The body of a wealthy socialite, known for her charitable contributions, is discovered in a dumping ground along with the bodies of several dogs. The investigation reveals the victim was involved in illegal dog fighting and may have tortured some of the animals at a kennel. Meanwhile, Warrick tries to prove he is innocent of murdering an exotic dancer whose body was found in his car outside a nightclub.
[INT. PD - INTERVIEW ROOM -- NIGHT] (Warrick is being questioned by an IAB investigator.) IAB Investigator: So you were at the strip club on official business earlier in the day, but then you went back on your own time later? Warrick: I already told you, yes. IAB Investigator: And that's when you met the victim? Warrick: Are you guys writing any of this down? I first met Candy in the parking lot of the strip club. Later on, I talked to her inside. FLASHBACK TO: [Scene from 8X09: Cockroaches] [EXT. PIGALLE BOULEVARD STRIP CLUB - PARKING LOT -- NIGHT] (Candy is giving Warrick a lap dance.) END FLASHBACK. IAB Investigator: Approximately how much money did you spend getting to know the victim? Warrick: Three hundred bucks, but that was because it was part of an investigation. IAB Investigator: And that would be the investigation the undersheriff told you to drop? Warrick: Yes ... IAB Investigator: You still on the modafinil and the zolpidem? Warrick: No, I'm off them. IAB Investigator: Did you take them yesterday? FLASHBACK TO: Warrick grabs the pill container. (Warrick pops a pill while waiting in the car.) END FLASHBACK. IAB Investigator: So, today is the first day of the rest of your life, hmm? (Warrick rubs his eyes.) [SCENE_BREAK] [EXT. OUTER LAS VEGAS CITY LIGHTS (STOCK) - NIGHT] [EXT. SILVERADO WASH (DIRT ROAD & BRIDGE) - NIGHT] (Greg and Nick cross a bridge as they walk away from their parked car on the road. Officer car's lights flash along the road.) Greg: Dispatch said body at a dump. Nick: Yeah, this is definitely not the city dump. (Nick and Greg come upon dead dogs. They share a look.) Sam Vega: Nick? Greg? (Nick and Greg head over toward Sam Vega, who is with David Phillips and the body.) Sam Vega: Kids were out here drinking beer, found the dead dogs. Patrol unit came, responded and found the female DB. (There's a woman in a red dress face down on a piece of cardboard.) David Phillips: Looks like animal bites on her arms and legs. (Nick looks at the bites on her arms. Greg snaps photos of the body.) David Phillips: No purse or ID. Nick: Okay, Dave, let's see what we got. (David rolls her over. There are more bites on her legs.) Greg: Whatever bit her must have been at it for a while. Nick: Yeah, maybe. But I doubt they tied her up and beat her. (David moves aside the woman's hair to show the bruises on her face.) Nick: Check out the contusions, ligature marks. (He notes the bruises around her wrists.) Greg: Disposing of animals like this is illegal. Whoever dumped the vic must have known about the site from dumping dogs. Nick: Yup. (Nick stands up.) It looks like he's moving up the food chain. FADE TO END OF TEASER ROLL TITLE CREDITS [SCENE_BREAK] [EXT. LAS VEGAS CITY (STOCK) - DAWN] [INT. CSI - FORENSIC AUTOPSY] (Catherine takes a swab from the woman's body on the table. She caps it and picks up a second swab. She swabs inside wound #10.) (She picks up the camera and photographs the wounds on the woman's face and arms. She takes photos of the wounds on the woman's legs and the white substance on her heel.) (The door opens and David Phillips walks in.) David Phillips: Hey. Catherine: Hey, could you do me a favor? Um, bring me one of the swabs? David Phillips: Sure. What's up? (David picks up a swab and hands it to her.) Catherine: There's some white trace on the soles of her feet. You were at the scene. Did you happen to notice any white material that might have transferred? (Catherine takes a sample of the white substance.) David Phillips: Maybe. I can't say for sure. I mean, there were dead dogs and trash all over the place. (Catherine picks up her camera and moves to the side.) Catherine: Hmm. Excuse me. David Phillips: Sorry. Catherine: Would you help me remove her dress? David Phillips: Sure. Catherine: Let's just roll her. (They roll the body over. Catherine starts to remove the dress when she notices a mark on the woman's back.) Catherine: That look like a needle mark? David Phillips: I'll send samples to Tox. (Catherine picks up the camera and takes a photo.) FLASH TO: [JOANNA "CANDY"] Joanna "Candy": (V.O.) You like trouble, you ... [INT. PD - INTERVIEW ROOM] (The IAB investigator continues to question Warrick.) IAB Investigator: So, in the course of developing this informant, you took her to a motel and had s*x with her? Warrick: That part was personal. IAB Investigator: CSI Brown, in your mind, is there any distinction between personal and official? Warrick: Have you guys bothered to call the motel? I checked in with a credit card. I checked out around 5:00. I called a cab. Talk to the cab driver. When I woke up, Candy was gone. When I got back to the club to pick up my car, she was dead. FLASH TO: [EXT. PIGALLE STRIP CLUB - PARKING LOT - NIGHT] (The area around Warrick's car is taped off. It's a crime scene. Warrick sees Candy is dead and inside his car.) Warrick: (shouts) No-o-o! END OF FLASHBACK. Warrick: Listen to me. I did not kill her. But I know damn well who did. [SCENE_BREAK] [INT. PD - HALLWAY / BRASS' OFFICE] (An officer escorts Lou Gedda to Brass' office. Brass is eating.) ND Officer: Lou Gedda to see you, Captain. (The officer leaves. Gedda steps into the office. Brass doesn't stand up. Gedda tosses a slip of paper on the table. It has a name and number on it: ALICE KRUMSKY (Gedda sits down.) Brass: What's this? Lou Gedda: Candy's mother's phone number. Brass: Her parents have already been notified. Lou Gedda: Candy wrote it down for me last night just before she died. That's why she came back to the club after her shift. Her mother was pressuring her to quit. Candy wanted me to call her, give her the talk. It's exotic dancing, not stripping. Show business. Brass: Did you make the call? Lou Gedda: I don't get involved in family business, but I thought it might help your investigation. Brass: How's this going to help me? Lou Gedda: How should I know? I'm just trying to be a good citizen. [SCENE_BREAK] [INT. CSI - FORENSIC AUTOPSY] (The doors open as David Phillips and another coroner roll the gurney with the woman's body on it.) David Phillips: Hey, Doc. Robbins: Hey. David Phillips: I heard your band killed last night. Robbins: Really? Who'd you hear that from? David Phillips: My wife's second cousin. Works in the mayor's office for the budget and finance director. He was at the country club. Grooved to your moldy oldies all night. Robbins: They're classics. David Phillips: Sorry. Robbins: So ... uh ... people were talking about me? (He chuckles. Then his smile fades as he looks down at the woman's face.) David Phillips: What did I do? Robbins: I know her. David Phillips: Her name's Elizabeth Rodriguez. She and her husband Felix were honored last night by the Nevada Enterprise Association. Humanitarians of the Year. They opened that outreach center in the Alphabets. They were dancing right in front of me. FLASHBACK TO: [INT. COUNTRY CLUB - NIGHT] (Robbins is on stage singing. Elizabeth and Felix are dancing on the floor.) Robbins: (V.O.) She and Felix were very philanthropic. I admired both of them. END FLASHBACK. (Robbins is talking with Sam Vega and Catherine.) Sam Vega: Did they leave the party together? Robbins: No. He left first. FLASHBACK TO: [INT. COUNTRY CLUB - NIGHT] (The band is playing on stage. Felix's phone rings and he checks it on the floor. He kisses her, turns and leaves her there. Robbins notes them.) END FLASHBACK. Sam Vega: Do you remember what time that was? Robbins: Sometime between "Louie Louie" and "You Really Got Me." Sam Vega: Could you be more specific, Doc? Robbins: Well, it was just before the end of our third set. We broke at 10:00. Just before that. Catherine: And she stayed? Robbins: (nods) For a little while. FLASHBACK TO: [INT. COUNTRY CLUB - NIGHT] (Robbins is still on stage with his band. Elizabeth Rodriguez is on the dance floor with someone when a waiter comes up to her and whispers something to her. She excuses herself and leaves.) END FLASHBACK. Robbins: I didn't see her after that. Guess it was around 10:30. Sam Vega: And the kids called in the dead dogs around 2:00. Catherine: So, that's a three-and-a-half-hour window. Sam Vega: I'll talk to the husband. I'll keep you posted. Catherine: Thank you. (Sam Vega leaves.) Catherine: Can you tell me anything about these bites? Robbins: Definitely perimortem. Right around time of death. Catherine: So, it's unlikely it's coyotes. Robbins: No. (He turns and looks at Elizabeth on the table.) Catherine: Are you going to be okay with this one? (He sighs and shakes his head.) Robbins: I'm just not used to seeing them alive. [SCENE_BREAK] [EXT. LAS VEGAS CITY LIGHTS (STOCK) - NIGHT] [INT. PD - INTERVIEW ROOM -- NIGHT] (Sam Vega talks with Felix Rodriguez.) Sam Vega: You went home without your wife. Why? Felix Rodriguez: I hate dry chicken and small talk. And more than anything, I hate dancing. So, I went home, and I passed out on the couch. Next thing I know, you guys are banging on my front door. Where's Liz? Sam Vega: Do you always leave your wife on the dance floor? Felix Rodriguez: Liz is out every night at some charitable function, saving the world. We have a deal. If I make an appearance, I get to duck out early. FLASH TO: [INT. COUNTRY CLUB - NIGHT] (Elizabeth and Felix are dancing. Felix yawns, bored.) Felix Rodriguez: You know what? I've done my time. I think I'm going home. Elizabeth Rodriguez: All right, well, don't wait up for me. (He kisses her hands.) Felix Rodriguez: Mmm. Elizabeth Rodriguez: And I'll miss you. (He kisses her cheek and heads off the dance floor.) END OF FLASHBACK. Felix Rodriguez: Look, if you don't tell me what's going on, I'll need to talk to my lawyer. Sam Vega: Your wife was murdered last night. (Felix turns and looks at him, stunned.) Felix Rodriguez: What? (The officer outside opens the door and Greg walks in.) Sam Vega: Mr. Rodriguez, this is CSI Sanders. He's here to take your fingerprints and your clothes. (Greg puts the print card down on the table.) Greg: Please stand up. (Felix Rodriguez is still in shock.) Felix Rodriguez: What? Sam Vega: Mr. Rodriguez, stand up. Felix Rodriguez: I want to see my wife. Sam Vega: When we're finished here, we'll talk about it. Stand up, please. (He stands up. Greg starts to take his fingerprints.) Felix Rodriguez: I didn't kill her. I loved my wife. [SCENE_BREAK] [INT. PD - HALLWAY] (Warrick steps out of the interview room and puts his jacket on. He rubs his tired eyes. He starts down the hallway.) SLOW MOTION. (At the other end of the hallway Lou Gedda turns the corner. Warrick looks up and sees him. They walk past each other. Gedda smiles as he leaves.) (Warrick stops to watch him go. He turns and sees where Gedda came out from and finds Brass leaning against the doorframe watching him.) [SCENE_BREAK] [INT. PD - BRASS' OFFICE] (Brass talks with Grissom. Brass is standing up behind his desk while Grissom is seated in front of it.) Brass: You should have put him in your car and driven him home. Grissom: I have to trust the people I work with, Jim. Brass: Look, Warrick's a loose cannon. We both know that. He was in