When two young boys are reported missing, a known neighborhood sex offender, played by Alan Tudyk , is the primary suspect. In an attempt to extract his confession, Grissom asks for the pedophile's help in catching the boys' abductor. However, the case turns out to be much more complicated than Grissom or the rest of the CSI team ever expected.
[BLURRY IMAGES] (We're inside a dark room, the blinds are closed. Light filters in through the blinds. Muffled sounds are heard. The rooms spins around slowly, then blurs out) [SCENE_BREAK] [FADE IN: BLURRY IMAGES] (Figures walk past the blinds. Sounds are still muffled. The room is tilted. The images blur out.) [SCENE_BREAK] [FADE IN: A DARK ROOM] (Blurry images continue to walk past the window. Voices of people arguing loudly are heard.) [SCENE_BREAK] [INT. POLICE DEPARTMENT - BRASS'S OFFICE - NIGHT] (Grissom is lying on the couch, his eyes closed. He blinks hard, his eyes squinting and forehead contorted in pain. He hears the muffled sounds of arguing voices coming from outside the room.) (He looks around the room, the lights flash and pierce his eyes.) Reporter (woman): (o.s.) (clearly) There's an Amber Alert this evening in Clark County for two missing boys. FLASH TO: [INT. POLICE DEPARTMENT - CONFERENCE ROOM - NIGHT] (Brass briefs the roomful of officers.) Brass: Okay, we have two missing criticals -- Jason Crowley, age eleven -- black, male, four-foot-six; Lucas Hanson -- age ten, Caucasian, male, five feet. Now, uh, the boys were last seen at this location at 15:30 hours -- Jason Crowley's house. Jason lives with his grandfather, Terrance Crowley. The address is on your handouts. Terrance Crowley assumed that they were staying at Lucas's house. Dawn Hanson, Lucas's mother, returned home from work at 21:00 hours. She assumed they were at Terrance Crowley's house. She reported them missing at 24:00 hours. Now, we searched the schools, playgrounds, basketball courts. Found nothing. Canine is on the scene. Neither of the boys carried cell phones or pagers. Now, any questions? Officer: Boys ever run away before? Brass: No, and, uh, we interviewed the teachers at the school, and according to them, they're both good kids. (Grissom's cell phone beeps; he checks it.) Officer 2: (o.s.) Any, uh, distinguishing features or marks? Brass: Well, as you can see, Jason wears glasses, but that's it. Yeah? (Grissom's message reads: MY 204 MIGHT BE YOUR 418. NICK ) (Grissom gets up and slips out of the room.) Officer 3: (o.s.) Did Amber Alerts go out to any other states? Brass: Amber Alerts have gone out to the states of Utah, California ... [SCENE_BREAK] [EXT. ARSON SITE (FISHER RESIDENCE) - NIGHT] (Grissom walks up the front drive. The fire is out. The area is taped off with emergency personnel at the scene. Grissom walks up to Nick, who is looking at a car parked in the driveway.) Grissom: Okay, so what does your arson have to do with my missing kids? Nick: Upon initial search of the premises, farmer located one adult male unconscious on the living room floor. His name's Carl Fisher. Paramedics have him on the bumper now. Once he came around, he started claiming every time there's an Amber Alert, somebody tries to kill him. Grissom: Child molester. Nick: Tier Two, by his own admission. (Grissom seems surprised. He heads over toward Carl Fisher, who is sitting on the back of the ambulance, the paramedics finished with him.) Grissom: Excuse me, Mr. Fisher? (Carl Fisher looks at Grissom. He's dirty and looking exhausted.) Grissom: My name's Gil Grissom. I'm with the Crime Lab. What happened to your shoes? Carl Fisher: They're in the house. I was asleep. Grissom: Are you familiar with the names Lucas Hanson or Jason Crowley? Carl Fisher: The kids from the Amber Alert? No, sir. I'm a convicted pedophile. That would be a violation of my parole. Grissom: Which is it -- boys or girls? Carl Fisher: Boys. Pre-teen. I know what you're thinking. Grissom: No, you don't. FADE TO END OF TEASER ROLL TITLE CREDITS [SCENE_BREAK] [INT. FISHER RESIDENCE - LIVING ROOM - NIGHT -- FLASHBACK] (Carl Fisher is on the couch, the flames of the fire in the living room. He coughs and looks around.) Carl Fisher: (V.O.) Don't know what woke me up, the smoke or the fire. (He looks at his cell phone on the floor and reaches for it with his left hand. It's too hot for him to pick up.) Carl Fisher: Ahh! (End of flashback.) [INT. HOSPITAL - NIGHT] (Carl Fisher is in a gown talking with Brass as Grissom picks up his camera.) Carl Fisher: Next thing I remember, I was outside, looking up at the paramedics. Grissom: Hold out your hands, please. (Grissom snaps photos of Carl Fisher's hands. His left hand is more burned than his right.) Grissom: Turn them over. Brass: So, uh, can you account for your whereabouts the last 24 hours? Carl Fisher: I worked from 6:00 until 2:00 p.m., and then I went straight home. (Grissom snaps photos of the blisters on Carl's back.) Brass: Where do you work? Carl Fisher: At the feed lot off Highway 111. I've got a Masters in English Literature. I used to teach high school. Brass: Let me guess -- the kids loved you. Carl Fisher: Someone set fire to my house. I almost died. Why don't you ask me about that? Brass: Okay. Who would want to barbecue you? Carl Fisher: My neighbors make it clear every day how they feel about me. I would start with Mr. Hamilton. He threw a rock through my window a few months back when a little girl went missing. Hamilton ... he barely finished high school. He has a lot of displaced anger. Brass: Hmm. Carl Fisher: You're not writing any of this down. Brass: I have a good memory. Carl Fisher: Listen, I've called you guys half a dozen times in the past two years. I've had my house graffitied, my windows broken, my tires slashed. Brass: Well, you know, Carl - (he sighs) -- sometimes bad things happen to bad people. (Grissom stops and looks at Brass. He doesn't say anything.) But I'll tell you what -- I'll let you file a formal complaint down at the police station. (Brass's phone rings; he checks his message. It reads: FROM: L.V.P.D. DAWN HANSON WAITING IN RECEPTION FOR YOU. ) Brass: I got to go. You all right here? Grissom: I'm almost done. (Brass leaves. Grissom continues working.) Carl