CSI: Crime Scene Investigation (2000–2015): Season 9, Episode 11 - The Grave Shift - full transcript
Gentle Nick sees everyone sort of eases into the reshuffle after Grissom's departure, even 'recruit' Raymond Langston, who has method and brains but lacks any experience. An explosion unexpectedly calls them away across town from a robbery scene to a murder. A traceable stolen laptop opens the dysfunctional Palento family's tragic can of criminal worms.
That's quite a kit you got there, Ray.
Well, it's my first official
shift. I want to be prepared.
Your training coordinator said
that you were very thorough.
Add this to
your checklist--
whenever you're on call, keep
a pen and paper near your bed,
along with a change of clothes, a
ball cap, bottled water, sunblock,
and make sure you got a Thomas Guide inside
your vehicle, in case your GPS crashes.
You don't want your evidence degrading as
you're scrambling to get your act together.
Got it.
Ready to roll?
Oh, yeah.
Dr. Langston, welcome aboard.
Thank you.
406 on the east side. Ray's with you.
- Okay.
- Enjoy.
406--
burglary.
Yeah, a little bread and butter crime'll be
the perfect thing to get your feet wet. Come on.
You know you're not reqred to wear
a tie unless you're in court, right?
Yes, I know.
Something wrong with wearing a tie?
No, no.
What's going on, Akers?
Owner got home from work an hour
ago, found the window smashed.
His wife's jewelry is gone,
along with a laptop and his watch.
Where's the wife?
Out of town with their daughter.
The husband's inside.
What the hell was that?
You'll know as soon as I do.
Why don't you, uh, go ahead inside
and get started on the overalls, yeah?
Repeat the 20 on the 445 call.
Dispatch, this is Charlie 0-5 Stokes.
No, no, there's nothing to worry about.
I'm fine.
Okay.
I do, I feel violated, but the
police are taking care of everything.
That fireball was a private
residence near Sunrise Mountain.
Arson-Explosives is already on the way.
Are we on our way there, too?
Oh, yeah, we'll be done with
this before the fire's even out.
Just, uh, print the point of
entry and collect everything else.
I love you, too, honey.
Sir, you want to show me where
those stolen items were taken from?
I got to go. Right this way.
My laptop was right here, my watch
right there, and my wife's jewelry box--
they completely cleaned that out.
They didn't even bother
to ransack the place.
Just went straight for the good stuff.
And my wife's grandmother's ring
was in there, her mother's cameo.
They really cleaned the thing out.
Write down everything that was
stolen and fax that form back to us.
Be sure and keep a copy
for your insurance, okay?
Okay.
What'd you do, try to use all of 'em?
In the field, you really
only need three powders:
black, magnetic, and dragon's blood.
If you can't get a print off one of those,
you're better off just taking it back to the lab.
It just kept breaking up.
All right.
Doorknob's already toast;
let's work on the glass.
Now, don't do this if you ever
need touch DNA, but in a pinch...
The water vapor from your breath will adhere
to the salt and lipids in a latent print.
It revitalizes it.
Then you take a little
dust-- just a little.
Gently.
It's all in the wrist.
A colleague of mine once told me if
I found myself in this part of town,
I should drive very fast.
Well, that's pretty good advice.
We get about half a dozen
calls out here a week.
There is a little no-tell
motel around here somewhere.
We found a corpse underneath a bed.
It'd been there for about four days.
People just went right on using the
room till it was too ripe to ignore.
Did you catch the guy who did it?
Yeah, yeah, we did eventually.
Then that's a good story.
Dispatch, Charlie 0-5 Stokes and Charlie 0-8
Langston, reporting 402-419 Sunrise Mountain.
How's the first day of
school going, Professor?
I'll, uh, tell you at recess.
The arson investigator
ran dogs through the scene.
They didn't find any accelerant.
Doesn't rule out arson.
What's with the construction
equipment out front?
Were the owners remodeling or something?
Well, the place belongs
to Don and Paulla Kingsley.
They live here alone.
I got a call out to both of them.
I bet only one of them calls me back.
CSI Season09
Episode11 The Grave Shift
So where'd it all go?
I can't imagine Grissom being entirely
happy without his irradiated fetal pig.
He asked me to send a couple things to
the research station in Costa Rica, and...
the rest is just going
into storage at his place.
Hmm, so he didn't sell his home?
A condo in Vegas? That's 50
cents on the dollar at this point.
Ye, tell me about it.
Well, you got a blank canvas.
You're senior supervisor.
It's your office now.
Oh, I like the one I have.
Catherine, if you don't want it, fine.
But you can't leave it empty, all right?
We don't have the space for a shrine.
- Paulla Kingsley?
- It's gone. It's all gone.
Paulla Kingsley?
I'm Mrs. Kingsley's
assistant Carla Banks.
I didn't want her to drive herself.
I need Don. W-Where's Don?
We're not sure, mam.
He's, he's not--
was he inside?
We found someone inside. It's going to
take a while before we find out who that is.
Mrs. Kingsley, I'm Detective
Jim Brass, Las Vegas Police.
Do you mind if I ask you a qution?
According to the fire department,
this isn't their first time out here.
You called 911 about six weeks ago when your
husband overdosed on secobarbital. Is that right?
Oh, my God. Don.
This looks like it was the laundry room.
Everything's displaced outward...
from this point.
