Hunter (1984–1991): Season 5, Episode 16 - Blood Line - full transcript
Hunter and McCall follow the trail of revenge and fraud while investigating the murder of a thoroughbred racehorse.
Tonight on Hunter.
He's dead.
-Whoever's responsible
for killing the horse
is also responsible
for the groom's death.
And I want you two to
do something about it.
-You're coming out
of this with $4 million.
No one else can say that.
I didn't wiggle my ass 'til
even that Irish mule
couldn't help but notice.
-At least he noticed.
-Stupid people do stupid things.
-I think you're
connected to his death.
I'll kill you!
I'll kill you.
-Holy hell, it's Zephyr Blue!
Try to calm him down.
Jenny!
Jenny!
Doc, this is Garth.
It's Zephyr Blue,
he's going crazy.
No no no, you better
get down here right away.
Get him out of there,
before he hurts himself.
-Whoa, whoa.
Whoa, easy.
Easy.
Whoa, whoa.
Whoa, whoa.
Whoa, whoa, whoa!
-Whoa baby, whoa whoa whoa!
Whoa baby, whoa.
Whoa, whoa.
-Hey what's going on?
-He's going crazy.
-Get away from him!
Whoa baby, whoa.
Whoa, whoa.
Whoa!
-Whoa!
Whoa.
-Chris!
-What's possessed the animal?
-No idea.
-What happened?
-Zephyr Blue kicked him.
-Call an ambulance.
Get my bag.
Now!
What set him off?
-I don't know.
He was tearing the place
apart when I came in.
-Chris has been kicked.
I'm gonna get an ambulance.
-Get a truck!
Garth's getting a truck.
It'll be quicker than
waiting for an ambulance.
-Is it bad?
-No, no.
He's just having a
wee nap, you idiot.
-He was kicked in the head.
We're taking him
to the hospital.
Ted, what's wrong with him?
-He's dead.
What?
Just like that, how?
-I'm gonna need
a hand with Chris.
-On three.
One, two three.
- Careful.
-Easy.
-Careful.
-Easy.
-I got his head.
-That is the rest of my work.
-How come you always
finish your reports before I do?
-I use smaller words.
-You know, I think I
need an energy burst.
Would you get me
something from the machine?
Something with chocolate?
-Hi.
You seen this?
This morning's sports page,
right there in the headline.
Zephyr Blue.
Can you believe someone
would kill a horse like that?
Well captain, it
doesn't say killed.
-That's because they haven't
read the autopsy report.
The vet found a tranquilizer
dart in Zephyr Blue's flank.
Someone killed that horse.
And I want you two to
do something about it.
-But that's a property loss.
That's not a homicide.
-Wrong.
When the horse died,
he sort of went crazy.
Couple of the employees
out there at the Hidden Valley
Ranch tried to calm him down.
One of them, a groom named
Chris Marley got kicked in the head.
He died this morning
of his injuries.
-That's manslaughter.
-At least.
Whoever is responsible
for killing the horse
is also responsible
for the groom's death.
You know, I... I'm
not a heavy better.
I go to track four
or five times a year,
but that horse was
a... was a real beauty.
Anyway, it's your case.
-Hidden Valley Ranch.
That's way out
in the hills, isn't it?
OK, grab your
britches, let's hit the trail.
-So you and your
husband own Zephyr
Blue as well as
these facilities.
Is that correct?
-Yes.
-And you just recently
mated Zephyr Blue.
-Nearly three weeks ago,
to a mare named Reef Rider.
-Now who had access
to the horse this morning?
Who lives on this compound?
-My husband Jerry
and I. We live here.
And whenever we stud a
horse, we lease our bungalows
to all the parties involved.
It keeps them from having
to get a hotel room in town.
So, Michael Mullenby, the
mare's owner, he's on the grounds.
And so are Wade
and Bonnie Arlington,
the prospective owners
of Reef Rider's foal,
if the breeding was successful.
It's too early to tell.
We'll know in the
next couple of days.
-Yeah, who else?
-Ted White, our vet.
And our grooms Jenny,
Garth, and Chris Marley.
We're heartbroken.
Chris was only 20.
All the grooms were
trying to steady the horse.
Chris just got in the way.
Jerry waited with
him at the hospital
all night, until it was over.
We all thought it
was an accident.
And now you're here.
-Losing Zephyr Blue must've
set you back financially, huh?
It's not often you
claim a horse for $1,200
and it turns out
to be a champion.
But we don't care
about the money.
We love Zephyr
Blue like a child.
-How much was he insured for?
-$2 million.
But only for a racing
injury or natural death.
We won't collect a dime.
-Hello.
I'm Jerry Kessler.
-Mr. Kessler, Sergeant Hunter.
How are you?
-If you don't mind, I've got
some things to take care of.
-Certainly.
Thanks very much.
-Who'd ever thought.
My vet says it was PCP.
Enough to kill an elephant.
-Keep, uh, PCP here
on the grounds, do you?
-Yeah.
But just the vet
has access to it.
I guess anybody could've
taken it out of his wagon.
It's not like we keep things
under lock and key around here.
-Who'd want to kill
your horse, Mr. Kessler?
-I just don't know.
-Your wife was
telling me that uh... Mr.
Mullenby is it... owns the mare.
-That's right.
-Where could I, uh, find him?
-Oh, he's down on that track.
-This way?
-Yeah, straight down.
-To the left?
Good talking to
you, Mr. Kessler.
-Thanks.
First the dart is filled with
the medication of choice.
This is an empty one.
Then it's simply slipped
into the tranq gun, like that.
And then it's just a
matter of aiming and firing.
-Does anyone else at Hidden
Valley Ranch have a tranq gun?
-I have no idea.
But I do know that the dart
that was used was lethal.
It had 500 milligrams
or so of PCP in it.
Had to collapse the
horse's nervous system
like a house of cards.
-How long would
it take that horse
to react after it was
shot with the dart?
-Oh that would
be almost instantly.
It was fired at
very close range.
The dart was very
deep into the muscle.
You know, I've put down
dozens of great horses
with a broken leg,
or that kind of thing.
And it's always a great
loss, but at least it's humane.
This was, uh... it's
just plain murder.
-I'd like to take the gun back
to the lab to determine if it
was the one that was
used to shoot Zephyr Blue.
-Sergeant, you, uh, certainly
don't suspect me of anything.
-Well doctor, you don't know
of anyone that would have
reason to kill that
horse, do you?
-No.
-Neither do I.
Until I do, I have
to cover all possible options.
-I see.
-Thank you.
-No way does my company
payoff to the tune of $2 million.
Zephyr Blue did not
die a natural death.
End of report.
-So why is the
policy restricted?
-Sergeant, does the
word fraud sound familiar?
Look, thoroughbreds
aren't cheap.
Might as well put $50
bills in their feed buckets.
When they don't win,
people have this habit
of trying to collect on them.
Oops, my horse
ran into a tractor.
-Yeah, well Zephyr
Blue was a winner.
-You asked.
Look, I don't
know offed the nag.
