Cicero is the only person who can account for Dunnigan’s death. The Sheriff is able to prove that he was not involved in her death, but it soon becomes clear that he may have been wrong all along.
In the movie, Yellowstone City is destroyed by a fire that started from a faulty power plant. The Sheriff investigates the fire and finds out that the killer is responsible. He is revealed to be a man named John Dunnigan, who had been working at the power plant.
How does the movie begin?
The movie starts with a bang when Robert Dunnigan’s explosive reveals the location of a gold mine. This is witnessed by Cicero, who is on his way to Yellowstone City. Dunnigan’s explosive throws him into the air and he falls to his death. ..
Robert’s visit to the nearby Yellowstone City is a success and he tells the townsfolk of his discovery. He promises them a fortune for their investment.
Some of the townspeople are suspicious of Cicero, because they think he is a strange man who has come to town without any warning.
Cicero, the local stable hand, leaves his horse with Violet, the local woman, and begins to bond with Edgar, the saloon owner, over their shared love of Shakespeare. They discuss how they enjoy reading and discussing plays together. Cicero tells Edgar that he has always been a fan of Shakespeare and that he has always wanted to learn more about him. Edgar tells Cicero that he too is a fan of Shakespeare and enjoys discussing plays with him.
The Sheriff arrests the suspect who is known to have killed Robert.
Who does the Sheriff arrest for the crime?
After Robert’s body is found, the Sheriff asks the pastor, Thaddeus Murphy, to build a coffin and arrange for a burial. The Sheriff then visits Cicero at his boarding room and arrests him for the murder of the gold prospector. After that, he gives Cicero a warning: if he doesn’t confess his crime to the whole town, he will be put to death by hanging.
Sheriff: Cicero can’t have committed the crime that took place outside of town because his horse never left the stables.
The Sheriff is dismissive of Violet so Cicero remains in his cell. Alice, the wife of the pastor, visits the unlucky stranger and he opens up to her about his life. We learn that he has no family and that he chose the name Cicero after being inspired by the character in Shakespeare’s play ‘Julius Caesar.’ ..
Alice leaves a Bible with her husband before returning home. She has the complete works of Shakespeare, but she leaves it with him to ensure that he has access to it should he need it.
Do people believe Cicero killed the gold prospector?
Isabel, a prostitute who loved Robert, believes Cicero may have killed her lover. Some of the other ladies in her company think he is guilty too. ..
Alice tells her husband that she met with Cicero and she believes in his innocence.
Violet also believes that Robert’s death was not a suicide, and when she finds evidence of another motive to his death, her beliefs are almost confirmed. ..
What does Violet find?
After Robert’s death, Emma moves to town and is given a room to sleep and shelter in. The Sheriff tells Emma that the man who killed her husband will pay the price for what he did. But despite her grief, she seems more interested in the person that her husband may have been sleeping with and she asks the Sheriff to name Robert’s “favourite.” ..
Violet finds a letter in the woman’s shack that seems to be from Emma’s apparent lover. The letter is written in a passionate and intimate manner, and it seems as if the two have been together for years. It’s clear that they have been in love since before Emma even knew she existed.
Could Emma’s lover have killed Robert to get him out of the way? It’s a possibility and as Violet thinks the note may be connected to the crime, she hands it over to Thaddeus.
The pastor then visits Cicero and asks him if he killed Robert. Cicero proclaims his innocence.
The pastor and the sheriff meet with Emma, who tells them that she is keen to leave town and start life again somewhere new. The sheriff asks Emma if she is sure about this, to which she responds affirmatively. The pastor then asks Emma if she would like to come with them, to which she responds positively. They then take her into custody.
Sheriff: After this meeting, Thaddeus shows the Sheriff the letter and tells him Cicero doesn’t seem like a murderer. However, the Sheriff is still unwilling to release the imprisoned man, partly because of a mistake he made years earlier when he released another prisoner who subsequently caused the death of his wife.
Jimmy is the Sheriff’s son and part-time deputy. He is also the only person who knows about the love letter. Jimmy is encouraged to investigate by his father, the Sheriff. ..
Does the killer strike again?
Violet is the next victim when the killer cuts her throat. Cicero manages to escape from his cell and the Sheriff naturally believes he killed Violet. A chase ensues as the Sheriff and his men pursue Cicero. Cicero manages to hide after jumping onto a tree from his horse but not before being shot.
As the Sheriff and his men head off in the wrong direction, Cicero makes his way back to town and into the safe confines of the church where Thaddeus and Alice look after him.
After retrieving the bullet from Cicero’s body, Thaddeus suspects it might be different to the one that killed Robert. To confirm this, he digs up the prospector’s body and his suspicions are then confirmed.
Jimmy turns up at the whorehouse and pays Isabel for sex. Unfortunately for her, he has more on his mind than carnal passion as he murders her when her back is turned. It’s now clear that Jimmy is the real killer!
He had a team.
What was the motivation for the murders?
We learn that Jimmy was in love with Emma and that he killed Isabel at her request. Emma likely told him to kill Isabel because the woman had been sleeping with her husband.
We learn that Jimmy killed Robert and that he likely did this at Emma’s request so they could have a life together.
Jimmy probably killed Violet because of the evidence she found.
What happens to Cicero?
Sheriff John Smith and his deputies continue their search for Cicero, who they eventually find at the pastor’s home. ..
A shootout begins when Thaddeus refuses to hand Cicero over and several of the Sheriff’s men are killed.
As the fight continues, Cicero is able to escape on his horse with Alice on the back shooting a gun at the men pursuing them.
Jimmy and the other Sheriff’s man find the group of people who had been planning to leave for a cabin in the woods. They were all supposed to be safe there, but now they are all found dead. It seems that someone was looking for them, and they were only able to get away because of Jimmy.
Jimmy was about to shoot Cicero when Thaddeus arrived and shot Jimmy before tying him up. ..
Does the Sheriff learn of the killer’s identity?
Thaddeus, Cicero and Alice return to town after a long absence. They are greeted by the townspeople who are eager to see them. Cicero tells the townspeople that he has been away on business and that he will be back soon. Alice tells the townspeople that she is going to visit her family and will not be back for a while.
They head to the Sheriff’s office and present Jimmy to him.
Jimmy protests his innocence but when the Sheriff summons Emma to his office, their murderous collaboration is revealed after she fails to pin all the blame on him.
Emma loses her temper and shoots the sheriff. When Jimmy rushes to his father’s aid, Thaddeus opens fire on Jimmy and fatally injures him. ..
Jimmy dies in his father’s arms and it can be presumed that his father also died moments later.
As Emma escapes, Thaddeus and Alice pursue her. Just as Emma is about to shoot Thaddeus, Alice opens fire and kills her.
As the film draws to a close, Thaddeus and Alice promise to rebuild the town and make it better. As they contemplate their plans, Cicero climbs onto his horse and leaves the town that caused him more trouble than he could ever have imagined.
A murder at the city movie theater has left many people on edge. The victim was a woman who worked at the theater, and her death is being investigated as a possible murder.
