Keppler finds himself having recurring nightmares about an incident many years ago in New Jersey, which get worse when a friend of his, a retired cop from Trenton and the father of his late girlfriend comes into town to visit. Soon, the bodies of a New Jersey police officer and a hooker are found shot to death in a hotel room, the left hand of the dead woman cut off. To Keppler's dismay, the one who found the bodies is none other than his friend. Back at the lab, Grissom returns from his sabbatical and learns about the friction caused by Keppler while he was away.
[EXT. (PHILADELPHIA) STAIRS TO BUILDING - NIGHT -- FLASHBACK] (Snow falls on a young man begging for his life.) Alvarez: You got the wrong guy, man. I didn't do it. I didn't do it, man. CU: GUN (The shooter cocks the gun.) (Alvarez cries.) (The shooter fires the gun at Alvarez. Alvarez gets up and tries to get away.) (A second shot is fired.) (Alvarez gets to his feet and grabs the shooter.) (A third shot is fired point blank into Alvarez's chest.) [SCENE_BREAK] [EXT. (PHILADELPHIA) SIDEWALK - NIGHT - FLASHBACK] (A man with bloodied hands carries the gun down the sidewalk. Keppler slows when someone comes down the building's front steps.) (The young woman stops in front of him.) (She reaches down for his hand. She places his hand on her chest.) Amy McCarty: (echoy) I love you, Mikey. (A bright white light shines down on them. She removes her hands from his and Keppler takes her heart out of the opening in her chest.) (He looks at her beating heart in the palm of his hand. He looks at her.) (TOP VIEW DOWN: on Keppler and Amy. They're both standing in the middle of the busy sidewalk.) [SCENE_BREAK] [INT. - DAY] (Keppler wakes up. Sirens wail in the distance. Keppler is panting and sweaty. He sits up and we see an open bottle of liquor on the coffee table next to a glass.) (Keppler cries.) [SCENE_BREAK] [EXT. LAS VEGAS CITY (STOCK) - DAY] [INT. DINER - MORNING] (Keppler pushes his empty plate away from him and picks up his cup of coffee.) Wendy Simms: (o.s.) That is what I love about this town. (Keppler turns around and sees Wendy standing behind him, paying her bill at the register.) Wendy Simms: They've got good Eggs Benedict 24 hours a day. Keppler: Just getting off shift? Wendy Simms: No, I'm going in early. (to cashier) Thank you. (to Keppler) Do you ever eat dinner? Keppler: You're looking at it. Wendy Simms: Okay, I'll see you at the lab. Bye. (Wendy leaves. Keppler turns to the waitress behind the counter.) Keppler: Can I get a check please? Waitress: (points) That guy over there already paid and tipped. Says he's your friend. (Keppler turns and sees a white-haired man sitting in a booth. The man waves to him.) (Keppler stands up and heads over to the man.) Frank McCarty: How's it going, Mike? Keppler: What are you doing here, Frank? Frank McCarty: What do you want me to do? You don't return my calls. Keppler: I tried calling you, but I've been, uh ... busy. Frank McCarty: You didn't make it to Amy's memorial mass. Keppler: Yeah, I know. I got the card from Father Anthony. Couldn't get away this year. Frank McCarty: It's okay. Dennis Graves and I decided to come to Vegas for a few days, blow off some steam. You like standing? Sit down. Keppler: I can't. Look, Frank, I got to run. We'll get dinner later in the week, all right? I'll call you. (Keppler turns to leave. Frank stands up.) Frank McCarty: Mike. Listen, I, uh ... I'm in a bit of a fix; I need you to do me a favor. Keppler: I can't do it this time. Okay? Don't ask me to do it, Frank. I -- Things are just starting to ... Frank McCarty: Hey. What are you getting so excited about? I didn't say anything. Keppler: I'm just getting the lay of the land here, you know? Trying to move on. Frank McCarty: I got it, bad timing. Keppler: You all right? Frank McCarty: Don't you worry about it. I'll sort it out. (Frank turns and heads back to his seat. Keppler doesn't like it one bit. He turns and hurries out of the diner.) [SCENE_BREAK] [INT. HOTEL - HALLWAY/ ROOM - DAY] (The elevator bell dings and the doors open. Keppler steps out and finds Nick in the hallway waiting for him.) Nick: Looks like it's you and me again, Hoss. (Nick turns and heads down the hallway toward the room. Keppler follows him.) Keppler: You got a problem with that? Nick: No, no, I like your style. It's just the whole suit thing you got to work on a little bit. (They enter the room.) Keppler: Yeah, yeah, what do we got? Nick: Two gunshot victims. Male, two shots in the chest. Female shot in the back, and her hand is missing. (They enter the bedroom and find a man dead on the bed and the woman dead on the floor. Keppler puts his kit down.) Nick: Why take just one hand? Keppler: Maybe there was something on it he wanted. (He puts on his gloves and looks through the open suitcase.) Keppler: Boxer shorts, socks. I'm guessing this is his. You see another suitcase? (Nick looks around the room and finds something on the floor.) Nick: No, no, I did not. Keppler: Looks like she was just visiting. (Nick picks up an empty shell casing.) Nick: .45 automatic. (Keppler opens the closet doors.) Keppler: No purse ... no valuables. (Keppler closes the closet door.) Keppler: Did you see a safe? (Nick looks for a safe.) Nick: No. (He opens the closet door and finds shirts hanging inside.) Nick: No, no safe in here. Keppler: Looks like a robbery. Nick: Hey, this guy has a bunch of law enforcement logo shirts hanging up in here. Check the bible drawer. (Keppler checks the bedside drawer. He finds a bible and a gun. The embossing on the leather has T.P.D. on it. He doesn't like the looks of it. He pushes the bedcovers away from the dead man's face to see who it is.) (Nick walks out.) Nick: Anything? (Keppler hands the gun to Nick.) Nick: Nine-millimeter service pistol? (Nick notices the embossing.) Nick: Stamped "T.P.D." Could be any city starting with T. (Keppler looks at the dead man's face again. This time, we see definite recognition from Keppler.) Niki: I didn't find any nine-millimeter casing, so this weapon was never fired. Brass: The room is registered to a Dennis Graves, Trenton, New Jersey. He's a cop, Trenton PD. (to Keppler) Hey, you're from Trenton. Do you know him? Keppler: No. Who found them? Brass: His buddy, Frank