You gotta come home sometime!
Hi, cricket. I need to speak with sheriff barnum.
It's Joe.
Pickett.
The game warden.
Right, sorry.
Yeah, the sheriff's out. So is the deputy.
They got an emergency call this morning.
Do you know where they went?
Some campers called saying that they witnessed
a wounded man on horseback last n/ght riding through round acre campground
did you get a description of the man on the horseback?
Thirties, beard bloody t-shi/t.
The suspect allegedly was waving around
a plastic box or cooler or something like that.
Uh, are you in contact with sheriff barnum?
Ibe/ie ve so.
Okay. Why don't you tell him
that the man he's looking for is ote keeley
and that keeley is now lying dead
on the woodpile behind my house.
Come again?
Girls, away from the window, okay?
Honey.
- Is that a dead body? - Mom!
I'm sorry, but this kind of thing just does not happen in Jackson hole.
Shh.
Sheridan, get your dad.
Lucy. Come. Come, come. Hurry, hurry.
- Mom, just take her to the back. - Go, go, go, go, go. We're going. Go, go.
Joey pickett/
Joey pickett!
- Was that man trying to hurt us? - No.
No, I don't know why he came here, but I'm gonna figure it out.
If you don't know why he came here,
how do you know he wasn't here to hurt us?
Listen to me.
It doesn't matter why he came here.
There's nothing in this world I wouldn't do to keep you safe.
That horse must have come a long distance.
Well, at least as far as round acre campground.
I don't know, Joe.
I think further than that.
Look at that saddle. How loose it is.
I mean, ote must have ridden her pretty far
to lose that much weight.
- You know, the thing that troubles me... - Mmm?
Ote was injured at round acre.
He was bleeding, arrow through him.
Every step must have been agony.
Police station would have saved him a mile of riding.
But he came here.
What do you think that means?
I'm not sure yet.
All right.
Wait.
Okay.
So, where's the body?
Yep, that's ote keeley, all right.
Oh, damn it. Damn.
Nice of you to join us.
I got stuck behind some cows.
Is he still dead?
Is that an arrow sticking through him?
- Yeah. - Yeah.
Well, I guess we won't need ballistics anyway.
But the arrow is custom.
Look, the broadhead, it's a four-blade mechanical
with a shock collar.
And you see that little rubber guy there?
It's a pod.
- A pod? - Yeah.
It's a little pouch, holds poison.
Is that legal?
No, it's very not legal.
My guess is that a toxicology report on that pod
is gonna give you more than ballistics would have.
Whoa.
Sheriff, looks like we got Perry Mason on the case, huh?
Perry Mason was a lawyer, not a detective, dumb-ass.
There's one other thing.
This cooler.
There's some sort of scat inside of it.
Well, now, that is some fine detective work, pickett.
Mmm. Excuse me, fellas.
Attention, all-points bulletin,
be on the lookout for a giant mouse with a bow and arrow.
Will you shut up?
I...
It doesn't look like mouse scat to me.
I think you should take a sample and send it to the lab for testing.
Doesn't seem necessary.
But it's potential evidence.
I can do it if you want.
All right.
If it'll make you feel better, we'll mail it in.
Sheridan, away from the window.
Sorry. Okay, okay.
Hey.
I think you and the girls should get a motel in saddlestring
just for a day or two, okay?
Till we get things figured out.
You still think it's unsafe here?
I think it's smart for us to act as if it could be.
Is the state gonna pay for it?
Why?
We can't?
It's end of the month, Joe.
Look, I would feel safer here with you anyway.
I don't know what this is yet.
Please, can we... can we use the credit card?
Yeah.
Yeah, okay.
- Joe. - Hmm?
Don't make this any worse than it has to be, okay?
- What do you mean? - I know that look in your eyes,
like you're trying real hard not to say things you'll regret.
I don't know what you're talking about.
I'm a summer breeze.
Wow, she's a...
Regular Betty homemaker, isn't she?
- Thank you. - Mm-hmm.
Oh, my goodness, that is good coffee.
Tell me, uh, dark roast?
Ready to go, mom?
Coming.
Well, a mother's job is never done.
Yeah.
They grow up, but they never really leave the nest.
You know, I wish you could work a crime scene half that good.
That there's public outreach, sir.
Just doing my job.
- Bye. Love you. - Bye.
Love you too.
Okay. Fingers and toes, safe to close.
Yep.
- Love you. - Love you.
