CSI: Miami (2002–2012): Season 10, Episode 2 - Stiff - full transcript
When a man is found dead in a cabana at a hotel. It is discovered that he was a male prostitute and he died because someone broke the propane tank of the fireplace. But he was also beaten. So they think either a dissatisfied customer, a rival, or the boyfriend or husband of one of his clients.
DEEJAY: Good morning, Miami.
Time for your WINK 96.9
weather update.
The high today 85...
VALET: Welcome to the Ember.
-Hi.
-Reception's right inside.
Thanks.
Hope you're staying cool
out there.
Going to room 32.
Welcome to the Ember.
-Here's your ticket.
-Thank you.
You did not just make it here
before I did.
-Good morning, slowpoke.
-I live 15 minutes from here,
and there's no way
you made it here before me.
Unless you used the siren.
-You used the siren, didn't you?
-Nobody told me I couldn't.
-Cheated.
-Do you want to tell me
why I'm missing out
an hour of beauty sleep here?
Yes, because we got
a report of a dead body.
The cabana boy called it in;
he said he was spooked.
What do you mean, "spooked"?
(car alarms blaring loudly)
-Okay, well, I'm awake now,
-Oh, my... stop!
as is everyone else
in a four-mile radius.
-This has been doing this
all week. -Tell you what.
You take care of that, I'II, uh,
handle the situation inside.
Okay, I'll catch up with you.
-(car alarm continues blaring)
-Stop!
Hi. Are you the hotel manager?
Finally. We called you
20 minutes ago.
Uh, where's the body?
Keep your voice down;
the guests could hear you.
Where's the body?
It's in the cabana.
But the door is locked.
My security chief is on his way
down with the master key.
It's the last cabana
on the left.
Okay.
(whispers):
Have a nice day.
#
#
No wonder the cabana boy
was spooked.
(camera shutter clicks)
BOA VISTA:
Got the key.
Oh, no.
Is it that bad?
I just don't want it
to be a bloater.
I had two bloaters last week.
I just can't do another one.
Uh, it's not a bloater.
It's a, it's a...
It's a floater.
What do you mean?
What... a floater?
How is it a floater?
The hat--
what happened to the hat?
It was just floating.
Like in the air, floating?
As in three inches
above the body.
Look, I got a photo of it.
That's a...
great reflection of you.
What?
The hat was floating.
You might want to catch up
on that beauty sleep.
I know what I saw.
I'll tell you,
I know what I see.
This guy took
a real-life beating.
Head injury with
multiple contact wounds.
We've got numerous
cast-off stains.
He was hit more than once.
Well, once could be an accident,
but more than that is murder.
HOTEL MANAGER:
His name is Derek Vaughn.
He's rented that particular
cabana by the week
for the last six months.
Did he have many visitors?
My daughter Luisa handles
day-to-day operations.
-I can ask her.
-No need.
I'll talk to her.
Listen, Lieutenant,
I would really appreciate it if
you kept this out of the press.
I can't afford to
scare away my guests.
You know, Mr. Romero, right now,
public relations is
the least of your problems.
# Yeah! #
# We don't get fooled again #
# Don't get fooled again #
# No, no! #
(people talking,
camera shutters clicking)
I have no idea who Mr. Vaughn
entertained in his cabana.
You're the director of
operations of this hotel, ma'am.
Lieutenant, we don't
spy on our guests.
We value their privacy,
so all that mattered was that
he paid his rent on time.
What was the rent on the cabana?
$2,000 a day, $14,000 a week.
Well, that's a big number.
What was his method of payment?
Mm, always paid by check.
Okay. Where are
those checks now?
Hey, there he is!
Our very own Criss Angel.
Better make sure that
that bag is sealed tight.
You don't want the hat to...
float away.
Never going to live
this down, am I?
No, we've got some serious
mileage left on this one, pal.
Okay. Well, then,
let's get this over with
as quickly as possible,
'cause I don't want to spend
any more time in this place.
Well, Natalia said
that our victim
got hit over the head
with an object.
Any of those things
our murder weapon?
WOLFE:
These? No. They're negative.
But whatever hit him in
the head was definitely heavy,
'cause it penetrated his skull.
We have oval-shaped
droplets on the wall.
Tails arcing toward the door.
90-degree spatter
on the ceiling.
So my guess is
the killer stood here.