Blast originated here.
Sooting indicates the water heater
inlet was unhooked during the fire.
Maybe it got torn off by the blast.
If that were the case, the threads
would be stripped and they're not.
That's the natural gas
line hookup right there.
See if that valve's open
or closed for me, would you?
It's open.
If at first you don't succeed...
So would you say that Don Kingsley
was having emotional problems?
Yeah, Mr. Kingsley was depressed.
They'd been having some difficulties.
What kind of difficulties?
Financial.
Where was Mrs. Kingsley last night?
At the gym. Buff & Tuff Fitness Center.
Well, the fire started just after midnight.
Does she usually work out that late?
No. She owns the franchise.
Six locations in Las Vegas. Open 24/7.
So we're going to need the
name of Mr. Kingsley's dentist.
Can you help me with that?
Yeah, sure.
Aren't we required to
run DNA on the victim?
We're only required to confirm I.D.
Fires sometimes destroy known exemplars.
Dental records are just quicker.
Well, I bet you've never seen one
of those in the hospital before, huh?
Once. He was still screaming.
Okay, we're ready.
Now remember, lift with
your legs. On three.
One, two, three.
Here you go. I'll take that.
- You okay?
- I'm fine.
- Again?
- Let's go.
One, two, three.
Whoa, the bones feel... crumbly.
Like they were... shattered.
That's what happens when
they're in the oven too long.
What should we do about that?
It could have trace from the body?
Yes, sir.
It's evidence?
Do you have a pair of
scissors I could borrow?
Thanks.
WILL BE BACK IN 1 HOUR
Excuse me.
David Hodges, right?
I need to, um...
You need to log that in with
the evidence clerk first.
And then he will distribute
it to the appropriate lab.
Right-- the evidence
clerk isn't there.
Yeah, he never is.
And that's your problem.
Okay... fine.
So, now, I'll do his job.
May I help you?
Just check it in.
Fill out this form.
Well, you certainly have
a doctor's handwriting.
Next time, print.
There you are, Professor.
Nick stuck me with your 406.
Doesn't get you off of it.
I'll meet you in the A.V.Lab.
The laptop on the stolen property list
has a cell phone card in it with G.P.S.
That means we can track it.
Yeah, well, we are in luck.
This laptop's on a
mesh network right now.
You bought my book.
Yeah.
Did you read it?
Yeah.
Guess that makes you one of the few.
I got an address.
If you're looking for drugs,
you're not going to find any.
My sons not into that
stuff. Right, Alex?
We're not looking for drugs, sir.
Mr. Palento, what's back here?
His bedroom.
Yes, it's on the list.
Where'd it come from?
- I don't know; I found it.
- Where?
I can't remember exactly.
Alex, if you're screwing with
me, you're in serious trouble.
You find these things, too?
Some kids in the neighborhood.
They gave them to me.
Like who?
I can't remember.
Your son could easily be going out at night and
having other people come in without your knowledge.
No, no, no, I keep that alley
gate locked. He doesn't have a key.
Where'd you get that stuff?
- What difference does it make?
- That's not an answer!
That's not necessary.
- Oh, you don't approve?
- As a matter of fact, I don't.
Do you have any idea what it's like
to be a single father in this town?
I got two friends who had
their kids O.D.on them.
Don't you tell m how to handle my son.
We wouldn't dream of it, sir.
I apologize if we overstepped.
Come on.
What, it's not our job to protect him?
His father let us in here without a
warrant, and he wasn't breaking any laws.
We're here to collect evidence.
We're not social workers.
You see the "Ma..."?
My guess is the glass
came from a Mason jar.
My wife uses them to
make fruit preserves.
Oh, well, I doubt this guy
was canning explosive peaches.
I hope I haven't missed
all the fun stuff.
- Hello, Doctor.My name is-- - Ray
Langston, I know. Albert Robbins.
Always happy to meet a fellow sawbones.
You've already met Don Kingsley.
And that is shrapnel from the explosion.
And what's this yellow residue?
That's not my department. I sent
a sample to Hodges. He's in Trace.
We've met.
Glass shards are only
his feet and lower legs.
I was just about to dissect his trachea.
Care to do the honors?
It's been a while since I cut.
Eh, it's like destroying
a bicycle-- come on.
no soot.
This man wasn't breathing
while the fire was burning.
So, he croaked before he cooked.
Well, that would explain the calvarium.
It's cracked along the
sutures. Is that from the fire?
Well, it gets hot enough to boil a brain,
the, uh, steam has to get out somehow.
That's not what I was going to show you.
Subdural hematoma.
So, he was clocked before
he croaked and cooked.
Congratulations, Ray.
Your first arson has
become your first homicide.
Somebody could've hit him with this.
Yeah? Add about just anything else in here
that didn't get burned up or washed away.
Okay, we should bag everything that might have been used
as a weapon or a remote or a delayed ignition source.
Since it's pretty obvious the arsonist
wasn't in here when this place went up.
All right. Piece of cake.
Excuse me, sir?
You, uh, mind if I ask
what you're doing here?
Documenting my losses.
Your losses?
I'm Josh Barston. The Kingsleys'
contractor. All that gear is mine.
Luckily, it's insured.
Did you do all the construction here?
Yep. Everything's up to
code. I got all the permits.