McCarty. (Brass steps aside. In the hallway, Keppler sees Frank McCarty talking with an officer.) FADE TO END OF TEASER ROLL TITLE CREDITS [SCENE_BREAK] [INT. HOTEL - HALLWAY -- DAY] (Brass talks with Frank McCarty.) Brass: So what were you two guys doing in Vegas? Frank McCarty: Playing a little golf, indulging in the buffets. (Keppler listens to the interview. David Phillips wheels the body out of the room.) Brass: Is that all you indulged in? Frank McCarty: We were down in the bar, Dennis picked up a date. Brass: Is she the date? Frank McCarty: (nods) Yeah. I didn't get a name. Anyway, they went upstairs, I played a little blackjack. (Off to the side, Keppler looks at the items on the dinner cart.) Brass: Then what? Frank McCarty: Then, I pulled some strings and got us a tee time at the Wynn. Dennis didn't answer his phone. I figured he was busy going around the world. After a while, I ... I knew something was wrong. I got hotel security to open the door. Brass: Excuse me. Yeah? Officer Mitchell: Captain, we got press all over the place. Brass: Can you stick around? I'll be right back. Frank McCarty: Yeah, sure. Brass: Okay. (Brass and Officer Mitchell leave the hallway. Frank is left alone with Keppler.) Keppler: Mr. McCarty? If you don't mind. (Frank turns around. Keppler points to the fingerprint kit he has set up on the table.) Keppler: (whispers) You want to tell me what I'm seeing here, Frank? Frank McCarty: Could be anything. Pimp went off on his whore. Robbery gone bad. It's a dangerous town. (Keppler nods. The elevator doors at the end of the hallway ding and open. Catherine steps out.) Keppler: Have a seat. Frank McCarty: Yeah. (Keppler turns to join Catherine.) Catherine: Heard we have a dead out-of-town cop. Keppler: Yeah, Detective Dennis Graves, Trenton PD. Catherine: Trenton? Keppler: Yeah. (Catherine and Keppler step into the bedroom where David is taking the body's liver temperature.) Catherine: David, you got the TOD? David Phillips: About four hours ago. Keppler: Male was shot twice, both frontal. David Phillips: No exits. Keppler: The girl was shot once in the back. Catherine: Did you find the hand? Keppler: (shrugs) I'm guessing the killer's got it, along with the rest of their valuables. (Nick is sealing up something in an evidence bag.) Nick: Hey, Catherine, check this out. I've got an uncapped bottle of mouthwash here. Catherine: Probably come back to the hooker. Nick: Yeah, but I've got something else, and this is good. (Nick and Catherine disappear into the bathroom. Keppler follows.) (Nick pushes the shower curtain aside.) Nick: There are quite a few long, light-colored hairs snagged in the soap dish right there. Not a match to either victim. Keppler: Sloppy housekeeping? Nick: I doubt the maid would miss this. What appears to be high heel shoe impressions -- I checked, again, no match to the working girl. Catherine: Bath towels haven't been used. Keppler: So who was in the tub with her shoes on? Nick: Hey, Keppler. Do me a favor. Go over by the body, will you? (Keppler heads over to the body. Nick peers through the shower glass and has a nice view of Keppler.) Keppler: Yeah? Nick: I can see you; can you see me? Keppler: Yep. Nick: What about if I get low? (Nick ducks below the shower glass.) Keppler: Not anymore. Catherine: So either she was lying in wait ... Nick: Or an eyewitness tried to hide from a killer. (Quick flashback to: There's a woman hiding in the shower. End of flashback.) Catherine: Let's pull the elevator surveillance. (She looks at Keppler.) Maybe we can find a blonde who got off on this floor. FLASH TO: [EXT. LAS VEGAS CITY LIGHTS (STOCK) - NIGHT] [INT. CSI - RECEPTION / HALLWAY - NIGHT] (Judy sees Grissom.) Judy: Welcome back, Dr. Grissom. Grissom: It's good to be back, Judy. (Grissom continues through the hallway.) Hodges: There are no words to describe how glad I am you're back. (Grissom turns and finds Hodges standing in one of the doorways.) Grissom: But I'm sure you'll find some. Hodges: The lab almost went to hell in a handbag while you were sabbaticalling. I'm sure you talked to Catherine, but just in case you didn't ... lot of hurt feelings, so in case you talk to Nick ... Grissom: I'd rather hear it from Catherine, thanks. (Grissom turns and heads for his office. Hodges stops him.) Hodges: Fair enough, but, uh, permit me to say that the "Seasonal Behaviors of the Walden Pond Swamp Mosquito" was an incredibly stimulating seminar. Grissom: And you know this how? Hodges: I took your course online. It's free to alumni. Grissom: Oh, you're Spanky. Hodges: (nods) Seven-four-three. I aced the final, didn't I? (Grissom nods non-committally and doesn't say anything. He turns and heads for his office.) [INT. CSI - GRISSOM'S OFFICE - NIGHT - CONTINUOUS] (Grissom walks in and looks at the stack of mail on his desk - including the large, unopened box.) (He sighs and shakes his head.) [SCENE_BREAK] [INT. CSI - FORENSIC AUTOPSY - NIGHT] (Robbins goes over the body with Keppler and Nick.) Robbins: Post-mortem tool marks to the left wrist. No vital reactions from the tissue. Cuts are scalloped, definitely a serrated blade. Not a bad job. Keppler: Anything to help us identify her? Robbins: David printed the right hand. No hits on AFIS. Lucky for you, like many young ladies her age, she had some surgical work done. Feel these. (Robbins hands the silicone implants to Nick.) Robbins: What do you think? Nick: Implants. Kind of big for my taste, really. (Robbins points to the bottom of the body.) Robbins: The other end. (Oh!) Nick: Oh, they're for the butt? Keppler: Implants are serialized. We can get an ID from those. (Keppler notices a metal bowl on the counter.) Nick: You know, I spent twelve hours on a court bench last week. I could have used a pair of these bad boys. (Keppler walks over to the bowl and looks at the bullet inside.) Keppler: What about COD? Robbins: Single gunshot to the back, just to the right of the spinal column. Bullet severed the aorta, lodged inside the sternum. (Keppler picks up the bullet and puts it in a bindle.) Keppler: And the cop? (Robbins picks up the evidence envelope.) Robbins: I removed these from Detective Graves. Large caliber, too. (He grabs the envelope from Robbins' grip.) Keppler: I'll get those to Ballistics. (Keppler