Gedda's strip club ... Grissom: He was off the clock. Brass: ... conducting his own police investigation. Grissom: He's very passionate about this case. Brass: Yeah, passionate enough to sleep with the vic who ended up dead in his car. Look, I know Warrick didn't have anything to do with it, but he needs to back off. Guys like Lou Gedda -- they don't skip on murder and extortion by being lucky. (Brass sits down. Grissom looks at Brass.) Grissom: What does that mean? You think Gedda's got "friends" inside the department? Brass: (nods a little) Well, unlike Warrick, I don't make accusations until I have proof. (Grissom is quiet.) [SCENE_BREAK] [INT. CSI - GARAGE] (Grissom is fuming inside Warrick's car.) (Warrick passes by and sees Grissom working in the car. He enters the garage.) (Grissom gets out of the car.) Warrick: Hey, Grissom. Grissom: Did you talk to IA yet? Warrick: Yeah. They cleared me. They didn't seem to have much interest in Gedda. Grissom: That's because it wasn't about Gedda. It was about you. Warrick: It's everything to do with Gedda. Sending me a message. Murders an innocent young girl because I got too close to them. I want this case, Gris. Grissom: I hope you know that's not gonna happen. You're in the rotation as of tomorrow, so go home. (Warrick leaves. Grissom pauses and watches him go.) [SCENE_BREAK] [INT. CSI - HALLWAY] (Hodges reports his findings to Catherine. He hands her the report.) Hodges: The white flaky trace on your victim's feet was permethrin, an insect repellent, also used in flea dips. Catherine: Mmm. She was found with a bunch of dead dogs. What about the husband's tux? Hodges: No flea dip, no dog hairs, no blood. Just a little bit of champagne and some underarm deodorant. Catherine: You just exonerated our only suspect. (Catherine walks out of frame.) [SCENE_BREAK] [INT. CSI - DNA LAB] (Wendy is running the samples. Hodges walks in.) Hodges: So how crazy was last night? You. Me. Dinner? Wendy: Mm-hmm. Hodges: I thought the Syrah was quite nice. (Wendy turns to get another sample.) Wendy: Yes, and thank you for offering to split the check. My date really appreciated it. (Hodges follows her.) Hodges: Oh, no problem. Let it be known, that I am nothing if not a gentleman. (She turns around and finds Hodges right behind her.) Wendy: Why were you at a restaurant like Nob Hill by yourself anyway? Hodges: The Golden Rule. Always treat yourself the way you would like others to treat you. Wendy: That's not exactly the rule. Hodges: What are you working on? (Hodges is looking at the multiple swabs Wendy is running.) Wendy: The Elizabeth Rodriguez homicide. She had bite marks on her with saliva in them, and the saliva turned out to be canine, and anytime a dog is impounded in a criminal case, its DNA is collected and profiled. (She turns on the CANINE CODIS.) Wendy: It's just like CODIS. Hodges: DODIS. (Wendy chuckles.) Wendy: Anyway most of the cases in the database are gang-related. But I figured, well, it's worth a shot. Hodges: Well, that'll look good on the old Grissom point meter. (Hodges steps around her. Wendy looks at him.) Wendy: It's protocol. Hodges: I'm just saying, be careful: no one likes a kiss-ass. (Hodges leaves.) Wendy: Really? (Wendy puts the swab box back on the rack and flips the DNA printout to the next page as she works. She continues running searches through the CANINE CODIS.) (She finds a match to HANNIBAL, a pit bull.) [SCENE_BREAK] [INT. CSI -- HALLWAY] (Nick steps out into the hallway. Wendy turns the corner and finds him.) Wendy: Hey, Nick, have you seen Catherine? Nick: Yeah, she got another call-out. We're a little bit shorthanded right now. What's up? Wendy: The canine DNA database got a hit on the saliva. It's a pit bull named Hannibal. (She hands him the printout.) Nick: Confiscated during a drug raid at a gang house three months ago. Wendy: And then held at Del Santos Kennel until he was released to his owner, Gino Aquino. Nick: A member of the D Street Killers. Rodriguez Outreach Center is on D Street. Wendy: Well, you do good work in that neighborhood, and you're bound to piss off the DSKs. Nick: Maybe enough to want her dead. [SCENE_BREAK] [EXT. COMMUNITY (STOCK) - DAY] [EXT. GINO AQUINO'S HOUSE - FRONT YARD -- DAY] (The D Street Crew Members lounge in the front yard. Nick and an officer walks past them on their way to the front door toward Vega.) Nick: (to the officer) Go see everyone's ID. (Vega is with Gino Aquino, who is looking at the warrant.) Gino Aquino: Fine, do your cop thing and don't tell me nuthin'. (They enter the house.) [INT. GINO AQUINO'S HOUSE - LIVING ROOM - DAY - CONTINUJOUS] (He motions to the house.) Gino Aquino: Go ahead, look around all you want. Sam Vega: (to the officer) Keep an eye on him. (Nick walks into the house. Gino Aquino looks at the warrant.) Gino Aquino: My dog ain't here. You arrested him with me a couple months ago. I never got him back. Sam Vega: Well, Mr. Aquino ... (Deena Aquino, Gino's wife, laughs as she sits on the sofa chair in front of the plasma.) Deena Aquino: Quítese los zapatos! Nick: Lo siento pero esta prohibido. Sam Vega: (o.s.) Look, you or any of your homies hang out at the Rodriguez Outreach Center? (Nick walks through the living room and exits into the kitchen.) Gino Aquino: Yeah, right. A bunch of rich people trying to feel good about themselves. They should just give us the money. [EXT. GINO AQUINO'S HOUSE - BACK YARD / STORAGE - DAY - CONTINUOUS] (Nick exits out into the back yard where he finds a stake in the ground with a long chain attached to it. Further on, he sees a concrete brick with a long chain attached to it.) (Nick pushes the curtain covering the entrance to the storage shed aside. Inside he finds a couple of treadmills, some