I do know Jerry Kessler
won't get a shekel from us.
You want to move?
-Mr. Mullenby.
-Yes, what is it?
-I'm Sergeant Hunter.
The Kesslers told me that you
owned Reef Rider, the horse
that Zephyr Blue was mated
to about three weeks ago.
-That's right.
She's a three-time
winner of the Cork Stakes.
And once came
second in the Irish Derby.
-I understand
that you were there
the morning they
found Zephyr Blue.
What brought you to the stables?
-Well, my bungalow
isn't that far from the barn.
I heard the ruckus.
It woke me up.
Just about... just about dawn.
Naturally I was concerned,
so I went over to the barn
to have a look.
-What'd you see?
-It was Kessler's regular vet.
Ted White, he was on his way.
And uh... Well by
the time we got there,
Marley was lying on
the floor unconscious,
and the other grooms were
trying to calm the poor animal down.
-Now who in the hell
would want to kill that horse?
-Have you talked
to Wade Arlington?
-No, Mr. Arlington
is on my list though.
-Well I happen to know
that Wade and Bonnie
Arlington are nearly bankrupt.
You see, Wade squandered
all the money his father left him.
Buying every worthless
thoroughbred he could find.
Sure the man has
no eye for horse flesh.
-Now what does that
have to do with anything?
-Well if my horse, Reef
Rider, drops a foal sired
by Zephyr Blue,
Arlington owns it.
Now with Zephyr Blue
dead, the value of that foal
becomes two or three times
more than Arlington paid for it.
-How much you think?
-Over $4 million.
Enough to get Arlington
out of the hole, hmm?
-Well wouldn't Arlington
be taking a risk killing Zephyr
Blue before he found
out that Reef Rider took?
-That's what horse
racing's all about, sergeant.
Risk.
And Arlington's not afraid
of making a bet like that.
Sure, the man has
hocked everything.
Has loans out everywhere.
He's desperate.
You look into it.
You'll see I'm
telling the truth.
-I'll do that.
Thanks, appreciate it.
-Well it's kind of funny you
should accuse Mullenby,
because he's accused you.
I wouldn't trust that man any
further than I could throw him.
I wouldn't take anything
Michael Mullenby
has to say about
us very seriously.
He's just trying to get even.
-For what?
-We bought the colt
that Zephyr Blue hopefully
sired with Mullenby's
horse, Reef Rider.
Our bid was substantially
higher than the others,
not that it matters
much to Mr. Mullenby.
He has a personal
axe to grind with us.
-Yeah why is that?
-My father owned
a Kentucky breed
farm, partnered with Mullenby.
When my father died, Mullenby
claimed he was the sole owner.
We sued him.
We won nearly five
million, not that Bonnie
and I needed the money.
He has considered us
mortal enemies ever since.
-You see, we have no reason
to want Zephyr Blue dead.
We don't even know
if Reef Rider took.
-You will know that in
couple days though, right?
-Possibly tomorrow.
If she isn't pregnant then
Zephyr Blue's line ends here.
-And you won't have to
give Mullenby any money.
And if the horse is
pregnant, then you'll
have a foal worth what, 3-4
times what you paid for it?
-Did Mullenby tell you that?
-Yeah.
-Don't you see what he's doing?
-No, I don't.
-He's trying to frame me
for the death of Zephyr Blue.
He's trying to ruin my name.
-Oh, that's little
extreme, don't you think?
-You keep your eye on him.
You'll find extremity to be well
within Mr. Mullenby's means.
-They're gonna know, Mullenby.
-Ain't gonna happen, Jerry
boy, ain't gonna happen!
You're useless.
I'll kill you, Mullenby!
I'll kill you.
-I'd never seen Zephyr
Blue act like that before.
It was like he was going crazy.
Some people are blaming
him for Chris getting
kicked in the head, but
Zephyr Blue was never mean.
-How long have you
been Zephyr Blue's groom?
-Since he was born.
Just... Right before the
Kessler's claimed him.
They saw his
potential, and... and I
just stayed on as his groom.
-Do you know if the
Kesslers had any enemies?
Any people that
might have wanted
to hurt Zephyr Blue
to get back at them?
-Nobody I could think of.
-You really loved
that horse, didn't you?
-When he died, I died too.
-Good day to
you, Mrs. Arlington.
-Mr. Mullenby.
-Please, call me Michael.
-Why?
-Listen.
I've seen you strutting
around this place.
What's a fine
woman like you doing
with a ponce like
Wade Arlington?
Money?
No, can't be.
Not unless you,
uh, miscalculated
during your courtship.
That glue factory he
calls a stable, what a joke.
-You're boring me, Mullenby.
-Well, maybe it's time
for you to acknowledge
the fact that you
made a mistake.
Maybe it's time for you
to try and, uh, correct it.
At least for a couple of nights.
-And maybe it's time for
you to talk to my husband.
I don't care how
big your operation is.
I don't care how many times
you fly over here on the Concord.
You don't belong
in this business.
You're a low life
bastard and nothing's
ever gonna change that.
-Come off it, laddie.
You're talking low?
There's nothing lower
in my book than a man
who kills a horse
for his own profit.
-That's a lie and you know it.
-I only know that you're
coming out of this with $4 million.
No one else can say that.
You killed that horse
to ruin my reputation.
-Well that's one
hell of a reach.
Hard to ruin that which
doesn't exist in the first place.
-Don't press your luck.
There's nothing I'd
rather do than whip
you good at your own game.
-Sonny, you
couldn't whip anyone.
Everyone knows that your wife
holds the whip in your family.
That's right.
That's where that
tail belongs, boy-oh.
Right between your legs.
-Leona?
-Mm-hmm
-I'm gonna take you to the
baddest restaurant in the city.
-Mm-hmm.
-And this weekend, two
nights on Catalina Island.
-One step at a time, Sporty.
The sweetest honey is
loathsome in its own deliciousness.
-Which means?
-Romeo and Juliet.
The best is meant to last.
-Um, don't worry about me, okay?
Romeo and Juliet, huh.
Romeo and Juliet.
Romeo and Juliet.
As I recall, a lot of people
die in Romeo and Juliet.
What is it, McCall?
I have got a hot thing
going you wouldn't believe.
-What's that, the lottery?
-Leona, she can't keep
her hands off of me.
-Yeah, well that must
be your... your uh...
Your personal magnetism, hmm?
-What's up?
-Come here, come here.
I want you to tell me everything
that you know about the death
of a thoroughbred whose
name was Zephyr Blue.
There wasn't any
insurance money involved.
We're having a hard time
pinning down a motive.
-I will do some research
and development
among people in the know.
Now when do you need this for?
-When do I need it?
I needed it yesterday.
Look you know how it is.
If it's going to infringe on
any of your time with Leona...
-I love you McCall, but nothing
comes between me and Leona.
Not even my favorite
peace officer, okay?
-Must be your magnetism.
-How you doing, Jenny?
-Hi.
Just fine.
-Well that's a beauty.
-Yeah.
