the head the next?
[LOGBOOK CLOSES]
I have an idea.
[SUSPENSEFUL MUSIC]
♪
Okay, now, I'm here late because
upgrading antivirus software
takes forever.
What's your excuse?
I cannot stop going over
this deposition.
Well, how did it go today?
Well, I thought it was
an open-and-shut case.
But I get why Cam is
questioning this warrant.
Even if it holds up in court,
it is definitely a gray area.
Well, isn't that a good thing?
I mean, now you know what to do.
I wish I did.
I can't just throw my team
under the bus.
They had good intentions.
They're grown.
They'll survive.
Hey.
What's really going on?
[SOFT DRAMATIC MUSIC]
You should have seen the way
that he looked at me.
It wasn't this case
that he was analyzing.
It was me.
He's trying to see what
kind of person I am.
What if he thinks
I'm some kind of monster?
You're human, Marisa.
Yes, even you.
People make mistakes.
It's inevitable.
But what you do to make it right
That's what counts.
So we ran with your idea like you asked
and checked the psychology of
people going deeper into debt
using the stock market.
We worried that the
abstract nature of the market
might reduce the effects.
But that definitely wasn't the case.
So we gave each student money
to invest in the stock market.
But being the evil geniuses that we are,
we manipulated how
those stocks performed,
which led to three different outcomes.
The first group made money.
The second group broke even.
And the third and
final group lost everything.
The students who were in
the red weren't very pleased,
but then we offered all three
groups a super high-risk IPO.
Just so you know,
this is an unproven stock.
It's super-risky, but it
could have a lot of upside.
And guess what happened?
The only students
willing to take the gamble
were the ones who lost
everything in the first round.
They were the most desperate to win.
Based on what we know about the killer,
I think he falls into
the third category,
making him more inclined
to take reckless,
high-risk actions
to get back in the black.
Good work, you two.
And I think you're right.
Bianca's murder proves that our killer
is getting desperate and sloppy.
Sounds like the human equivalent
to the running blind effect.
Nice.
If our killer has gone this far,
they still wanna take Zeus out,
which creates an opportunity for us.
How? Zeus is in police custody.
Well, maybe it's time to bail him out.
And make sure everybody
on the ranch hears about it.
[SUSPENSEFUL MUSIC]
♪
[DOOR HINGES CREAK]
♪
[TENSE MUSIC]
♪
[SUPPRESSED GUNSHOTS]
- Drop the weapon!
- Drop it! Hands up!
Hands up! Hands!
Hook him.
It's her brother.
Up against the wall.
- You're under arrest, Pete.
- [PANTING]
We have one in custody.
I never meant for this to happen.
I swear.
I believe you. But like you said,
you're a venture capitalist.
You love scouting market opportunities,
and this was too good to pass up.
Especially given how business
was going for you.
You were dead broke.
Your sister was sitting on a gold mine.
It just meant that Zeus had to die.
It's not like that.
Of course it was.
And Kathleen and Bianca
were unforeseen roadblocks
to get rid of.
Even your own sister.
She wasn't supposed to die,
but I had to finish what I started.
That's the problem with
an all-or-nothing mentality.
In the effort to get it all,
you wound up with nothing.
- Watch your head.
- Wait, please.
Please, please. You don't understand!
Please!
[CAR DOOR SLAMS]
Next time, no horses.
No promises.
[SOFT UPBEAT MUSIC]
[CHUCKLES]
♪
Oh.
Your Honor.
You wanted to see me?
I didn't call this meeting.
Agent Clark did.
My priority will always
be the safety of our public.
That's why my team
searched your client's house.
But after reviewing
the case files, I have to say
your defense holds.
We should never have
searched your client's safe
under those circumstances.
I have spoken to my superiors
and they agree.
The FBI is going to drop all
charges against your client.
Seriously?
So long as he surrenders all weapons.
Absolutely he, uh he will.
So the FBI isn't contesting the appeal?
No, we are not.
All right, then. Case dismissed.
Marisa, what you did
back there, it was amazing.
I just hope you didn't
throw the case because of me.
No, I didn't.
The fact is, you were right.
Part of my job is
shedding light on the truth,
no matter how uncomfortable that may be.
Yeah, I, uh I knew
that's where I got it from.
[CHUCKLES]
You don't know
how relieved I am to hear that.
[SIGHS]
But honestly, Cam, there's still so much
that we don't know about each other.
I know, I know. And I don't
want to be strangers anymore.
I guess next time,
I actually want there
to be a conflict of interest.
Me too.
Listen, I leave for Michigan tomorrow,
but I come back next week.
You want to grab dinner?
I would love that.
[BOTH CHUCKLE]
[SIGHS]
[ZEUS NICKERING]
So Zeus officially
doesn't meet the criteria
for euthanasia?
I shot the paperwork over this morning.
Case is closed.
It was a pleasure.
You hear that, buddy? You're safe now.
[ZEUS WHINNIES]
Seb.
And the day keeps getting better.
Woke up this morning to Brown
telling me the state was
dropping the charges.
Zeus and I are officially home.
Thank you for everything.
Seriously, what you and Phoebe
did means the world to me.
[CAR DOOR CLOSES]
I already submitted
my evaluation to the company.
No one is touching that horse.