Well, that's good, 'cause I'm going to need
copies of all your plans and construction photos.
As well as contact information for
you and your crew, if you don't mind.
Sure, whatever you want.
That's a lot of concentration
for a property crime.
I think it just paid off.
This is a pawn shop receipt for an
antique cameo and a diamond ring--
the only two items left missing.
Our suspect is, what, 14 years old?
He didn't pawn these things by himself.
You sure you don't want
to give this a shot?
I'd prefer to watch you.
Magnetic powder works best on porous
surfaces, because it doesn't smear.
I hear it's all in the wrist.
Actually, I think it's in
the fingers, but that's me.
Nice!
The scanner's behind us.
Diane Palento?
The kid's mother.
Priors for shoplifting and...
ah, narcotics possession.
That's your mother
pawning stolen property.
You didn't get that stuff
from the neighborhood kids.
Your mother gave it to
you, didn't she, Alex?
She didn't steal it.
She bought it from a garage sale.
You've been seeing her?
Taking presents from her
and lying to me about it?
So what? You lied to me.
Said that she moved to New
York. She didn't love me anymore.
- I did it to protect...
- It's not true!
I did it to protect you, Alex.
Your mother has problems,
- and she's not doing anything to help herself!
- Yes, she is. Yes, she is!
She's getting her act together, okay?
Saving up for a nice apartment
so she and I can live together.
You are not going anywhere
except juvenile hall,
because receiving stolen
property, that's a crime.
Stealing is a bigger crime.
I know you're not a thief, Alex.
You're a good kid. You
made some bad decisions.
I know you two love each other, but
your mom made some bad decisions, too,
and I can't help her unless you help me.
That duffel bag is hers, isn't it?
When does she come around?
She sleeps there at night.
She stays on the floor.
Look, it's just for a while, okay?
She's gonna get her own place.
We're gonna live together.
It won't be much of a stakeout.
I doubt we'll have to set up
on her more than one night.
She'll show up.
Bad parents crave unconditional love.
Well, I know I do.
I'll put a couple of guys on it.
I really think you broke through to him.
I was just trying to get
him to give up his mother.
- Thanks for the uni's, Captain.
- Sure thing, no problem.
Hey, Jim. I got the crispy
critter's cell phone records.
And get this-- the wife's assistant called
23 times in the 48 hours prior to his death.
Sounds like more than
a working relationship.
Yeah, I'd say so. You're gonna
love the voice mails she left him.
That's impressive, Carla.
So, tell me, where were you
on the night of the fire?
I was here working.
You don't have to take my word for it.
There's surveillance
all over this place.
No, I'm not going to take your
word for it-- check this out.
Don, I'm standing outside your house,
and once again, you're not here.
I warned you not to pull another
no-show, you gutless son of a bitch.
I want to see you tonight.
Okay, I was at Don's house last night a little
before 11:00, but I left right after that.
What were you doing
at my house last night?
Trying to get the 20
Gs your husband owed me.
What are you talking about?
You know those herbal supplements
he tried to get you to sell here?
Yeah, the ones that give you diarrhea?
I fronted him the money for that.
He said it might be a good way for
us to earn some money on the side,
and like an idiot, I believed him.
Did you sleep with him?
- I don't sleep with losers.
- Don wasn't a loser.
Come on, Paulla.
He was a nice guy...Complete airhead
You outgrew him years ago.
You just couldn't admit it.
- L-L-Ladies,
ladies... - Bitch!
What's wrong with you?
Let's go down to the police station.
We can make your
statements on record, okay?
I'll give you a ride.
A power cord to nowhere.
I don't remember seeing any
appliances missing their cords.
Greg, will you come take
a look at this, please?
We found residue like that on glass
shards taken out of Don Kingsley's body.
Looks like galvanized metal.
Maybe a piece of roof flashing.
Did you I.D.the residue on the glass?
Hodges is working on it, I hope.
Grid 13.
Well, we found it about
seven feet from the origin.
These marks look like the
result of an electrical arc.
And in a room filled with gas,
an arc is as good as a spark.
Okay. But there's got to be more
to a timed detonator than this.
I agree.
Looks like we're working a double.
The residue on the metal disc is indeed
what was found on the glass shards.
Zea mays.
Well, my botany's a little
rusty, but I'd say... corn.
I call it maize.
Are you trying to impress me?
Did I?
So, we've got corn, a Mason jar,
a piece of metal roof flashing
and an electrical cord. How do
you make a detonator out of that?
I don't know.
You don't know.
That's not your reputation, Mr. Hodges.
I'm telling you, every time I turn around,
one of these uni's is giving us the stink eye.
- Come on now, you're imagining that.
- No, I'm not.
That's what happens when you
make a lab geek undersheriff.
Oh, that job is punishment enough.
I actually feel sorry for Ecklie.
You like burned toast, Ray?
Occasionally, but, uh... I've
seen enough charcoal for one day.
- Oh, man.
- What?
Look at that.
- You see that?
- Yeah, I do.
See that?
No wonder why Grissom loves this place.
- You didn't just do that, did you?
- What?
- Check, please.
- It's on me.
- The new guy pays, right?
- Only if he's smart.
- Thank you.
- Thank you.
It's my shift on the
Palento stakeout. You coming?
Yes.
Oh, hey, Ray, I'll, uh,
I'll give you a lift.
Okay, thanks.