He swung whatever the weapon
was in a clubbing fashion.
Maybe we can find
his footprints.
Well, uh... what makes
you so sure he's a he?
You know something I don't know?
Well, we got about five or six
different strands of hair here.
They're all long, and
they're all different colors.
And look at this.
Box of condoms.
Guess our victim was a player.
Maybe he played
with the wrong girl.
Boyfriend got angry,
showed up...
Tell you what,
I'll get in contact with
Horatio, see if I can't get
a list of our victim's guests.
You can't wait to get
out of here, can you?
I'm bringing the hat with me.
(car alarm blaring)
Hello? No.
I can't bring it in, because
as you can hear, it won't stop.
No, I need somebody
to come here.
No, not in three hours!
I need someone now!
This is the third time today.
Can you hear me?
You're breaking up.
Really?
Wow, the tech gods
must be angry at you.
I could hear your alarm all
the way from the hotel bar.
Oh...
You need some help?
If you're a mechanic, I guess.
I'm not,
but I'm good with my hands.
Okay.
-Is it all right?
-Yeah, be my guest.
Guys, I got it.
(car alarm continues blaring)
You know what you're doing?
(car alarm stops)
Okay. That should do it.
Shouldn't give you
any more trouble.
I'd still see a mechanic.
Wow, thank you.
How did you learn to do that?
It was awesome.
My dad. I could change
your oil, too, if you want.
No, I'm good. I'm good. Thanks.
Well, how about...
dinner, instead?
What's your name?
-It's Joe.
-Joe, hi.
Natalia. Nice to meet you.
Uh, let me give you my card.
I have to run back to work.
Great, thanks.
Officer Boa Vista.
Officer.
Yeah. Is that a problem?
Not at all.
I'll call you.
Okay.
Thanks again.
Yeah.
-(growls)
-(gasps)
What are you,
eight years old?
Seven.
-(laughing)
-What is wrong with you?
Look, man, that hat seems like
it's really messing with you.
Come on. I know everyone
thinks I'm crazy,
but I swear to God,
I saw this hat floating.
-I saw it happen.
-I believe you.
Yeah, keep busting my chops.
I know I'm not crazy.
The hat was floating.
It was up in the air.
Wolfe, I said I believe you.
You do?
Yes. I've seen my fair share of
strange things on crime scenes.
-Yeah?
-Remember the "ghost"?
-Yeah.
-See?
Thing is, there's always
a logical explanation.
Yes, there is.
-So, let's figure it out.
-Okay.
Horatio.
CAINE: These are
the victim's rent checks.
Yeah, a runner
just dropped them off.
They're all payable to Derek,
and not the hotel.
Yes, but they're
endorsed to the hotel.
Yeah. They're all from
different women, too.
I mean, there's a $500 check
for weeding.
$700 check for tree-trimming.
$300 check for planting.
This guy must have
a gold-plated hedge clipper.
He was no gardener, Frank.
He could be an escort.
There's only one
dated yesterday,
from a Gretchen Cambridge.
Cambridge. Okay.
Take Natalia
and go see Ms. Cambridge.
I'm going back to the hotel.
Think they knew they were
renting out a cabana
to a gigolo?
Let's find out.
(siren wailing)
My husband's going to
be home any minute.
You're married?
Don't know how I'm going
to explain this to Steven.
Well, you can start by
explaining it to us.
Steven travels for business.
But when he's home,
it's golf or the computer.
It's like I'm invisible.
I needed someone to
fill the emptiness.
So you hired a gigolo?
A friend of mine
told me about this guy
who worked out of the Ember.
She said he was discreet,
and that's exactly
what I needed.
A gigolo?
BOA VISTA: You wanted
a younger man to use for sex?
-Good night.
-Good night.
GRETCHEN: It wasn't like that.
It wasn't about the sex.
He really cared about me.
You look incredible.
(laughs)
It's the lighting.
DEREK:
It's your eyes.
It's your mouth.
It's your body.
GRETCHEN:
I'm too old for you.
DEREK:
Your beauty is ageless.
TRIPP:
The guy serviced a lot of women.
You sure you didn't get jealous?
I didn't care
about the other women.
When I was with him,
it was just us.
BOA VISTA: And where does your
husband figure into all this?
Does he know about Derek?
Steven didn't kill Derek.