That's not why I'm here, I swear.
Look, when it came to Kathleen,
I was so mad about losing her
that, uh, all I wanted was
to win the divorce.
I guess I was just angry,
looking for someone to blame.
I, uh I dropped the civil charges.
The whole thing was ridiculous
to begin with.
I thought you should know.
What's gonna happen to Zeus?
It's clear he's not a liability, and
the horse still makes me money,
so I'm gonna leave him here for now.
It sounds like you're going
to need a dedicated caretaker.
And no one knows this ranch
or this horse better than Seb.
It's true.
I love this guy.
Well, so long as you don't
go ride off into the sunset
I'm okay with that.
[SOFT MUSIC]
I'll be in touch, then.
[ZEUS NICKERING]
♪
There's something on your mind.
Riding was my whole life.
It was the best thing my mom
and I did together, and
and being here brings up old memories.
I can imagine.
I never meant
to leave this place behind.
After she died, I just
threw myself into my studies.
Convinced myself I wasn't
going to be a pro rider,
so I might as well
focus solely on my degree.
Optimal performance due
to singularity of focus.
I read your lecture notes.
It's a compelling argument.
I thought I was doing it
so I could succeed.
And I guess a part of me was.
But now I think I was just scared.
Scared? Scared of what?
Of missing my mom
more than I already do.
That's the thing about ego protection.
In an effort to protect
you from the pain,
you miss out on the joy.
I don't regret how much I sacrificed
to get to where I am.
Of course not. And you shouldn't.
But maybe there's room for
the things that make you happy.
Even if they make you a little sad, too,
I think being human means
embracing the complexity of both.
[JON BATISTE'S "BUTTERFLY"]
So what do you say?
♪
Maybe it's time to get back
in the saddle?
Butterfly all alone ♪
♪
But can you fly on your own? ♪
♪
Take your place in the world today ♪
♪
Butterfly flying home ♪
[SUSPENSEFUL MUSIC]
♪
[DWIGHT YOAKAM'S "FAST AS YOU"]
- [HORSE SNORTING]
- Whoa. Easy, girl.
[UPBEAT COUNTRY MUSIC]
Morning, Jodie. Have a good ride?
Mm-hmm.
Maybe I'll be fast as you ♪
Morning, Susan. See you in a bit.
- Okay.
- [HORSE CHUFFS]
- [HORSE WHINNIES]
- Hey, buddy.
When your turn to hurt comes around ♪
Maybe I'll break hearts
and be as fast as you ♪
Ready for your ride? Hmm?
♪
There's the love of my life.
Kathleen. You're back early.
Conference was a bore. I need a ride.
Okay if I work him out?
Yeah. Just gonna grab his bridle.
- [HORSE SNORTS]
- [CHUCKLES]
[SOFT MUSIC]
[HORSE SNORTS]
♪
[HORSE SNORTS]
There's a good boy.
♪
He did great on
the vertical jumps by the way,
and the combos.
Sounds like you kept him busy.
That was the idea.
Misses you when you're gone.
I miss him too.
[HORSE SNORTS]
Muck the stall while we're out?
Yeah.
[HORSE SNORTS]
Have a good ride.
♪
[GATE HINGES CREAK]
[HORSE WHINNIES]
Whoa! Whoa! Stop! Stop! Help! Help!
- [HORSE WHINNYING]
- Kathleen?
[TENSE MUSIC]
Kathleen!
♪
- [HORSE SNORTS]
- Easy, boy.
Whoa.
We all want to believe
we're good at multitasking.
But the truth is,
our brains aren't capable
of doing multiple things at once.
Instead, we switch from task to task.
But all this constant rapid switching
actually decreases performance.
We call it task switch cost.
Studies show that optimal performance
requires singularity of focus
and that multitasking isn't
all it's cracked up to be.
Yeah?
But if I don't multitask,
I won't get everything done.
I relate.
But isn't completing fewer tasks
in an optimal way better than
doing more things less well?
Say you're right.
How do you know what to eliminate?
Now, that's a task our brains
are well-equipped to handle
thanks to executive function,
which we will talk about more next week.
Great lecture.
- Thanks.
- Wanna grab a bite?
Yeah.
Uh, would you excuse me a second?
Seb? What are you doing here?
I'm sorry to just stop by like this.
It's about the ranch.
I need your help.
[TENSE MUSIC]
[KNOCK AT DOOR]
Professor, I'd like you to meet
my friend, Sebastian Winn.
- You can call me Seb.
- Seb, pleasure.
Seb works at the horse ranch
where I used to ride as a kid.
He's the lead stable hand.
But mostly, I take care of Zeus.
I'm guessing Zeus is a horse?
He's a prize-winning stallion.
He belongs to Kathleen Kross.
A legendary Olympic jumper who
retired a few years ago.
That's when she bought
the ranch that I work at.
I've been taking care of Zeus
every day since.
He's why I'm here.
[INQUISITIVE MUSIC]
Kathleen was killed
while riding Zeus yesterday.
It seems like she was thrown,
possibly trampled.
Seems like?
No one actually saw it.
Seb wants our help finding out
what actually happened to Kathleen.
Are you thinking the horse
didn't kill her?
A horse's instinct
is to protect its rider.