opens the door.) Nick: Okay, so I'll run the serials? Keppler: Yeah. (Keppler leaves. Nick looks at Robbins.) Nick: I am an ass man. (He chuckles.) [SCENE_BREAK] [INT. CSI - HALLWAY - NIGHT - CONTINUOUS] (Keppler walks through the hallway.) Grissom: (o.s.) Michael Keppler. (He stops as Grissom walks up to him.) Grissom: Hi, Gil Grissom. (They shake hands.) How's everybody been treating you? Keppler: No complaints; you've got a great team. (Keppler has the evidence bindles in his hands. He tucks his hands behind his back) Grissom: Yeah, thanks. Does Ecklie still have you slotted for days? Keppler: As far as I know. (Keppler brings his hands in front of him. Grissom can't help but notices the bindles.) Grissom: I hear you're working the double homicide at the Olympia. What have you got? Keppler: Oh, it's uh, bullets from Doc Robbins. I was going to run them through IBIS. Grissom: The dead cop was from your hometown, huh? Keppler: Yeah. Retired. Grissom: Did you know him? Keppler: (avoids) You know how many retired cops there are in Trenton? (Grissom shrugs.) Keppler: Well, it's great to finally meet you. (He shakes Grissom's hand again.) Grissom: Same. (Keppler turns and leaves. We hold on Grissom as he watches Keppler go.) [SCENE_BREAK] [INT. MCCARTY RESIDENCE - DINING ROOM - NIGHT -- FLASHBACK] (Keppler sits at Frank McCarty's dining room table along with his daughter, Amy. It's set for dinner. Amy turns to Keppler.) Amy McCarty: I love you, Mikey. (Keppler looks across the table at Frank. Frank smiles at him and sips from his wine glass.) (Keppler brings the knife down to cut the roast. As he cuts, the roast bleeds.) (He looks up and Amy is gone.) ABRUPT CUT TO: [INT. HALLWAY - NIGHT -- FLASHBACK] (Keppler stands at the end of the hallway. He makes his way toward the open door at the end.) (CAMERA ZOOMS from Keppler - ZOOMS through the hallway - ZOOMS toward the open door.) (The door slams shut.) END OF FLASHBACK ANGLE -- KEPPLER (Keppler sits on a hallway chair. He's lost in his thoughts.) Wendy Simms: (o.s.) Hey. (Keppler looks up.) Keppler: Hey. [INT. CSI - HALLWAY - NIGHT] Wendy Simms: I said, "How do you feel about butt implants?" Keppler: You don't need them? Wendy Simms: Thank you. I wasn't really talking about me, but ... Keppler: Oh, right. Sorry. You got something on the dead cop case? Wendy Simms: The blond hair from the tub does match the saliva left in the mouthwash bottle. And it's female, but not from the dead hooker with the big back seat. Keppler: Second female in the room uses mouthwash. More than likely another hooker. Looks like we got a witness. [SCENE_BREAK] [INT. POLICE DEPARTMENT - BRASS' OFFICE - NIGHT] (Frank McCarty sips from his cup as he talks with Brass.) Frank McCarty: Dennis should've lived long enough to spoil his grandkids. He was a good man, good cop. Brass: Good enough to spot a hooker when he saw one? Frank McCarty: You don't have to be a cop to have that radar. Brass: So tell me about Dennis. Did he major in French? Maybe liked ménage a trois? You know, two's company, three's a party? 'Cause there was another girl in the room with him. Frank McCarty: Really? Brass: (nods) Mm-hmm. I only saw him leave with one girl. So as far as you know, there wasn't a blond in there with him? (chuckling): Frank McCarty: Dennis? (chuckles) He could barely handle one. Besides, he was a little tight with the buck. (Brass nods.) [SCENE_BREAK] [INT. EVANS RESIDENCE - LIVING ROOM -- DAY] (Officer Metcalf talks while Warrick gathers evidence.) Officer Metcalf: I'm looking at the over-under in the Suns game. What do you think? Warrick: I don't bet sports anymore. Officer Metcalf: Not what I hear. According to Stokes, you're at the top of your game. Well, why don't you get your picks from him with his fat Texas mouth. I'd take the over. (The door closes. Warrick looks up and sees Grissom standing there with his kit.) Grissom: Hey. Want some help? Warrick: Welcome back. Grissom: What do you got? Warrick: Well, I'm just following a lead off some serialized butt implants. Grissom: I missed Las Vegas. (Warrick laughs.) Warrick: What are you doing here? Grissom: I'm avoiding the paperwork and mail that's piled up on my desk. (Grissom puts his kit down and puts on some gloves.) Warrick: Well ... we got a, uh, dead prostitute's apartment. It's obvious that it's been ransacked and robbed. I'm thinking that she was the target of the double and the cop was collateral. Grissom: Where would you like me to start? Warrick: You can hit the dinette. I haven't taken that yet. Unless you're avoiding her paperwork, too. There's a lot of it. (Grissom picks up the mail on the table for: COURTNEY EVANS 1637 DUNCANSON AVE. LAS VEGAS, NV 89115 ) Grissom: Well, she was past due on her electric bill. But seems to have paid her telephone bill on time. Warrick: Telephone. Hooker's lifeline. (Warrick takes a print lift off the phone.) Warrick: I'm telling you, whoever hit this place left a lot of prints. Grissom: I, uh, heard there was some friction in the lab while I was gone. Warrick: You ever hear of "reverse forensics"? (Grissom looks at Warrick.) [SCENE_BREAK] [INT. POLICE DEPARTMENT - HALLWAY -- DAY] (Keppler walks in through reception. He looks up and sees Frank McCarty leave Brass's office. He walks right past Frank McCarty and heads down the hall.) (Frank McCarty heads in the opposite direction. He takes his phone out and dials.) (Keppler's phone rings. He answers it.) Keppler: (to phone) Keppler. Frank McCarty: (from phone) There was someone else in that hotel room. Keppler: (to phone) I know. Frank McCarty: I need a name. (Keppler slips into a room.) Keppler: I don't have one. (Behind Keppler, Nick appears in the doorway to the back of the room. He sees Keppler on the phone inside.) Frank McCarty: (from phone) Don't let me down, kid. You got to help me here; I'm counting on you. (Keppler hangs up and stares out in front of him.) Nick: You okay? (Keppler turns around and looks at Nick.) Keppler: Yeah. (He closes his phone. Nick steps into the room to share what he's learned.) Nick: Well, I tracked down the plastic surgeon that augmented Courtney Evans' glutes. Probably the only implants ever paid for in cash by, get this ... her pimp, a guy named Eric Hong, aka ... [SCENE_BREAK] [INT. POLICE