empty dog carrying cases and a couple of water dishes. On the walls he finds leashes, chains and other items.) (Nick puts his kit down and opens it. He takes out a camera and snaps photos of the water dishes and the chewing toy on the dog traveling case.) (Nick notices the dog hairs on the treadmill. He photographs that as well.) (Nick tape lifts the dog hairs off the treadmill and looks at it.) [SCENE_BREAK] [INT. AQUINO'S HOUSE - KITCHEN - DAY] (Nick talks with Gino Aquino who is eating.) Nick: I thought you said your dog's been gone for a couple months now. Gino Aquino: Yeah, check the police report. Nick: Then why do you have a bowl of fresh water for him out in the shed? Gino Aquino: In case he comes back. Nick: And the leashes? Gino Aquino: I'm still in mourning. Nick: What about the treadmill? Gino Aquino: You crazy? I bought that for her. (He points to his wife, Deena, who is eating in front of the plasma.) Deena Aquino: Eh, no me metas en esto. Gino Aquino: Callate, ya! Do I need to tap my defender? Sam Vega: Tell him to meet you downtown. (Vega motions for the officer to come in. Aquino gets to his feet.) Gino Aquino: Voy a la carcel porque estas muy ocupado comiendo y no limpias. (Nick and Vega roll their eyes and shake their heads.) Deena Aquino: Mm-mm, como porque tu no llenas mis necesidades emocionales, okay? (They head outside. The officer escorts Gino outside as well.) Deena Aquino: Ah, pegame. Vas a ver. Vete de aquí! [SCENE_BREAK] [INT. CSI - BREAK ROOM - DAY] (On the monitor: Felix Rodriguez is talking with the press.) Felix Rodriguez: (from tv) So I'm offering a $100,000 reward for any information leading to the arrest and conviction of my wife's killer. REVEAL: Catherine is watching the report on television as she sips out of her cup. Henry walks in. Felix Rodriguez: (from tv) I will not rest until the murderer is caught and brought to justice. Henry Andrews: I know government employees aren't eligible for reward money, but I think we should at least get a small percentage. Catherine: It's called your salary. What have you got? Henry Andrews: Possible COD on Elizabeth Rodriguez. Overdose. Catherine: Phenytoin and pentobarbital. An anti-epileptic and a sedative hypnotic? Henry Andrews: In combination, they're used to euthanize animals. Catherine: Dog bites, mass dog grave, euthanizing solution. Well, those drugs are controlled substances, so their sales should be registered. Henry Andrews: Already put together a list of the buyers in the Las Vegas area. (Catherine looks at the list.) Catherine: Del Santos Kennel. (Catherine takes her phone out and makes a call. She turns and heads out.) Catherine: (to phone) Yeah, Nicky, where are you? [SCENE_BREAK] [EXT. KENNEL (STOCK) - DAY] (Dogs bark in the distance.) [INT. DEL SANTOS KENNEL - DAY] (Nick points to a photo of Elizabeth Rodriguez carrying two dogs.) Nick: Elizabeth Rodriguez. She was friends with the owner. She bankrolled the place. Her old man's rich. (He turns and looks at Catherine and the two officers on the other side of the counter. She hands him the warrant.) Catherine: We need to see your controlled substances; any records you have on a confiscated dog named Hannibal; and I'll have to print everyone who works here. All right, no problem. The owner's got the key to the cabinet. His name's Steve Card. He's just down the hall. [SCENE_BREAK] [INT. DEL SANTOS KENNEL - EXAM ROOM -- CONTINUOUS] (Steve Card heads for the cabinet with the controlled substances.) Catherine: Anybody else have access? Steve Card: Uh, no, I have the only key. (He unlocks the cabinet and steps away for Catherine to open.) Catherine: Are you a licensed veterinarian? Steve Card: Vet tech. Catherine: Oh, I didn't realize that techs were allowed to perform surgeries. Steve Card: Not on live animals, but once the dog dies I can harvest the organs. I sell the hearts to research labs doing heartworm studies. (Catherine looks at him.) Steve Card: (explains) It's a rescue kennel. Most the dogs who come in are problematic, aggressive. Most don't make it out. (In the background, we hear dogs barking. Catherine examines the substances.) Nick: Mr. Card, I'm going to have to ask you to step outside. We'll get your statement. LATER: (Catherine is looking at the contents of the refrigerator. She closes the door and looks inside the cabinet drawers. In the first drawer, she finds some boxes. In the second drawer, she finds a bag of scissors.) (She looks at the cabinet and finds a screw missing on one of the hinges.) (She opens the cabinet and pushes the bottles to one side. In the back, she finds a small camera set up inside the cabinet to record something in the other room.) (She turns around and finds a wooden contraption with a leather dog leash attached to it.) LATER: (Catherine and Nick examine the wooden contraption.) Catherine: What do you think that is? Nick: I don't know. But the pattern on these restraints is consistent to ligature marks on the victim. Catherine: There's a hidden camera in the medicine cabinet pointing right at it. It's an awful lot of blood. (Nick finds a hair on the wooden contraption.) Nick: Long red hairs. Hmm. I don't think these came from a dog. [SCENE_BREAK] [INT. DEL SANTOS KENNEL - DAY] (An officer escorts Steve Card out of the exam room area. They pass by Nick and Tommy Halpert.) Tommy Halpert: Wait, what is he being arrested for? Nick: Murder. Tommy Halpert: Who got murdered? Nick: Mrs. Rodriguez. Do you have any idea what that contraption's used for in the back storage room there? Tommy Halpert: Um, I'm not allowed back there. I just pick up the poop and walk the dogs. Nick: Mm-hmm. It says here you released the dog back to its owner, but Mr. Aquino claims he never got Hannibal