So, Nicky, Mr.
Eater-of-Flies...
I want you to have Grissom's office.
I thought you were gonna use it.
I hate moving.
I don't know about that.
Doesn't really feel right.
Well, it may not for a while, but...
Make it your own.
Maybe she won't show up.
Kind of sounds like
you're hoping she won't.
She's not helping her son.
Maybe not.
But...
he's making choices here, too.
Yes, he is.
Mommy's home.
We're moving now.
LVPD. Hold it right there.
- Leave me alone!
- Get her!
- Leave me alone!
- Ray?
No! No! Let me see my kid!
Diane Palento, you're under arrest.
Let me... Let me see my kid!
Alex! Alex!
Don't take her! It was me! I
took that stuff! Don't take her!
- Alex, baby!
- Get off her!
I'm coming back.
- I love you, Mom.
- I love you, Alex!
I love you!
What is this?
Corn, glass
jar, metal disk--
a chance to salvage your reputation.
What the hell is this?
A corn meal bomb.
Apparently, it's an old military trick.
As the corn meal absorbs the water,
it expands, pushing up the metal disc.
But the process is pretty slow,
which gives you time to fill
the room with gas and leave.
Eventually, the metal disc touches
the two exposed wires and...
An explosion and an alibi.
All in one.
Okay...
I'm impressed.
I had to cut the metal disc by hand
to get it to fit in the Mason jar,
which means the suspect did, too.
I think we should go back through
the evidence from the Kingsley garage
and do tool mark comparisons on anything
that could have been used to cut the disc.
Well, that can take a couple of
weeks, assuming the tool's even there.
And even if it is there, you still have
to connect it directly to a suspect.
- Well, one step at a time, right?
- Right.
Let's see what Archie has for us.
Hey, man, I got your
text. What's going on?
Check this out.
This is earlier, the day of the murder.
Where did you get this?
Brass pulled it from
Paulla Kingsley's gym.
10:07.
That's about two hours before the fire.
You know what that means...
Yeah, it means he had motive,
and time to set the detonator.
It's always sad when a husband gets in the
way of his wife's blossoming relationship
with their contractor, hmm?
It was strictly platonic.
I was in crisis, and
Josh was a good listener.
Oh, I'm sure he was.
I'm sure he listened to you complain
about your financial situation,
and what a loser your
airhead husband is.
So, whose idea was it to kill
Don? Was it yours or Josh's?
What are you saying, that
Josh killed my husband?
Oh, my God.
I'm going to be sick.
We were in love.
She was going to leave him,
so we could be together.
She lost her nerve.
I told Josh that I couldn't leave Don.
That I... That I still
loved him despite his flaws.
That loser.
He was taking her down with him.
I realized there was
only one way to save her.
So I built the detonator.
And after I took her to work,
I took care of the problem.
Told Donald there was a problem
with the gas line in the garage.
Check out the pilot light.
He was holding her hostage.
And I set her free.
Brass just closed your arson-murder.
Contractor confessed. Nice work.
Thanks.
I thought that this one was closed, too.
It is.
Then why are you wasting
the taxpayers' money?
I'm kidding.
a rock... through a window.
Don't you think Diane Palento was a little too
street smart to make that much noise breaking in?
The owner came home, said he...
discovered he had been robbed.
So why was his laptop
still in the house?
Wouldn't that have been at work
with him? And look-- his watch.
Most guys take their watches off to
shower, or to... to swim, to, uh...
Have sex.
Except his wife was out
of town that weekend.
So, I checked his web
history. Take a look at this.
Diamond.
AKA Diane Palento.
Very classy.
The husband hires himself
a hooker, and after,
when he passes out or takes
a shower, she rips him off.
He might be able to explain away the laptop
and the watch, but not his wife's jewelry.
I think he decided to
stage a... fake break-in.
Shall we go bust him now?
The only thing that we could get
him for is filing a false report.
It's a misdemeanor, and the
D.A.would never prosecute,
so, you got to just return
the property and call it a day.
A good day.
My grandfather gave this to my grandmother
in McKeesport, Pennsylvania, in 1914.
Never thought that I'd see it
again. I can't thank you enough.
- Tell him how you lost it.
- What, does that matter?
- Tell him.
- That's not really necessary, ma'am. Would you...
Can we please just go?
Don't you touch me,
you diseased pervert.
Oh, come on, I made a mistake, honey.
A mistake?You brought a
whore into our bedroom,
and you had disgusting
sex with her on my bed.
No, I did not have
disgusting sex-- I told you--
I got drunk and passed out, because subconsciously,
honey, I could not go through with it.
Well, subconsciously, I can't stay
married to a degenerate sleazeball.
- I've never done anything like this before.
- I've never done anything like...
- How can I even trust you?
- Come on! I didn't even get to do anything.
Oh, so now you're disappointed you
didn't get to foul our sheets...
Alex, listen, I know you feel as if you
betrayed your mother, but believe me,
it may be the best thing
that ever happened to her.
Your mother's going to need your help.
You may be the only person
that she'll listen to.
I know it's not a fair thing
to ask of a 14-year-old kid,
but you've got to be strong for her.
y to get her to go to a rehab program.
I can get you a list
of places, if you like.
You sure you're okay with this?
You can still change your mind.
No, you can't.
I said I'd kill for an office,
and I meant it. Even a shared one.
