Walker, Texas Ranger s04e05 Episode Script

Blue, .
Blue, .
Set, hut.
- Go, go.
| - Here we go.
- Up, up, up.
| - Run, go.
- Up, up.
| - Come on.
Go, go, go.
- He's got it.
| - Yeah.
He still thinks as a kid.
They've had six months of drought | here and no one seems to notice because this year the championship | is theirs for the taking.
The Chargers are magic | and the whole state knows it.
Well, it's not every year | you get two stars like Bo and Cully on the same team.
They've got a good shot | at the state title.
High school football | and Texas, Walker.
There's something sacred about it.
| They follow it closer than pros.
They do take it seriously, | that's for sure.
God, I love this sport\.
| Thanks for coming out.
- Did I have a choice? | - No.
I didn't think so.
Trivette, you're the photo op | for my story.
Ex-Cowboy coaching the team | headed for the state title.
Coach for a day, because what would | my part\ner do without me, right? I'm gonna think about that.
What you call me for | this time, Morrell? - I'll tell you | - I wonder what that's about.
I told you when I called - Looking out for my team.
| - Those kids out there I thought coach Morrell | was a little upset when he called.
I was happy to help out.
I've never seen | Joe Slocum so agitated.
No.
It doesn't track with the man | that I covered two years ago.
I saw him play college ball.
| He was really good.
Everybody thought he'd play pro | until he blew his knee, but he made something out of his life | in spite of it.
Usually he's the voice of reason.
- I'll see you guys.
| - Okay.
- Hey, Cully.
| - Hey.
- You got some moves out there, man.
| - I could run these plays in my sleep.
We need some damn imagination | out on that offense.
You know, that may be.
Coach was telling me you refused | to run some plays last game.
Like I said, you got some moves.
| I know, you know you got talent.
If you wanna be a blue-chip prospect | sometimes you gotta bite the bullet.
Yeah, well, lousy play calling isn't the only thing | that sucks around here.
Hey, don't come back | until you cool down, Slocum.
Something's wrong, Walker.
I was supposed to have lunch with Joe | after practice.
- Can I catch a ride with you into town? | - Yeah, sure.
Shoot.
Oh, my God, | that's Joe Slocum's car! I'm sure that's his car.
I was just running patterns | this morning.
Damn.
I don't believe this, Walker.
That happens every now and again.
Some damn fool taking curves too fast, | playing Mario Andretti.
- This was no accident, sheriff.
| - What do you mean? Well, the tread marks show | he was shoved off the road.
Hey, let's get this car out of here.
Walker, I should've known | something was wrong.
He wasn't happy to see us today | when we got there.
Oh, no.
There's Elaine.
- Oh, there.
| - Oh, no.
- Elaine, I'm so sorry.
| - No.
We're not sure yet what happened.
- They warned him.
| - Who warned him? Elaine, this is Walker.
| He's a Texas Ranger.
I don't know, voices.
What kind of voices? There were threatening calls.
He kept some of them on tape.
I don't know.
He wouldn't tell me | what they were about.
Let's get you home.
Come on.
I thought I locked the door | when I left.
Wait here.
Freeze! - Are you all right? | - Yeah, I'm fine.
This is your last warning, Slocum.
You damn well better | make those kids toe the line or you know what's in store for you.
Nothing.
Nothing.
I couldn't even get name, | rank and serial number from him, yet.
He never was one with words.
- You know who he is? | - Name's Vern Fuller.
Roughneck, hereabouts, | when he was younger, then took off for greener pastures.
Does he have a record? He got back a year ago and this is the first hint of trouble | with his name on it.
Trouble? Sheriff, the tires on the truck | that Fuller was driving match up with the tread burns | left behind Slocum's car.
You know what that means? Then he ransacked Joe's house | for the tapes so there'd be no evidence and | the crash would be ruled an accident.
Do you have any idea | why Fuller would want to kill Slocum? Grew up | and went to school together.
Slocum was a star player, | Vern was a bully.
So there was bad blood | between them.
I just know that game | we dropped to Midvale, some folks blamed Slocum | for bad play calling.
You're saying that Fuller killed Slocum | because of bad play calling? I'm just saying | unless you walk in a man's shoes, you don't know what he's been into.
Who his friends are, or his enemies.
One of Bridges' deputies heard that Fuller worked | a couple of months back as a grease monkey | for a place called Perkins' Car City.
Oh, it's the biggest dealership | in the county.
You've seen the commercials.
| Mace Perkins is a local celebrity.
Let's check it out.