DEPARTMENT - INTERVIEW ROOM - DAY] (Keppler and Nick interview Precious Ricky.) Keppler: "Precious Ricky," huh? Eric "Precious Ricky" Hong: Yeah, that's what my mama calls me. Precious "Licky." (He chuckles.) (Nick shows him a morgue photo of Courtney Evans.) Nick: Is she one of yours? Eric "Precious Ricky" Hong: No, ain't seen her before. Nick: You bought her butt cheek implants. Is that something you normally do for girls you don't know? Eric "Precious Ricky" Hong: Oh, see, that's the problem. You're showing me the wrong end. Nick: Okay. So, then she is one of yours, right? Eric "Precious Ricky" Hong: Hey, I run an escort service. Strictly legal. Nick: I'm sure it is. So what did she do, Precious? She make you mad? Eric "Precious Ricky" Hong: No. No, I don't get mad, man. I'm blissed out. I'm a Buddhist. I let the anger flow right through me. Sentient beings are numberless, and I vow to save them. (He slides the photo back across the table toward Nick.) Eric "Precious Ricky" Hong: I didn't do nothing to her. Nick: Nothing? Like cut off her hand, and you kill the cop she was with? Keppler: We know Courtney was with a blond last night. Long hair. You got anyone who matches that description? Eric "Precious Ricky" Hong: Jenny, Coco, Lani ... April, May and June, too. But you know what? (jokes) The cuffs don't always match the collars, you know what I ... (Keppler moves swiftly. He grabs Ricky's head and slams him down onto the table.) Eric "Precious Ricky" Hong: Ugh! (Keppler holds him there.) Keppler: Now, look, Ricky, maybe you're a nice guy, maybe you're not, but right now I really don't care, because I think you're lying to me. And that could go very badly for you. (Ricky lifts his head and looks at Keppler.) Keppler: Do you understand what I'm saying? (Keppler lets Ricky go.) Eric "Precious Ricky" Hong: Okay, okay. They were all on the clock last night. It was a bachelor party. (Nick watches as Keppler straightens his jacket.) (There's a knock at the door before it opens. Sofia looks in.) Sofia: Nick, Mike, can you step out a minute? (Keppler and Nick step outside.) [INT. POLICE DEPARTMENT - HALLWAY - DAY -- CONTINUOUS] (Sofia fills Keppler and Nick in. She indicates the young woman sitting in the hallway holding a baby.) Sofia: Miss McFarland is a babysitter, of sorts. I wouldn't leave her with my cat. I think she likes the pipe. She claims that that baby belongs to Courtney Evans. Nick: She had a baby? Damn. Sofia: I'm going to call Child Services. (Sofia leaves.) Nick: Yeah. (Nick and Keppler walk over to Dorothy McFarland.) Nick: Ma'am, I'm Nick Stokes; this is Mike Keppler. We're with the Crime Lab. You mind if we ask you a few questions? Dorothy McFarland: (interrupts) Um, look, Courtney was supposed to come in the morning to pick up Lila, okay. I got to work. You know, real work. Okay, look, my own problems, okay? Otherwise, I would have taken her myself, but, um, I ain't in no shape, okay? So, uh, you can find her a family, right? Nick: What about the father? Dorothy McFarland: I don't know. I heard he was in prison or something like that. I ain't never seen him. Keppler: When she left the baby with you, was Courtney with anyone? A friend maybe? Dorothy McFarland: No, no, she ain't got no friends. Keppler: What about enemies? Dorothy McFarland: You know what? I can't take this. Mm-mm, please take her. Thank you. (She deposits the baby in Nick's arms.) Dorothy McFarland: Please. (She backs away and starts leaving.) Nick: (to the officer) Go with her. Dorothy McFarland: I got to go. (Dorothy and the officer leave. Nick looks at Lila.) Nick: Oh. Looks like we have another victim, huh? (Keppler doesn't like the looks of this. He leaves Nick with the baby.) Nick: (to Lila) It's gonna be okay, baby. [SCENE_BREAK] [EXT. LAS VEGAS CITY (STOCK) - DAY] [INT. CASINO -- DAY] (Keppler walks across the floor and over to Frank McCarty, who is at a poker machine.) Keppler: We got to talk, Frank. (Keppler sits next to him.) Frank McCarty: Hold on, hold on, I'm on a streak here. Now, do I keep the ace or draw the inside straight? I'm gonna draw to the straight. Keppler: She had a kid. Frank McCarty: Oh, God. Keppler: Why don't you tell me about the hand? Frank McCarty: Why? She scratched me, Mike. (He shows Keppler the blood on his shirt coming from a wound on the inside.) Frank McCarty: Come on, what was I supposed to do? I couldn't take the chance that one of your guys would find my DNA under her nails. Keppler: Why, Frank? Frank McCarty: You know why. Keppler: That was a long time ago; Dennis never said a word. Frank McCarty: Yeah, but he was going to. He was about to be indicted. Wife, three kids. There was no way he was doing time. He was going down, Mikey, and he was taking us with him. Keppler: He was a cop, Frank. Frank McCarty: Yeah. Keppler: You taught me that. You don't do that, not even to save your own ass. Frank McCarty: Yeah? What about yours? (to the bartender) Hey! Give me another vodka and tonic. And give my boy here a scotch. Neat, right? Make it a double. We got to loosen him up. (Frank chuckles.) Frank McCarty: Look at her. Just like catnip. (Keppler turns and looks at Frank.) Frank McCarty: Don't look at me like that, Mike. We did the right thing, all of us. But do you think the grand jury's gonna see it like that? They're gonna see a white cop turned "Dirty Harry" goes across the river to take out some Puerto Rican drug dealer. Shoots him in the back. They don't understand. Every time we take one step outside the box for public safety, they nail our asses to the wall. Keppler: Sit down, Frank. Frank McCarty: Hey, Mikey, there's no turning back. You did the right thing. If you hadn't taken care of that evidence ... Keppler: Keep your voice down, all right? Frank McCarty: Come on, I need some help here. Or you're gonna lose everything. And that isn't what Amy would have wanted. She loved you. Keppler: Don't do that. Frank McCarty: What? Keppler: Don't bring her into this. Frank McCarty: You think you're the only one who cared for her? I was her father, Mikey. Don't ever forget that. (The bartender appears with the drinks. She leaves.) Frank McCarty: I would've killed that scumbag who raped her with these bare hands, but you got to him first. INSERT: FLASHBACK of the kid