-What kind of horse is that?
-Thoroughbred.
-How old is he?
-It's nine.
-How can you tell that?
-By his teeth.
-Let me see your teeth.
Here.
Does he have little
rings around them
or... Where can I
find the Arlingtons?
-Down there, look
for the Rolls Royce.
-Right down here?
-Mm-hmm.
-Thanks.
-This how you get your kicks?
Prying into other
people's lives?
I don't see how our financial
status is any of your business.
-It's all a public
record, Mr. Arlington.
-It's a temporary setback.
It's nothing major.
-Listen, How much do
you think Zephyr Blue's
foal's appreciated
since his death?
-Damn it, I couldn't
kill a horse for money.
That goes against
everything my family stood for.
I love horses.
-Yeah, I know you do, but
give me a ballpark figure.
How much?
$3, maybe $4 million.
-$3-4 million.
-And yes that would wipe
away most of my debts,
but I swear you I did
not kill Kessler's horse.
I told you that before.
-Wade!
Wade honey, the vet just
ran a test on Reef Rider.
It's positive.
She's in foal!
We own Zephyr Blue's colt.
-Do you mind if we, uh...
-No, not at all.
Congratulations.
Our ballistics
report backs you up.
The dart that killed Zephyr
Blue did not come from your gun.
-Seems to me I, uh,
told you that before.
-Seems to me I
told you that we had
to cover all possible angles,
so... Now about the PCP
that was used to kill the horse.
Were you missing any?
-I checked.
I couldn't tell.
500 milligrams isn't
enough for me to know.
It's not enough to miss.
So they might've
got it from me, or they
might've got it from
somebody else.
It's the most common
animal tranquilizer around.
Hey!
Get away from my horse.
Who gave you permission
to handle my horse?
-I work here Mr. Mullenby.
I don't need permission.
-You do when it's Reef Rider.
Now you stay away from her.
-What's your problem?
-Hey, leave him alone.
Get away from him.
-Get up you little coward.
-That's enough.
-He had it coming.
-You all right?
-Yeah I'm all right.
Takes somebody a lot
tougher than him to hurt me.
-Shut up you little runt.
-Can I talk to you for a minute?
Yeah you, come on.
You're a regular barroom
brawler, aren't you?
-So?
What's it to you?
-You know you're not looking
too good in all this, Mullenby.
People don't seem to like you.
-He was handling my horse.
No one touches her
without my permission.
-Yeah.
You ever used a
tranquilizer gun?
-Sure, once or twice.
-Recently?
I told you before, sergeant.
If you're looking for
someone with good reason
to kill Zephyr Blue, look at...
-Yeah, Wade Arlington.
I know all about it.
Forget about him.
I suspect you, Mullenby.
You know why?
Because you're stupid.
And stupid people
do stupid things.
-To the successful
fruit of two great lines.
-I'd like to toast the the
memory of Chris Marley.
A fine young man who
will be greatly missed.
And to the memory
of Zephyr Blue.
The fact that his
spirit will live on
in the form of a
foal... I think Chris
Marley would be
pleased with that.
-Hear, hear.
-Hear, hear.
-Oh, where's Mullenby?
Making some kind of annoying
statement with his absence?
-I called this bungalow
and gave him the news.
-You'd think he'd
want to celebrate
his mare being involved.
-I told him we were
getting together.
He said he'd be here.
-Well I was sure he was
there when we went by, honey.
-He's going to be
upset with all of us
if he thinks we forgot him.
-Who cares?
-True.
-I'll go get him.
Michael?
Are you in there?
Michael?
Michael?
Heart arrhythmia, followed
by respiratory
collapse, followed
by total cardiac
arrest... in other words
his heart and lungs gave out.
Toxicological exam
shows that he died
the same way the horse did.
-Tranquilizer gun?
-Apparently.
They found a dart
stuck in his ribs.
-Well the Arlingtons, Kesslers,
Doctor White, Garth, Jenny,
two kitchen helpers...
They were all there.
Any one of them could've
done it, but why would
they want to kill Mullenby?
-I think the key
is why would they
want to kill the horse
in the first place?
We don't seem to be getting
any closer on this case.
The field's still wide open.
-Yeah well, the field
may be wide open,
but I got some ideas.
Excuse me.
-You gonna drink very
much more of that, darling?
-I most certainly am.
Just as much as I can hold.
Or were you simply being
pointlessly rhetorical?
-No.
No I was just trying to
calculate how long it's gonna
take before you're completely
stewed to the eyeballs.
-Isn't that what
you boys at the VMI
used to call getting
fried to the gills?
Very cute.
You were such a cute boy, Wade.
Once.
-Damn it, Bonnie.
We don't need you
getting filthy drunk.
We both need to
keep our wits about us.
-You have wits?
I hadn't noticed.
Oh yeah, it was you who threw
that punch at Michael Mullenby
in front of that cop I believe.
-Yeah well I didn't wiggle
my ass all over this farm
'til even that thick Irish
mule couldn't help but notice.
-At least he noticed.
I don't save my
old calendars, or I'd
be able to tell you the
last time you noticed.
-You know, there's really not
that much left to catch my eye.
-You pitiful thing.
You had to try and be
a man at the wrong time.
Now we're this close
to a murder charge.
Aren't we, darling.
-Mullenby didn't give a
damn about the horses.
He was just in it for the bucks.
He's the biggest
jerk I ever met.
-So you've had dealings
with him before, huh?
-Yeah.
Yeah, he bought a mare
here a couple of years ago.
What uh... What's
the relationship
between Mullenby and Kesller?
Never could figure that out.
They're complete opposites.
Kessler's a hell of a guy.
-And Mullenby is a jerk, right?
-You said it.
-Must've been kind of
embarrassing to have him slap
you around in the
barn yesterday, huh.
Enough to kill him?
-Oh come on.
I didn't have anything
to do with that.
-Somebody did.
-All right.
All I know is, the night
before Mullenby was killed,
Kessler and him had
an argument in the stalls.
I don't know what it was about.
But Mullenby blew
up and decked Kessler.
And while he was down,
he kicked the hell out of him.
Kessler rolled around
trying to get out,
but Mullenby flipped out.
He just kept kicking him.
-What did Kessler do?
-I don't know what you mean.
-Well he must have done
something, what did he say?
-He threatened to kill Mullenby.
-Ah, ah, ah, ah.
Haven't you looked
at a map lately, boys?
This is not Reno.
Put the money down,
get against the back wall.
-Sergeant, look, this
is really not the time.
-Yeah, yeah, I
hear it every day.
Come on, come on.
-I don't believe this.
-Yeah, neither do I.
-This is Fat Ernie.
He's South Central LA's
resident expert on horse flesh.
And he just got
through doing six
in the county jail on
a bookmaking beef.
-Ernie ought to be more careful.
-Yeah, well maybe you
could ask your vice friends
to cut me a little
slack next time.
-Depends on what you got.
-There's a ton of west side
action riding on whether Zephyr
Blue and Reef Rider
would produce a foal.
-What, are you kidding?