I think I'll look around town | and see if I can dig up anything.
Keep us posted.
- Walker, something's bothering me.
| - What? What one of the boys said.
I got this feeling | there's some trouble around the team.
Which boy? Cully Lansford, | that wide receiver I was working with.
He's strong-minded, | but there's, I don't know, there's more going on with him | than just attitude.
Why don't you find out | where he is? We'll go talk to him.
All right.
I need some information about a guy | who used to work here.
His name was Vern Fuller.
Well, maybe I can help you with that, | Ranger.
- I'm Mace Perkins, I own this place.
| - Hey, Walker.
Is Vern in some kind of trouble? Murder suspect.
Damn.
Well, yeah, he worked here | for maybe a few months.
One day, he just picked up | his check and left.
Did you know him | before you hired him? Yeah, I knew him.
He's kind of a troublemaker.
| I figured I'd give him a chance.
To be truthful, | I was glad when he quit.
- Who got killed? | - Assistant coach, Joe Slocum.
Oh, no.
Oh, damn.
Joe? Man, I don't believe it.
- How well did you know him? | - I knew him well enough.
He had a few rough edges, but he was part\ of the heart\ and soul | of Charger football.
Hell, we just wouldn't be Clearwater | without our team.
Joe Slocum gone, huh? I'm sorry.
That's a pure tragedy.
- Well, thanks for your time.
| - You bet.
Okay, thank you, sir.
What did you find out? Cully Lansford's father | heard about Slocum's death.
He said, "Stay the hell away | from my son.
I want him to go to college and I don't want you | anywhere near him.
" Go figure what that means.
Okay, that means | he's afraid of something.
I'm gonna drop you off | the sheriff's office.
See what you can get out of Fuller, | okay? - Okay, what are you gonna do? | - Talk to Coach Morrell.
Chow time, Fuller.
Sheriff's office.
| Ma'am slow down please.
Vern Fuller.
Fuller, I'm back.
You ready to talk? Fuller? Hey, somebody get in here.
Hey, somebody get in here! Sheriff! Well, so, Buddy | is Mr.
Football in Clearwater.
He's played it and coached it | most of his life.
His wife said | he's taking Joe's death hard.
There he is.
Coach Morrell? Walker, right? - And Miss Flynn.
| - Thank you.
My wife told me | you were looking for me, but I can't help you.
I don't know anything | about what happened to Joe Slocum.
What was the trouble | between you and Slocum? You mean the argument we had | before he took off from practice? That's right.
Just a disagreement | about game strategy, that's all.
Are you sure? Look, my stomach will take about | two more years of coaching.
A month ago, I would've recommended | Slocum to take over the team.
- Then | - Then what? I don't know.
| I just can't put my finger on it.
But he acted different.
Like there was something going on | inside him he just couldn't handle.
I've heard | there's been turmoil on the team.
That's why I called Jimmy.
| I'm at my wits' end.
My two star players are so scattered | they can't complete an end run.
A month ago they were outstanding.
Now I talk and they don't listen.
- Could it be drugs? | - No.
I've been coaching these boys | since their freshman year.
They don't do drugs.
| I know that for a fact.
Maybe it's the pressure of the game.
| They are teenagers.
They've won lots of big games | or they wouldn't be here.
The way they're playing now, we're not gonna win the state title.
That's gonna break the heart\ | of the whole town.
That's all I know.
Okay, thanks, Coach.
- Yeah, says who? | - Hey, hey, check it out.
This is a good, clean town, Ranger.
We want you and your nose | out of our business.
You understand? Leave him alone.
| He's not causing any trouble.
Shut up, Tommy, | before I kick your butt.
Hey, hey, hey, me first.
Thanks.
I appreciate it.
Now, you guys get out of here.
You haven't heard | the last of this, Ranger.
I'd better have.
- Walker, they mean business.
| - So do I.
- Walker.
| - Yeah, Walker, I'm at the jail.
You'd better get over here, somebody just fed Vern Fuller | some cyanide for dinner.
I'll be right there.
- What is it? | - Fuller's dead.
- Alex, this is Jimmy.
| - So how did the workout go? The good news is | I think I can still catch the ball.
The bad news is we got | a murdered coach on our hands.
Murder? Yeah, I need some fast checking | on a dead murder suspect.
Walker seems to think | he's got a record.
Where'd the food come from? Pioneer Cafe, | that's where we always get our food.
- Who brought it in? | - The waitress.
Half the town eats there | and it was rush hour.
That food sat within reach | of a dozen people.