in the teaser. Keppler shoots the kid. Frank McCarty: I love you for that. Yeah, I made compromises for you. You wouldn't be here now if it wasn't for me. Keppler: Yeah. Yeah. You're out of line, Frank. (Keppler stands up. McCarty puts a hand on his shirt to stop him. He grins at Keppler.) Frank McCarty: Hey, Mikey, there is no statute of limitations for murder. The kid you shot, his mother's still crying. And I got the gun ... with your prints and his blood on it. (Frank sits down.) Frank McCarty: (smugly) You go down now, you take every case you ever worked on with you. Trenton, Philly, Baltimore, Vegas. All those killers go free. All on your hands. So, pin it on the blond in the bathroom or the pimp. Just do it, I don't care how, just do it. [SCENE_BREAK] [INT. POLICE DEPARTMENT - INTERVIEW ROOM -- DAY] (Warrick talks with PJ Turner.) (PJ Turner sniffs and pushes the photo back toward Warrick.) PJ Turner: I don't even know Courtney what's-her-name. Warrick: So how is it that your prints ended up all over her apartment? PJ Turner: I've never been to her apartment. Warrick: Did I mention she was dead? PJ Turner: What? Yo, I don't even know no dead person. Warrick: PJ, you know what I think? I think you killed her. You took her purse, went to her apartment and stole all her stuff. PJ Turner: No, no, no. I didn't kill nobody. Warrick: Well, she's dead. And so is the cop she was with. That's the death penalty. PJ Turner: Here's what happened -- I swear, this-- this is the truth. (Quick flashback to: PJ Turner is going through the trash.) PJ Turner: I was minding my own business. I was checking out the dumpsters behind, behind the Strip, and lo and behold, I find this lady's purse. (He finds the purse and opens it.) BACK TO SCENE. Warrick: Right there in the dumpster? PJ Turner: Yeah, like pennies from heaven. INTERCUT WITH: [OBSERVATION ROOM] (Catherine watches the interview.) PJ Turner: It had a wallet, it had keys, it had a cell phone. So I checked for her license, I got her address and went to her house. I was going to return the purse, I swear. Warrick: Oh, like a Good Samaritan? PJ Turner: Yeah, but, when I got here, no one was there. Warrick: So what'd you do? PJ Turner: I used the key. I was going to leave the purse inside. Warrick: But you didn't do that, did you? PJ Turner: I might have taken a couple of things. Warrick: Where was the dumpster? PJ Turner: Behind the Palermo. (Catherine's phone rings.) Warrick: Behind the Palermo. (She answers it.) Catherine: This is Catherine. INTERCUT WITH: [INT. CAR (TRAVELING) - DAY] (Keppler is driving and is on the phone.) Keppler: Catherine, it's Mike. Catherine: Mike. Where have you been? Keppler: I had to take care of something. How's it going? Any ID on the blonde yet? Catherine: No, but we got some info from the deadbeat who burgled the hooker's apartment. Claims he found her purse in a dumpster behind the Palermo. Keppler: I'm just off the Strip now; I'll take care of it for you. Catherine: Mike, are you okay? Keppler: Yeah, yeah. I'm fine. I'll see you in a little bit. (Catherine hangs up.) [EXT. STREET - DAY] (Keppler turns the car around and heads back in the direction he came from.) [SCENE_BREAK] [EXT. PALERMO - DAY] (Mike is going through the trash in the dumpster. He finds something wrapped in a cloth.) (He unwraps the missing hand.) FADE OUT TO: [EXT. SNOWY NIGHT (FLASHBACK)] (Keppler is shaken as he hugs Frank McCarty. He then puts the bloodied gun in a bag McCarty holds open for him.) (REWIND: Keppler walks backward - away from McCarty.) END OF FLASHBACK. [INT. KEPPLER'S APARTMENT - SHOWER] (Keppler is in the shower. His head on his arm up against the wall.) [SCENE_BREAK] [INT. CSI - HALLWAY / LOCKER ROOM] (Catherine walks through the hallway. She turns and sees a gun on the locker room bench.) (Keppler steps out into view. He's dressed, his hair damp.) Catherine: Hey, Mike. Keppler: Hey. Catherine: Did you get anything from the dumpster? (Keppler puts his shirt on.) Keppler: Yeah ... a bad smell. Catherine: So ... Ecklie wants you on days now that Grissom's back, but ... I could talk to them, get you to stay with us. Keppler: Oh, I'm sure you guys will do just fine without me. Catherine: Yeah, usually transfers don't fit in, but ... think about it. (Catherine heads out of the locker room. Keppler stops her.) Keppler: Catherine. (She steps back inside.) Keppler: Thanks. (Catherine leaves. Keppler watches her go.) [SCENE_BREAK] [INT. CSI - HALLWAY & A/V LAB- DAY] (Keppler is walking through the hallway when he sees Archie and Nick in the A/V Lab. They're working on the security video. Nick turns and sees Keppler.) Nick: Keppler. Archie found the mystery blonde. Before she was in Dennis Graves' room, she was with that cop, Frank McCarty. (The video shows Frank McCarty with Suzy Gibbons in the elevator.) Nick: They got on in the lobby, got off on 11-around the time McCarty said Dennis picked up his hooker. Hey, he never mentioned he had company, and he knew we were looking for another hooker. Now I'm starting to think we're looking at a dirty cop. Keppler: Who knows about this? Nick: PD's about to. I'm calling them right now. Archie: You'd think a cop would know he's on camera, huh? (Keppler leaves without another word.) [SCENE_BREAK] [EXT. LAS VEGAS CITY (STOCK) - DAY] [INT. HOTEL - HALLWAY TO MCCARTY'S ROOM - DAY] (Sofia, Nick, Keppler and some officers head for McCarty's hotel room.) Sofia: McCarty's phone keeps going to voice mail. And, according to the receptionist, he didn't check out. (They reach the door. Sofia knocks.) Sofia: LVPD. Open up. (There's no answer.) Keppler: Give me the card. (The officer on the side gives Keppler the card key. Keppler unlocks the door. He opens it and walks in.) (There's no one in the room. On the bed is a paper package. Sofia uses the muzzle of her gun to turn the package. Nick uses a glove and takes out a plastic bag with a bloodied gun inside.) (Keppler looks at the gun.) [EXT. - NIGHT] (The kid is crying.) (Someone points the gun at the kid.) kid: I didn't do it ... I didn't do it, man. Come on, man; I didn't do it. You got the wrong guy, man. (Camera whirls around on the shooter and its -- ANGLE - FRANK MCCARTY (He's pointing the gun down at Dennis Graves, who is in his underwear and sitting