This is a very classy move, Nick.
Very classy.
Seriously.
Well, you're welcome.
There's go energy in here.
It'll be nice to share it.
This belongs here.
- We're off the clock.
- I know.
I'll see you tomorrow.
Well, it's my first official
shift. I want to be prepared.
Your training coordinator said
that you were very thorough.
Add this to
your checklist--
whenever you're on call, keep
a pen and paper near your bed,
along with a change of clothes, a
ball cap, bottled water, sunblock,
and make sure you got a Thomas Guide inside
your vehicle, in case your GPS crashes.
You don't want your evidence degrading as
you're scrambling to get your act together.
Got it.
Ready to roll?
Oh, yeah.
Dr. Langston, welcome aboard.
Thank you.
406 on the east side. Ray's with you.
- Okay.
- Enjoy.
406--
burglary.
Yeah, a little bread and butter crime'll be
the perfect thing to get your feet wet. Come on.
You know you're not reqred to wear
a tie unless you're in court, right?
Yes, I know.
Something wrong with wearing a tie?
No, no.
What's going on, Akers?
Owner got home from work an hour
ago, found the window smashed.
His wife's jewelry is gone,
along with a laptop and his watch.
Where's the wife?
Out of town with their daughter.
The husband's inside.
What the hell was that?
You'll know as soon as I do.
Why don't you, uh, go ahead inside
and get started on the overalls, yeah?
Repeat the 20 on the 445 call.
Dispatch, this is Charlie 0-5 Stokes.
No, no, there's nothing to worry about.
I'm fine.
Okay.
I do, I feel violated, but the
police are taking care of everything.
That fireball was a private
residence near Sunrise Mountain.
Arson-Explosives is already on the way.
Are we on our way there, too?
Oh, yeah, we'll be done with
this before the fire's even out.
Just, uh, print the point of
entry and collect everything else.
I love you, too, honey.
Sir, you want to show me where
those stolen items were taken from?
I got to go. Right this way.
My laptop was right here, my watch
right there, and my wife's jewelry box--
they completely cleaned that out.
They didn't even bother
to ransack the place.
Just went straight for the good stuff.
And my wife's grandmother's ring
was in there, her mother's cameo.
They really cleaned the thing out.
Write down everything that was
stolen and fax that form back to us.
Be sure and keep a copy
for your insurance, okay?
Okay.
What'd you do, try to use all of 'em?
In the field, you really
only need three powders:
black, magnetic, and dragon's blood.
If you can't get a print off one of those,
you're better off just taking it back to the lab.
It just kept breaking up.
All right.
Doorknob's already toast;
let's work on the glass.
Now, don't do this if you ever
need touch DNA, but in a pinch...
The water vapor from your breath will adhere
to the salt and lipids in a latent print.
It revitalizes it.
Then you take a little
dust-- just a little.
Gently.
It's all in the wrist.
A colleague of mine once told me if
I found myself in this part of town,
I should drive very fast.
Well, that's pretty good advice.
We get about half a dozen
calls out here a week.
There is a little no-tell
motel around here somewhere.
We found a corpse underneath a bed.
It'd been there for about four days.
People just went right on using the
room till it was too ripe to ignore.
Did you catch the guy who did it?
Yeah, yeah, we did eventually.
Then that's a good story.
Dispatch, Charlie 0-5 Stokes and Charlie 0-8
Langston, reporting 402-419 Sunrise Mountain.
How's the first day of
school going, Professor?
I'll, uh, tell you at recess.
The arson investigator
ran dogs through the scene.
They didn't find any accelerant.
Doesn't rule out arson.
What's with the construction
equipment out front?
Were the owners remodeling or something?
Well, the place belongs
to Don and Paulla Kingsley.
They live here alone.
I got a call out to both of them.
I bet only one of them calls me back.
CSI Season09
Episode11 The Grave Shift
So where'd it all go?
I can't imagine Grissom being entirely
happy without his irradiated fetal pig.
He asked me to send a couple things to
the research station in Costa Rica, and...
the rest is just going
into storage at his place.
Hmm, so he didn't sell his home?
A condo in Vegas? That's 50
cents on the dollar at this point.
Ye, tell me about it.
Well, you got a blank canvas.
You're senior supervisor.
It's your office now.
Oh, I like the one I have.
Catherine, if you don't want it, fine.
But you can't leave it empty, all right?
We don't have the space for a shrine.
- Paulla Kingsley?
- It's gone. It's all gone.
Paulla Kingsley?
I'm Mrs. Kingsley's
assistant Carla Banks.
I didn't want her to drive herself.
I need Don. W-Where's Don?
We're not sure, mam.
He's, he's not--
was he inside?
We found someone inside. It's going to
take a while before we find out who that is.
Mrs. Kingsley, I'm Detective
Jim Brass, Las Vegas Police.
Do you mind if I ask you a qution?
According to the fire department,
this isn't their first time out here.
You called 911 about six weeks ago when your
husband overdosed on secobarbital. Is that right?
Oh, my God. Don.
This looks like it was the laundry room.
Everything's displaced outward...
from this point.
Blast originated here.
Sooting indicates the water heater
inlet was unhooked during the fire.
Maybe it got torn off by the blast.
If that were the case, the threads
would be stripped and they're not.
That's the natural gas
line hookup right there.