Fisher: I've been living right the past five years since I got out of prison. I haven't gone near a child. I go to a support group every week. I've even lectured social workers on how to recognize sexual predators. Ask my parole officer. (Grissom doesn't say anything. He continues working.) Carl Fisher: (frustrated) Doesn't that count for something? Grissom: I don't know. But it doesn't change anything, does it? [SCENE_BREAK] [TELEVISION MONITOR] Paula Francis (news Reporter): (on tv) Police have no new clues in the disappearance of ten-year-old Lucas Hanson and 11-year-old Jason Crowley. [INT. POLICE DEPARTMENT - WAITING ROOM - NIGHT] (Dawn Hanson sits in the waiting room waiting for Brass.) Paula Francis (news Reporter): (on tv) Teachers and classmates are planning a six p.m. vigil at Rockwater Elementary ... (Brass walks in.) Brass: Mrs. Hanson, I got your message. You said it was urgent. Dawn Hanson: You told me to go home and look around. That's what I did. My ex took 'em. [INT. POLICE DEPARTMENT - BRASS' OFFICE - NIGHT] (Brass looks at the empty hide-away key container.) Brass: Ms. Hanson, I thought you told me that your ex-husband wasn't involved in Lucas's life. Dawn Hanson: He doesn't care about Lucas. He barely uses his visitation, and then, six months ago, I don't know, he-he got into some kind of trouble. He started coming around when Lucas was home alone. He'd gone through my mail, my checkbook. He-He stole our TVs. (Quick flashback to: [EXT. HANSON RESIDENCE - FRONT - DAY] Perry Hanson carries a television set down the front walk as Lucas and Jason Crowley follow.) Lucas Hanson: Daddy, please. Mama said she's gonna call the cops. Put it back. (Perry Hanson drops the television set into the back of his convertible.) Perry Hanson: Your mom can do whatever she wants. I paid for this. It's mine. (He gets in the car and leaves the two kids staring at him.) (End of flashback.) Dawn Hanson: So I told Lucas that he couldn't be home alone anymore, and I took his key. Brass: You locked your son out of his own house? Dawn Hanson: I made arrangements with Jason's grandpa. The hide-a-key is for emergencies only. Brass: So it's possible that Lucas took the key. Dawn Hanson: (voice breaking) Lucas ... Lucas always drops his book bag in the hallway and turns on the TV. I bought him a new one. I'm positive he didn't come home. Brass: Okay, all right, all right. Give me an address for your ex-husband. Dawn Hanson: 225-IHG. Brass: That sounds like a license plate. Dawn Hanson: Yeah, well, he moves around a lot. Practically lives out of his car. He ... He runs a stripper circuit on I-15. (Brass puts a mug photo of Carl Fisher on the desk and points to it.) Brass: Have you ever seen this man? Dawn Hanson: No. Why? Brass: Uh, he's a person of interest. (Brass turns to make the call.) Dawn Hanson: (interrupts, affronted) Lucas knows better than that. You don't talk to strangers. (Brass holds up a hand as he makes the call.) Brass: (to intercom) Ah, it's okay. Uh, yeah. Put out a broadcast on Perry Hanson. [SCENE_BREAK] [EXT. LAS VEGAS CITY SUBURBAN COMMUNITY (STOCK) - DAY] [INT. CROWLEY RESIDENCE - JASON'S BEDROOM - DAY] (Sofia talks with Terrance Crowley as Catherine snaps photos of the residence.) Terrence Crowley: Look, Jason and Lucas probably just ran away. They're at that age. You know what I'm saying? Sofia: Well, kids with no money and no place to go usually come home quickly. Terrence Crowley: Do you know how hard it would be to catch them? Lucas is a big boy. And Jason ... (chuckles) Jason is fast. (Catherine sees two backpacks against the bedside table.) Terrence Crowley: The red one is Jason's. Catherine: Your grandson's into sports, huh? Terrence Crowley: Yeah, you'd think. Plays them damn video games. That's all he wants to do. I told him I don't allow that stuff in my house. Boys need fresh air and sunshine. Sofia: Uh, we haven't been able to reach Jason's father. Have you spoken to him? Terrence Crowley: You know, my son fell apart when his wife died. Quit his job. I was basically taking care of both of them. And then he got a great opportunity in Houston. Couldn't get Jason into a school until next semester, so I said I'd keep him until then. (A dog barks outside. Terrance Crowley turns and looks out the window. Sofia notices he's got a tooth missing.) Terrence Crowley: How do those dogs find people? Catherine: Just like the movies, they sniff them out. Terrence Crowley: Bet it's expensive, huh? Catherine: You worried about the money? Terrence Crowley: Let me tell you something. Boys are gonna walk right in here just like that runaway bride. And you people are gonna be handing me a bill for all the looking, you watch. [SCENE_BREAK] [EXT. FISHER RESIDENCE - FRONT -- DAY] (Nick is holding a hand-sized device and is testing the car hood. The meter beeps at regular intervals. Greg turns the corner of the house and walks over to Nick.) Greg: Hey. Nick: Hey. Greg: I talked with the neighbors. A Mrs. Hamilton says she walked her dogs around 6:00 last night. She saw Carl watering his outside plants. He was alone. She also said that after dark, everyone locks up their doors, and the kids stay inside. Nick: And let me guess. Nobody saw or heard anything, right? Greg: Right. Nick: Right. (Nick turns the hand-held reader off.) Greg: What do you got? Nick: Based on the burn pattern, the origin of the fire was definitely here. I detected an accelerant on the front of the car, and on the ground, both consistent with gasoline. Now, the back seat's still intact, so I figure the fire jumped from the car to the house and fast. INSERT: FLASHBACK (Someone lights the car. The house catches on fire.) BACK TO SCENE. (Nick walks over to the prints on the concrete marked by evidence markers and rulers.) Nick: Check this out. (Greg kneels down and looks at the prints.) Greg: Full shoe impression on the concrete. Nick: Someone stepped in the accelerant before the car was lit. INSERT: FLASHBACK (As someone leaves, they step in a puddle of gasoline and trail a wet shoeprint behind. It burns an impression into the concrete.) BACK TO SCENE. Greg: Treads lead toward the street. Could've been a neighbor. Nick: Could've been anybody. [INT. FISHER RESIDENCE - LIVING ROOM - DAY - CONTINUOUS] (Meanwhile Sara snaps photos of a pair of shoes inside the house next to evidence marker #1. She picks it up and looks at it. She puts it in a container.) (Sara looks around. She notices the burned stack of video games and video equipment. She snaps photos of it. She snaps photos of the burned video games on the living room floor.) (Warrick walks in.) Warrick: Well, so far, the only prints I found in the bedroom are Carl Fisher's. No semen stains in the bed. And nothing to indicate children. Sara: Well, there's tons of these. (She picks up the burned comic books.) Warrick: What's that? Sara: 'Spencer's Last Straw,' 'Wiz Kids,' 'Mayhem and McCabe,' 'Secret City.' Guy lives in a trailer. He drives an old Mercury. He has a ton of expensive DVDs and video games. There's gummi bears and chips on the floor. House might as well be made out of gingerbread. [SCENE_BREAK] [EXT. LAS VEGAS CITY HIGHWAY (STOCK) -- DAY] (A police siren sounds.) [EXT. LAS VEGAS STREET -- DAY] (A blue convertible, license #225-IHG, is stopped by the side of the road. Brass and a couple of officers head toward the vehicle.) (Perry Hanson and a blonde stripper lean back against the side of the car.) Officer: Vehicle matched the description. Went to pull him over, he tried to split on us. (Brass looks at the driver's license.) Brass: Perry Hanson? So, Mr. Hanson, where are the boys? Perry Hanson: Which boys? Brass: Lucas and Jason. Perry Hanson: My kid, Lucas? What, did he ditch school or something? Brass: No, he's missing, and so is his best friend. You mean, you didn't hear the Amber Alert, or check your messages? Stripper: You don't have to talk to him, okay, Perry? (to Brass) See, I know the frickin' Constitution. Brass: I bet you do. Somebody get Ben Franklin out of here. (Officer Mitchell grabs the stripper's arm and pulls her away.) Officer Mitchell: Yes, sir. Ma'am. Stripper: Don't ... (She grumbles all the way.) Stripper: You didn't have to cuff us, you know? It's not like we're frickin' terrorists. Officer Mitchell: Put her in the car -- (The officers put the stripper in the car.) (Brass, meanwhile, looks in the car and notices the open glove compartment. He sees a key. He picks it up and looks at it.) (He then checks out the back seat and finds a baseball glove. He takes out a handkerchief and picks up the baseball glove. It has JASON CROWLEY'S name on it.) Brass: You want to tell me what Jason Crowley's baseball glove is doing in your car? Perry Hanson: (shrugs) Lucas must've left it there. I don't know, man, kids are always taking each other's crap. Brass: Yeah, well, I'm not taking any more of yours. You're under arrest. (The officer leads Perry Hanson to their vehicle.) [SCENE_BREAK] [EXT. CROWLEY RESIDENCE - SIDE -- DAY] (The search dog barks. Catherine, Sofia and the officers stop at the wire gate. The dog whines, kneels forward and down at something at the base of the fence.) Catherine: Got something here. (Catherine finds a piece of khaki material caught in the wire fence. She picks it.) Catherine: Lucas was last seen wearing khaki-colored board shorts. Sofia: I've had calls here before. A lot of these houses are vacant. Catherine: Perfect place for a little privacy. Sofia: (to the officers) Okay, let's get around this fence. [SCENE_BREAK] [INT. POLICE DEPARTMENT - INTERVIEW ROOM -- DAY] (Brass walks in and talks with Perry Hanson.) Brass: Okay, let's hear it. Perry Hanson: You know my ex is crazy, right? Always been a drama queen. She probably told you that I stole the TV. Brass: I don't care about the TV. When was the last time you were in your house? Perry Hanson: Day I left -- I've never been back. (Brass shows a photo of the key.) Brass: I found this in your car. Guess whose front door it opens? Perry Hanson: Look ... my ex will hardly even let me see my kid. You know, not until I pay up on the vaginamony that I owe. And that's illegal. She doesn't care. Yesterday, I-I just wanted to see my boy. You know? So I went over there and he wasn't home. I guess I forgot to leave the key. Brass: Another sad, suffering single dad. Perry Hanson: You better find my kid. And if I were you, I'd start with Dawn's boyfriends. Brass: (scoffs) Oh, if you were me. (Brass gets up and heads for the door.) Perry Hanson: She only dates scumbags and bottom-feeders. At least I never been in prison. Brass: Well, that can change. (Brass leaves the room.) [SCENE_BREAK] [INT. ABANDONED RESIDENCE -- DAY] (A dog barks.) Officer Metcalf: (o.s.) LVPD. (The door opens open and officers enter. The officer with the search dog also enters. The dog barks.) Officer: Kitchen's clear. (Sofia enters the room with Catherine behind her.) Officer: Clear! (They stop in front of a closed closet door. The dog continues barking.) (Sofia opens the closet door and finds no one inside.) Sofia: Closet's clear. (to officers) Check the rest of the house. (The officers leave the room to check the rest of the house. The dog continues to bark at the closet. Catherine steps forward and closes the closet door. She finds blood on it.) Catherine: It's the door itself, not what's inside. There was a struggle here. (She uses a magnifying glass and looks at it.) I've got blood ... and short dark hairs caught in the wood. Could be Jason's. INSERT: FLASHBACK (Someone pushes Jason up against the door. He grunts upon impact.) BACK TO SCENE. (Sofia looks around the room.) Catherine: We've got tags. (Sofia finds blood on the floor.) Sofia: Blood smear. Catherine: That's far enough away from the door. It's possibly a separate event. (Sofia continues to walk through the room.) Sofia: Toys and candy. Catherine: Somebody's kids were playing here. (Catherine looks around the room and finds something on the floor.) Catherine: Sofia ... A dental bridge. (She picks it up and looks at it.) Catherine: Two premolars. INSERT: FLASHBACK (Sofia remembers Terrance Crowley's missing teeth.) Terrence Crowley: How do those dogs find people? BACK TO SCENE. Sofia: Grandpa lied through his teeth. (Catherine and Sofia share a look.) [SCENE_BREAK] [INT. POLICE DEPARTMENT - INTERVIEW ROOM -- DAY] (Sofia puts a photo of the teeth on the table as she interviews Terrence Crowley.) Sofia: Recognize these? Terrence