on the bed. He shoots Dennis first. Then he points the gun at Courtney Evans, who is trying to get away.) Courtney Evans: No! (He shoots her in the back. She falls on the floor.) BACK TO SCENE. (Nick and Sofia are looking at the gun in the bag.) Sofia: It's a .45 auto. (Nick holds the bag up.) Nick: Same caliber as the gun that killed the cop and the hooker. Sofia: With blood stains. Nick: This-this is practically gift-wrapped. If the guy wants to get caught so bad, just confess, make it easy on all of us. I can't wait to get this back to Ballistics. I'll see you. (Nick leaves with the gun. Sofia looks at Keppler.) Keppler: I'll finish up here. (Sofia turns and leaves the room. Keppler sits on the bed and takes his phone out. He dials.) Frank McCarty: (voice message) You've reached Frank. Leave me a message after the tone. (Keppler closes his phone.) [SCENE_BREAK] [INT. CSI - HALLWAY - DAY] (Sara is walking through the hallway. She's wearing the blue jumpsuit and has smudges on her face.) (Grissom rushes out of the office when he sees her.) Grissom: Sara. (Sara turns around. Grissom takes his glasses off.) Sara: Hey. You're back. Grissom: Yeah. (Grissom takes a step toward her. Sara takes a step back. She holds up her evidence packages to defend herself.) Sara: Uh, I've -- I've been out at a, um ... I've been at ... Grissom: A garbage dump? (Grissom continues to advance. Sara continues to back away.) Sara: (smiles) Yeah. It's so obvious, isn't it? Nice, um ... You look good. (She nods and continues to back away from Grissom, who continues to walk toward her.) Grissom: Did you, uh, put the cocoon in my office? Sara: Cool, dry, not a lot of light. It seemed like the right place for it. Grissom: I think you're going to be surprised when it hatches. Sara: I have no doubt. (Grissom stops.) I'm gonna ... go clean up now. (Sara turns and heads off.) Grissom: I'll see you later. (She stops and looks at him.) Sara: Yeah, you will. (Sara leaves.) [SCENE_BREAK] [INT. CSI - A/V LAB - DAY] (Archie goes over the security video footage with Keppler.) Archie: McCarty's mystery blonde knew the dead hooker. Keppler: How do you know that? Archie: Check out the time code. Keppler: 1:10. Archie: We recovered the hooker's cell phone, thanks to a dumpster diver. These are all her voice mails, the last couple hours before she died. At the same time the blond was making this call, Courtney Evans received a voice mail. So, I synched up the audio to the video. (Archie plays the footage with sound. Keppler steps closer to the monitor.) Suzy Gibbons: Yeah, Courty, it's me, Suzy Q. Got your message. What, are you too busy to answer me back? Uh, so anyway, I just left my guy. Eh, it went all right. Usual "Call me Daddy" crap. (She laughs) Suzy Gibbons: You know, he actually wanted me to whimper. Whatever. He kept calling me "Amy." INSERT: FLASHBACK (Keppler is walking down a long dark hallway. He hears a woman whimpering.) Keppler: (v.o., whisper) Amy? (At the end of the hallway is an open door.) (CAMERA ZOOMS toward the door and - -- the door SLAMS shut on him.) BACK TO SCENE. (We hold on Keppler watching the security video of Suzy Q on the phone. Suzy Gibbons: (to phone) ... that three-way ... I don't know, I don't know. I think I'm gonna have to -- Catherine: Do we have an ID on the blonde? (Keppler turns and sees Catherine inside the lab.) Keppler: Just now. Catherine: I just finished running names off Courtney Evans' incoming calls. Archie: Yeah? Well, we're looking for Suzy Gibbons. Catherine: Here it is. Priors for prostitution and a last known. Keppler: Can I see that? (He looks at Suzy Gibbons' mug shot.) Archie: She knew the vic. She's the blonde in the bathtub. Catherine: Well, if we can find Suzy, so can a retired cop. He needs her dead. Keppler: If she's dumb enough to hide out in her own house, she already is. (Keppler turns and leaves the room.) Catherine: Mike? Mike, where are you going?! [SCENE_BREAK] [INT. CSI - LAB - DAY] (Nick snaps images of a clear print into the digital camera hooked up to the computer. He scans the print and runs it through the database.) (Nick swabs the blood off the gun.) (He gets a match.) MICHAEL KEPPLER BADGE # 8590 AGE: 40 HEIGHT: 6'3" WEIGHT: 175 LBS EYES: BLUE RACE: CAUCASIAN s*x: MALE HAIR: BROWN ADDRESS: LAS VEGAS CRIME LAB 3057 WESTFALL AVE. LAS VEGAS, NV 89156 Law Enforcement Personnel: ACCESS RESTRICTED (We hold on Nick.) [SCENE_BREAK] [CU: BEDROOM DOOR -- FLASHBACK] KEPPLER'S POV: He approaches the door that's ajar and enters the bedroom. (Keppler stops outside the door and sees a girl on the bed. He pushes the door open.) Keppler: Amy? (Amy McCarty is in bed. There's a man sitting on the edge of the bed. Frank McCarty walks around the bed. Keppler steps toward Amy.) Amy McCarty: Daddy said never tell you. (He looks and sees the blood on her wrists.) END OF FLASHBACK [INT. CAR (STOPPED) - DAY] (Keppler is in his car and stopped at the light on the street. Car horns beep for him to go at the green light. Keppler drives.) [SCENE_BREAK] [INT. CSI - HALLWAY - DAY] (Nick shares his findings with Catherine.) Catherine: Why would McCarty have a bloody gun with Keppler's prints on it, in his hotel room? Nick: Doesn't make any sense. Catherine: No. Could Mike have touched it when he found it? Nick: No, no way. I was right there. Besides, the blood was already dry. You don't leave fingerprints in dried blood. I compared the .45 ammo evidence to the dead cop and the hooker. It's the correct make, model and caliber, but I'm telling you, it's a different gun. Catherine: Maybe he's being set up. [SCENE_BREAK] [INT. CSI - GRISSOM'S OFFICE - DAY] (Catherine and Nick report their findings to Grissom.) Grissom: Why? By whom? Keppler told me that he didn't know Frank McCarty. Warrick: He also said he didn't know the victim. Maybe he's lying about that, too. I'm sorry, Catherine. I like the guy, too, but I'm just following the evidence here. Nick: We should be talking to Keppler about this. Grissom: Where is he? Catherine: He was with me in A/V. Nobody has seen him since, and he's not answering his cell. Nick: He knows where the eyewitness lives. Catherine: What are you saying, Nick? Nick: I'm saying that if he had something to do with these two murders, then Frank McCarty's not the