Barnaby's cousin, a cop from Chicago comes and calls him, he tells Barnaby he has a lead on the man who killed his partner, whom he's been looking for.

A man supplying secrets to an investigative reporter is murdered in the desert by the hired henchman of a crooked land developer. Barnaby is hired to investigate to get to the bottom of it, but not before another murder is committed.

A grieving widow asks Barnaby to look into the death of her charter pilot husband who died on a run. During the investigation Barnaby and J. R. discover a family operated money smuggling ring with a black sheep son stealing from them.

Barnaby and J.R. investigate a scuba diving death that seems unlikely to have happened the way it was reported. What they discover is more death and over $1,000,000 in jade art objects at the bottom of the ocean.

Barnaby, J.R., and Betty investigate a 10 year old kidnapping case after a man identifying himself as Scorpio calls a family offering to return his long lost daughter in exchange for a $250,000 ransom.

While out on a fishing trip Barnaby and J.R. are asked to investigate the disappearance of a ranch hand after his girlfriend believes he met with foul play.