Love you too.
Pickett...
It's time to address the elephant on the woodpile.
Wasn't ote keeley the man that took your sidearm from you?
Yeah, he was.
Well, pointing a weapon at a state employee is a serious crime.
So how come the first time I heard about it
was in the gossip pages of the saddlestring roundup?
Ah, ote and I resolved the situation internally.
Figured it looked bad for both of us.
Well, I'll say.
Especially when one of you ends up dead on the other one's woodpile.
Tell me, pickett, you wouldn't happen to have
a compound bow around here, would you?
So then you wouldn't mind if mclanahan here took a look around?
You think if I was gonna kill a guy, I'd do it in my own backyard?
Well, I've seen smarter people do dumber things.
- I'm just dotting my I's. - Okay.
You know what? Yeah, actually, I do mind.
- What are you afraid we'll find, pickett? - There's nothing to find.
Sanctity of my home was violated.
Today anyone wants to go inside that house,
better bring a court order,
or be ready to kill me first.
Well...
At least make yourself useful
and help us put that dead hillbilly into a body bag.
Okay, you ready? Let's go.
- Okay. - Okay. Okay.
You want to leave my kids without a father?
Mclanahan.
Don't forget that.
God forbid, right?
Hey, quick question.
What?
I have to drop ote's horse back anyway.
If you want...
I can notify his widow.
Really?
Well, yeah, okay.
Just... just be careful, all right?
She's, uh... she's alive one, hmm?
All right.
If you had told me two days ago
that I would end up in a place with no hallways...
Let me know when you're ready to be part of the solution, mom.
I'm ready.
Great.
Okay, I'm gonna go get my morning cup of coffee,
finally.
You check in.
Be back in a minute.
Who's ready for girl time?
- Yeah. - Yay!
Your mom home?
And who in the hell are you?
- My name's... - It was a rhetorical question.
I don't give a shit who you are.
Why don't you take one step fonnard so I can shoot you legally?
Ma'am.
I ain't your ma'am.
This is about ote.
He ain't here.
I know.
What, is he dead or somethin'?
Would you put down the weapon?
Oh, hell.
Okay.
Easy.
Ote, you dumb son of a bitch.
What the hell am I supposed to do with all these damn kids now?
You know who done it?
Not yet.
Anyone you can think of who might have wanted to?
Let me tell you, a lot of people didn't like ote.
That old boy could sure start some crazy shit.
Well, there's one guy,
maybe.
Survivalist type,
lives out in the wood with a bunch of falcons.
Ote shot some bird.
Guess the guy had a problem with it.
Didn't sound bad enough to get killed over, but...
Hmm.
Ote ever hunt with a bow?
Ote was a man.
He killed his elk with a gun like a normal person.
Hey, you're a game warden.
What are you doing investigating a murder?
I'm not, technically.
I'm, uh... I'm looking into a hunting violation.
A hunting violation?
You... you mean my husband's murder?
No, the weapon.
It was an illegal arrow.
Ote was killed with an arrow?
That's about the stupidest shit I ever heard of.
Wait a minute.
You are not that new game warden that took ote's license, are you?
You got to be shittin' me.
You can get the hell out of my house, warden!
- Go on, get. - Yeah.
Can I ask you one question before I go?
Where was ote headed when you last saw him?
Thought he was going to see you.
Come again?
He told me he was going to get his hunting license back.
Okay.
Whoa, whoa.
Easy.
Hey. Whoa, whoa, whoa. Easy, easy.
Let me do it.
He gets scared of strangers.
Hey, elway.
I need you to get out of this trailer and come back home.
Oh, please. Ote keeley was an asshole.
Where was he found?
That's the best part.
He was found on the doorstep of the new game warden's house.
- Ten bucks says he did it. - Too obvious.
I don't know.
I heard vern dunnegan once caught ote selling antlers to the Japanese,
you know, for boners.
What does that have to do with anything?
The kind of game warden who tickets the governor
is not the kind who'd look the other way like vern would.
And someone like ote could do something stupid,
you know, force a guy's hand.
Just saying.
You know, there is one thing you're missing.
The new game warden has an airtight alibi.
- Yeah? - Yeah.
He was lying in bed
with me.
I like her.
What is it?
What is it, girl?
Is someone here?
Hi. I was just about to call you.
Everything okay?
Yeah, yeah, everything's fine.
How's it over there?
I'm not sure.
What do you mean .7
just keep your eyes about you, okay?