Crowley: You brought me way down here to show me a picture of my teeth? Huh? The least you could do is give 'em back. Sofia: Remember those dogs ... you were so interested in? Well, they led us to an abandoned house, not far from where you live, and that's where we found your teeth. We also found physical evidence -- blood evidence -- that tells us that your grandson and Lucas -- Terrence Crowley: You think you're real smart, lady. Don't you? Sofia: Before I start thinking you killed those boys, why don't you tell me what happened. Terrence Crowley: I was defending myself. Sofia: Against a pair of sixth graders? Terrence Crowley: You're damn right. Two boys can cause a lot of damages. Especially that Lucas. INSERT: FLASHBACK (Lucas and Jason are playing in the abandoned house. Terrence Crowley walks in and finds them. He starts yelling and they immediately stand up.) Terrence Crowley: Hey, hey, hey! Dinner was at 5:00, now it's cold -- let's go! Lucas Hanson: We don't want your food. We're going to eat at my house. Jason Crowley: My dad said I could stay with Lucas and his mom. I like it better there. Terrence Crowley: Don't you lie to me, boy. Jason Crowley: I'm not lying. I wish you weren't my grandpa. Terrence Crowley: Don't talk to me like that again. (Terrence grabs Jason and slams him up against the closet door. Lucas pushes Terrence away from Jason. Terrence's teeth fall out.) (Terrence pushes Lucas away from him. Lucas falls face forward on the hard floor.) BACK TO SCENE. Terrence Crowley: They had it coming. Those boys have no respect. They're punks. Now, I love my son, but he didn't do right by Jason. Sofia: So you thought you'd beat respect into him. Terrence Crowley: I don't need a lecture about how to discipline my grandson. That's the trouble with parents today, they're afraid of their own kids. Sofia: Sounds like they were afraid of you. Terrence Crowley: That's the way it's supposed to be. Sofia: What happened after the altercation? Terrence Crowley: They ran off. You don't want to eat, you go hungry. That's how you learn. Sofia: Why didn't you tell us this before? Terrence Crowley: I told you what was important, lady. Now those boys are going to be fine. What they're trying to do, they're trying to punish me. That's what they're trying to do. And you'll see, they'll be back. And then I will sit down and I will talk to Jason. Now, what about my teeth? Sofia: They're evidence. We'll give them back to you when we're done. Terrence Crowley: It was self-defense and you can't charge me. (Sofia looks at him for a moment, then nods.) Sofia: Okay, I'll let you go. Until we find the boys. (She gets up and heads for the door.) Terrence Crowley: Well, how am I supposed to get home? You took my car, too. Sofia: (on her way out) There's a bus stop down the street. (Sofia leaves the room. Terrence Crowley stands up to leave.) [INT. POLICE DEPARTMENT - HALLWAY - DAY - CONTINUOUS] (Sofia walks through the hallway. Terrence exits the interview room. A man walks past Sofia and heads for Terrence.) Gerald Crowley: Where is he? What did you do? Terrence Crowley: You better watch your tone. (Sofia heads back toward them.) Gerald Crowley: You swore you wouldn't lay a hand on him. Terrence Crowley: You better get out of my face, boy. Sofia: Are you Gerald Crowley? Jason's dad? Gerald Crowley: Yes, ma'am. Did you know this man is a bully? Big college football coach until he got caught abusing his own players. Almost got thrown in jail. You just had to take care of him for a few months. What the hell is wrong with you? Sofia: Okay, let's go talk some place. Gerald Crowley: (quietly) I swear ... If you hurt Jason ... I will kill you. (Sofia leads Gerald Crowley away.) [SCENE_BREAK] [INT. CSI - GARAGE -- DAY] (Sara examines the back seat of Carl Fisher's burned car. She finds a crushed large plastic drink container stuffed in the pocket of the seat in front of it. She puts it in a container.) (She then finds a cover of an old style whisky bottle. She checks between the cushions and pushes the armrest cushion down. She finds a napkin with picked-off mushrooms inside.) (Greg checks the front seats. He pries a melted piece of plastic off the floorboards and looks at it.) [SCENE_BREAK] [INT. CSI - LAB -- DAY] (Greg and Sara look at the melted piece of plastic.) Sara: It's a gas container. Greg: Yeah. I found it melted to the floorboard. INSERT: CGI (The plastic gas container is on the floor as the fire melts it down to plastic.) BACK TO SCENE. Sara: People are so predictable. Greg: Lucky for us. [SCENE_BREAK] [INT. HOSPITAL - ROOM -- DAY] (The nurse pushes the dividing curtain back. Brass talks with Carl Fisher.) Carl Fisher: You want me to go to the station, and repeat all the facts I already told you. Brass: If you want to file a formal complaint to make it official, yes. (He looks at the form in Carl's hand.) Oh, is that a Red Cross voucher? I'll call and make a hotel reservation for you. (Carl stands up.) Carl Fisher: I got to go to the bathroom. You want me to leave the door open? Brass: I'm too old for you. (Brass speed dials his cell as Carl walks out of camera frame to the restroom..) Grissom: (from phone) Grissom. Brass: Yeah, Gil, yeah. He's agreed to come to the PD. But I can't keep him there long, so let's ratchet it up a notch and get something to hold him on, all right? [SCENE_BREAK] [INT. CSI - ROOM -- DAY] (Nick examines the prints of various kinds of shoes. Grissom walks in.) Grissom: Carl Fisher's on his way in to the station to sign off on his arson claim. Brass needs something from us to hold him. Nick: Yeah, if he's got those kids stashed somewhere, he could try to take them out of state. Grissom: Or worse. Nick: I wish I had more. The burned shoe impression was a size 11. Carl Fisher wears a size 11. But none of the patterns match up. And the shoes that Sara found near the sofa ... I can't even identify a brand. (He takes it out of the container and shows Grissom the print completely melted off.) Nick: Sorry. (Grissom leaves the room.) [INT. CSI - LAB - DAY -- CONTINUOUS] (Loud music blasts inside the room when Grissom walks in. He grimaces and turns the music off. Greg turns and looks at Grissom.) Grissom: Didn't we talk