-Everybody knows that Zephyr
Blue has a low sperm count.
Last time they tried to
stud him, it didn't take.
So the odds were running
about 80 to 20 against the foal.
Check it out.
Then I get a phone
call from a guy
who wants to lay $100,000
on Reef Rider making a baby.
That's a high roll from
somebody I never heard of.
Against the odds?
So I get a little curious.
Turns out the man's
name is Nance.
And the man works
at the biotesting labs.
Guess what he does for a living.
-I wouldn't have
the slightest idea.
Both of you back
up against this wall.
Sit down.
-We test all species of
animal sperm for fertility.
Just last week, we examined
the sperm of a Bengal tiger
for a zoo.
-Did you ever test
a thoroughbred
called Zephyr Blue?
-Oh of course, that's
Mr. Kessler's stallion.
Here we are.
Examination was to
determine whether he
was capable of being a sire.
I have a copy of
our certification.
Zephyr Blue was fertile.
-Do you have a
backup sample here?
-No, we're a testing
lab, not a sperm bank.
-Did you do the test yourself?
-No, it was Mr. Nance.
Mr. Nance?
Well I'd like to
discuss the testing
procedure with him, if I may.
Of course.
Eric, this detective w...
-Hold it!
Where you going, Eric?
Did you verify the test results?
-I don't understand.
-It's standard procedure
to have another lab
technician verify the analysis.
-I told you, Zephyr
Blue was fertile.
Now I've got
nothing else to say.
-Really?
Well I got a bookie named
Ernie who says you do.
-D... Doesn't mean anything.
-I think you doctored
the test results,
and Jerry Kessler
paid you to do it.
-I don't know what
you're talking about.
-Recognize that man?
It's Kessler's partner.
He was murdered.
Now I think you're
connected to his death.
-Not a chance!
Look, the man said no
one would ever find out.
Do you have any idea how
much a lab technician makes?
-About as much as a cop.
Who paid you, Jerry Kessler?
-Jerry Kessler.
Continue, Mr. Kessler.
It was Mullenby's idea.
After he approached me
about mating Zephyr Blue
with Reef Rider, I tested Blue.
And he tested infertile.
I told Mullenby.
Mullenby said
that we could still
pick up a quick million each.
Now this place isn't the
moneymaker that it looks like.
I needed that stud.
So after Mullenby explained
his scheme, I went along with it.
-And you both planned to
kill the horse afterwards, right?
-We couldn't chance
anyone finding
out that he was infertile.
-So Mullenby jumps the gun...
Kills Zephyr Blue before he
could find out if Reef
Rider was pregnant.
That's why you were fighting
with him in the stables, right?
-He hated Arlington.
Mullenby killed Zephyr
Blue while Arlington was still
on the grounds, waiting
for news of the foal.
He wanted to ruin
the man's reputation.
We'd been artificially
inseminating
Reef Rider every
chance we could get.
Mullenby knew that the odds
were in our favor for a foal,
and we'd collect our
money from Arlington.
And he jumped at the chance
to make the breeding community
think that Arlington
killed Zephyr Blue.
Even though
nobody could prove it.
-You knew you
couldn't trust Mullenby.
That's why you killed him, huh.
-I didn't do it.
Now you can
charge me with fraud,
and greed, or
even plain stupidity.
But I swear to you.
I didn't kill Michael Mullenby.
-The DA has just filed
first degree murder
charges against Jerry Kessler.
What, you don't look
too happy about that.
-Uh no I'm not.
Look, see Kessler and Mullenby
were partners, all the way down
the line, right?
-Right.
-They conspired to defraud
Arlington with Zephyr Blue
and then kill the horse, so
nobody would find about it.
-Yeah, so Kessler
killed Mullenby
so that no one would find
out about their scheme.
-Right.
But see, I don't
agree with that.
Kessler admits to
fraud, but he doesn't
admit to killing Mullenby.
And I believe him.
There's a couple people
out here at that horse ranch
who had perfect
motive to kill Mullenby.
The stories just don't jive.
I don't think Kessler
killed Mullenby.
-Well who do you think did?
-I don't know.
We better find out.
-Garth!
-Hey, sergeant.
-Listen, I'd like to ask
you a couple of questions
about the morning
that Zephyr Blue died.
-Shoot.
Shoot.
Say that around here
and you're liable to find
a tranq dart sticking
out of your butt.
-Now you told Sergeant
McCall that uh...
When you responded to the
noise in Zephyr Blue's stall,
you walked by Jenny's
apartment, but she wasn't there.
-Yeah that's right.
-Now Jenny's apartment is
right across from Zephyr Blue's.
-Yeah.
-Well how is it that you
and Chris got to the stall
before Jenny?
-Well, things happened so fast
I never really thought about it.
She got there a
couple of minutes later.
-Where do you think she was?
-I don't know.
-Yeah, thanks.
Hi, Jenny.
-Hi.
-Could I have a
word with you please?
-Yeah.
Yeah sure, come on in.
-Thanks.
Boy you got yourself a regular
uh museum here, don't you.
-Yeah I guess
you could say that.
-Kind of convenient being
right across from Zephyr
Blue's stall, isn't it.
I guess you could keep
close tabs on him and uh...
-Yeah I could hear almost
everything over there.
I could even hear
his heart beat.
-You know in uh tracing back
everybody's story the night
that the... the horse
was killed, there
are a couple things
that bother me.
You see, Garth told me that uh
when he responded to the noise
in Zephyr Blue's stall,
he and the stable boys
were the first to
arrive on the scene.
When he went to use the
phone to call the veterinarian,
he knocked on your
door and you weren't here.
-Yeah I could... I couldn't
sleep that morning,
so I went for a walk.
-Well you couldn't
sleep because uh
you heard Zephyr Blue
kicking around in his stall.
So you went to the
window, you looked out,
and you saw Michael Mullenby
go in Zephyr Blue's stall
and shoot him with the dart gun.
-No that's not true.
And then you followed Mullenby.
-No I went to go get help.
You saw him hide the gun.
And after he hid the
gun, you came back
to help the others
with the horse.
After the horse died, you
went back and you got the gun.
And you waited
until the next day.
And before Michael
Mullenby could join the others
at the party, you shot him
just like he shot Zephyr Blue.
-But that horse meant
everything to me.
That horse was all I had.
-Why didn't you go
to the authorities?
-Because what
would they have done?
They don't care what
happens to a horse.
Nobody cares.
Like I cared.
-Kessler's looking at
conspiracy to defraud,
and Jenny's looking at
second-degree murder.
-Wow.
How about Jenny.
Such a sweet-looking
face on such an intense girl.
She was so unfocused on
reality with people all she could do
is put all her energy
into that horse.
It's kinda strange.
-Well her attorney's gonna
plead her temporarily insane.
And if I were a
betting man, I would
say that she gets off scot-free.
-Will you look at that?
You go to court and
your work just piles up.
You know, if you
were a betting man,
how'd you like to wager
dinner at my favorite restaurant
that I finish my work
before you finish yours.