Zeus has never been violent,
and he would never hurt Kathleen.
Whatever happened in that ring,
it wasn't Zeus's fault,
and I need to prove it
before it's too late.
With Kathleen gone,
ownership of Zeus falls
to her ex-husband, Jacob,
who's calling for Zeus to be euthanized.
They're saying he's a menace,
a murderer.
Finding the truth about what
happened is the only way to save him.
We have to at least try, don't we?
Please, Professor?
So you want me to prove that a horse
is not guilty of murder?
This place hasn't changed a bit.
I used to come here every afternoon.
I did my homework in the hayloft.
And after I mucked stalls
and fed and watered the horses,
then I'd saddle up and hit the trails.
Sounds like you worked here.
Nah, Phoebe was a barn rat,
not a stable hand.
What's the difference?
We go home from time to time.
What's with the dirty looks?
Clients. Upset about the
killer horse on the premises.
They're all scared of him now.
Well, that's understandable,
considering what happened.
But we don't know what happened.
Wait till you meet Zeus.
You'll see he's no killer.
Alec, Phoebe, this is Pete Kross.
Kathleen's brother.
Phoebe used to ride here.
Sorry for your loss.
Still can't believe it.
Like, how could Zeus kill Kathleen?
That's what I'm here to find out.
Leif Corbin, animal behaviorist.
Really?
Alec Mercer, human behaviorist.
We're here to help with whatever we can.
Well, thank you.
But right now, all I need
is a little time with Zeus.
I'm here to examine him.
Leif was sent by the company
who underwrites Zeus's insurance policy.
What are you examining him for?
Injury, illness,
behavioral or cognitive issues.
Any condition that
would meet the criteria.
- Criteria?
- For euthanasia.
So the insurance will pay out.
So Kathleen's ex kills Zeus
and you write him a check for it?
How much is the policy worth?
I'm just a contractor.
- I don't
- $2 million.
Kathleen told me.
Pete!
Look, I don't like it
any more than you do,
but we can't have
what happened to my sister
happen to anyone else.
So if Zeus is dangerous,
we need to know.
Excuse me.
[HORSES NEIGHING]
[ZEUS NICKERING]
Sorry to interrupt.
I couldn't resist
behavioral science applied
to the animal kingdom.
I was hoping to watch you work.
Better yet, you can lend a hand.
- He's the perfect gentleman.
- It's a trait of the breed.
Warmbloods like him are known
for their good nature.
So the sudden violent outburst,
what could cause that?
It could be anything
from physical stress
to a neurological condition.
I'll run a full battery of tests on him.
Do you think he knows?
- About Kathleen?
- He might.
There are stories of elephants
returning to the place
that they lost a loved one
almost a year to the day that they died.
Animals definitely mourn.
They're more intuitive
than they get credit for,
especially horses.
So if Pete does know
about Kathleen's death
[INHALES DEEPLY]
The real question is, does he know why?
[PENSIVE MUSIC]
♪
Come here.
Thanks for getting the
professor to agree to come here.
See why you admire him so much.
If anyone can figure it out,
it's the professor.
Glad you're in such a good place.
Even if you had to give
all this up to get there.
[TRACTOR WHIRRING]
- [TRACTOR ENGINE BACKFIRING]
- [ZEUS WHINNYING]
Professor!
Whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa.
[TENSE MUSIC]
♪
Are you okay?
It's okay. Really, look.
Something's wrong.
With Zeus? He's totally calm now.
Yeah, but the tractor shouldn't
have set him off like that.
I'd say it's a fairly typical
reaction for a sound that loud.
No, no, he's
he's used to sounds like that.
They don't bother him.
That might be typical for
other horses, but not for him.
Something's definitely wrong.
Increased sensitivity
to sound, but what caused it?
Could it be a symptom of PTSD?
Horses do experience trauma.
Maybe the trauma of Kathleen's death
is making Zeus more sensitive,
even to things he's used to.
Has anyone ridden him
since Kathleen's death?
[SUSPENSEFUL MUSIC]
Let me get his bridle.
- [ZEUS WHINNYING LOUDLY]
- Whoa!
Whoa. Easy, boy. Easy.
Whoa!
[PANTING]
Easy, easy, easy.
Seb, you gotta get out of there.
I'm not leaving him!
We gotta get this figured out!
He's reacting worse than
he did to the tractor.
- Easy, easy, easy.
- Reacting to what?
It's his head.
Can you take the bridle off?
Yeah. Easy, boy.
That's okay.
Shh, shh, shh, shh, shh.
He's completely calm.
It's like when the tractor stopped.
That has to be what's setting him off.
Is this bridle new, Seb?
No, he's worn it a million times.
Something about it's
got to be different.
Could it have been used
by a different horse?
Oh. Looks like our problem
is human in nature.
I don't know much about bridles,
but that can't be standard issue.
It's a speaker.
Many animals hear sound frequencies
outside human range
dolphins, bats, and horses.
Look at that.
This frequency is ten times
worse than a backfiring car.
And it was sounding directly
into Zeus's ears.
- So while we heard nothing
- He was being tortured.
[SOFT SOMBER MUSIC]
He was wearing that bridle
the day Kathleen was killed.
So someone put that in Zeus's bridle
to trigger a violent reaction
when she tried to ride him.
