While working for the Western Cottonoil Company in El Paso, Texas, Tod and Buz meet newly reinstated employee, widowed Laura Church. She was recently released from prison on parole serving eight months for stealing $3,800 of the company's moneys, which she vows she did not do. Most in the company did believe her until the testimony of cattle rancher Woody Biggs - her deceased husband Jerry's friend and former employer - who could but did not corroborate her story while on the stand. She believes that Woody stole the money, but doesn't know why. Since Jerry's death, she feels that Woody has been harassing her, also for reasons unknown. On the surface, Laura's story of Woody's harassment seems improbable as he paid back the $3,800 debt to the company for her, and assisted in getting her parole release as soon as it was possible, he now her parole adviser to parole officer, Pedro Regal. Among her other problems, she, coming from a broken home, is a former alcoholic who sobered up after marrying Jerry, but took to the bottle again following his death to cope. Upon meeting Woody for the first time, Tod and Buz believe her story, although they begin to wonder if their belief is based largely on the fact that she is a beautiful but on the surface sad woman. But meeting Hanna Martin, Woody's longtime bookkeeper, may give them a clearer picture of the situation.
—Huggo