-Well look how small your
stack is compared to mine.
-You use smaller words.
-Tom Jones!
-More work.
He's dead.
-Whoever's responsible
for killing the horse
is also responsible
for the groom's death.
And I want you two to
do something about it.
-You're coming out
of this with $4 million.
No one else can say that.
I didn't wiggle my ass 'til
even that Irish mule
couldn't help but notice.
-At least he noticed.
-Stupid people do stupid things.
-I think you're
connected to his death.
I'll kill you!
I'll kill you.
-Holy hell, it's Zephyr Blue!
Try to calm him down.
Jenny!
Jenny!
Doc, this is Garth.
It's Zephyr Blue,
he's going crazy.
No no no, you better
get down here right away.
Get him out of there,
before he hurts himself.
-Whoa, whoa.
Whoa, easy.
Easy.
Whoa, whoa.
Whoa, whoa.
Whoa, whoa, whoa!
-Whoa baby, whoa whoa whoa!
Whoa baby, whoa.
Whoa, whoa.
-Hey what's going on?
-He's going crazy.
-Get away from him!
Whoa baby, whoa.
Whoa, whoa.
Whoa!
-Whoa!
Whoa.
-Chris!
-What's possessed the animal?
-No idea.
-What happened?
-Zephyr Blue kicked him.
-Call an ambulance.
Get my bag.
Now!
What set him off?
-I don't know.
He was tearing the place
apart when I came in.
-Chris has been kicked.
I'm gonna get an ambulance.
-Get a truck!
Garth's getting a truck.
It'll be quicker than
waiting for an ambulance.
-Is it bad?
-No, no.
He's just having a
wee nap, you idiot.
-He was kicked in the head.
We're taking him
to the hospital.
Ted, what's wrong with him?
-He's dead.
What?
Just like that, how?
-I'm gonna need
a hand with Chris.
-On three.
One, two three.
- Careful.
-Easy.
-Careful.
-Easy.
-I got his head.
-That is the rest of my work.
-How come you always
finish your reports before I do?
-I use smaller words.
-You know, I think I
need an energy burst.
Would you get me
something from the machine?
Something with chocolate?
-Hi.
You seen this?
This morning's sports page,
right there in the headline.
Zephyr Blue.
Can you believe someone
would kill a horse like that?
Well captain, it
doesn't say killed.
-That's because they haven't
read the autopsy report.
The vet found a tranquilizer
dart in Zephyr Blue's flank.
Someone killed that horse.
And I want you two to
do something about it.
-But that's a property loss.
That's not a homicide.
-Wrong.
When the horse died,
he sort of went crazy.
Couple of the employees
out there at the Hidden Valley
Ranch tried to calm him down.
One of them, a groom named
Chris Marley got kicked in the head.
He died this morning
of his injuries.
-That's manslaughter.
-At least.
Whoever is responsible
for killing the horse
is also responsible
for the groom's death.
You know, I... I'm
not a heavy better.
I go to track four
or five times a year,
but that horse was
a... was a real beauty.
Anyway, it's your case.
-Hidden Valley Ranch.
That's way out
in the hills, isn't it?
OK, grab your
britches, let's hit the trail.
-So you and your
husband own Zephyr
Blue as well as
these facilities.
Is that correct?
-Yes.
-And you just recently
mated Zephyr Blue.
-Nearly three weeks ago,
to a mare named Reef Rider.
-Now who had access
to the horse this morning?
Who lives on this compound?
-My husband Jerry
and I. We live here.
And whenever we stud a
horse, we lease our bungalows
to all the parties involved.
It keeps them from having
to get a hotel room in town.
So, Michael Mullenby, the
mare's owner, he's on the grounds.
And so are Wade
and Bonnie Arlington,
the prospective owners
of Reef Rider's foal,
if the breeding was successful.
It's too early to tell.
We'll know in the
next couple of days.
-Yeah, who else?
-Ted White, our vet.
And our grooms Jenny,
Garth, and Chris Marley.
We're heartbroken.
Chris was only 20.
All the grooms were
trying to steady the horse.
Chris just got in the way.
Jerry waited with
him at the hospital
all night, until it was over.
We all thought it
was an accident.
And now you're here.
-Losing Zephyr Blue must've
set you back financially, huh?
It's not often you
claim a horse for $1,200
and it turns out
to be a champion.
But we don't care
about the money.
We love Zephyr
Blue like a child.
-How much was he insured for?
-$2 million.
But only for a racing
injury or natural death.
We won't collect a dime.
-Hello.
I'm Jerry Kessler.
-Mr. Kessler, Sergeant Hunter.
How are you?
-If you don't mind, I've got
some things to take care of.
-Certainly.
Thanks very much.
-Who'd ever thought.
My vet says it was PCP.
Enough to kill an elephant.
-Keep, uh, PCP here
on the grounds, do you?
-Yeah.
But just the vet
has access to it.
I guess anybody could've
taken it out of his wagon.
It's not like we keep things
under lock and key around here.
-Who'd want to kill
your horse, Mr. Kessler?
-I just don't know.
-Your wife was
telling me that uh... Mr.
Mullenby is it... owns the mare.
-That's right.
-Where could I, uh, find him?
-Oh, he's down on that track.
-This way?
-Yeah, straight down.
-To the left?
Good talking to
you, Mr. Kessler.
-Thanks.
First the dart is filled with
the medication of choice.
This is an empty one.
Then it's simply slipped
into the tranq gun, like that.
And then it's just a
matter of aiming and firing.
-Does anyone else at Hidden
Valley Ranch have a tranq gun?
-I have no idea.
But I do know that the dart
that was used was lethal.
It had 500 milligrams
or so of PCP in it.
Had to collapse the
horse's nervous system
like a house of cards.
-How long would
it take that horse
to react after it was
shot with the dart?
-Oh that would
be almost instantly.
It was fired at
very close range.
The dart was very
deep into the muscle.
You know, I've put down
dozens of great horses
with a broken leg,
or that kind of thing.
And it's always a great
loss, but at least it's humane.
This was, uh... it's
just plain murder.
-I'd like to take the gun back
to the lab to determine if it
was the one that was
used to shoot Zephyr Blue.
-Sergeant, you, uh, certainly
don't suspect me of anything.
-Well doctor, you don't know
of anyone that would have
reason to kill that
horse, do you?
-No.
-Neither do I.
Until I do, I have
to cover all possible options.
-I see.
-Thank you.
-No way does my company
payoff to the tune of $2 million.
Zephyr Blue did not
die a natural death.
End of report.
-So why is the
policy restricted?
-Sergeant, does the
word fraud sound familiar?
Look, thoroughbreds
aren't cheap.
Might as well put $50
bills in their feed buckets.
When they don't win,
people have this habit
of trying to collect on them.
Oops, my horse
ran into a tractor.
-Yeah, well Zephyr
Blue was a winner.
-You asked.
Look, I don't
know offed the nag.
I do know Jerry Kessler
won't get a shekel from us.
You want to move?
-Mr. Mullenby.