back. Tommy Halpert: That's not true. I was here when he picked Hannibal up. Nick: How many dogs you got here? Tommy Halpert: Like 47 right now. Nick: I'm gonna need to collect saliva samples from all of them. [SCENE_BREAK] [INT. DEL SANTOS KENNEL - KENNEL AREA -- DAY] (Tommy Halpert shows Nick through the kennel area where the dogs are kept.) Tommy Halpert: Most of these guys are pretty jacked up. (He opens the cage in the back to show a pit bull with a bandage around its head. He kneels and pets the dog.) Nick: Ooh, yeah, looks like he's been in a few fights. Tommy Halpert: Yeah, most of them have. (Nick puts his kit down and takes out a swab. Tommy continues to pet the dog.) Tommy Halpert: You can go ahead. He's not gonna bother you. (Nick takes a swab of the dog's mouth.) Nick: Must get pretty tough working here, huh? Tommy Halpert: Yeah, you try to make a difference. I spent some time in a cage, so I know what it's like. (Nick nods. Tommy whispers to the dog.) Tommy Halpert: Yeah, you're a good boy. You're a good boy. (Nick turns and looks at the Chihuahua in the next cage, badly injured. He looks at the pit bull with the bandage around its head.) Tommy Halpert: It's okay, boy. It's okay. (Tommy really likes the dogs.) Tommy Halpert: Oh, yeah. [SCENE_BREAK] [INT. CSI - PRINT LAB -- DAY] (Mandy runs a print through the database. Warrick is in the garage looking at his car, but staying outside the taped area around it.) (The computer chirps and it finds a match: WARRICK BROWN.) (Warrick walks into the lab.) Warrick: You got any print results from off my car? Mandy: Should I be talking to you? Warrick: Yeah, I've been cleared. Mandy: Well, no, actually all I got so far are your prints. (Warrick sighs and heads back into the garage. The computer chirps and Mandy finds another print match.) Mandy: Wait, I got something. (Warrick turns around. The print matches: RICHARD DORSEY, the homeless man who lived in the alley behind the strip club.) Warrick: I know that guy. (Quick FLASHBACK TO: Richard Dorsey leans against the side of the building smoking a cigarette.) (CUT TO: Richard Dorsey runs up the building steps to the roof as Warrick chases after him.) Warrick: Hey! I just want to talk to you. (End flashback.) [SCENE_BREAK] [INT. CSI - GRISSOM'S OFFICE -- DAY] (Warrick walks into Grissom's office and puts the file on his desk.) Warrick: His name is Richard Dorsey. (Grissom picks up the file and looks at the photo.) Grissom: You know, you keep pursuing this, you're going to end up suspended. Warrick: Dorsey's prints were found inside my car under the broken window. Grissom: Well, that's consistent with him putting the body in your car. Warrick: Grissom, he's a homeless guy. He lives in the alley behind the strip club. Don't you get it? He's Gedda's fall guy. This is a frame job. Grissom: Okay, I'll have Brass check it out. You stay out of it, though. (Warrick holds his hands up and backs away. He turns and leaves the office.) [SCENE_BREAK] [EXT. LAS VEGAS CITY (STOCK) - DAY] [INT. PD - INTERVIEW ROOM -- DAY] (Catherine and Sam Vega talk with Steve Card and his lawyer, Brad Lewis.) Catherine: We've got the victim's blood and hair at your kennel. She died of an overdose of the same drugs that were found in a medicine cabinet that only you had access to. Sam Vega: If I were you, I'd save my money and start talking. Brad Lewis (lawyer): Are you acting as his lawyer now? Catherine: Mr. Card, I found this hidden camera in the exam room. Where's the receiver? (She shows him a photo of the camera.) Steve Card: I don't know anything about this. Sam Vega: Did you forget about the camera when you killed Elizabeth Rodriguez? Steve Card: I didn't kill Lizzie. She was my business partner. Brad Lewis (lawyer): I'm advising you to stop talking. Steve Card: It's not your ass. I'm a victim here. Catherine: How do you figure? It was on the morning news that Lizzie was dead. And when I came into work ... (Quick flashback to: Steve Card walks into work and finds the place a bloody mess. He cleans up and scrubs the blood off the floor.) END FLASHBACK. Catherine: So instead of calling the police, you cleaned up the crime scene. Sam Vega: That makes you an accessory. Brad Lewis (lawyer): He was afraid for his life. Steve Card: Nobody cheats the D Street Killers out of 50 Gs and lives. Catherine: You cheated them out of $50,000? Steve Card: Not me. Lizzie. (Quick flashback to: Steve carries out a bag of money and puts it down on the counter in front of Elizabeth. She uncaps a container.) Steve Card: We banked 50 Gs. I bet Gino's getting sick of losing. Elizabeth Rodriguez: It never fails. (She pours some of the liquid in the container on the dog's back.) Elizabeth Rodriguez: When I fight a dog, I fight to win. (He watches her wipe the mixture into the dog's back. She looks at him.) END OF FLASHBACK. Steve Card: Lizzie was the #1 dog fighter in all of Vegas. That drove Gino nuts 'cause he was like this close to knocking her off the top spot. Sam Vega: You seriously want us to believe that Mrs. Rodriguez, humanitarian of the year, was into dog fighting? Steve Card: Oh, she was no Mother Theresa. But, see, she'd still be alive if she wasn't a dirty dog fighter. That rub, it made the other dog sick. Catherine: Gee, I hate to see the sport tainted like that. Steve Card: Why do you think she gave money to my rescue kennel? She didn't even like dogs, but fighting them, that was in her blood. Passed down from her daddy, who taught her the whole family business. Catherine: Okay ... what is this? (She shows him the photo of the wooden contraption.) Steve Card: It's a ... it's a breeding stand. The sport has a high mortality rate, and.. uh..combative bitches won't breed without a fight. So we