Yeah, I will.
So / overheard something about vern
that just didn't sit well with me.
Your family all right?
Ah, a little shaken up, but okay.
I can imagine.
Vern, how well did you know ote keeley?
You need a drink?
No, it's a little early for me.
Ote and I had an arrangement.
What kind of arrangement?
I caught him poaching once, but unlike you, I played the long game.
So he would tip me off
to things that I should be aware of.
Kind of my eyes and ears, if you will.
Hmm.
So, when you talked to me about giving his license back...
Yeah, he asked me to put in a word.
Do you know anything about ote being involved
in some kind of poaching ring?
- Poaching ring? - Yeah.
You make it sound like there are a bunch of criminal masterminds at work.
Hmm.
Joe, the land under our feet,
this is one of the most valuable resources on this entire planet.
Everyone is here to steal from it.
From the natural gas,
minerals, water, antlers.
It's like one giant bank vault with money strewn all around it.
There's always gonna be some dickhead like ote keeley
who comes running in, trying to scoop up
all that money with both arms no matter what you do.
So you can make peace with it now
or after it's broken you,
because it will break you unless you learn how to bend.
Ah, well... I can be pretty stubborn.
And how's that working out for you?
The whole town thinks you're a dipshit.
And now you got a dead body on your woodpile.
What's barnum think about all this?
You got a sense?
I get the sense he's in no real rush to figure it out.
Well, that doesn't surprise me.
You know, the problem with barnum
is nobody's challenged him for sheriff in over 30 years.
It's made him lazy.
But all that's gonna change.
Someone's running against him?
Your old pal wacey hedeman.
Vvacey?
I thought he liked being a game warden.
Well, you know wacey. He likes the action.
I cannot wait to see the look on barnum's dumb face when he loses.
And I wouldn't hold my breath
waiting for barnum to figure out that ote keeley murder.
Ah, I've got a few leads of my own.
Do you?
Like what?
I'm gonna find that poaching ring.
- Good day. - Good day.
What brings you in, warden?
You do nice work.
Yes, I do.
The very best.
Get many trophies from bow hunters?
Some, not a lot.
Have you ever seen a broadhead
like this?
Maybe.
Ah, I see.
There's a pod on that thing.
I'm not too up on the code, but I got to assume that's illegal.
Not sure it'd be too good for business, me getting my customers in trouble.
Well, not sure it'd be much better
if I noticed the elk you mounted has velvet on its antlers.
It's an old mount.
With wet glue?
A client asked me to remount an old trophy.
Everything I do here is aboveboard.
So why don't you go look somewhere else for trouble?
Do you remember who put this up?
Can't say I do.
Thanks for your help.
Uh-huh.
Yo, pickett.
Shenfi.
You ever been in that new coffee place down the block?
Couple times.
Mmm. It's a good place.
New owners are a little goofy, though.
They moved here from California.
You know, they got all these different kinds of coffee.
This here is Ethiopian jaba-java.
You know, all my life, I thought there was only one kind of coffee,
came in a big red can with a little Mexican guy on it.
All of a sudden, there's over 100 kinds of coffee.
So I'm trying a new one every day,
trying to make up for all those years I was missing out.
Mmm. Try it.
- Oh. - No, no, seriously, try it.
Yeah, it's pretty good, eh?
Sure.
You know, mclanahan told me
he bamboozled you into informing ote keeley's wife.
- That's not exactly... - That's what he said.
But I'm assuming he did not ask you to interrogate Jeannie keeley.
It seems to me like you took that upon yourself.
Now, I know you're new in town. You don't know how things roll.
So I'm gonna give you the benefit of the doubt.
But this is a homicide investigation, pickett,
which means it's myjurisdiction.
So you stay the hell out of my way.
All due respect, sheriff,
murder weapon violates hunting regulations.
So, technically, it's myjurisdiction too.
I should warn you.
You do not want to be on the wrong side of me.
No, you keep that.
I don't care for the mild Berry aftertaste.
Race you to the merry-go-round!
- I win! - Wasn't a race.
- I said race you. - But I didn't agree.
- Do you want to know a secret? - Okay.
I think I can do real magic.
Really?
I've been wishing for a new pet, and then today one magically appeared.
What kind of pet is it?
- Race you to the teeter-totter! - It's not a race!
I feel like I owe you an apology.
I'm afraid that I was not a very good mother to you
or your sister or your brother.