-Yes, what is it?
-I'm Sergeant Hunter.
The Kesslers told me that you
owned Reef Rider, the horse
that Zephyr Blue was mated
to about three weeks ago.
-That's right.
She's a three-time
winner of the Cork Stakes.
And once came
second in the Irish Derby.
-I understand
that you were there
the morning they
found Zephyr Blue.
What brought you to the stables?
-Well, my bungalow
isn't that far from the barn.
I heard the ruckus.
It woke me up.
Just about... just about dawn.
Naturally I was concerned,
so I went over to the barn
to have a look.
-What'd you see?
-It was Kessler's regular vet.
Ted White, he was on his way.
And uh... Well by
the time we got there,
Marley was lying on
the floor unconscious,
and the other grooms were
trying to calm the poor animal down.
-Now who in the hell
would want to kill that horse?
-Have you talked
to Wade Arlington?
-No, Mr. Arlington
is on my list though.
-Well I happen to know
that Wade and Bonnie
Arlington are nearly bankrupt.
You see, Wade squandered
all the money his father left him.
Buying every worthless
thoroughbred he could find.
Sure the man has
no eye for horse flesh.
-Now what does that
have to do with anything?
-Well if my horse, Reef
Rider, drops a foal sired
by Zephyr Blue,
Arlington owns it.
Now with Zephyr Blue
dead, the value of that foal
becomes two or three times
more than Arlington paid for it.
-How much you think?
-Over $4 million.
Enough to get Arlington
out of the hole, hmm?
-Well wouldn't Arlington
be taking a risk killing Zephyr
Blue before he found
out that Reef Rider took?
-That's what horse
racing's all about, sergeant.
Risk.
And Arlington's not afraid
of making a bet like that.
Sure, the man has
hocked everything.
Has loans out everywhere.
He's desperate.
You look into it.
You'll see I'm
telling the truth.
-I'll do that.
Thanks, appreciate it.
-Well it's kind of funny you
should accuse Mullenby,
because he's accused you.
I wouldn't trust that man any
further than I could throw him.
I wouldn't take anything
Michael Mullenby
has to say about
us very seriously.
He's just trying to get even.
-For what?
-We bought the colt
that Zephyr Blue hopefully
sired with Mullenby's
horse, Reef Rider.
Our bid was substantially
higher than the others,
not that it matters
much to Mr. Mullenby.
He has a personal
axe to grind with us.
-Yeah why is that?
-My father owned
a Kentucky breed
farm, partnered with Mullenby.
When my father died, Mullenby
claimed he was the sole owner.
We sued him.
We won nearly five
million, not that Bonnie
and I needed the money.
He has considered us
mortal enemies ever since.
-You see, we have no reason
to want Zephyr Blue dead.
We don't even know
if Reef Rider took.
-You will know that in
couple days though, right?
-Possibly tomorrow.
If she isn't pregnant then
Zephyr Blue's line ends here.
-And you won't have to
give Mullenby any money.
And if the horse is
pregnant, then you'll
have a foal worth what, 3-4
times what you paid for it?
-Did Mullenby tell you that?
-Yeah.
-Don't you see what he's doing?
-No, I don't.
-He's trying to frame me
for the death of Zephyr Blue.
He's trying to ruin my name.
-Oh, that's little
extreme, don't you think?
-You keep your eye on him.
You'll find extremity to be well
within Mr. Mullenby's means.
-They're gonna know, Mullenby.
-Ain't gonna happen, Jerry
boy, ain't gonna happen!
You're useless.
I'll kill you, Mullenby!
I'll kill you.
-I'd never seen Zephyr
Blue act like that before.
It was like he was going crazy.
Some people are blaming
him for Chris getting
kicked in the head, but
Zephyr Blue was never mean.
-How long have you
been Zephyr Blue's groom?
-Since he was born.
Just... Right before the
Kessler's claimed him.
They saw his
potential, and... and I
just stayed on as his groom.
-Do you know if the
Kesslers had any enemies?
Any people that
might have wanted
to hurt Zephyr Blue
to get back at them?
-Nobody I could think of.
-You really loved
that horse, didn't you?
-When he died, I died too.
-Good day to
you, Mrs. Arlington.
-Mr. Mullenby.
-Please, call me Michael.
-Why?
-Listen.
I've seen you strutting
around this place.
What's a fine
woman like you doing
with a ponce like
Wade Arlington?
Money?
No, can't be.
Not unless you,
uh, miscalculated
during your courtship.
That glue factory he
calls a stable, what a joke.
-You're boring me, Mullenby.
-Well, maybe it's time
for you to acknowledge
the fact that you
made a mistake.
Maybe it's time for you
to try and, uh, correct it.
At least for a couple of nights.
-And maybe it's time for
you to talk to my husband.
I don't care how
big your operation is.
I don't care how many times
you fly over here on the Concord.
You don't belong
in this business.
You're a low life
bastard and nothing's
ever gonna change that.
-Come off it, laddie.
You're talking low?
There's nothing lower
in my book than a man
who kills a horse
for his own profit.
-That's a lie and you know it.
-I only know that you're
coming out of this with $4 million.
No one else can say that.
You killed that horse
to ruin my reputation.
-Well that's one
hell of a reach.
Hard to ruin that which
doesn't exist in the first place.
-Don't press your luck.
There's nothing I'd
rather do than whip
you good at your own game.
-Sonny, you
couldn't whip anyone.
Everyone knows that your wife
holds the whip in your family.
That's right.
That's where that
tail belongs, boy-oh.
Right between your legs.
-Leona?
-Mm-hmm
-I'm gonna take you to the
baddest restaurant in the city.
-Mm-hmm.
-And this weekend, two
nights on Catalina Island.
-One step at a time, Sporty.
The sweetest honey is
loathsome in its own deliciousness.
-Which means?
-Romeo and Juliet.
The best is meant to last.
-Um, don't worry about me, okay?
Romeo and Juliet, huh.
Romeo and Juliet.
Romeo and Juliet.
As I recall, a lot of people
die in Romeo and Juliet.
What is it, McCall?
I have got a hot thing
going you wouldn't believe.
-What's that, the lottery?
-Leona, she can't keep
her hands off of me.
-Yeah, well that must
be your... your uh...
Your personal magnetism, hmm?
-What's up?
-Come here, come here.
I want you to tell me everything
that you know about the death
of a thoroughbred whose
name was Zephyr Blue.
There wasn't any
insurance money involved.
We're having a hard time
pinning down a motive.
-I will do some research
and development
among people in the know.
Now when do you need this for?
-When do I need it?
I needed it yesterday.
Look you know how it is.
If it's going to infringe on
any of your time with Leona...
-I love you McCall, but nothing
comes between me and Leona.
Not even my favorite
peace officer, okay?
-Must be your magnetism.
-How you doing, Jenny?
-Hi.
Just fine.
-Well that's a beauty.
-Yeah.
-What kind of horse is that?
-Thoroughbred.
-How old is he?
-It's nine.
-How can you tell that?
-By his teeth.