about this once before, Greg? Sara: I'm the one who turned the music on. (Grissom doesn't say anything. He heads over to Greg.) Grissom: What have you found? Greg: A gas container. As the heat melted the plastic, it formed pockets, trapping the gasoline inside. INSERT: CSI (The plastic melts and traps the liquid inside.) BACK TO SCENE. Greg: And if Hodges can isolate any unique compounds from the gas, you know, like, gas DNA. Grissom: Gasoline comparisons are only credible if you have pure samples. Otherwise, there's too many variables. Greg: I know that, Grissom. What I've extracted was never exposed directly to the fire. So, if we can identify either a dye, or a unique compound, and match to a particular station, then we might be able to prove whether Carl set the fire. (It's an extreme long-shot and it shows on Grissom's face.) Greg: I'll get this to Hodges. (Greg leaves the room.) Sara: Greg's got the coroner's inquest coming up. He's been under a lot of stress. Maybe you could be a little nicer to him. Grissom: I just want to find these boys. Sara: Okay. Carl Fisher, apparently ... (She shows him the plastic container with remnants of fruit punch inside.) Sara: ... eats and drinks in the backseat of his car. I found it in a seat pocket. Grissom: Fruit punch? Sara: Or a mixer. (She shows him the whiskey bottle cap.) Sara: Whiskey -- I did not find the bottle. Grissom: And ... so? Sara: Mushrooms, picked off a cheese pizza. I found it stuffed between the cushions in the backseat of the car. (She shows him the napkin with the mushrooms inside.) Sara: If you're an adult, and you don't like mushrooms, you don't order them. [SCENE_BREAK] [INT. POLICE DEPARTMENT - OFFICE -- DAY] (Carl Fisher is signing the form.) Brass: Oh, did I tell you, you can't check into the hotel till after four. Carl Fisher: I'll find something to do. Brass: Well, I'm wondering if you might hang out and volunteer your services here. Isn't that what you do? Talk to groups about sexual deviancy? Carl Fisher: You want me to help you do your job? Help you find those missing kids? Brass: Yeah, that's what I want. So you going to help us out or what? Carl Fisher: I may be able to offer some insights. But only if I can talk to the other guy. [SCENE_BREAK] [INT. POLICE DEPARTMENT - INTERVIEW ROOM -- DAY] (Carl Fisher has a coffee cup on the table near his bandaged right hand as he talks with Grissom.) Carl Fisher: I'm a victim of abuse. My older brother. I was eight. He was much older -- sixteen. He was jealous and angry. He wanted to destroy me. It's not offered as an excuse, but it might explain why I'm here with you right now. (Grissom opens the file folder and shows Carl the photos and info inside.) Grissom: These are known child molesters living within our search radius. (Carl looks at the photos.) Carl Fisher: I met him in prison. He's an environmental offender. Situational. Only molests members of his own family. Small world -- he's in my support group. (He continues looking through the photos.) Carl Fisher: Your boys are too ripe for him. He likes toddlers. A couple of these guys are mysopeds -- aggressive pedophiles. Some of their pleasures derive from physical violence. They like to molest, then beat, and sometimes kill their victims. But these guys aren't killers. Grissom: Who said the boys were dead? Carl Fisher: They've been gone a long time. (Grissom's phone beeps. He looks at it.) FROM W. BROWN 419 CHILD FOUND. Carl Fisher: Bad news? (Grissom stares at Carl Fisher.) [SCENE_BREAK] [EXT. GOLF COURSE -- DAY] (Dawn Hanson and Gerald Crowley run across the greens as they head for the sand trap. The area has been taped off. When they reach the crime scene tape, two officers positioned there stop them.) Officer 1 (man): Sir, hold on. Officer 2 (woman): Ma'am, I'm sorry. I can't let you in. (As they watch, Warrick and Nick lift the small Caucasian boy and put him back down in the sand trap. Lucas's arms are crossed over his chest.) (Dawn Hanson screams.) Dawn Hanson: Oh! Oh, God! (She collapses to her knees. Gerald Crowley turns to help her.) Dawn Hanson: (cries) Oh, God, no! (Brass and Warrick turn as they hear Dawn Hanson cry.) (We hold on Dawn Hanson.) [SCENE_BREAK] [INT. CSI - FORENSIC AUTOPSY -- DAY] (David Phillips cleans the body and Nick goes over it for trace.) David Phillips: There's a scrape on his left cheek. Nick: Yeah, there's some minor bruising on the knuckles of his right hand. Probably a defensive wound. (Nick walks over to the table with Lucas's pants on it. He looks at the pants.) Nick: Catherine found some brown fabric on a fence nearby. I bet it's from these shorts. (He finds the tear. He puts the pants down and picks up the shirt.) Nick: Hey, super, you didn't leave this shirt inside out when you took it off the body, did you? David Phillips: No. Could be a redress. Nick: Yeah. Yeah, it could. (He puts the shirt down.) Okay ... Well, SAE kit should tell us whether or not he was molested. David Phillips: Sometimes this job gets to me. Nick: (nods) Yeah, me, too, buddy. Me, too. [SCENE_BREAK] [EXT. GOLF COURSE -- DAY] (Warrick and Brass walk around the sand trap and nearby water trap.) Warrick: Grandpa play golf? Brass: I think golf's a little too rich for his blood. Warrick: Doesn't mean he didn't follow them here. A killer wouldn't take time to bury him that way; it was too nice. It suggests whoever killed him cared about him, knew him, you know? Brass: Well, my money's still on the pedophile. (They stop near a large drainage pipe with a broken wire mesh in front of it. They both kneel down and look at the hole.) Warrick: A ten-year old could fit in there, huh? Brass: Well, Jason's a skinny kid. (Warrick steps forward and shines his flashlight inside. He finds a pair of broken kid-sized wire-rimmed glasses.) [SCENE_BREAK] [INT. POLICE DEPARTMENT -- DAY] (The Pizza Gal talks with Sara. She points to Lucas's photo .) Pizza Gal: I didn't see this boy at the pizza place, but I remember the little guy. (She points to Jason's photo .) He had a fat lip. I asked him where he got it. Sara: What did he tell you? Pizza Gal: He said his grandfather was a bully. I started to walk out with him and I was worried. But he swore he was safe. With