This is the reason he trampled her.
Which means that Kathleen was murdered.
And that horse was the weapon.
♪
This is what you called me for?
I called you because this
is an unincorporated county,
which makes it state jurisdiction.
And here, I thought you missed me.
- Ha.
- Tell me about the speaker.
It seems to be motion-activated.
I think it triggered
a fear response known as
the running blind effect.
Humans have it too.
When trying to avoid a threat,
we panic and make things worse.
Animals in this state
have been known
to run into electric fences,
ensnare themselves on barbed wire,
even harm their owners.
Sounds like a very elaborate
way to kill somebody, you ask me.
I don't disagree,
but in my experience
Mm, yeah, people are irrational.
I'm into it.
But I could use a hand
with all this horse stuff.
Thanks for your help.
And I hope it works out for Zeus.
- Yeah. Me too.
- Hey.
With Kathleen's death
being a murder investigation,
does that mean Zeus is off the hook?
The initial incident wasn't his fault,
but the trauma could have
permanent impact on his mental state.
I need more time to observe him
before making my recommendation.
So no get out of jail free card?
I'm afraid not.
As of now, euthanasia
is still on the table.
[SOMBER SUSPENSEFUL MUSIC]
♪
[KNOCK AT DOOR]
- Hey.
- Hey, Raina.
I hear the Tucker Johnson appeal case
is going into depositions this week.
Tomorrow, actually.
Class six felony, possession
of a firearm, multiple counts.
- I was just brushing up.
- You feel good about it?
The case was a few years ago.
I wasn't on scene,
but I was the team lead.
Deposition shouldn't be a problem.
Good. Glad to hear it.
Because the defense is gearing
up for a fight on this one.
Oh?
They've added
another attorney to the team,
pulled him in from the Detroit office.
He wants to talk to you, actually.
Well, I can talk to him
tomorrow at the deposition.
I don't think
he wants to wait that long.
He's here.
What?
- Right now?
- He's in the bullpen.
[SUSPENSEFUL MUSIC]
Special Agent Clark.
Cam
you'rethe attorney from Detroit?
I wanted to tell you myself.
Do you two know each other?
Kind of.
Might wanna mention that to the judge.
♪
You're saying
someone rigged Zeus's bridle
to kill my sister?
Why?
We were hoping you
could help us answer that.
Were you two close?
Our parents died when
we were teenagers, so,
you know, it was kind of
Kathleen and me against the world.
I work in finance now, venture capital.
But I get out to the ranch
as much as I can.
I figure Kathleen could use the hand.
I mean, God knows Jacob's no help.
Jacob. That Kathleen's husband?
Ex-husband, or soon to be.
The divorce has gone on
forever, thanks to him.
He wants everything, including Zeus.
The guy doesn't even like Zeus.
It happens all too often in divorce.
People who love each other
become vindictive.
They'll fight for something
they don't even want
just to keep the other person
from getting it.
He wanted to leave Kathleen
empty-handed to punish her.
Punish her for what?
[SIGHS]
He's just a jerk. That's all.
You want to protect your sister.
I get it.
But if this ex of hers had
some kind of grudge,
it could speak to motive.
[SUSPENSEFUL MUSIC]
It's just rumors.
But there was talk about an affair.
With a stable boy.
Do you know which stable boy?
It wasn't an affair.
We didn't start dating
until the divorce was filed.
I would never do that
and neither would Kathleen.
You really cared about her.
We were good together.
Till she ended it.
That's why I didn't tell you.
It's hard to talk about getting dumped.
Why would she end it
if things were so good?
The divorce.
She said that maybe we could
try again once it was filed.
I'm sorry, Seb.
[ENGINE REVS SOFTLY]
♪
Speak of the devil.
What's Jacob doing here?
Why don't you put Zeus away?
I'll find out what he wants.
Yeah, knowing him, it's nothing good.
[SIGHS]
Come on, Zeus.
That's the last person either
of us needs to see right now.
[CAR DOOR CLOSES]
Which one of you is the horse whisperer?
I guess that would be me, Leif Corbin.
The insurance company tells me that
you've been examining my horse.
Yes, and it's good news so far.
Great. So when are we euthanizing him?
Well, that's the good news.
You may not have to.
May not have to?
That horse killed my wife.
I want him put down.
Who are you?
This is Phoebe. She's been helping out
with the case.
Which, as you know,
is a homicide investigation.
So?
Zeus's behavior was
a result of foul play,
not an underlying condition.
I hope whoever messed with that bridle
gets brought to justice. I really do.
But it doesn't change the fact
that that horse is a killer.
Zeus has proven to be a compliant
and even-mannered animal
despite the measurable trauma
he's undergone.
I'm not convinced he meets
the criteria for euthanasia.
He trampled my wife to death!
What more criteria do you need?
[SCOFFS]
[SOFT PLAYFUL MUSIC]
That's my horse. He's stealing my horse.
Hey!
He's stealing my horse!
Maybe he's just going for a ride?
♪
- What he's
- Maybe not.
This is what I call a slow-speed chase.
[SOFT PLAYFUL MUSIC]
♪
Looks like the end of the line.
Step down off the horse.
Sorry, buddy.
Just trying to save Zeus's life.