-Let me see your teeth.
Here.
Does he have little
rings around them
or... Where can I
find the Arlingtons?
-Down there, look
for the Rolls Royce.
-Right down here?
-Mm-hmm.
-Thanks.
-This how you get your kicks?
Prying into other
people's lives?
I don't see how our financial
status is any of your business.
-It's all a public
record, Mr. Arlington.
-It's a temporary setback.
It's nothing major.
-Listen, How much do
you think Zephyr Blue's
foal's appreciated
since his death?
-Damn it, I couldn't
kill a horse for money.
That goes against
everything my family stood for.
I love horses.
-Yeah, I know you do, but
give me a ballpark figure.
How much?
$3, maybe $4 million.
-$3-4 million.
-And yes that would wipe
away most of my debts,
but I swear you I did
not kill Kessler's horse.
I told you that before.
-Wade!
Wade honey, the vet just
ran a test on Reef Rider.
It's positive.
She's in foal!
We own Zephyr Blue's colt.
-Do you mind if we, uh...
-No, not at all.
Congratulations.
Our ballistics
report backs you up.
The dart that killed Zephyr
Blue did not come from your gun.
-Seems to me I, uh,
told you that before.
-Seems to me I
told you that we had
to cover all possible angles,
so... Now about the PCP
that was used to kill the horse.
Were you missing any?
-I checked.
I couldn't tell.
500 milligrams isn't
enough for me to know.
It's not enough to miss.
So they might've
got it from me, or they
might've got it from
somebody else.
It's the most common
animal tranquilizer around.
Hey!
Get away from my horse.
Who gave you permission
to handle my horse?
-I work here Mr. Mullenby.
I don't need permission.
-You do when it's Reef Rider.
Now you stay away from her.
-What's your problem?
-Hey, leave him alone.
Get away from him.
-Get up you little coward.
-That's enough.
-He had it coming.
-You all right?
-Yeah I'm all right.
Takes somebody a lot
tougher than him to hurt me.
-Shut up you little runt.
-Can I talk to you for a minute?
Yeah you, come on.
You're a regular barroom
brawler, aren't you?
-So?
What's it to you?
-You know you're not looking
too good in all this, Mullenby.
People don't seem to like you.
-He was handling my horse.
No one touches her
without my permission.
-Yeah.
You ever used a
tranquilizer gun?
-Sure, once or twice.
-Recently?
I told you before, sergeant.
If you're looking for
someone with good reason
to kill Zephyr Blue, look at...
-Yeah, Wade Arlington.
I know all about it.
Forget about him.
I suspect you, Mullenby.
You know why?
Because you're stupid.
And stupid people
do stupid things.
-To the successful
fruit of two great lines.
-I'd like to toast the the
memory of Chris Marley.
A fine young man who
will be greatly missed.
And to the memory
of Zephyr Blue.
The fact that his
spirit will live on
in the form of a
foal... I think Chris
Marley would be
pleased with that.
-Hear, hear.
-Hear, hear.
-Oh, where's Mullenby?
Making some kind of annoying
statement with his absence?
-I called this bungalow
and gave him the news.
-You'd think he'd
want to celebrate
his mare being involved.
-I told him we were
getting together.
He said he'd be here.
-Well I was sure he was
there when we went by, honey.
-He's going to be
upset with all of us
if he thinks we forgot him.
-Who cares?
-True.
-I'll go get him.
Michael?
Are you in there?
Michael?
Michael?
Heart arrhythmia, followed
by respiratory
collapse, followed
by total cardiac
arrest... in other words
his heart and lungs gave out.
Toxicological exam
shows that he died
the same way the horse did.
-Tranquilizer gun?
-Apparently.
They found a dart
stuck in his ribs.
-Well the Arlingtons, Kesslers,
Doctor White, Garth, Jenny,
two kitchen helpers...
They were all there.
Any one of them could've
done it, but why would
they want to kill Mullenby?
-I think the key
is why would they
want to kill the horse
in the first place?
We don't seem to be getting
any closer on this case.
The field's still wide open.
-Yeah well, the field
may be wide open,
but I got some ideas.
Excuse me.
-You gonna drink very
much more of that, darling?
-I most certainly am.
Just as much as I can hold.
Or were you simply being
pointlessly rhetorical?
-No.
No I was just trying to
calculate how long it's gonna
take before you're completely
stewed to the eyeballs.
-Isn't that what
you boys at the VMI
used to call getting
fried to the gills?
Very cute.
You were such a cute boy, Wade.
Once.
-Damn it, Bonnie.
We don't need you
getting filthy drunk.
We both need to
keep our wits about us.
-You have wits?
I hadn't noticed.
Oh yeah, it was you who threw
that punch at Michael Mullenby
in front of that cop I believe.
-Yeah well I didn't wiggle
my ass all over this farm
'til even that thick Irish
mule couldn't help but notice.
-At least he noticed.
I don't save my
old calendars, or I'd
be able to tell you the
last time you noticed.
-You know, there's really not
that much left to catch my eye.
-You pitiful thing.
You had to try and be
a man at the wrong time.
Now we're this close
to a murder charge.
Aren't we, darling.
-Mullenby didn't give a
damn about the horses.
He was just in it for the bucks.
He's the biggest
jerk I ever met.
-So you've had dealings
with him before, huh?
-Yeah.
Yeah, he bought a mare
here a couple of years ago.
What uh... What's
the relationship
between Mullenby and Kesller?
Never could figure that out.
They're complete opposites.
Kessler's a hell of a guy.
-And Mullenby is a jerk, right?
-You said it.
-Must've been kind of
embarrassing to have him slap
you around in the
barn yesterday, huh.
Enough to kill him?
-Oh come on.
I didn't have anything
to do with that.
-Somebody did.
-All right.
All I know is, the night
before Mullenby was killed,
Kessler and him had
an argument in the stalls.
I don't know what it was about.
But Mullenby blew
up and decked Kessler.
And while he was down,
he kicked the hell out of him.
Kessler rolled around
trying to get out,
but Mullenby flipped out.
He just kept kicking him.
-What did Kessler do?
-I don't know what you mean.
-Well he must have done
something, what did he say?
-He threatened to kill Mullenby.
-Ah, ah, ah, ah.
Haven't you looked
at a map lately, boys?
This is not Reno.
Put the money down,
get against the back wall.
-Sergeant, look, this
is really not the time.
-Yeah, yeah, I
hear it every day.
Come on, come on.
-I don't believe this.
-Yeah, neither do I.
-This is Fat Ernie.
He's South Central LA's
resident expert on horse flesh.
And he just got
through doing six
in the county jail on
a bookmaking beef.
-Ernie ought to be more careful.
-Yeah, well maybe you
could ask your vice friends
to cut me a little
slack next time.
-Depends on what you got.
-There's a ton of west side
action riding on whether Zephyr
Blue and Reef Rider
would produce a foal.
-What, are you kidding?
-Everybody knows that Zephyr
Blue has a low sperm count.
Last time they tried to
stud him, it didn't take.