You were fine, mom.
We all turned out okay.
Sort of.
Sort of?
Well, I mean, let's face it.
Your brother has never reached his potential.
Your sister's basically still a child.
- But I had such high hopes for you. - I like my life, mom.
It's a good life for me.
Is it, though?
Okay, just 'cause your life's going to shit
doesn't mean we all have to be miserable.
Marybeth, you have a law degree.
You were tops in your class.
You are too special
- to be some park ranger's wife. - He's not a park ranger.
Whatever.
You know, I did the law firm thing, mom, remember?
Oh, no, you wouldn't. I guess that was part of your lost year.
I worked 80-hour weeks in a 10-by-10 box with a view of a parking lot.
When I did see Joe and the girls, I was so tired and so anxious,
I had nothing left for them.
I didn't like myself in that life.
Yesterday,
I picked tea out of my garden,
and I drank it while a moose played in the yard.
This is where I belong,
regardless of what you wanted for me.
All my life, I relied on men,
and look where it got me.
But I raised you to rely on yourself, not some man.
And what did you do? You went and became a housewife!
Joe is not like dad.
Honey, they're all like your dad.
Some just hide it better.
All right, kid. Time for you to go home.
You really are a stubborn son of a bitch, aren't you, Joey?
Please drop the ax.
Easy.
Are you alone?
I suggest you don't point that thing in my direction.
Okay.
Is that a rabbit shooter you brought up here?
You the one making these broadheads?
- Don't come any closer. Just stay there. - I don't have my glasses.
Yeah, well, just stay there. Drop the ax.
No. This is my property. You drop your weapon.
This is not your property this is public land.
- I am the public. - You take one more step,
and I will consider that an act of aggression.
The broadheads I make are legal.
Not if you outfit them with poison pods.
Do I look like the kind of asshole that would use poison pods?
I haven't made up my mind what kind of asshole you are yet.
Well, let me enlighten you.
I'm the kind of asshole that if I saw another asshole using poison pods,
I'd give them two in the chest with this.
Drop it! Drop the weapon! Drop it.
I'm just saying, man, I would.
Don't point that at me.
Nate romanowski,
this is the twelve sleep county sheriff's department.
Nate romanowski, you keep your hands in the air.
All right, all right, I'm going down.
Not resisting.
Pickett, what the hell are you doing here?
Ah, I was following up on some arrowheads.
What about you?
Oh, we got a tip that ote had a run-in
with some survivalist over a falcon.
That could only mean one person.
Hey, sheriff. Compound bow.
I love it when they make it easy.
You know, I'm a little insulted
that they sent the local yokels to take me in.
Hey. Stop.
Hey, stop it!
Stop!
Hey, this isn't game warden business, pickett!
If you act like an animal, maybe it is game warden business.
Nate romanowski,
you're under arrest for the murder of ote keeley.
- Wait, what? - You have the right to remain silent.
Anything you say can and will be used against you in a court of law.
You have the right to an attorney.
If you cannot afford one, one will be appointed for you.
I got a kid,
another on the way
can't feed the kids,
outfitter's license gets pulled.
I figured the least I can do is make sure nobody kills them
when they're having their babies.
Give their young a chance to stand on their own.
You really think the cops are gonna care about what happens to someone like you?
Idont
Hey, Victor.
I was scared you weren't gonna come back.
I was okay.
Will you promise me something?
If you ever run away for real, you got to bring me too, okay?
You can't leave me here alone.
I promise.
You were just a kid when you made that promise, Joey.
I still broke it.
You were mine to protect.
No, I wasn't.
But you tried anyway.
Hell, I would have left too.
- Mom? - Yeah?
Do you think the bad guys will come back and get us?
No, honey.
What if they do?
Then your dad will stop them, and so will I.
But what if dad didn't know what to do?
You know...
People tend to underestimate your dad.
- But not us. - No, not us.
- Good night, mommy. - Good night, honey.
Hi this is marybeth. Please Lea ve a message.
Hey.
I was just calling to say good night.
Good night.
Hey.
This pickett?
Yeah.
Who's this?
It's Nate...
Romanowski,
I finally get my one call, and I'm calling you, buddy.
Why aren't you calling your lawyer?
I thought about it, and I'm calling you.
Can we meet?
That's... that's ridiculous.
Yeah, it sure is.
Did you get the vulture lsent?
- You did that? - Ll/lm-hmm.
Why?