friends. Sara: Did you see who he was with? Pizza Gal: Some white guy. It was pretty dark. Sara: And there was no one else with him? Pizza Gal: Not that I saw. But they ordered an extra-large with everything -- and that's 18 slices-and a full liter of cherry soda. If it matters, they sat in the parking lot for a while. Sara: Is there anything you can remember about the car? Make? Color? Pizza Gal: It was a Mercury Marquis. Sara: Are you positive? Pizza Gal: Yeah. My boyfriend's a street ... uh, he's into cars, so ... I know cars. (Sara nods.) [SCENE_BREAK] [INT. CSI - FORENCIS AUTOPSY -- DAY] (Robbins goes over the body with Nick.) Robbins: No sand in his nasal passages or lungs. He was dead before he was buried. Nick: Are those palm prints on his sternum? Robbins: Consistent in position and pressure with CPR. Also found air in his stomach. INSERT: CGI (Side view of a victim flat on their back. Someone blows air without tiling the head back and we see the air go into the esophagus and into the stomach. The stomach expands.) Robbins: (V.O.) If you don't tilt the head back, the trachea doesn't open. It forces air into the stomach instead of the lungs and that's bad CPR. BACK TO SCENE. Nick: Now, what kind of a killer performs CPR on their victim? Robbins: Well, maybe he didn't mean to kill him. His pupils were dilated. (Robbins picks up the metal bowl with the brains inside.) Robbins: I found a subdural hematoma in the left frontal lobe. That's your preliminary cause of death. I sent samples to Tox, of course. Nick: Catherine found blood smear on the floor where he was playing. He has a laceration on his cheek. And the grandpa admits he pushed Lucas down when he hit his head. Robbins: Except that, by itself, the head injury wouldn't have been immediately fatal or necessarily incapacitating. But, yeah, he would've had a headache. [SCENE_BREAK] [INT. CSI - HALLWAY -- DAY] (Greg pushes a cart with gasoline samples on it over to Hodges, who waits for him in the doorway to Trace.) Greg: Hey, got some gasoline samples for you. Hodges: Thanks, Greg. It's gonna take a little while to fill my tank. Why don't I get you a funnel? (Greg doesn't smile.) Hodges: Kidding. You think your arson case has something to do with these missing kids? Greg: Well, Carl Fisher lives in the neighborhood, but, so far, his alibi checks out. Hodges: I don't know why pedophiles just don't kill themselves. Greg: Who knows, he might have tried. I collected these from service stations closest to his house. Hodges: Did you consider ... Greg: That he might have filled up on his way to work or anywhere else in Vegas? Yes -- that's why I wanted to get you started on these before I hit the other stations on the list. Hodges: Good job, gas-hopper. (Hodges takes the cart and heads back into Trace while Greg turns and leaves.) [SCENE_BREAK] [INT. POLICE DEPARTMENT - INTERVIEW ROOM -- DAY] (Grissom is sitting. He has his eyes closed and rubs his temple with the tip of his index finger. He's obviously fighting a headache. And still talking with Carl Fisher.) Grissom: Okay, then ... what would you do if you were going to take those boys? Carl Fisher: I would be studying them. Do they like sports? Comic books? Do they skip school? Have any friends? Good parents, or are they neglected? Unhappy? Angry? Grissom: And then? Carl Fisher: What do you do when you like a woman? It's a game of seduction. Once you know what they like, you make contact. You start slowly, play it cool. Especially with boys. It's about building trust. (beat) Like you're doing with me. SHORT TIME CUT TO: (Grissom is standing.) Grissom: Do you like mushrooms, Carl? Carl Fisher: I like all the nightshade vegetables. Are you going to buy me dinner? Grissom: We found mushrooms in the backseat of your car. Carl Fisher: Is this turning into an interrogation? Grissom: (indicates the door) You're free to leave. (Carl doesn't move.) On the night the boys disappeared, witnesses said they saw them sitting in a car with a man, eating pizza. Carl Fisher: You take a date out to a nice steak dinner. Kids would rather have hamburgers or pizza. Grissom: Did you take the kids out for pizza? Carl Fisher: No, I'm talking hypothetically. You must be desperate for a suspect, or a scapegoat. Do you need to give the press something to chew on? Grissom: We just found Lucas Hanson's dead body. They're chewing on that. Carl Fisher: What about the other boy? Grissom: He's still missing. Carl Fisher: In my opinion, if someone killed one boy ... he'd kill them both. [SCENE_BREAK] [INT. POLICE DEPARTMENT - HALLWAY -- DAY] (Grissom pops two extra-strength acetaminophen and drinks them down with water from the water fountain. Brass walks up to him.) Brass: So, we're working on a couple of Jason sightings. Camper in Red Rock spotted a kid who looks like Jason, so I sent Vega. And Sofia is on her way to Bullhead City, Arizona. A woman on a bus called the cops. She swears that Jason's sitting next to her. That's what I've got. Any luck with Carl Fisher? Grissom: I don't know. He wants something from me ... or he wouldn't still be here. [SCENE_BREAK] [INT. POLICE DEPARTMENT - INTERVIEW ROOM -- DAY] (Grissom enters the room carrying a cup and takes his seat at the table. He gives the cup to Carl. Grissom and Carl look at each other.) [SCENE_BREAK] [INT. CSI - TRACE LAB -- DAY] (Hodges processes a gasoline sample from a container.) VARIOUS CUTS OF HODGES PROCESSING THE GASOLINE (He puts the sample in the machine and turns it on.) INSERT: CGI GRAPHICS (The results print out. He takes his phone out and calls.) Greg: (from phone) Sanders? Hodges: You can stop gassing up. I've got a match. AvCon on Buffalo Canyon. Pump six. [SCENE_BREAK] [EXT. DESERT (STOCK) - DAY] [EXT. PARKING LOT (BULLHEAD CITY, ARIZONA) - DAY] (Sofia talks with the driver of the bus parked nearby and the woman who called it in.) Sofia: Where did he board? Bus Driver: Vegas depot. Sofia: Was he with anyone? (The bus driver hesitates.) Sofia: So, I'm not gonna report you. You can tell me the truth. Bus Driver: Children aren't supposed to travel alone, but it was a full bus when I took off today. I couldn't tell you. (The woman is holding the MISSING flyer.) Female Passenger: He was definitely