So the odds were running
about 80 to 20 against the foal.
Check it out.
Then I get a phone
call from a guy
who wants to lay $100,000
on Reef Rider making a baby.
That's a high roll from
somebody I never heard of.
Against the odds?
So I get a little curious.
Turns out the man's
name is Nance.
And the man works
at the biotesting labs.
Guess what he does for a living.
-I wouldn't have
the slightest idea.
Both of you back
up against this wall.
Sit down.
-We test all species of
animal sperm for fertility.
Just last week, we examined
the sperm of a Bengal tiger
for a zoo.
-Did you ever test
a thoroughbred
called Zephyr Blue?
-Oh of course, that's
Mr. Kessler's stallion.
Here we are.
Examination was to
determine whether he
was capable of being a sire.
I have a copy of
our certification.
Zephyr Blue was fertile.
-Do you have a
backup sample here?
-No, we're a testing
lab, not a sperm bank.
-Did you do the test yourself?
-No, it was Mr. Nance.
Mr. Nance?
Well I'd like to
discuss the testing
procedure with him, if I may.
Of course.
Eric, this detective w...
-Hold it!
Where you going, Eric?
Did you verify the test results?
-I don't understand.
-It's standard procedure
to have another lab
technician verify the analysis.
-I told you, Zephyr
Blue was fertile.
Now I've got
nothing else to say.
-Really?
Well I got a bookie named
Ernie who says you do.
-D... Doesn't mean anything.
-I think you doctored
the test results,
and Jerry Kessler
paid you to do it.
-I don't know what
you're talking about.
-Recognize that man?
It's Kessler's partner.
He was murdered.
Now I think you're
connected to his death.
-Not a chance!
Look, the man said no
one would ever find out.
Do you have any idea how
much a lab technician makes?
-About as much as a cop.
Who paid you, Jerry Kessler?
-Jerry Kessler.
Continue, Mr. Kessler.
It was Mullenby's idea.
After he approached me
about mating Zephyr Blue
with Reef Rider, I tested Blue.
And he tested infertile.
I told Mullenby.
Mullenby said
that we could still
pick up a quick million each.
Now this place isn't the
moneymaker that it looks like.
I needed that stud.
So after Mullenby explained
his scheme, I went along with it.
-And you both planned to
kill the horse afterwards, right?
-We couldn't chance
anyone finding
out that he was infertile.
-So Mullenby jumps the gun...
Kills Zephyr Blue before he
could find out if Reef
Rider was pregnant.
That's why you were fighting
with him in the stables, right?
-He hated Arlington.
Mullenby killed Zephyr
Blue while Arlington was still
on the grounds, waiting
for news of the foal.
He wanted to ruin
the man's reputation.
We'd been artificially
inseminating
Reef Rider every
chance we could get.
Mullenby knew that the odds
were in our favor for a foal,
and we'd collect our
money from Arlington.
And he jumped at the chance
to make the breeding community
think that Arlington
killed Zephyr Blue.
Even though
nobody could prove it.
-You knew you
couldn't trust Mullenby.
That's why you killed him, huh.
-I didn't do it.
Now you can
charge me with fraud,
and greed, or
even plain stupidity.
But I swear to you.
I didn't kill Michael Mullenby.
-The DA has just filed
first degree murder
charges against Jerry Kessler.
What, you don't look
too happy about that.
-Uh no I'm not.
Look, see Kessler and Mullenby
were partners, all the way down
the line, right?
-Right.
-They conspired to defraud
Arlington with Zephyr Blue
and then kill the horse, so
nobody would find about it.
-Yeah, so Kessler
killed Mullenby
so that no one would find
out about their scheme.
-Right.
But see, I don't
agree with that.
Kessler admits to
fraud, but he doesn't
admit to killing Mullenby.
And I believe him.
There's a couple people
out here at that horse ranch
who had perfect
motive to kill Mullenby.
The stories just don't jive.
I don't think Kessler
killed Mullenby.
-Well who do you think did?
-I don't know.
We better find out.
-Garth!
-Hey, sergeant.
-Listen, I'd like to ask
you a couple of questions
about the morning
that Zephyr Blue died.
-Shoot.
Shoot.
Say that around here
and you're liable to find
a tranq dart sticking
out of your butt.
-Now you told Sergeant
McCall that uh...
When you responded to the
noise in Zephyr Blue's stall,
you walked by Jenny's
apartment, but she wasn't there.
-Yeah that's right.
-Now Jenny's apartment is
right across from Zephyr Blue's.
-Yeah.
-Well how is it that you
and Chris got to the stall
before Jenny?
-Well, things happened so fast
I never really thought about it.
She got there a
couple of minutes later.
-Where do you think she was?
-I don't know.
-Yeah, thanks.
Hi, Jenny.
-Hi.
-Could I have a
word with you please?
-Yeah.
Yeah sure, come on in.
-Thanks.
Boy you got yourself a regular
uh museum here, don't you.
-Yeah I guess
you could say that.
-Kind of convenient being
right across from Zephyr
Blue's stall, isn't it.
I guess you could keep
close tabs on him and uh...
-Yeah I could hear almost
everything over there.
I could even hear
his heart beat.
-You know in uh tracing back
everybody's story the night
that the... the horse
was killed, there
are a couple things
that bother me.
You see, Garth told me that uh
when he responded to the noise
in Zephyr Blue's stall,
he and the stable boys
were the first to
arrive on the scene.
When he went to use the
phone to call the veterinarian,
he knocked on your
door and you weren't here.
-Yeah I could... I couldn't
sleep that morning,
so I went for a walk.
-Well you couldn't
sleep because uh
you heard Zephyr Blue
kicking around in his stall.
So you went to the
window, you looked out,
and you saw Michael Mullenby
go in Zephyr Blue's stall
and shoot him with the dart gun.
-No that's not true.
And then you followed Mullenby.
-No I went to go get help.
You saw him hide the gun.
And after he hid the
gun, you came back
to help the others
with the horse.
After the horse died, you
went back and you got the gun.
And you waited
until the next day.
And before Michael
Mullenby could join the others
at the party, you shot him
just like he shot Zephyr Blue.
-But that horse meant
everything to me.
That horse was all I had.
-Why didn't you go
to the authorities?
-Because what
would they have done?
They don't care what
happens to a horse.
Nobody cares.
Like I cared.
-Kessler's looking at
conspiracy to defraud,
and Jenny's looking at
second-degree murder.
-Wow.
How about Jenny.
Such a sweet-looking
face on such an intense girl.
She was so unfocused on
reality with people all she could do
is put all her energy
into that horse.
It's kinda strange.
-Well her attorney's gonna
plead her temporarily insane.
And if I were a
betting man, I would
say that she gets off scot-free.
-Will you look at that?
You go to court and
your work just piles up.
You know, if you
were a betting man,
how'd you like to wager
dinner at my favorite restaurant
that I finish my work
before you finish yours.
-Well look how small your
stack is compared to mine.
-You use smaller words.
-Tom Jones!
-More work.