See if that valve's open
or closed for me, would you?
It's open.
If at first you don't succeed...
So would you say that Don Kingsley
was having emotional problems?
Yeah, Mr. Kingsley was depressed.
They'd been having some difficulties.
What kind of difficulties?
Financial.
Where was Mrs. Kingsley last night?
At the gym. Buff & Tuff Fitness Center.
Well, the fire started just after midnight.
Does she usually work out that late?
No. She owns the franchise.
Six locations in Las Vegas. Open 24/7.
So we're going to need the
name of Mr. Kingsley's dentist.
Can you help me with that?
Yeah, sure.
Aren't we required to
run DNA on the victim?
We're only required to confirm I.D.
Fires sometimes destroy known exemplars.
Dental records are just quicker.
Well, I bet you've never seen one
of those in the hospital before, huh?
Once. He was still screaming.
Okay, we're ready.
Now remember, lift with
your legs. On three.
One, two, three.
Here you go. I'll take that.
- You okay?
- I'm fine.
- Again?
- Let's go.
One, two, three.
Whoa, the bones feel... crumbly.
Like they were... shattered.
That's what happens when
they're in the oven too long.
What should we do about that?
It could have trace from the body?
Yes, sir.
It's evidence?
Do you have a pair of
scissors I could borrow?
Thanks.
WILL BE BACK IN 1 HOUR
Excuse me.
David Hodges, right?
I need to, um...
You need to log that in with
the evidence clerk first.
And then he will distribute
it to the appropriate lab.
Right-- the evidence
clerk isn't there.
Yeah, he never is.
And that's your problem.
Okay... fine.
So, now, I'll do his job.
May I help you?
Just check it in.
Fill out this form.
Well, you certainly have
a doctor's handwriting.
Next time, print.
There you are, Professor.
Nick stuck me with your 406.
Doesn't get you off of it.
I'll meet you in the A.V.Lab.
The laptop on the stolen property list
has a cell phone card in it with G.P.S.
That means we can track it.
Yeah, well, we are in luck.
This laptop's on a
mesh network right now.
You bought my book.
Yeah.
Did you read it?
Yeah.
Guess that makes you one of the few.
I got an address.
If you're looking for drugs,
you're not going to find any.
My sons not into that
stuff. Right, Alex?
We're not looking for drugs, sir.
Mr. Palento, what's back here?
His bedroom.
Yes, it's on the list.
Where'd it come from?
- I don't know; I found it.
- Where?
I can't remember exactly.
Alex, if you're screwing with
me, you're in serious trouble.
You find these things, too?
Some kids in the neighborhood.
They gave them to me.
Like who?
I can't remember.
Your son could easily be going out at night and
having other people come in without your knowledge.
No, no, no, I keep that alley
gate locked. He doesn't have a key.
Where'd you get that stuff?
- What difference does it make?
- That's not an answer!
That's not necessary.
- Oh, you don't approve?
- As a matter of fact, I don't.
Do you have any idea what it's like
to be a single father in this town?
I got two friends who had
their kids O.D.on them.
Don't you tell m how to handle my son.
We wouldn't dream of it, sir.
I apologize if we overstepped.
Come on.
What, it's not our job to protect him?
His father let us in here without a
warrant, and he wasn't breaking any laws.
We're here to collect evidence.
We're not social workers.
You see the "Ma..."?
My guess is the glass
came from a Mason jar.
My wife uses them to
make fruit preserves.
Oh, well, I doubt this guy
was canning explosive peaches.
I hope I haven't missed
all the fun stuff.
- Hello, Doctor.My name is-- - Ray
Langston, I know. Albert Robbins.
Always happy to meet a fellow sawbones.
You've already met Don Kingsley.
And that is shrapnel from the explosion.
And what's this yellow residue?
That's not my department. I sent
a sample to Hodges. He's in Trace.
We've met.
Glass shards are only
his feet and lower legs.
I was just about to dissect his trachea.
Care to do the honors?
It's been a while since I cut.
Eh, it's like destroying
a bicycle-- come on.
no soot.
This man wasn't breathing
while the fire was burning.
So, he croaked before he cooked.
Well, that would explain the calvarium.
It's cracked along the
sutures. Is that from the fire?
Well, it gets hot enough to boil a brain,
the, uh, steam has to get out somehow.
That's not what I was going to show you.
Subdural hematoma.
So, he was clocked before
he croaked and cooked.
Congratulations, Ray.
Your first arson has
become your first homicide.
Somebody could've hit him with this.
Yeah? Add about just anything else in here
that didn't get burned up or washed away.
Okay, we should bag everything that might have been used
as a weapon or a remote or a delayed ignition source.
Since it's pretty obvious the arsonist
wasn't in here when this place went up.
All right. Piece of cake.
Excuse me, sir?
You, uh, mind if I ask
what you're doing here?
Documenting my losses.
Your losses?
I'm Josh Barston. The Kingsleys'
contractor. All that gear is mine.
Luckily, it's insured.
Did you do all the construction here?
Yep. Everything's up to
code. I got all the permits.
Well, that's good, 'cause I'm going to need
copies of all your plans and construction photos.
As well as contact information for
you and your crew, if you don't mind.
Sure, whatever you want.
That's a lot of concentration
for a property crime.
I think it just paid off.