only one we need to worry about. Catherine: PD's on their way to Suzy Gibbons' apartment now. Grissom: Okay, grab Sara and go over there, and I'll have Brass call Trenton PD, see who knows who. Catherine: Welcome home. (Catherine stands up and leaves the office. Grissom watches her leave.) Grissom: What other evidence did, uh, Keppler handle? Nick: He brought back the three bullets from Autopsy, which didn't match the gun with his prints on it. Grissom: Could he have swapped the bullets? Nick: Anything's possible. Warrick: He also searched the dumpster where the homeless guy found the hooker's purse and cell phone. He told Catherine he didn't find anything. (Wendy Simms enters the office to share her findings.) Wendy Simms: I got your DNA results, and the blood on the gun from Frank McCarty's hotel room, it doesn't match either victim. There were no hits in CODIS, and the DNA print ancestry markers say that it's from a black male. Nick: Keppler and McCarty were both Jersey boys. Expand the search to the East Coast. Wendy Simms: Will do. I really hope he's clean. (Wendy leaves the office.) Grissom: We have to treat him like a suspect. I'll tell Ecklie. [SCENE_BREAK] [EXT. EMPTY LOT NEAR HENDERSON - DAY] (Keppler's phone rings. He takes the phone out of his pocket and looks at it. He doesn't answer.) (Keppler is standing in an empty lot; there's a pile of trash near him.) INTERCUT WITH: [INT. CSI - A/V LAB - DAY] (Greg closes his phone.) Greg: Still no answer on his cell. Archie: Hey. Got a fix on the GPS in his Denali. (The red blip appears on the monitor map.) Greg: He's near Henderson. (Archie nods.) What's he doing there? [EXT. EMPTY LOT NEAR HENDERSON - DAY] (Keppler goes to his Denali and rips the GPS antennae off the roof. He tosses it away.) [INT. CSI - A/V LAB - DAY] (The message box appears on the monitor: LAS VEGAS POLICE DEPARTMENT NO ANTENNAE DETECTED SIGNAL REFERENCE LOST #01254512 UNABLE TO DETECT ) Archie: He just disabled his GPS. Smart guy. Greg: Guilty guy. Try tracking his cell. PD-issued phones have GPS, too. Archie: Yeah. (Archie type in the phone number: 702 555-0147. The blip appears again on the monitor map.) Archie: Got him. (We hold on the BLIP.) [SCENE_BREAK] [EXT. LAS VEGAS CITY LIGHTS (STOCK) - NIGHT] [INT. FREIGHT ELEVATOR -- NIGHT] (Eric "Precious Ricky" Hong is on the phone as he rides up the freight elevator. The elevator door opens and he steps out.) (Keppler steps out from his position behind the corner and follows Ricky. He turns Ricky, grabs the phone out of his hand and slams him up against the wall.) Eric "Precious Ricky" Hong: Okay? I'll take the phone. Keppler: Suzy Gibbons -- how do I find her? Eric "Precious Ricky" Hong: Okay, you know what? First off, you're gonna get your freakin' hands off me. Keppler: I don't have time, Ricky. Eric "Precious Ricky" Hong: Wh-Why should I tell you? Keppler: Because if you don't ... (Keppler takes his gun out, cocks it and presses the muzzle against Ricky's jaw.) Keppler: I'm the last face you're gonna see alive. [SCENE_BREAK] [INT. GIBBONS' APARTMENT -- NIGHT] (Catherine leaves the bedroom, walks through the hallway and heads back into the living room.) Catherine: I don't think Suzy works out of here. (Sara is in the kitchen looking through the cupboards.) Sara: Me, either. (Catherine's phone rings. She answers it.) Catherine: (to phone) Jim? Brass: (from phone) So I finally got through to the Homicide captain in Trenton. INTERCUT WITH: [INT. POLICE DEPARTMENT - BRASS'S OFFICE - NIGHT] Brass: (to phone) Anyway, here's the story. Keppler knew McCarty. Not only did he know him, he was like a son to him. Keppler had a close relationship with his daughter and McCarty was the one who got Keppler his job as a CSI. Catherine: And - (sighs) -- what about the victim -- Detective Graves? Brass: Yeah, he knew him, too. Graves was being indicted. Seems like too many of his suspects were showing up dead before the trial. Catherine, I think all three of them are dirty. Catherine: Okay. (She hangs up.) Sara: You know, some women ... live out of their purses. (Sara shows her the motel key envelopes for: WELCOME GUESTS CHECK OUT TIME 12 NOON BLUE SIREN MOTEL ) Catherine: I know a lot of working girls operate out of the Siren. Sara: I think we just found her office. (Catherine's phone rings.) Sara: I'll see you back at the lab? Catherine: Okay. (Sara leaves. Catherine checks the caller ID and sees it's from: ERIC HONG.) (She answers the phone.) Catherine: (to phone) Hello. [EXT. BLUE SIREN MOTEL - NIGHT] (Keppler is sitting in his car.) Keppler: (to phone) It's Mike. Catherine: Where have you been? Everybody is looking for you. Keppler: I know. I'm sorry. Catherine: Then come back in. Keppler: I can't. It's kind of complicated. I ... made a mistake a long time ago. Catherine: Let me help you. Keppler: It's too late. You're gonna end up looking into my cases, Catherine. (sighs) They're clean. I promise, every one of them. Except the Alvarez homicide in Philly. If you run the ballistics again, it'll come back to Dennis Graves. Your guys are smart, they'll figure it out. Catherine: Mike, don't do anything stupid. Keppler: I got to go. (Keppler hangs up.) (Catherine looks at her phone.) [SCENE_BREAK] [EXT. BLUE SIREN MOTEL (STOCK) -- NIGHT [INT. CAR (PARKED) - NIGHT] (The line rings and clicks as the voice message starts.) Frank McCarty: (voice message) Hey, you've reached Frank. Leave me a message after the tone. (Phone beeps.) Keppler: If you still want to fix this, Frank, you got twenty minutes. Blue Siren Motel, Third, below Fremont. (Keppler steps out of the car. He heads for the motel.) [SCENE_BREAK] [INT. CSI - GRISSOM'S OFFICE - NIGHT] (Grissom is going through his mail. He comes upon the large box and looks at the label: GIL GRISSOM LAS VEGAS CRIME LAB 3057 WESTFALL AVE LAS VEGAS, NB 81956 ) (He starts to pick up the box when his cell phone rings. Grissom puts the box down and answers his phone.) Grissom: (to phone) Grissom. INTECUT WITH: [INT. GIBBONS RESIDENCE - NIGHT] (Catherine is on the phone.) Catherine: (to phone) He just called, sounded desperate. Like a man with nothing to live for and nothing to lose. Grissom: Well, he's not your priority. Find the witness. Catherine: Yeah. I'm on my way. I just wanted you to