I need to see you. Ill clear my schedule.
You'll...
Hey.
Your visitor's here.
You think that's gonna work?
Hmm.
They're a little loose, but they'll firm up.
As long as I don't use 'em.
You mean like for eating?
Yeah, I've been meaning to lose a few pounds, you know?
What's with the dead vulture?
It's weird, right?
It's like it just fell right out of the sky.
There's plenty more too.
Figured you could figure out what's wrong with them.
All right. I'll look into it.
So I don't suppose you called me here to listen to your confession.
I didn't kill ote keeley.
That's not to say that I wouldn't, given the opportunity.
Last spring, he killed one of my falcons.
You ask me, he got what he deserved.
But, no.
I'm innocent on this one.
Why aren't you telling this to your lawyer?
My public defender is a 26-year-old named Jason.
Huh, maybe you ought to call a private-practice criminal lawyer, then.
But I didn't. I called you.
Yeah.
Why?
Because you showed up with a rabbit shooter
to apprehend me.
Everybody else showed up with ar-15s and bulletproof vests.
But not you.
Why is that?
Well,
comfortable with it.
I've had that rifle since I was a kid.
And I didn't know your reputation.
I don't buy it.
Want to know what I think?
I think you like being underestimated.
Let me ask you something, Joe.
Were you raised by a dangerous man?
Because I was.
And let me tell you, I learned in order to keep the people around me safe,
I had to make this old man think that I was an idiot.
Safe on the outside...
But dangerous in here.
Now, they may not recognize you, Joe, but I do.
I see you, man.
Now, you may not like this.
You are the only one standing in between me and the needle.
No. No. You... you can't put that on me.
I got nowhere else to put it, Joe.
Nowhere.
So can I trust you?
It depends how you mean that.
This doesn't constitute
attorney-client privilege, if that's what you're asking.
So you should choose what you tell me accordingly.
Can I trust you to look for the truth?
Yes.
You can trust me to look for the truth.
Well, then there's something I should tell you.
Pickett.
What do you want at this hour?
Romanowski said he saw ote keeley and two men
headed for crazy woman creek right before he died.
He said they were armed to the teeth.
Looked like they were up to some bad business.
Yeah?
He said he told you that too.
You suggesting I should ride a horse all day up a mountain
based on the word of some asshole survivalist?
I'm just saying, if there's a chance that we got the wrong guy,
maybe we should make sure.
Last time I looked, pickett, you were a game warden, not a cop.
I keep this town safe, and I do a damn good job at it.
Now, what happens up at crazy woman creek,
well, nature tends to sort those problems out.
Well, maybe it is a game warden matter.
Known poacher on state land with two armed men.
- You want to do my job? - No, I don't.
Someone's got to do your job.
He did it! Look at him, for Christ's sakes.
He had the bow.
What if he didn't? What if the killer's still out there?
Ote keeley died on my woodpile.
I'd really like to know who to thank for that.
If you won't do it, I'll ride up there myself.
You won't even be able to find your way.
I mean, crazy woman creek is 30 miles
of some of the roughest terrain in twelve sleep.
There's no roads.
Radio comms are sketchy at best.
If you get yourself killed up there,
no one will be able to find a body to Bury.
I have a guy that knows the way.
Really? Who's that?
Wacey hedeman.
Shit.
He's running against me in the next election.
Oh, he patrolled twelve sleep before I got there.
He knows those elk camps along there better than anyone.
I'll tell you something, pickett.
I'm not sending any backup for you and wacey goddamn hedeman.
I kind of figured.
And you better bring some artillery,
'cause if there is anybody up there,
they're gonna have you seriously outgunned.
Yeah, maybe.
Hey, pickett!
If this thing goes sideways,
I will personally make sure it's your last screwup in saddlestring.
Goddamn it, I hate it when things go cowboy.
Shit.
J” life's a casino j“
j” I'm tellin' you j”
j” and everybody's playin'j”
j” boys and girls women, children, me and you j”
j” the dice are loaded j”
j” and everything's fixed j”
j” even a hobo would tell you this j”
j” welcome to hard times j”
j” and feelin'low j”
j” do you like sinnin'? J”
j” no? J”
j” well, you will before you go j”
j” we got lots of gamblin'j”
j” oh, and we 're tel/in'lies j”
j” you're certainly welcome to hard times j”
j” hard times j”
j” yesj”
j” hope you're feelin' welcome j”
j” to hard times j”