I think you ought to know that we were confronted | by four thugs outside of the Alamo.
They tried to convince me | to leave town.
Well, folks here | love their community.
They tend to circle the wagons | when any outside influence interferes.
Outside influence? Joe Slocum was murdered | and you don't seem to give a damn.
This ain't Dallas, lady.
Things go slower here.
And they always have a way | of working out.
What the hell is going on here? Whatever it is, the sheriff | doesn't wanna know about it.
Alex said she'd get back to us | before morning.
I know a decent motel out on .
What is it? Someone claims | they have information for us.
They wanna meet with me alone.
Ranger Walker.
My name's Jennifer Ryan.
I need to tell you a story.
What kind of a story? It's about a boy who died | two years ago.
His car ran off a two-lane | outside of town.
Alcohol was found in the car | after the crash.
The coroner ruled it an accident, | but it wasn't.
- How do you know? | - He was my brother.
He didn't drink.
Toby was the Chargers' | star running back.
He was being blackmailed.
And I'm cert\ain | whoever killed Joe Slocum was responsible | for Toby's death too.
Who was blackmailing him? I'm not sure.
Toby was a sweet kid.
| He had no money.
All he had was his talent | on the playing field.
What do you know | about Joe Slocum? Maybe nothing, but one night Slocum had a run-in | with a local named Charlie Street.
They had a knock-down, drag-out.
Had to be broken up | by people from the bar.
- Know what it was about? | - No.
Why didn't you wanna be seen | with me? Well, after the funeral when I tried to find out | what really happened to Toby, there were anonymous phone calls | telling me to keep my mouth shut or I'd wind up in a ditch | like my brother.
I need your help, Ranger Walker.
I need to know | who killed my brother and why.
Well, we've got a murdered | high school coach and player.
What the hell's going on | over there, Cordell? That's what | I'm trying to find out, C.
D.
Well, we've got three bodies now.
| It must be pretty damn big.
Let me tell you something, | I come from Mineola, that's about miles | down the road from over there.
Football is a damn big thing.
It brings out the best in people | and it brings out the worst in people.
Particularly when a little old town's | got the number one team in the state.
Walker, Vern Fuller had a jacket | in Vegas for armed robbery.
Then he was busted for homicide | in New Orleans three years ago.
- What happened? | - Murder charges were dropped.
So I put in a call | to the state's attorney.
He's gonna tell me what happened.
| As soon I know, I'll get back to you.
Okay, thanks, Alex.
Was your room okay? A motel's a motel.
Well, at least the sheets were clean.
- Yeah, but Vern Fuller wasn't.
| - What did you find out? Well, he has ties | to Las Vegas and New Orleans and he walked on a murder charge | three years ago.
Figures.
So, what now? I'm gonna go talk to the local guy | who had that run-in with Joe Slocum.
I think his name is Charlie Street.
Street? That's the name | of the Chargers' start\ing quart\erback.
All right, Charlie, thanks.
- Mr.
Street? | - See you next week.
- You must be Walker.
| - Yes, sir.
I heard you were around.
| This is my son, Bo.
Hi, Bo.
Saw you practice yesterday.
- That right? | - You're quite a quart\erback.
Bags inside need stacking, son.
I'd like to know about the fight | you had with Joe Slocum.
It was all just a misunderstanding.
What kind? Listen, Ranger, I work here for wages.
All I care about | is getting my kid through school with a decent grade | so he don't blow a scholarship.
He's the first boy in our family | to get a chance to go to college, make something of himself | beside stacking feed, like me.
Well, I appreciate that, Mr.
Street, but I'm in the middle | of a murder investigation, so if you know anything | I need to hear it.
Okay.
I was out drinking one night.
I heard someone talking through a wall | in the men's room.
I got just enough of it to know that somebody was trying to fix | a Chargers' game.
Are you sure? Well, I know what I heard.
Slocum's name | was somewhere in the mix.
Do you think he was involved in it? I tracked him down, we argued, | we duked it out.
What happened after? Look, the man | had always been straight with Bo.
I give him credit for that.
And he convinced me that he | wouldn't have anything to do with a fix.
Did he know who would? I got the feeling that he did, | but we didn't get into it.
Look, if I knew more, | believe me, I'd tell you.
Well, the biggest game of the season's | coming up.
Yeah, I know.
Is Bo going to practice? - He'll be there.
| - Thanks a lot.
Go.
- Ten and look.
| - Come on.
Good grab.
And go.
- Help him out, guys.
| - All right.
All right.
- Line it up.
| - Hustle up, guys.