have to tie them down to consummate the act. Catherine: The victim was tied to that stand. Steve Card: That's sick. (Steve looks at his lawyer.) Brad Lewis (lawyer): My client's willing to give you everything. Catherine: What's "everything"? Brad Lewis (lawyer): My client cleaned up the scene, but he didn't dispose of the evidence. (He puts a plastic bag on the table in front of them.) Brad Lewis (lawyer): We can also give you Gino Aquino. (Catherine looks at Steve Card.) [SCENE_BREAK] [EXT. LAS VEGAS CITY LIGHTS (STOCK) - NIGHT] [EXT. BUILDING -- NIGHT] (Several cars are parked outside a lone building. The lights are on inside the building. A car quietly pulls up in front.) [INT. BUILDING - NIGHT] (A small crowd has gathered as two owners hold their growling dogs apart.) (Gino Aquino collects the bills. Deena is there as well as other members of the D Street Killers gang.) (The black dog barks in its cage. Gino lets Hannibal go and the two dogs tear into each other as the crowd cheers.) (The dog fight continues. Hannibal tears into his opponent's shoulder. The dog stops fighting and lays down, its neck bloodied.) (The crowd continues as the money exchanges hands. The owner enters the ring and picks up his dog. Someone stops by and hands the owner some money.) (Suddenly, the door bursts open. Sam Vega and officers enter the room. ) Sam Vega: LVPD! Policía! Freeze! Nadie se mueve! Manos arriba! (Everyone stops.) Sam Vega: Hands in the air! (They put their hands in the air. Everything is quiet for a moment. Suddenly, someone pulls out a gun and fires.) (The place erupts with gunfire. Gino Aquino is hit in the shoulder.) (An officer is hit and falls to the ground.) (Gino grabs his dog's leash and heads for the back door. An officer shoots one of the gang members. Another gang member quickly puts his hands up.) Gang Member: I give up! I give up! Officer: On the ground, now! (Gino Aquino hurries toward the back. Two officers block his path.) Officer: Freeze! (Gino turns to run and finds Vega there behind him.) Sam Vega: Don't even think about it. Let me guess. You found your dog. [SCENE_BREAK] [EXT. BUILDING -- DAY] (Nick closes the back of the SUV and joins the animal control officer with a dog on a leash.) Nick: Hey, what's going to happen to all these dogs now? Animal Control Officer: They'll have to be put down. Law says they're dangerous. Nick: And the people who turn them into killers, they just get away with a slap on the wrist, huh? Animal Control Officer: It's not illegal to train them to fight. (He puts the dog in the back of the truck and shuts the cage door.) Nick: Well, it should be. [SCENE_BREAK] [EXT. LAS VEGAS CITY (STOCK) - DAY] [EXT. HIGHWAY UNDERPASS -- DAY] (Grissom kneels in front of a cardboard box and shines his flashlight inside. The man sleeping stirs, then looks at Grissom.) Homeless Man: Get away from my house. Grissom: Sorry. (Grissom stands up and moves away.) Officer Mitchell: Grissom. All these guys know Dorsey. This is where he lives. (Grissom looks around at the homeless people sleeping on the ground. He finds Dorsey.) Grissom: Hey, Mitch. (Officer Mitchell checks, then wakes him up.) Officer Mitchell: Richard Dorsey! Time to wake up. You're under arrest. (Officer Mitchell picks Richard Dorsey up to his feet to handcuff him. Grissom notices the drugs.) Officer Mitchell: Meth head. No weapons. He's clean. All right, let's go. (Grissom finds a pink cell phone and sees Candy's photo on it.) (He looks around Dorsey's things and finds a bloodied knife.) [SCENE_BREAK] [INT. DESERT PALM HOSPITAL - HALLWAY - DAY] (Nick talks with the ER doctor, who is holding a plastic vial container with a bullet inside.) ER Doctor: Pulled this bullet out of Mr. Aquino's shoulder. (He gives it to Nick to look at.) Nick: It looks like a like .25 caliber. That's friendly fire. Thanks, Doc. (Nick joins Sam Vega, who is waiting for him. They both enter - [INT. DESERT PALM HOSPITAL - GINO'S ROOM - DAY - CONTINUOUS] Gino Aquino: (complaining) My arm ain't never gonna work right again. I'm gonna sure all your asses. Nick: No, no, no, it was a .25 caliber slug they pulled out of you. It means it was one of your boys. Gino Aquino: It was probably some cop's backup. Nick: Yeah, that's probably it. Sam Vega: Ya basta, Gino. We have a witness who says you killed Elizabeth Rodriguez because she cheated you out of 50 Gs. Gino Aquino: Let me guess: you been talking to Steve Card. Little screamer. That finger's pointing the other way. Lizzie had cojones. I loved that woman. I respected her. You never cross Lizzie, she'll cut 'em off. But Card, he thought he had that immunity idol 'cause he worked for her. (scoffs) Tonto. (Quick flashback to: [INT. ABANDONED HOUSE - NIGHT] Steve Card is dripping the mixture on the back of a black dog. Elizabeth sees him and doesn't like it. She goes over to him and slaps him.) Elizabeth Rodriguez: You cheating little bitch. You been doing this all night? (She punches Steve Card in the face again.) Elizabeth Rodriguez: If I ever catch you cheating again, I will feed your heart to that dog. (Elizabeth turns to Gino, who is smiling big time.) Elizabeth Rodriguez: That last fight wasn't on the up. Next dog's not right either. You forfeit. (She gives him a stack of bills. He leaves happy.) END FLASHBACK. (Gino shakes his head with admiration.) Gino Aquino: Without her, he was nobody. She was a bad bitch. That's your motive. Anything else you need help with? Nick: Tell me about all the dead dogs I found down the Silverado Wash. Were you the one that tortured them? Made them fight? And when they died, were you the one that threw them out with the trash? Hmm? Was that you? Gino Aquino: I thought this was about Lizzie. Sam Vega: One way or