by himself. I saw this; I knew it was him. Bus Driver: I radioed my dispatcher. She told me to pull over at the next town, make sure he doesn't get off, and wait for you. Sofia: Thank you for your help. (to the woman) Can you tell me where he's sitting? Female Passenger: Back row. (Sofia steps into the bus.) [INT. BUS (PARKED) - DAY - CONTINUOUS] (Sofia heads for the back row. Jason peeks out from the seat he's hiding behind. Sofia takes her dark glasses off and sits in the seat across the aisle from where Jason is hiding.) Sofia: Hey. My name's Sofia. Are you Jason? (Jason doesn't say anything.) Sofia: There's nothing to be afraid of, Jason. You're not in trouble. I just want to help you. You're on your way to Texas to see your dad, right? It's just ... well, when you went missing, your dad flew to Las Vegas to find you. He's waiting for you. Can I take you to him? (She holds out his hand. Jason takes it.) [SCENE_BREAK] [EXT. LAS VEGAS CITY LIGHTS (STOCK) - NIGHT] Warrick: (V.O.) Is that the tox report for Lucas Hanson? [INT. CSI - HALLWAY -- NIGHT] (Nick and Warrick walk through the hallway. Nick hands the report printout to Warrick.) Nick: His blood alcohol -- point one six. Warrick: Geezus. It's a drunk kid. Nick: And Sara found a whiskey cap in Carl Fisher's car. Warrick: Oh, perfect way to loosen up a little boy -- give him pizza and whiskey. Nick: Yeah, well, listen to this. According to the report, Lucas also had 98 micrograms per milliliter of salicylates in his system. Warrick: Well, I guess he took the aspirin after he hit his head. Nick: Wonder who gave him that. Warrick: Probably the same responsible adult that gave him the whiskey. [SCENE_BREAK] [INT. POLICE DEPARTMENT - INTERVIEW ROOM --NIGHT] (Grissom looks exhausted. He rubs his temple with the tips of his fingers as he listens to Carl.) Carl Fisher: So, you think I got the boys drunk, and then killed them? Grissom: Not exactly. We found Jason Crowley. Alive. On a bus headed for Houston. Carl Fisher: One of the lucky ones. [SCENE_BREAK] [INT. POLICE DEPARTMENT - WAITING ROOM -- NIGHT] (Gerald Crowley sits in the waiting room. Sofia walks in with Jason. Gerald gets to his feet, then kneels to hug Jason.) Gerald Crowley: It's okay, Jason. Daddy's here, boy. Daddy's here. (Sofia stands on the side watching them.) [SCENE_BREAK] [INT. POLICE DEPARTMENT - INTERVIEW ROOM --NIGHT] (Grissom talks with Carl Fisher.) Grissom: That bus ticket costs $95 for a child under twelve. Jason's grandfather doesn't keep any cash in the house, and he doesn't give him an allowance, so where do you think Jason got the cash? Carl Fisher: Maybe he stole it. Grissom: From whom? Carl Fisher: I don't know. Why don't you ask him? GRISSOM: I will. (Grissom stops for a moment and closes his eyes. He's still got his headache pain. Carl notices.) Carl Fisher: Do you get a lot of migraines, Gil? You should ask your doctor for a prescription of sumatriptan. Works for me. Grissom: Captain Brass wants to put you in a lineup. If you'll agree to it, then I think this will all be over with. Carl Fisher: Then let's do it. [SCENE_BREAK] [LINE UP] (Jason stands in the observation room looking at a line-up of similar men in body building and coloring to Carl Fisher. Jason's father, Gerald, is in the room standing behind Jason.) (The lights switch on.) Sofia: Do you recognize anyone, Jason? (Jason nods.) Sofia: Which number? (Jason points to Carl Fisher.) Sofia: Number two? Jason Crowley: Yes. Sofia: Was he the man who kidnapped you and Lucas? (Jason shakes his head.) Sofia: Jason, remember, you can see him, but he can't see you. Did number two hurt Lucas? Voice: (v.o., distant, distorted) I'll kill your dad if you tell ... Jason Crowley: No, ma'am. [SCENE_BREAK] [INT. POLICE DEPARTMENT - HALLWAY -- NIGHT] (Sofia walks Jason and Gerald through the hallway. Grissom steps out toward them and she shakes her head at him, no.) (They turn and leave.) (Greg enters the hallway. He hands Grissom the folder.) Greg: The gas DNA panned out. Grissom: (surprised) It did? Greg: Yeah. Hodges and I traced the gas back to a service station near Fisher's house. Station had security cameras. Got him filling up the night of the fire, so I went through the electronic receipts. All of them. Carl Fisher purchased 16 gallons. Grissom: And? Greg: His Mercury Marquis only holds 14, so, where did he put the extra two gallons? Grissom: In a plastic gas can? Greg: All which he paid for with his ATM. (Greg hands the ATM receipt to Grissom.) Greg: Not the same as cash. Grissom: Thanks, Greg. (Grissom turns and walks down the hallway, back to the interview room.) [SCENE_BREAK] [INT. POLICE DEPARTMENT - HOLDING CELL --NIGHT] (Grissom talks with Carl Fisher.) Carl Fisher: No one has told me why I'm being detained. Grissom: Arson is a felony. You torched your own car. We have video surveillance and electronic records that show you purchasing gas and a gas can. Carl Fisher: I was trying to scam my insurance company. I needed the money. Grissom: You were destroying evidence of Lucas Hanson and Jason Crowley in your car. And I think you helped kill Lucas. Carl Fisher: No, I didn't. And you're not charging me for that, so I'm guessing Jason didn't pick me out of the lineup. Grissom: He told us he knew you. Kill one, kill both, remember? Carl Fisher: If I had killed Lucas, I would have killed Jason. (Grissom doesn't believe him. Carl sighs.) Carl Fisher: Lucas was looking for a father. His real one was an accident of biology. His mother was limited, always working. He was lonely. He found me. INSERT: FLASHBACK [EXT. SIDEWALK - DAY - FLASHBACK] (Carl is walking down the sidewalk bouncing his basketball. He's sweaty and just finished with a workout.) Lucas Hanson: (o.s.) I see you every day. You play a lot, huh? Maybe we can play sometime. (Carl turns and looks at Lucas.) Lucas Hanson: My best friend's always grounded. How about tomorrow? (Carl turns and tosses the basketball to Lucas.) BACK TO SCENE. Carl Fisher: Did you know that most parents spend less than twenty minutes a day of quality time with their kids? Lucas was starved for attention. All his mother did was complain about his father and how he'd abandoned them. Do you know what that does