know. [SCENE_BREAK] [EXT. LAS VEGAS CITY LIGHTS (STOCK) - NIGHT] [INT. BLUE SIREN MOTEL ROOM - NIGHT] (Suzy Gibbons sits on the bed smoking a cigarette. She appears extremely nervous.) (There's a knock at the door.) Suzy Gibbons: It's open. (The door opens and Frank McCarty steps inside. Suzy backs away as Frank raises his gun at her.) (Keppler appears behind him, his own gun pointed at the back of Frank's head.) Keppler: Drop it, Frank. (Frank freezes.) Keppler: Put the gun down. (Frank puts his hands up and places the gun on the nearby dresser.) Frank McCarty: Look, Mike ... about the bar, you were right. I was out of line. You know how I get -- come on. Put the gun down. (Frank lowers his hands.) You're not gonna shoot me. Keppler: Suzy, I want you to get up and walk out of the room, all right? Frank McCarty: I can't let that happen. (to Suzy) Sit down! (Suzy sits down.) Keppler: It's over, Frank. I know what you did. (Keppler lowers his gun.) Frank McCarty: What are you talking about? Keppler: I know what you did to Amy. INSERT: FLASHBACK (Frank is naked and sitting on the side of Amy's bed. Amy is in bed, listless.) BACK TO SCENE. (Keppler swallows.) Keppler: I killed an innocent man. Frank McCarty: Mikey, you're talking crazy. Keppler: She was your daughter, Frank. Frank McCarty: You watch your frickin' mouth. (Keppler raises his again. Frank backs away, his hands up.) All right, okay! Put the gun down. (Gibbons cries. Frank turns around to her.) Frank McCarty: (shouts) Shut up! (She stops sobbing loudly.) Frank McCarty: (quietly) I loved her, Mike, more than you know. (Keppler cocks his gun.) Frank McCarty: All right, okay. I'm a dirty cop, rotten to the core. What do you want from me? [SCENE_BREAK] [INT. BLUE SIREN MOTEL - FRONT DESK -- NIGHT] (Catherine closes her badge and opens the door. She looks at the rooms. She heads toward the door.) [INT. BLUE SIREN MOTEL - PARKING LOT -- NIGHT] (A police car with flashing lights silently rolls into the parking lot.) [INT. BLUE SIREN MOTEL - STAIRS TO ROOMS -- NIGHT] (Catherine climbs up the stairs.) [INT. BLUE SIREN MOTEL ROOM - NIGHT] (Keppler keeps his gun pointed at Frank. Outside, police sirens get closer.) Keppler: I want you to tell me why, Frank. Why you would do that to your own daughter. Frank McCarty: Come on, Mike. You're all I've got. (Suzy gets up and runs for the door. She runs past Frank and Keppler.) Suzy Gibbson: No! No! (Keppler steps in front of Suzy as she reaches the door.) Frank turns, grabs his gun off the dresser, points and fires.) (He shoots Keppler in the chest.) (Suzy screams. She opens the door and runs out.) (Frank stares at Keppler.) [EXT. BLUE SIREN MOTEL ROOM - NIGHT -- CONTINUOUS] (The door opens and Catherine sees Suzy run out of the room. She runs down the walkway in the opposite direction.) (Catherine runs to the room.) Catherine: Mike! (Behind her, officers are running up the stairs.) [INT. BLUE SIREN MOTEL ROOM - NIGHT -- CONTINUOUS] (Keppler falls against he radiator. McCarty stares.) (Catherine runs to the door, her eyes on Keppler.) Catherine: Mike. (Frank turns his gun on Catherine.) (Keppler fires at Frank, shooting him in the chest and empties his gun into him.) (Frank falls back onto the bed.) (Keppler grunts.) (Catherine holsters her gun and grabs the nearby roll of paper towels.) Catherine: Mike. (She kneels next to him and presses a wad of paper towels into his wound to stop the bleeding.) Catherine: Mike. (The officers arrive in the room.) Catherine: Mike, hang in there. (to the officer) Call the paramedics. (One officer is outside the room to make the call while a second officer goes to check on Frank.) Officer: Dispatch, got a Code 44. (Catherine holds her hand against Keppler's cheek.) Catherine: You're gonna be okay. Just stay with me. Keppler: I'm sorry. [SCENE_BREAK] [EXT. BLUE SIREN MOTEL ROOM - NIGHT -- CONTINUOUS] (Suzy Gibbons talks with an officer.) Suzy Gibbons: I just know they both had guns. (The paramedics rush Keppler on a gurney toward the ambulance. Catherine runs next to them.) Paramedic: Move it. PARAMEDIC: Pupils still fixed and dilated. PARAMEDIC: He's moving into V-fib! Let's go! Catherine: I'm here. Stay with me, Mike. Paramedic: Place him into the back of the rig. Catherine: Mike? Paramedic: Let's go, let's go. (The push the gurney into the back of the ambulance.) Catherine: Hang on, Mike. (Catherine watches from the open doors. The paramedics working on Keppler charge up the paddles.) Paramedic: Charging, 300. (In the background, Grissom runs toward them.) Paramedic: Two placement's good. PARAMEDIC: Clear? PARAMEDIC: Clear. (They shock him.) Paramedic: No response. Hitting him again. PARAMEDIC: Copy. Clear. (They shock him again.) Paramedic: Yeah, I've got nothing. PARAMEDIC: Still in V-fib. Come on, come on. (They shock him again.) Paramedic: There's no pulse. Catherine: What? Paramedic: He's gone. (They stop working on Keppler and put the paddles away. Grissom glances at Catherine and steps closer to her. He puts his arm around her shoulders and holds her.) (Catherine looks at Keppler and she cries.) (Grissom turns her and leads her away from the ambulance.) FAR SHOT OF: Grissom and Catherine walk across the parking lot. [SCENE_BREAK] (PRE-LAP) Warrick: (v.o., to phone) Talk to me, Archie. [SCENE_BREAK] [EXT. EMPTY LOT NEAR HENDERSON - DAY] (Warrick is on the phone while Nick looks around the area.) Archie: (from phone) The signal's twenty yards north of your position. (Warrick looks around the area.) Warrick: I don't see anything. Archie: (from phone) Hold on. I'm calling the phone now. Warrick: All right. (A beat later, a cell phone rings.) Nick: Hey, wait, wait, wait, wait! I got something. (He motions to Warrick as he turns toward a pile of rubbish on the side.) Warrick: (to phone) I'll call you back. (Nick and Warrick head for the ringing phone. Warrick hangs up.) (Nick finds a portable ice chest. He takes out a knife and cuts the biohazard seal. Inside he finds Keppler's phone and severed hand in a plastic bag.) (There's also a note.) (Nick looks at Warrick.) Warrick: Keppler left his phone so we'd find the hand. (Nick takes his glasses off and picks up the note.) Nick: "Check under the nails. You'll find Frank McCarty's DNA." (Nick nods and sighs.)
Law of Gravity