another, Gino, you're not going to see the streets for quite a while. (Sam and Nick leave the room. Just before he leaves, Nick turns back.) Nick: You know, there are two things a jury can't stand: people who abuse kids and people who abuse animals. So buena suerte. (Nick leaves.) [SCENE_BREAK] [INT. CSI - HALLWAY -- DAY] (Nick and Catherine walk down the hallway.) Catherine: Classic he said/he said. Nick: Steve Card was the only one with access to the drugs and he admitted to cleaning up the crime scene. Catherine: There's no forced entry at the kennel. He has no alibi. Nick: And why would he give us all of Elizabeth's personal effects? You know, I'm starting to get the feeling the guy's not really all that smart. Catherine: He has a good lawyer. Realized that we were onto his client and wanted to throw us off the scent. Nick: Well, maybe Gino's telling the truth. Catherine: Problem is, we don't have enough evidence to convict either one of them. [SCENE_BREAK] [INT. CSI - LAYOUT ROOM - NIGHT] (Greg looks at Elizabeth's things on the table. He picks up the shoe.) Greg: One pair of woman's shoes, size 7, silver. Swabbed a blood sample from the instep of the right shoe, sent it to DNA. One woman's handbag, also silver. (He looks inside.) Contents include one tube of Superla Red lipstick #36 ... one mirrored compact ... (He closes the compact and picks up the keys.) Greg: ... one set of keys holding four -- no, five keys --one Mercedes key, one Schlage brass key. (Greg looks at the drug cabinet key. He puts the keys down and looks in the file. He double-checks STEVE CARD PERSONAL PROPERTY: 1) Key ring containing: a) Car key w/ alarm b) Brass colored cabinet key-#6128 c) Silver colored mailbox key d) Blue colored house key. (Greg closes the file folder and picks up the keys. He dusts the key for prints. He finds one.) [SCENE_BREAK] [INT. CSI - HALLWAY] (Greg reports his findings to Nick.) Greg: Steve Card was lying when he said he was the only one with the key to the drug cabinet. Elizabeth had one, too. Nick: Means the killer could have used her key. Greg: Got a print. (Greg hands the file to Nick. The print belongs to TOMMY HALPERT.) [SCENE_BREAK] [INT. PD - HALLWAY OUTSIDE / INTERVIEW ROOM -- DAY] (Tommy Halpert is sitting in the interview room as Nick waits outside.) DDA Jeffrey Sinclair: (o.s.) Nick. (Nick turns and sees Jeffrey Sinclair walk up to him.) Nick: Hey. We ... uh ... we can't really talk to him yet. He's still waiting for his lawyer. DDA Jeffrey Sinclair: He's waiting for me. Nick: Hmm? DDA Jeffrey Sinclair: He's a confidential informant. The DA's investigating Steve Card, Gino Aquino, Elizabeth Rodriguez, everybody associated with the dogfighting ring. Nick: (nods) So you knew about this? DDA Jeffrey Sinclair: Knowing about it and proving it are two different things. Nick: Okay. (scoffs) Okay, so what's this guy's story? DDA Jeffrey Sinclair: Same old-- he... used to ride with the D-Streeters, shot his old man when he was 15, did four years in juvie, got out, tried to turn his life around. We busted him 18 months ago for possession and assault. He cut a deal. Nick: So he's got a history of violence. You think he killed Mrs. Rodriguez? DDA Jeffrey Sinclair: It took me over a year to get him inside that dogfighting ring. I'm reserving judgment. (Nick nods. They enter the room.) (Tommy looks up as they walk in.) Tommy Halpert: I did the best that I could. DDA Jeffrey Sinclair: I'm sure you did, Tommy. Tommy Halpert: And I told you what they were doing to those dogs and I gave you all the tapes. DDA Jeffrey Sinclair: It wasn't enough. We needed to see the dogs fighting; that's the felony. Tommy Halpert: But they had the fights in different places. I mean, she never told me where they were, s-so ... Nick: Tommy, did you kill Elizabeth Rodriguez? (Tommy looks at Nick.) Nick: I, I could understand if you did. A whole lot of people that would say she had it coming. (Nick sits down.) (Quick flashback to: Elizabeth hits one of the dogs as Tommy watches. End flashback.) Tommy Halpert: You know, I've been on the streets ... in juvie. I've seen people do some bad things to each other, but those dogs, like ... you can beat their brains in and, like, a minute later they come up to you just wagging their tails. Nick: I know, man. That's how they are. I always had dogs growing up. Did you? Tommy Halpert: No, I never had a pet. My mom was allergic. Nick: No, but you really cared about those dogs at the kennel. Now, I know. I saw the way you treated them. Tommy Halpert: Do you know how they train them? (Nick shakes his head, no.) (Quick flashback to: A dog runs on a treadmill.) Tommy: (V.O.) They'd run them till they dropped. (CUT TO: The dog jumps up to grab a piece of meat hanging in the air.) Tommy: (V.O.) They'd strengthen their jaws. (CUT TO: Elizabeth picks up a small poodle.) Tommy: (V.O.) Then, they would feed them little dogs, sometimes cats ... (She puts the poodle in the bigger dog's cage.) Tommy: (V.O.) ... just to give them the taste of blood. (End of flashback.) Tommy: (accusing) And I showed you what she did and you did nothing to stop her. (He's crying.) Nick: No. No, but you did. (He looks at Nick.) Nick: Didn't you? (Tommy nods.) Tommy Halpert: She was fighting dogs. All right, she was ... she was killing dogs in the ring for money week after week. And the city decides to give her an award? I gave her what she really deserved. (Quick flashback to: Tommy hits Elizabeth on the back of her head. He straps her onto the wooden contraption, then injects her.) (She groans and passes out.) (Tommy drags her into the kennel and opens the pit bull's cage.) Tommy: Go on! Go on! Go on! (The dog runs over and attacks Elizabeth. He opens another cage) Tommy: Go get her! (He opens more cages.) (Tommy watches as the dogs attack Elizabeth.) END FLASHBACK. Tommy Halpert: At least I had the decency to euthanize her before I threw her to the dogs. (Nick is quiet.) [SCENE_BREAK] [EXT. LAS VEGAS CITY (STOCK) - DAY] [INT. CSI - HALLWAY -- DAY] (Nick and Catherine walk through the hallway.) Catherine: Well, you don't look like a guy who just got a confession. Nick: Oh ... something's still bugging me. If Mr. Rodriguez hadn't left the party, Elizabeth might still be alive. Catherine: You think he would have gone to the kennel with her? Nick: I don't know, but he received a phone call from somebody that night that made him leave his wife. Catherine: Check the phone records. [SCENE_BREAK] [EXT. PARKING GARAGE - DAY] (Felix Rodriguez gets out of his car and engages the car alarm. Sam Vega and Nick walk up to him.) Sam Vega: Mr. Rodriguez. Tienes tiempo? Felix Rodriguez: Detective Vega, Mr. Stokes. Did you catch the man who killed my wife? Sam Vega: Yes, sir. Tommy Halpert. We have him in custody now. Nick: Hey, witnesses at the party said that you received a phone call the night of the murder and then you just left. We know that phone call was from Tommy Halpert. (Quick flashback to: [INT. COUNTRY CLUB - NIGHT] Felix checks his cell phone and closes it. He kisses his wife and leaves her on the dance floor.) END FLASHBACK. Nick: What'd you two talk about? Felix Rodriguez: Tommy said if I didn't speak to my wife that night, he would ... Nick: Speak to your wife about what? Felix Rodriguez: The dog fighting. He showed me the tapes. (Quick flashback to: [INT. CAR] Tommy shows Felix Rodriguez the dogfighting tapes.) END FLASHBACK. Sam Vega: What did Elizabeth say when you confronted her? Felix Rodriguez: I didn't. Nick: So you just left her there, knowing that Tommy was going to come after her? Felix Rodriguez: Violence begets violence. Is that all? Nick: You let this happen. You did. (Nick and Sam Vega turn and walk away.) [SCENE_BREAK] [INT. PD - INTERVIEW ROOM - DAY] (Brass and Grissom interview Richard Dorsey. Brass snaps his fingers.) Brass: Hey, you still with me, Richard? (Richard lifts his head off the table.) Richard Dorsey: Yeah, yeah, yeah. Brass: Remember her? (Brass shows Dorsey a photo of Candy.) Brass: She worked at Pigalle. Richard Dorsey: They all look the same to me. Brass: No, they don't. There's blondes, brunettes, B-cups, D-cups. Richard Dorsey: How about a cup of coffee, huh? Hey, you got a cigarette I could bum off you? Brass: It's bad for your health. How about a diet soda? Richard Dorsey: Diet? No. No diet. I need the ups. (Grissom puts the evidence bag with the pink cell phone on the table.) Grissom: Where did you get this? (Dorsey looks at it.) Richard Dorsey: Where's the soda? (Warrick is in the observation room watching the interview.) Brass: (filtered) Hey, it's a two-way street, Richard. You answer the questions, we'll get you a soda. (Richard grabs the evidence bag and looks at the cell phone.) Richard Dorsey: Yeah. Uh ... I found it. That's it. I found it. Grissom: No, you didn't. Richard Dorsey: I didn't? (Grissom smiles at him and shakes his head.) Richard Dorsey: Damn. Okay. Uh, yeah, I stole it. That's right. I stole it. (Quick flashback to: [UNDERPASS - NIGHT] Dorsey is running with Candy's purse. She's chasing after him.) Joanna "Candy": Hey! Give me my purse! Give me my purse! (She catches up with him at the wire fence and tries to wrestle the purse from him. He pushes her down and runs off with the purse.) Joanna "Candy": (screams) Help! Somebody! END OF FLASHBACK. Richard Dorsey: I needed money. Brass: Then what happened? Richard Dorsey: I got high. Brass: Then what? Richard Dorsey: I got high again. Brass: Then what? Did you kill her? (Dorsey looks blankly at them.) Grissom: We found her purse and the bloody murder weapon in the place where you were sleeping. We found her dead body inside this car. (Grissom shows him the photos. Dorsey looks surprised to see her dead.) Brass: Why'd you pick that car, Richard? Richard Dorsey: I don't know what you mean. Brass: We found your fingerprint inside the car. Richard Dorsey: (scared) No, that wasn't me. Tha-tha-that w ... that was them. Brass: Who's them? Richard Dorsey: I c ... I can't talk no more. (Warrick has had it. He leaves the observation room. A beat later he opens the interview room door.) Warrick: Come on. Tell the truth. (Brass turns around. Grissom isn't happy to see him.) Brass: Get him out of here. Richard Dorsey: Not you. Warrick: (shouts) Tell the truth. Richard Dorsey: (shouts) This is all your fault. (The officer pushes Warrick out of the room.) Warrick: (shouts) We'll take care of you. We'll get you into rehab. Come on. (Grissom gets up and follows them out.) Richard Dorsey: (shouts) There is no truth! Warrick: (o.s.) Tell the truth! Richard Dorsey: (shouts) THERE IS NO TRUTH! Brass: Get your -- [INT. PD - HALLWAY OUTSIDE INTERVIEW ROOM - CONTINUOUS] (Grissom stops Warrick.) Grissom: Hey! As of right now, you're suspended for two weeks. Warrick: Grissom, you and I both know that Gedda killed that girl and pinned it on that bum. They gave him drugs, got him high, and planted the evidence. You just got to give me a chance to prove it. Grissom: You've had all your chances. You take the suspension or you're fired. (Warrick walks away.) (He passes the bullpen on his way out.) (Someone in the bullpen dials a cell phone.) (The phone rings.) ND Uniform: Hey. INTERCUT WITH: [INT. PIGALLE STRIP CLUB - GEDDA'S OFFICE] ND Uniform: (filtered) I got an update for you. He got suspended. Lou Gedda: (to phone) Good work. (Gedda sits in the barber's chair getting a shave.) (He takes a deep, cleansing breath and exhales.)
Lying Down with Dogs