This is a very interesting story that features several cold hearted killers. The story opens with Sam Pryor (Howard Petrie) fighting back against a robber who kills him as Pryor's daughter (Fay Spain) walks in and sees her Dad murdered.
A second later the Sheriff walks in (Joe Patridge) and arrests the killer (Harry Bakalyan). Fay Spain immediately demands that the Sheriff (her ex-boyfriend) kills Harry. When the Sheriff refuses, Spain vows that he will not live to take the killer to trial.
Fay Spain really put forward a powerfully mean and cold-hearted character in this episode. She was usually a temptress or girlfriend. Sometimes she had a harder edge, but I cannot recall any time that she was this ruthless.
Into town comes Josh Randall (Steve McQueen) along with Warren Oates and young Wayne Rogers (of MASH fame). They tell Randall they are just looking for work, but Randall is suspicious.
As the story unfolds, the Sheriff gets murdered taking Bakalyan out of town. Randall takes over, and he is told by Fay Spain that he is next unless he gives up Bakalyan.
A short time later, as Randall is on the road, he comes across Spain, Oates and Rogers, who are now going to free Bakalyan and kill Randall. Spain is fine with it as long as Bakalyan gets lynched, but the twist is that Oates and Rogers came to town to free Bakalyan, who is their buddy.
The very cool shootout happens, and Randall barely avoids getting killed. One issue I always have with this episode is that I believe it was Fay Spain that ordered the Sheriff to get killed, but apparently the blame is swept to Oates and Rogers.
Afterwards, Fay Spain is asking Randall to look her up in San Francisco, like she just may have had her ex-boyfriend murdered, and she paid Oates and Rogers to kill off Randall too. Why would any sane human want to be her friend??