- Hut, hut.
| - Go, go, go.
We're gonna stick it to them Panthers | in the big game, Mace.
Sure as hell, Harley.
All right, all right, all right.
If them boys learn to go deep, | there ain't no damn doubt about it.
Now bring it in.
Bring it in.
Everybody up.
Right, you heard him.
All right, let's do it.
| Let's do it, let's do it.
I dug out the clips | on Toby Ryan's accident.
No hint of an investigation.
Do you think the sheriff | could be involved in this? Well, we can't rule anything out.
You guys are sleepwalking out there.
| You got a game coming up, your whole season's | depending on it.
All right, it's not a question | of whether you want it or not.
I know you want it.
You want it, don't you? Yeah, we want it.
| Damn straight we do.
All right, it's a question | of whether you can focus or not.
You gotta focus for yourself.
You got the talent, | but you can't think about it.
You don't have any time to think | about it.
You gotta move and react.
What am I saying? - What am I saying? | - Move and react.
- Say it again.
| - Move and react.
- Say it! | - Move and react! Get out of here.
Come here, | come here, come here, come here.
What is your problem? | Your patterns are ragged.
You getting any sleep? Will you Cully, talk to me.
No way.
| I know what they'll do to me.
Did anyone say anything | about betting on games, Tara? Wouldn't be Texas football if the good old boys weren't making | a few side bets, but, no.
Well, I'm talking about big money.
You think | that's what this is all about? Bo Street's father said he heard | some guys talking about fixing a game.
I know guys who wouldn't be | caught dead betting on horses, will bet the farm on the Super Bowl | then go to church on Sunday and brag about it.
- Did Cully have anything to say? | - He was afraid.
We better go talk to him.
We'll see you later.
Why don't you hop in Cully? | We'll give you a ride home.
No, thanks.
I'd just as soon walk.
All we want is answers, Cully.
You said there was trouble | around the team.
Your dad's not letting us talk to you.
My old man doesn't know anything.
| He scratches out a living, man.
If I don't get a scholarship, I'm gonna be pumping gas | instead of playing ball.
I wanna know what's going on, Cully.
And I'm gonna find out | with or without you.
Now what are you scared of? Come on, tell us what you know.
They're blackmailing Bo and me.
- Who is? | - A couple of guys from the Longhorn.
It's a bar over the county line.
They talked us into going over there.
Introduced us to a couple of girls.
That guy that was killed at the jail | was there.
- He was in on it.
| - Vern Fuller.
We thought | we were gonna have some fun.
We never knew it was a setup.
What kind of a setup? Somebody put those in my locker.
| Same thing with Bo.
They want us to throw | next week's game with the Panthers or else the pictures go public.
It's clear that you're in bed with a girl.
What's with all | the drug paraphernalia? Man, last thing I remember | is having a drink with her.
Woke up covered in white powder, | drug gear next to us.
Man, I never took drugs in my life.
Who's the girl? Lisa, Lisa Burns.
- Funny thing is | - What? I thought she really liked me.
And if you'll notice on this play, again, | we're gonna run this again.
Gabriel says | when he goes to through the line, he really gets hit hard.
And now it looks like his cleat | got that Astro Turf.
My goodness, you see who I see? Yep.
Dallas get too hot for you, Cart\er? Well, Walker and Trivette, of course.
The Lone Ranger | doesn't go anywhere without Tonto.
And where you go | bookmaking follows, Dell.
Gambling is illegal.
| I run a clean operation here.
Monday Night Football is as much | excitement as I can stand these days.
Yeah, right.
| We're looking for Lisa Burns.
Burns? - Afraid I don't know her.
| - We heard she works here.
That mean's she work for you | if you run the place.
Well, you heard wrong.
- What's in the back room? | - None of your business.
Let me be the judge of that.
| Come on, Tonto.
You're not going | through this door, Walker.
Get out of the way, Cart\er.
- Make me.
| - Okay.
Texas Rangers.
You're under arrest.
Hey, you got no right | to be here, Walker.
I do now.
You blackmailed those kids | into throwing the game.
Tell me another fairy tale.
I don't know.
You're an accessory | to at least two murders, Dell, Joe Slocum and Vern Fuller's.
And I can bet you Toby Ryan | will be added to that list.
Yeah, well, I'll give you odds | you got no case on any of them.
I'll take those odds, Cart\er.
Smart\ money says | you're going back to prison.
So let's begin at the beginning.
- Hi.
| - Hi.
- What's your name? | - Patty.