That's touching, but taking a horse
that doesn't belong to you
is grand larceny.
♪
You thought you could just
ride off into the sunset with my horse?
He's not your horse. He hates you.
Yeah, well, the feeling is mutual.
Officer, I'd like my horse
returned to me.
You can't let him do that.
He's gonna kill him.
You know, technically,
that horse is evidence in an
ongoing murder investigation.
Who the hell are you?
Technically, I'd say that's true.
Surely the Commonwealth
would want to protect
evidence that valuable.
Zeus could be the key to the case.
You might say that
he is a material witness.
We'll go with evidence.
Let's get a trailer out here!
We're taking that evidence
into police custody.
No one touches him until
the investigation is concluded.
In the meantime, there are
some things I'd like to discuss
with you down at the station.
First thing tomorrow work for you?
Yeah.
Judge Bester, thank you for
seeing us on such short notice.
There's been a recent
development that we want to disclose.
Development?
She's my mom.
Uh
Sorry, I'm a rip the
Band-Aid off kind of person.
Good to know.
Your Honor, with the
depositions getting underway,
we wanted to make you aware
that the counsel for the defense
is also technically my son.
Technically?
- Biologically.
- I was adopted.
Grew up out-of-state, had no contact,
but then recently,
I looked her up and we met for
the first time two weeks ago.
And now you're facing off
on a federal appeals case.
You know,
now that you say that,
I can see a resemblance.
[SOFT MUSIC]
The fact of your biological connection
does not pose an
inherent conflict, in my view.
Do you feel you can remain objective
despite your newfound relationship?
Uh, I do.
- Yes, Your Honor.
- Great.
Because I would prefer
not to delay this case.
Let's move forward.
The divorce was getting ugly.
Maybe you didn't like
how long things were taking
and decided to speed things up,
make sure you got everything you wanted.
I didn't need to kill my wife
to get what I wanted.
I would have beat her
no matter how long it took.
He definitely has
a win at all costs mindset.
He also still refers
to Kathleen as his wife.
Divorce wasn't final, I guess.
Maybe he didn't want it to be.
Maybe he was dragging out the divorce
as a way to stay close to Kathleen.
Why would he do that?
Letting go of a marriage
can be harder than it seems.
You think he still loves her?
It's possible.
That doesn't mean he didn't kill her.
Let's talk about the horse.
You seem very determined
to put him down.
He's dangerous.
He became dangerous,
but only after someone
tampered with his bridle.
And you think that someone is me?
As co-owner of the ranch,
you had easy access to his equipment.
A lot of people had access.
Anyone could have rigged that bridle.
Only you had the insurance policy.
That horse gets put down
for violent behavior,
and you're $2 million richer.
That's nothing.
Zeus can easily make that
much money with his stud fees.
Stud fees?
Yeah, stud fees.
A purebred stallion
with hisOlympic record?
Are you kidding me?
That horse's semen is liquid gold!
Is that why you wanted Zeus
in the divorce settlement?
He ruined my marriage.
Figured he owed me.
But now that thing could someone else,
and I don't need the headache.
Tell me about this stud fee business.
How does it work?
Kathleen ran the day-to-day.
Sure her sperm broker
has all the details.
Did you just say "sperm broker"?
Look, I'll give you her number.
Give her a call.
She'll explain everything,
including how much that horse
is worth to me alive.
[ELEVATOR BELL RINGS]
It was worthless.
I've never seen a stud fee lose
value the way Zeus has had.
Jacob made it sound like the
stud fee business was booming.
Emphasis on "was."
With the divorce, I'm guessing Kathleen
wasn't too concerned
with keeping him in the loop.
Can you explain this whole
sperm broker thing?
I prefer siring agent.
A veterinarian procures
the stallion specimen,
which we call straws.
I collect those straws
on behalf of clients
looking to breed their mares.
The mares get inseminated,
I get a commission, and eventually,
you get a baby horse.
How long you been working with Kathleen?
Over ten years. We had a good run.
Zeus was my most valuable stud.
So what changed?
People's mares stopped getting pregnant.
Some kind of fertility problem?
Fertility can decline over time,
but this was something else.
All of the samples were bad.
Not a single good sample.
Batch after batch.
- What did Kathleen say?
- Nothing.
Clients were blowing up my phone.
There were even threats.
Kathleen just said
give me a couple months.
Is that typical of her,
putting off clients like that?
I chalked it up to the divorce.
She wasn't herself.
But clients pay upwards
of 12 grand a straw.
They wanted answers,
and Dr. Kelley wouldn't deal with me.
Dr. Kelley. That the veterinarian?
I was desperate.
I mean, it's my reputation too.
Your reputation
and your pocketbook, right?
Given the commission fees.
[CHUCKLES]
It's true. My bottom line took a hit.
But Kathleen's death
wouldn't have fixed that.
I needed her to make things
right with the clients.
The longer they waited for
answers, the angrier they got.
Do you have a number
for this Dr. Kelley?
Yeah.
I wanna know what's
wrong with that horse.
And if one of Kathleen's clients
was angry enough to kill her over it.
[SUSPENSEFUL MUSIC]
[HORSE WHINNYING]
Thanks for making the call.