This is a pawn shop receipt for an
antique cameo and a diamond ring--
the only two items left missing.
Our suspect is, what, 14 years old?
He didn't pawn these things by himself.
You sure you don't want
to give this a shot?
I'd prefer to watch you.
Magnetic powder works best on porous
surfaces, because it doesn't smear.
I hear it's all in the wrist.
Actually, I think it's in
the fingers, but that's me.
Nice!
The scanner's behind us.
Diane Palento?
The kid's mother.
Priors for shoplifting and...
ah, narcotics possession.
That's your mother
pawning stolen property.
You didn't get that stuff
from the neighborhood kids.
Your mother gave it to
you, didn't she, Alex?
She didn't steal it.
She bought it from a garage sale.
You've been seeing her?
Taking presents from her
and lying to me about it?
So what? You lied to me.
Said that she moved to New
York. She didn't love me anymore.
- I did it to protect...
- It's not true!
I did it to protect you, Alex.
Your mother has problems,
- and she's not doing anything to help herself!
- Yes, she is. Yes, she is!
She's getting her act together, okay?
Saving up for a nice apartment
so she and I can live together.
You are not going anywhere
except juvenile hall,
because receiving stolen
property, that's a crime.
Stealing is a bigger crime.
I know you're not a thief, Alex.
You're a good kid. You
made some bad decisions.
I know you two love each other, but
your mom made some bad decisions, too,
and I can't help her unless you help me.
That duffel bag is hers, isn't it?
When does she come around?
She sleeps there at night.
She stays on the floor.
Look, it's just for a while, okay?
She's gonna get her own place.
We're gonna live together.
It won't be much of a stakeout.
I doubt we'll have to set up
on her more than one night.
She'll show up.
Bad parents crave unconditional love.
Well, I know I do.
I'll put a couple of guys on it.
I really think you broke through to him.
I was just trying to get
him to give up his mother.
- Thanks for the uni's, Captain.
- Sure thing, no problem.
Hey, Jim. I got the crispy
critter's cell phone records.
And get this-- the wife's assistant called
23 times in the 48 hours prior to his death.
Sounds like more than
a working relationship.
Yeah, I'd say so. You're gonna
love the voice mails she left him.
That's impressive, Carla.
So, tell me, where were you
on the night of the fire?
I was here working.
You don't have to take my word for it.
There's surveillance
all over this place.
No, I'm not going to take your
word for it-- check this out.
Don, I'm standing outside your house,
and once again, you're not here.
I warned you not to pull another
no-show, you gutless son of a bitch.
I want to see you tonight.
Okay, I was at Don's house last night a little
before 11:00, but I left right after that.
What were you doing
at my house last night?
Trying to get the 20
Gs your husband owed me.
What are you talking about?
You know those herbal supplements
he tried to get you to sell here?
Yeah, the ones that give you diarrhea?
I fronted him the money for that.
He said it might be a good way for
us to earn some money on the side,
and like an idiot, I believed him.
Did you sleep with him?
- I don't sleep with losers.
- Don wasn't a loser.
Come on, Paulla.
He was a nice guy...Complete airhead
You outgrew him years ago.
You just couldn't admit it.
- L-L-Ladies,
ladies... - Bitch!
What's wrong with you?
Let's go down to the police station.
We can make your
statements on record, okay?
I'll give you a ride.
A power cord to nowhere.
I don't remember seeing any
appliances missing their cords.
Greg, will you come take
a look at this, please?
We found residue like that on glass
shards taken out of Don Kingsley's body.
Looks like galvanized metal.
Maybe a piece of roof flashing.
Did you I.D.the residue on the glass?
Hodges is working on it, I hope.
Grid 13.
Well, we found it about
seven feet from the origin.
These marks look like the
result of an electrical arc.
And in a room filled with gas,
an arc is as good as a spark.
Okay. But there's got to be more
to a timed detonator than this.
I agree.
Looks like we're working a double.
The residue on the metal disc is indeed
what was found on the glass shards.
Zea mays.
Well, my botany's a little
rusty, but I'd say... corn.
I call it maize.
Are you trying to impress me?
Did I?
So, we've got corn, a Mason jar,
a piece of metal roof flashing
and an electrical cord. How do
you make a detonator out of that?
I don't know.
You don't know.
That's not your reputation, Mr. Hodges.
I'm telling you, every time I turn around,
one of these uni's is giving us the stink eye.
- Come on now, you're imagining that.
- No, I'm not.
That's what happens when you
make a lab geek undersheriff.
Oh, that job is punishment enough.
I actually feel sorry for Ecklie.
You like burned toast, Ray?
Occasionally, but, uh... I've
seen enough charcoal for one day.
- Oh, man.
- What?
Look at that.
- You see that?
- Yeah, I do.
See that?
No wonder why Grissom loves this place.
- You didn't just do that, did you?
- What?
- Check, please.
- It's on me.
- The new guy pays, right?
- Only if he's smart.
- Thank you.
- Thank you.
It's my shift on the
Palento stakeout. You coming?
Yes.
Oh, hey, Ray, I'll, uh,
I'll give you a lift.
Okay, thanks.
So, Nicky, Mr.
Eater-of-Flies...
I want you to have Grissom's office.
I thought you were gonna use it.
I hate moving.
I don't know about that.
Doesn't really feel right.
Well, it may not for a while, but...
Make it your own.
