Longmire Episode 2.06 Tell It Slant

Walt worries that a murder has been committed after a local Cheyene heyoka, or "Contrary Warrior," rides past his home sitting backwards on his horse, and announces that it's a good day to be born. Walt's fears are confirmed when not one, but two dead bodies are reported.

Branch's father, Barlow, is incensed when long-buried Cheyenne remains are discovered on the site where he is building a golf course, causing construction to be delayed until a cultural committee can investigate. Branch stays on the scene to keep an eye on his father, who is further infuriated by Branch's lack of assistance, as Walt and Vic leave to investigate the second body.

A local psychic named Cassandra has been found strangled to death in her home. Walt and VIc discover that her real name is Cynthia Two Rivers, and that her brother Aaron is the "Contrary Warrior." They also learn that Cassandra thoroughly researched her clients to ensure she appeared to be all-knowing. Walt leaves Vic to dig through Cassandra's hoarder-like house full of research as he goes to speak to Aaron.

Walt and Henry arrive at the abandoned building in which Aaron makes his home. Walt asks Aaron if he had been trying to tell him about his sister's death when he rode by that morning, but Aaron is too drunk and too contrary to give a straight answer. Henry tells Aaron to drop the act, and states that he is not a true Contrary Warrior. Aaron responds by referring to Henry as a Shining Apple: red on the outside and white on the inside. Aaron says that he saw his sister dead in her home, but he didn't kill her. She was the only one who believed he is truly a Contrary Warrior.

Vic and the Ferg wait at Cassandra's to question any clients who might show up. A couple, Gretchen and Calvin Cowley, arrive for their session and are stunned by the news. Cassandra had been helping them to locate their daughter, Emma, who they feared had died in a hiking accident. Cassandra told them that she was alive, and they had been coming twice a week to help track her down.

Meanwhile, Jacob Nighthorse arrives at the site of the golf course and gives Barlow a hard time. Branch is surprised to hear that his father was directly warned that there would be Cheyenne remains on this land by none other than Cassandra, who claimed to be in contact with spirits who let her know where Cheyenne remains had been buried. As Jacob leaves, he offers Branch a stack of notecards with the questions that will be asked of him and Walt at their debate later on. Branch turns him down at first, but after getting a call to go help Vic dig through Cassandra's files, he decides that Walt is trying to prevent him from preparing for the debate by keeping him busy with work. He takes the cards.

Branch arrives to help Vic and learns that Walt didn't issue the order for him to help Vic. Vic herself asked Ruby to radio him as she was drowning in all the work. Branch pitches in, and the two discover a financial ledger that reveals Cassandra had run up huge bills at bars and liquor stores. Behind a hidden panel in the wall, they also discover old maps that seem to mark Cheyenne graves across the county. Vic wonders why the maps were so carefully hidden, but Branch states that it's always dangerous to know where the bodies are buried.

Walt asks Jacob Nighthorse to come to his office so he can ask him about something they found in Cassandra's ledger. It seems Jacob paid Cassandra $18,000, and Walt wants to know why. Jacob says that she performed psychic geological surveys for his casino to ensure they wouldn't be building on Cheyenne graves. He notes that Barlow is probably wishing he'd taken her up on the offer as well.

At the Town Hall, the sheriff debate is in full swing. The constituents ask tough questions, but Branch is ready for them, thanks to Jacob's assistance. Walt answers some tough questions as well, but stumbles when discussing his deceased wife's protesting of the new casino. Branch jumps in, revealing that he and Jacob had been working together to create a plan that would both keep the citizens of Absaroka County safe, and also create new jobs. Cady Longmire rises with a question for the challenger. She asks Branch if he feels his short time as a deputy has given him the experience needed to be sheriff. Branch is thrown by the unexpected question, but before he can answer Aaron Two Rivers bursts into the hall, drunk and dressed as an old west sheriff. He fires cap guns and accuses everyone in the room of being guilty of killing his sister. Walt escorts him out.