It seems like Dr. Kelley's
schedule is so stacked,
she wouldn't have been able
to see us so fast otherwise.
The horse world here
is small but inundated.
Happy to help any way I can.
And if it's not too much,
I'd love to stick around.
Really?
Animals, I get.
But humans still stump me.
[DOOR OPENS]
Dr. Kelley.
Please, call me Janet.
Janet.
I heard about what happened.
How can I help?
[INQUISITIVE MUSIC]
Can somebody tell me
what I'm looking at?
This is Sheila.
She helps to collect samples
from our prize-winning stallions.
And she's successful every time.
Uh, so a sex doll for horses?
Just when you think
you've seen it all, right?
[CHUCKLES]
We spoke to Zeus's siring agent.
We're trying to figure out
what's wrong with Zeus's samples.
Nothing.
Bianca said his recent
batches were all nonviable.
After collection,
the first thing we do
is check for viability.
It's procedure.
We don't hand it off to the
agents unless it's viable.
So whatever happened to those samples
happened after they left this office.
[PHONE BUZZES]
Excuse me.
Hey, Brown. Perfect timing.
Dr. Kelley says that Zeus's
samples were originally good,
so something made them all nonviable.
Not all of them.
I have something you need to see.
I'll be right there.
Her name is Mariposa.
Owner says she's four months pregnant.
With Zeus's offspring?
He's got the paperwork to prove it.
It's obvious Zeus
can produce healthy samples.
So why did this horse get
pregnant, but the rest didn't?
Someone tampered with the other straws.
But only Kathleen and Bianca had access.
They had no incentive
to ruin those samples.
I'm not so sure about that.
Kathleen told Bianca
to hold off her clients
for a couple of months.
Maybe she was
sabotaging her own business
in case Jacob got custody of Zeus.
Who would have run their
own business into the ground?
Someone desperate to keep
their opponent from winning.
It's a cynical plan, but it makes sense
given how ugly the divorce was.
There's a chance
she would have gotten Zeus.
What then?
You blame it on bad storage.
Motivated reasoning.
It means that people
will believe a bad excuse
if it fits their narrative.
As long as Kathleen
provided the clients with new,
viable samples,
she'd be back in business.
Well, looks like someone beat her to it.
[SOFT SUSPENSEFUL MUSIC]
Bianca had another viable supply.
Then why didn't she tell us about it?
Mm.
Mr. Kross?
The professor's out.
Can I help you?
You can start by explaining
why a college professor
has so much pull
with the Virginia State Police.
My horse is still in custody.
I think it's just part
of the investigation.
Well, this "investigation"
is none of his damn business.
We don't want to see Zeus destroyed
just so that you can say you won.
- Oh, I'll win.
- You might.
If it's that important to you.
[SCOFFS] What the hell
is that supposed to mean?
I've been trying to figure
out who you remind me of.
And the funny thing is
I think it's me.
At least a part of me.
You know, one of the reasons
I gave up riding was
I wasn't the best.
I didn't win a whole lot
of ribbons or medals.
And if you don't win, what's the point?
Exactly.
I was wrong, though.
I might have won other things,
but I gave up something I really loved.
So I guess I'm the one who lost.
Does this have a point?
This battle over Zeus
[SOFT DRAMATIC MUSIC]
Is winning really going to make
up for everything you lost?
♪
Tell the professor
I stopped by, will you?
I want my horse out of horse jail.
♪
Special Agent Clark, as you know,
we're here on behalf
of the Tucker Johnson case.
Can you confirm you were
the lead agent in charge?
I was.
What happened July 17th, 2020?
There was a shooting
in Columbia Heights,
a drug bust gone wrong.
We suspected that the assailant
was still in the area,
so we used geofence data
to locate every tech device nearby.
Which led you to my client,
a man who was simply riding his
bike by the scene of the crime
when you pulled the data.
2:00 a.m. is an odd time
to go for a bike ride.
And your client had a record,
a steep one at that.
What happened next?
We presented our case to a judge.
We secured a warrant
to search your client's house.
And that is when we found a safe
full of his grandfather's guns.
All of which were antiques
and none of which
matched the murder weapon.
There is nothing
tying my client to this case,
and still, your team insisted
on searching the safe.
Your client has a felony on his record.
And it is illegal
for him to have a firearm.
Sure.
But legally, the warrant you ordered
only allows you to search the house
and anything in plain sight.
The safe was a gray area.
They should have waited for
another warrant to be issued.
It was a judgment call
that was made in the moment.
My client is now dealing
with multiple gun charges,
all of which will put him away
for the rest of his life.
All because what?
He owned a phone and had
a few prior charges?
Does that sound fair to you,
Agent Clark?
[SOFT TENSE MUSIC]
♪
Someone else has samples from Zeus?
Alec and Detective Brown
spoke to a client
with a very pregnant mare.
He went through Bianca, too,
so either she kept a stockpile
- to herself
- Or she has another supplier.
Yeah, but how could someone
get samples from Zeus
without Kathleen knowing?
They'd have to go
through a different vet,
but it's possible.
A lot of people go in and out
of that barn.
I'm sorry I dragged you into this.
[SOFT SOMBER MUSIC]
Hey, that's not fair.
Some of my favorite memories
are on that ranch.
Like when my mom first brought
me there when I was seven.