to a child? Grissom: It doesn't kill them. (Carl doesn't say anything.) Grissom: Okay, Carl, just tell me what happened. (Carl sighs.) Carl Fisher: Lucas and Jason had gotten into it with Jason's grandfather. He knocked the boys around. They ran to Lucas' house, but couldn't get in, so they came to me. INSERT: FLASHBACK [INT. FISHER RESIDENCE - LIVING ROOM - DAY - FLASHBACK] (Carl Fisher sits in his living room when there's a knock at his door.) (He finds Lucas and Jason standing outside.) Carl Fisher: Come on in, guys. (He lets them in.) Carl Fisher: (V.O.) I explained to them that hitting wasn't okay. BACK TO SCENE. Carl Fisher: I said Jason needed to call his father and tell him what was going on. Grissom: Did you let them use your phone? Carl Fisher: But they were too upset. When the grandfather pushed Lucas, he hit his head. I gave him a couple of aspirin. Grissom: Well, if he didn't want to call his mother, why didn't you call her? Carl Fisher: I couldn't risk it. She might have turned me in. Grissom: So, instead, you took them for pizza? Carl Fisher: I didn't touch him. I didn't want to hurt him. Grissom: You gave him liquor. Carl Fisher: I stopped and bought some whiskey before we picked up the pizza-- I was nervous about them being in the car with me. I didn't want to go back to prison. Grissom: And you wanted to get them drunk. Carl Fisher: They ... they just wanted to try it. I gave them a taste. INSERT: FLASHBACK [INT. CAR (PARKED) - NIGHT] (Carl gives Lucas some whiskey as Jason sits in the back seat of the car eating pizza.) Grissom: (V.O.) It was more than a taste, Carl. Lucas' blood alcohol level was point one six. That's twice the legal limit for an adult. BACK TO SCENE. Grissom: Why didn't you take them home? Carl Fisher: They didn't want to go home. They wanted an adventure. I promised them a dollar for every golf ball they brought back. INSERT: FLASHBACK [EXT. GOLF COURSE - NIGHT] (The car pulls up to the golf course.) Carl Fisher: (V.O.) Lucas wasn't feeling well, so he stayed in the car with me. (Jason gets out of the car. Lucas is in the car with Carl. His eyes are closed. Jason heads for the golf course.) BACK TO SCENE. Grissom: And you knew that Jason wanted money, so he could go to Texas and see his dad, so you bribed him in order to be alone with Lucas. Carl Fisher: I didn't molest him. Grissom: Who took his shirt off? Carl Fisher: He was hot. Grissom: What were you gonna do to him once his shirt was off? Carl Fisher: It was innocent. He wasn't feeling well. He laid his head in my lap. I touched his hair. I didn't want to ... I loved him. I loved Lucas, and he loved me. Grissom: Is that what you think? Then why didn't you help him? He told you he hit his head. He was in pain. He had a concussion, Carl. You must have known that. I'm sure he was dizzy, probably had no appetite. Maybe he was even slurring his words, but you didn't care about that, because you wanted what you wanted. INSERT: FLASHBACK [INT. CAR - NIGHT] (Carl helps take Lucas' shirt off as he shivers.) . Lucas puts his head on Carl's lap.) Carl Fisher: Lucas?! Lucas! (Cut to: Lucas is flat on the asphalt outside as Carl tries to help him.) Grissom: (V.O.) His brain was bleeding. BACK TO SCENE. Grissom: Now, most kids won't die from that, because someone who really loves them takes them to the hospital, but instead, you gave him alcohol and aspirin, a lethal combination for his head injury. It prevented his blood from clotting. You killed him, Carl. INSERT: FLASHBACK [EXT. GOLF COURSE - NIGHT] (Carl is over Lucas's dead body. Jason returns, his shirt full of golf balls. He sees Lucas dead and drops the golf balls.) Grissom: (V.O.) And you would have killed Jason, too, except he ran away from you and out of your reach. (Jason turns and runs.) Carl Fisher: Jason -- (Jason runs and crawls into a drain pipe.) Carl Fisher: Jason! (Carl runs and finds Jason in the drain pipe.) Carl Fisher: Hey, what are you doing in there? BACK TO SCENE. Carl Fisher: You're not listening to me. I didn't want to hurt anyone. I need you to believe me. Grissom: I don't. You had choices. You made the wrong ones. And now this little boy is gone. [SCENE_BREAK] [EXT. LAS VEGAS CITY LIGHTS (STOCK) - NIGHT] [INT. POLICE DEPARTMENT - HALLWAY -- NIGHT] (Grissom and Brass talk in the hallway in front of his office door.) Brass: So I talked Voris into violating parole, and we're adding the charges of negligent homicide. You're not gonna see Carl for a long time. (Officer Mitchell turns the corner with Carl Fisher in handcuffs.) Brass: Also, we, uh ... we've arrested the grandpa, Terrance Crowley, for child abuse. Grissom: Everybody wins. (Brass shrugs.) Grissom: Except Lucas. (Officer Metcalf turns the corner with Terrance Crowley in handcuffs. The two men cross in the hallway.) Terrence Crowley: (hisses to Carl) You're gonna fry. (Carl lunges at Terrance.) Carl Fisher: You drove him right to me, you b*st*rd! You did this! You did this! Terrence Crowley: I'll kill you! (Officers pull the two men apart. Brass rushes over to join them.) (Grissom turns when he hears more arguing in the hallway adjacent to him. Margaret Finn and Brad Lewis, the two lawyers, argue with an officer. Their voices echo and get distorted from the pain in his head.) Margaret Finn: Where is Carl Fisher? You can't take him to County ... Brad Lewis: Mr. Crowley's civil rights were violated. This department is racist. Margaret Finn: Excuse me! I was here first. My client has been detained illegally. (Grissom slips into Brass's office.) [INT. POLICE DEPARTMENT - BRASS'S OFFICE - NIGHT - CONTINUOUS] (He closes the blinds. The voices outside echo as the arguing continues.) Brad Lewis: You cannot charge Mister ... (Grissom turns and makes his way over to the couch. He sits down, exhausted. He closes his eyes from the pain in his head, then lies back, his head on the armrest.) (He sighs and squeezes his eyes closed.) (The arguing outside continues. The blurry images from the teaser are repeated here.) (Light filters in through the blinds. Muffled sounds are heard.) (Figures walk past the blinds. Sounds are still muffled. The room is tilted.) (Grissom squeezes his eyes closed. The arguing outside continues.)
Burn Out