Maybe she won't show up.
Kind of sounds like
you're hoping she won't.
She's not helping her son.
Maybe not.
But...
he's making choices here, too.
Yes, he is.
Mommy's home.
We're moving now.
LVPD. Hold it right there.
- Leave me alone!
- Get her!
- Leave me alone!
- Ray?
No! No! Let me see my kid!
Diane Palento, you're under arrest.
Let me... Let me see my kid!
Alex! Alex!
Don't take her! It was me! I
took that stuff! Don't take her!
- Alex, baby!
- Get off her!
I'm coming back.
- I love you, Mom.
- I love you, Alex!
I love you!
What is this?
Corn, glass
jar, metal disk--
a chance to salvage your reputation.
What the hell is this?
A corn meal bomb.
Apparently, it's an old military trick.
As the corn meal absorbs the water,
it expands, pushing up the metal disc.
But the process is pretty slow,
which gives you time to fill
the room with gas and leave.
Eventually, the metal disc touches
the two exposed wires and...
An explosion and an alibi.
All in one.
Okay...
I'm impressed.
I had to cut the metal disc by hand
to get it to fit in the Mason jar,
which means the suspect did, too.
I think we should go back through
the evidence from the Kingsley garage
and do tool mark comparisons on anything
that could have been used to cut the disc.
Well, that can take a couple of
weeks, assuming the tool's even there.
And even if it is there, you still have
to connect it directly to a suspect.
- Well, one step at a time, right?
- Right.
Let's see what Archie has for us.
Hey, man, I got your
text. What's going on?
Check this out.
This is earlier, the day of the murder.
Where did you get this?
Brass pulled it from
Paulla Kingsley's gym.
10:07.
That's about two hours before the fire.
You know what that means...
Yeah, it means he had motive,
and time to set the detonator.
It's always sad when a husband gets in the
way of his wife's blossoming relationship
with their contractor, hmm?
It was strictly platonic.
I was in crisis, and
Josh was a good listener.
Oh, I'm sure he was.
I'm sure he listened to you complain
about your financial situation,
and what a loser your
airhead husband is.
So, whose idea was it to kill
Don? Was it yours or Josh's?
What are you saying, that
Josh killed my husband?
Oh, my God.
I'm going to be sick.
We were in love.
She was going to leave him,
so we could be together.
She lost her nerve.
I told Josh that I couldn't leave Don.
That I... That I still
loved him despite his flaws.
That loser.
He was taking her down with him.
I realized there was
only one way to save her.
So I built the detonator.
And after I took her to work,
I took care of the problem.
Told Donald there was a problem
with the gas line in the garage.
Check out the pilot light.
He was holding her hostage.
And I set her free.
Brass just closed your arson-murder.
Contractor confessed. Nice work.
Thanks.
I thought that this one was closed, too.
It is.
Then why are you wasting
the taxpayers' money?
I'm kidding.
a rock... through a window.
Don't you think Diane Palento was a little too
street smart to make that much noise breaking in?
The owner came home, said he...
discovered he had been robbed.
So why was his laptop
still in the house?
Wouldn't that have been at work
with him? And look-- his watch.
Most guys take their watches off to
shower, or to... to swim, to, uh...
Have sex.
Except his wife was out
of town that weekend.
So, I checked his web
history. Take a look at this.
Diamond.
AKA Diane Palento.
Very classy.
The husband hires himself
a hooker, and after,
when he passes out or takes
a shower, she rips him off.
He might be able to explain away the laptop
and the watch, but not his wife's jewelry.
I think he decided to
stage a... fake break-in.
Shall we go bust him now?
The only thing that we could get
him for is filing a false report.
It's a misdemeanor, and the
D.A.would never prosecute,
so, you got to just return
the property and call it a day.
A good day.
My grandfather gave this to my grandmother
in McKeesport, Pennsylvania, in 1914.
Never thought that I'd see it
again. I can't thank you enough.
- Tell him how you lost it.
- What, does that matter?
- Tell him.
- That's not really necessary, ma'am. Would you...
Can we please just go?
Don't you touch me,
you diseased pervert.
Oh, come on, I made a mistake, honey.
A mistake?You brought a
whore into our bedroom,
and you had disgusting
sex with her on my bed.
No, I did not have
disgusting sex-- I told you--
I got drunk and passed out, because subconsciously,
honey, I could not go through with it.
Well, subconsciously, I can't stay
married to a degenerate sleazeball.
- I've never done anything like this before.
- I've never done anything like...
- How can I even trust you?
- Come on! I didn't even get to do anything.
Oh, so now you're disappointed you
didn't get to foul our sheets...
Alex, listen, I know you feel as if you
betrayed your mother, but believe me,
it may be the best thing
that ever happened to her.
Your mother's going to need your help.
You may be the only person
that she'll listen to.
I know it's not a fair thing
to ask of a 14-year-old kid,
but you've got to be strong for her.
y to get her to go to a rehab program.
I can get you a list
of places, if you like.
You sure you're okay with this?
You can still change your mind.
No, you can't.
I said I'd kill for an office,
and I meant it. Even a shared one.
This is a very classy move, Nick.
Very classy.
Seriously.
Well, you're welcome.
There's go energy in here.
It'll be nice to share it.
This belongs here.
- We're off the clock.
- I know.
I'll see you tomorrow.