She's the one who taught you
how to ride, right?
My mom wasn't a perfect
person by any means, but
when we rode together, it was perfect.
That ranch means a lot to me too.
Thank you.
Though I don't know what any
of it means without Kathleen.
Should have been me riding him that day.
What do you mean?
She came back from her trip early.
I was getting ready to
take Zeus out for his ride,
but she wanted to take him.
So if Kathleen wasn't
supposed to be there
[TENSE MUSIC]
Why is she dead?
So it might not have even
been about Kathleen at all.
Or whoever did it knew she
was coming back early somehow.
Seb asked for my help,
and so far all I've done
is make things worse.
You're doing everything you can.
I feel like I'm letting everyone down.
Seb, Zeus, the ranch.
The place means a lot
to you, doesn't it?
I mean, it used to. Yeah.
- So why'd you stop riding?
- It's complicated.
Anyway, we have to find
the other supplier
with the viable samples from Zeus.
Did Seb have any idea who it could be?
No, but we should look up
other veterinarians in the area.
And the professor
and Detective Brown are
going to go talk to Bianca right now.
- [PHONE BUZZES]
- With a warrant.
It's the professor.
[DRAMATIC MUSIC]
Bianca's dead.
[SIRENS WAILING]
[INDISTINCT RADIO CHATTER]
[ELEVATOR BELL RINGS]
What happened?
Brown's inside.
We arrived an hour too late.
[SOFT SUSPENSEFUL MUSIC]
♪
Bianca was shot right there,
in the back of the head.
That's all I know right now.
CSI techs are wrapping up.
Looks like they took her cash
but left her diamond jewelry.
If you ask me, this was no robbery.
It was a hit.
Why kill a sperm broker?
If she was secretly working
with this other supplier,
I'm thinking he was paying her
to keep the arrangement secret.
Then we came knocking.
Maybe she panicked.
You think she told
the supplier she wanted out.
Wanted out or wanted more money.
Whatever it was, looked like
they didn't come to an agreement.
Point-blank killing, sloppy cover-up.
Whoever did this saw Bianca as
a threat to their bottom line.
Which was significant,
thanks to artificial scarcity.
The temporary shortage caused
by Kathleen's bad samples
drove up the price of the good samples.
The supplier is taking
advantage of that.
But if the shortage were permanent,
it would drive the prices up
even higher.
Seb said Kathleen was
supposed to be out of town.
No one could have known
she'd be riding Zeus
the day she died.
Meaning whoever rigged the bridle
was trying to kill someone else.
Maybe Kathleen's ex was trying
to take out the stable boy.
Yeah, but any one of those stable hands
could have put the bridle
on Zeus at any time.
He couldn't have known who'd be killed.
He didn't.
I don't think Zeus
was the murder weapon.
He was the target.
No more horse, no more
samples equals big money.
I get the theory.
Take a look at this.
Bianca's delivery log.
Zeus's samples were dropped
to her four times last week,
all certified by a Dr. Azeb,
not Dr. Kelley.
And they were delivered by
someone other than Kathleen,
but on the signature line,
it's just an X.
Bianca was keeping
their identity a secret.
She was in on the scheme.
Until they turned on her.
It's a huge leap, though.
How does a person
go from putting a speaker
into a horse's bridle one day
to shooting a person
in the head the next?
[LOGBOOK CLOSES]
I have an idea.
[SUSPENSEFUL MUSIC]
♪
Okay, now, I'm here late because
upgrading antivirus software
takes forever.
What's your excuse?
I cannot stop going over
this deposition.
Well, how did it go today?
Well, I thought it was
an open-and-shut case.
But I get why Cam is
questioning this warrant.
Even if it holds up in court,
it is definitely a gray area.
Well, isn't that a good thing?
I mean, now you know what to do.
I wish I did.
I can't just throw my team
under the bus.
They had good intentions.
They're grown.
They'll survive.
Hey.
What's really going on?
[SOFT DRAMATIC MUSIC]
You should have seen the way
that he looked at me.
It wasn't this case
that he was analyzing.
It was me.
He's trying to see what
kind of person I am.
What if he thinks
I'm some kind of monster?
You're human, Marisa.
Yes, even you.
People make mistakes.
It's inevitable.
But what you do to make it right
That's what counts.
So we ran with your idea like you asked
and checked the psychology of
people going deeper into debt
using the stock market.
We worried that the
abstract nature of the market
might reduce the effects.
But that definitely wasn't the case.
So we gave each student money
to invest in the stock market.
But being the evil geniuses that we are,
we manipulated how
those stocks performed,
which led to three different outcomes.
The first group made money.
The second group broke even.
And the third and
final group lost everything.
The students who were in
the red weren't very pleased,
but then we offered all three
groups a super high-risk IPO.
Just so you know,
this is an unproven stock.
It's super-risky, but it
could have a lot of upside.
And guess what happened?
The only students
willing to take the gamble
were the ones who lost
everything in the first round.
They were the most desperate to win.
Based on what we know about the killer,
I think he falls into
the third category,
making him more inclined
to take reckless,
high-risk actions
to get back in the black.
Good work, you two.
And I think you're right.
Bianca's murder proves that our killer
is getting desperate and sloppy.