Patty, I noticed that you got | a little nervous when I mentioned Lisa Burns' name.
Do you know anything about her? Well, she left here four nights ago | and she was really scared.
Do you have any idea | where she went? I think she went to her mother's.
Thanks, I appreciate it.
One more piece | to the puzzle, Walker.
The Louisiana state attorney said that Fuller was a former button man | for the Mob.
The Mob and gambling.
| This doesn't look small time.
It's not.
There's a computer there with a hook-up to Las Vegas, | New Orleans and Miami.
Which all points | to a gambling syndicate.
There's gotta be a paper trail | on the ownership of this place.
See what you can find out.
The county court\house | should have the records.
I mean, it might take a while, but | I'll get Trivette and we'll get right on it.
Where are you going? I think Tara and I will see | if we can find Lisa Burns.
Now, darling, | would you take care of that for me? Mace.
Longhorn's been busted.
- Who? | - Rangers.
- Walker and Trivette.
| - Them.
And I picked up word | where they're headed next.
You get some men.
You take them bastards out | before they do any more damage.
Yes, sir.
I can see somebody | moving around in there.
Lisa Burns? - Go away.
| - I need to speak to you.
- Please, leave me alone.
| - Lisa, I was a friend of Joe Slocum's.
This is Cordell Walker, | he's a Texas Ranger.
We're here to help you.
I knew Joe.
What happened to him | shouldn't have.
I know.
And Ranger Walker | wants to make sure it doesn't happen to anybody else.
Can we come in? How did you know Joe Slocum? From the Longhorn.
He was a nice guy, | he just had a problem.
- What kind of a problem? | - He liked to gamble.
Got in deep | with some dangerous people.
Did he owe them money? They tried to squeeze him | and he couldn't pay, so they tried to get him | to pressure the kids to guarantee the point spread | in the playoff.
Lisa, we saw the pictures of you | with Cully Lansford.
They forced me to set him up.
I didn't mean to hurt\ anyone.
Another girl did the same thing | with Bo Street.
- Where is she? | - Gone.
Either ran and hid like me, or worse.
They did the same thing | with other girls.
They even did a number | on a pro player last year.
So we're talking big-time gambling.
These guys are high rollers.
What do you know | about Toby Ryan? I heard it wasn't an accident.
Well, Dell Cart\er's a front | for the Longhorn.
Who does he work for? - He'll kill me.
| - He's not gonna kill anybody.
It's Mace Perkins, isn't it? Let's go talk to the sheriff.
Back inside.
Let's get out of here.
Hey, he's getting away.
Come on.
- All right, let's go.
| - They can't go far.
I'm gonna leave you two here.
Here, use it if you have to.
| You know how to use it? - Sure.
| - Okay.
- Over here.
| - Take them both out? Spread out.
- Yeah.
| - All right.
Where's the ranger? - Right behind you.
| - Yeah, right.
You should've listened.
I'm still trying to figure Mace Perkins.
He's the football team's | biggest booster.
- How did you know it was him? | - Just a hunch.
When I told him | about Joe Slocum's murder, he didn't ask how it happened.
- Because he already knew.
| - That's right.
Let's go.
- Talk to me.
| - You're not gonna like this.
Walker got away.
Walker got away.
It's time to get the hell out of Dodge.
Paper chase to the Longhorn leads to Perkins | through a shell company.
Got a warrant? Okay, let's go get him.
- Get him.
| - Watch it.
Give it up, Perkins.
Get down.
There.
Game's over, Perkins.
The visiting Panthers have the ball | on the Charger's five yard line and lead the game by three points | with only seconds remaining.
The state championship | is in the balance.
- What? | - Yes, sir.
Then do it.
Get on out there.
You're on.
Come on, man.
All right, Chargers.
- Down! | - Come on, man.
- Doesn't look good, man.
| - It's not over until it's over, Trivette.
Down hut Yes, yes.
All right! All right! Fumble recovered by number | on the eight yard line.
Chargers take possession.
- This one's for the season, boys.
| - We got one shot, one play.
Let's do it for Joe.
- There's only one play to call.
| - Eighty-six slant.
Eighty-six slant? | That's the play you used to run, isn't it? - Yeah.
| - Let's do it.
Let's do it.
- I can't stand this.
| - There's not enough time.
Oh, no, no, I feel it in my bones.
| They're gonna do it.
First and ten | on the Chargers' eight yard line.
Eight seconds | remaining in the game.
Down, set, blue .
Blue, .
Set hut, hut.
Come on, Bo.
Come on, Bo.
Throw the ball! Yeah!