Walt and Henry talk to Aaron in Walt's office. They show him the maps they found at Cassandra's. Aaron is surprised to see them, as Cassandra had told him she lost them. He says the maps were made years ago by their grandmother, who drove all over the county removing the physical grave markers so grave robbers wouldn't be able to find them. Walt decides to keep him in the cell until he sobers up.

Vic is working late into the night going through Cassandra's research. She hears a noise, and catches Gretchen Cowley in the process of breaking in. Gretchen caught on quickly to Cassandra's scam, but the hope she offered was the only thing keeping her husband from killing himself after they lost their daughter. Gretchen says that Calvin would never have killed Cassandra, and that he's been at a bar all day. Vic calls the bar, but they say they haven't seen Calvin all day. Walt and Vic worry that Calvin may have learned of Cassandra's scam and killed her. Afterwards, Vic gives Walt a box she found at Cassandra's labeled "Longmire." He asks what's in it, but she tells him she didn't look.

Branch meets Jacob at the casino construction site at night. Jacob is furious that he was brought in to speak to Walt, but Branch tells him he knew Jacob could talk his way out the information they found in the ledgers. However, Branch found something he didn't think Jacob could have talked his way out of. Branch grabbed the Cheyenne grave maps that covered the area where the casino and golf course were being built. According to the maps, there were no remains on the golf course, but there were remains on the casino land. Jacob reveals that Cassandra had come to him to shake him down. She threatened to make it public knowledge that there were remains on the casino property. Instead, Jacob paid her ten times what she was asking for to move the remains on to the golf course land. Branch wonders if she had tried to blackmail him, and asks Jacob for an alibi for the night of her murder. He tells Branch, "I am my alibi." He says that, had he killed Cassandra, they wouldn't have found a ledger connecting him to her. "In fact," he says, "if I were to kill someone, I suspect no one would find trace nor trail of the crime."

Back at the Sheriff's Office, Vic tells Walt that she located Calvin Cowley at another psychic. They agree that if he still believes in psychics, it's unlikely he killed Cassandra for scamming him. After a comment from the Ferg, Vic asks people to stop talking bad about their victim. She doesn't think Cassandra had a drinking problem, despite the money she owed to bars and liquor stores. As she searched Cassandra's house, she didn't find any bottles or evidence of drinking. Walt realizes that maybe it wasn't a client that killed Cassandra, but someone else who was told something they didn't want to hear.

Branch stops by his father's house to ask him if he has an alibi, which he does. Barlow asks Branch where he's getting the money for his campaign. He suspects Jacob is influencing Branch to hold up the golf course construction. Branch tells his father he actually has the leverage he needs to pressure Jacob into letting construction continue, but he needs something first; his coffee. Barlow grimaces at the idea of serving his son.

Walt returns to the abandoned building that serves as Aaron's home. Walt asks him to drop the act and give him a straight answer, but Aaron says that he can't. Walt decides to play along. He removes his badge and places on Aaron's chest, saying, "Sheriff, I'm here to turn myself in for the murder of my sister." Aaron responds to the contrary logic. He plays the part of the sheriff and confirms Walt's theory that his sister had cut him off, and was refusing to pay for his liquor. Aaron says that she also told him she didn't believe that he was truly a Contrary Warrior. She thought he was crazy, and was planning to have him committed. Aaron weeps as Walt cuffs him and leads him out.

On the way to the office, they stop at the Cowley's home. Aaron reveals that his sister told him that their daughter is actually alive and living in a blue house outside of Burlington, Vermont. Walt asks Aaron if what he said was the truth. Aaron responds with a question, "Would you believe it if it was?"

Walt heads home with the box Vic brought him from Cassandra's. He and Cady open it and discover a recording of his wife's reading. In the recording, Cassandra tells her that the spirits say her cancer isn't going to kill her. Cady is shocked; Cassandra was right. Her mother asks what will happen to Walt. Cassandra begins to answer, but Cady quickly stops the tape. Walt tells her, "I guess we'll find out soon enough."