Sounds like the human equivalent
to the running blind effect.
Nice.
If our killer has gone this far,
they still wanna take Zeus out,
which creates an opportunity for us.
How? Zeus is in police custody.
Well, maybe it's time to bail him out.
And make sure everybody
on the ranch hears about it.
[SUSPENSEFUL MUSIC]
♪
[DOOR HINGES CREAK]
♪
[TENSE MUSIC]
♪
[SUPPRESSED GUNSHOTS]
- Drop the weapon!
- Drop it! Hands up!
Hands up! Hands!
Hook him.
It's her brother.
Up against the wall.
- You're under arrest, Pete.
- [PANTING]
We have one in custody.
I never meant for this to happen.
I swear.
I believe you. But like you said,
you're a venture capitalist.
You love scouting market opportunities,
and this was too good to pass up.
Especially given how business
was going for you.
You were dead broke.
Your sister was sitting on a gold mine.
It just meant that Zeus had to die.
It's not like that.
Of course it was.
And Kathleen and Bianca
were unforeseen roadblocks
to get rid of.
Even your own sister.
She wasn't supposed to die,
but I had to finish what I started.
That's the problem with
an all-or-nothing mentality.
In the effort to get it all,
you wound up with nothing.
- Watch your head.
- Wait, please.
Please, please. You don't understand!
Please!
[CAR DOOR SLAMS]
Next time, no horses.
No promises.
[SOFT UPBEAT MUSIC]
[CHUCKLES]
♪
Oh.
Your Honor.
You wanted to see me?
I didn't call this meeting.
Agent Clark did.
My priority will always
be the safety of our public.
That's why my team
searched your client's house.
But after reviewing
the case files, I have to say
your defense holds.
We should never have
searched your client's safe
under those circumstances.
I have spoken to my superiors
and they agree.
The FBI is going to drop all
charges against your client.
Seriously?
So long as he surrenders all weapons.
Absolutely he, uh he will.
So the FBI isn't contesting the appeal?
No, we are not.
All right, then. Case dismissed.
Marisa, what you did
back there, it was amazing.
I just hope you didn't
throw the case because of me.
No, I didn't.
The fact is, you were right.
Part of my job is
shedding light on the truth,
no matter how uncomfortable that may be.
Yeah, I, uh I knew
that's where I got it from.
[CHUCKLES]
You don't know
how relieved I am to hear that.
[SIGHS]
But honestly, Cam, there's still so much
that we don't know about each other.
I know, I know. And I don't
want to be strangers anymore.
I guess next time,
I actually want there
to be a conflict of interest.
Me too.
Listen, I leave for Michigan tomorrow,
but I come back next week.
You want to grab dinner?
I would love that.
[BOTH CHUCKLE]
[SIGHS]
[ZEUS NICKERING]
So Zeus officially
doesn't meet the criteria
for euthanasia?
I shot the paperwork over this morning.
Case is closed.
It was a pleasure.
You hear that, buddy? You're safe now.
[ZEUS WHINNIES]
Seb.
And the day keeps getting better.
Woke up this morning to Brown
telling me the state was
dropping the charges.
Zeus and I are officially home.
Thank you for everything.
Seriously, what you and Phoebe
did means the world to me.
[CAR DOOR CLOSES]
I already submitted
my evaluation to the company.
No one is touching that horse.
That's not why I'm here, I swear.
Look, when it came to Kathleen,
I was so mad about losing her
that, uh, all I wanted was
to win the divorce.
I guess I was just angry,
looking for someone to blame.
I, uh I dropped the civil charges.
The whole thing was ridiculous
to begin with.
I thought you should know.
What's gonna happen to Zeus?
It's clear he's not a liability, and
the horse still makes me money,
so I'm gonna leave him here for now.
It sounds like you're going
to need a dedicated caretaker.
And no one knows this ranch
or this horse better than Seb.
It's true.
I love this guy.
Well, so long as you don't
go ride off into the sunset
I'm okay with that.
[SOFT MUSIC]
I'll be in touch, then.
[ZEUS NICKERING]
♪
There's something on your mind.
Riding was my whole life.
It was the best thing my mom
and I did together, and
and being here brings up old memories.
I can imagine.
I never meant
to leave this place behind.
After she died, I just
threw myself into my studies.
Convinced myself I wasn't
going to be a pro rider,
so I might as well
focus solely on my degree.
Optimal performance due
to singularity of focus.
I read your lecture notes.
It's a compelling argument.
I thought I was doing it
so I could succeed.
And I guess a part of me was.
But now I think I was just scared.
Scared? Scared of what?
Of missing my mom
more than I already do.
That's the thing about ego protection.
In an effort to protect
you from the pain,
you miss out on the joy.
I don't regret how much I sacrificed
to get to where I am.
Of course not. And you shouldn't.
But maybe there's room for
the things that make you happy.
Even if they make you a little sad, too,
I think being human means
embracing the complexity of both.
[JON BATISTE'S "BUTTERFLY"]
So what do you say?
♪
Maybe it's time to get back
in the saddle?
Butterfly all alone ♪
♪
But can you fly on your own? ♪
♪
Take your place in the world today ♪
♪
Butterfly flying home ♪
[SUSPENSEFUL MUSIC]
♪