He wasn't even here last night.
He was in Idaho all week.
(car door closes)
That's my husband.
Please don't say
anything about this.
Man's going to find out
eventually.
I've told you everything
I know about Derek.
I have no idea
what happened to him.
Everything okay, officers?
Your, uh, your wife
just made a very generous
donation to the police fund.
Oh, well, Gretchen has
a generous heart.
That she has.
BOA VISTA:
So we'll be back to collect.
-You ready?
-Yeah.
Watch and learn.
(gas hissing)
What?
(chuckles)
How did you...?
How'd you do that?
Sulfur hexafluoride gas
is denser than air.
So in a closed space,
like this box
or an unventilated cabana,
sinks to the bottom,
displacing the air upwards.
WOLFE: And along with it
goes the Panama hat.
SIMMONS:
Exactly.
You know what doesn't
make sense, though--
if there was gas in that cabana,
why wouldn't I have smelled it?
Well, you wouldn't
necessarily smell it
unless the additive was there.
Suppliers are required
by law to add a chemical
that makes it smell
so you can detect leaks.
Pure gases are odorless.
You'll never know they're there.
Okay, so we didn't have a pure
source of sulfur hexafluoride.
What are some other gases
that are heavier than air?
-Butane, propane, acetylene...
-Wait a second.
WOLFE: There was a fireplace
in the cabana.
One of those gas fireplaces--
that has propane.
Maybe. I doubt
a burning fireplace
would put out enough vapors
to float a hat.
Unless there's a leak.
WOLFE:
All that propane-- one spark.
SIMMONS:
Yeah.
(gas hissing)
Oh, my God.
-What? -Calleigh and Delko
are still there.
(cell phone vibrating)
(gas hissing)
(phone ringing)
Yes, Mr. Wolfe.
Traveling now.
Get down!
(coughing)
Eric!
Get up!
Come on, get up!
Eric, come on, get up.
We got to get out of here.
Help! Help! Help!
Help! Let's go! Get up! Get up!
Get up!
Help!
Somebody help!
-Come on!
-Eric!
Get up!
(siren wailing)
(garbled radio transmissions)
WOLFE:
Hey.
Are you guys okay?
Yeah. I got
a hell of a headache.
I'll be all right.
Wish I could say the same
for the evidence.
It's all been destroyed.
You said the hat was floating
when you got on the scene
this morning?
Yeah, that's right.
The sinking propane caused it
to rise off the floor.
What are you thinking?
I'm thinking heavy gas
like propane settles
close to the floor.
Right where
the victim was lying.
(phone ringing)
Loman.
Haven't finished yet.
Listen, I've got some
information I think might help.
The victim was exposed
to high levels of propane gas.
I am seeing nonspecific acute
visceral congestion.
Along with pinpoint hemorrhages
in the epicardium.
All signs of asphyxiation.
LOMAN: Propane displaces oxygen
in the lungs.
Without oxygen, Derek was
likely dead within minutes.
What about the head injury?
WOMAN (over P.A.):
Dr. Loman, code three.
I just got called to a triple.
You'll have to wait
for my final report.
Derek didn't die
from the head injury.
Propane killed him first.
Really?
You know, the leak
could have been an accident.
Maybe, but before the explosion,
I noticed that
the gas shut-off valve
on the fireplace was dented.
We need to go back in and take
another look at the fireplace.
-Yeah.
-Yeah.
CAINE:
Everybody stay where you are.
What do you think you're doing?
I'm shutting you down.
-Why?
-You almost got
two of my people killed, because
your propane had no odor.
That's illegal.
What?!
You take care of payroll,
I got this.
I swear, I had no idea
we were buying illegal propane.
Like you had no idea
Derek Vaughn was a gigolo.
You're looking at some
pretty serious charges, Hector.
Criminal negligence,
running a prostitution ring...
And that's just
for starters, Hector.
Okay, look, listen, I admit,
I knew about Derek's profession.
But I'm not a pimp.
He paid me for the cabana,
that's all.
What about the propane?
I want to get to the bottom
of that as much as you do.
Call your supplier right now.
(phone ringing)
Mitch, this is Hector.
We had a leak.
Can you come
and take a look at it
before your delivery guy
fills the tank today?
Mitch Fielder.
My name is Lieutenant Caine.
Where's Hector?
Hector...
is cleaning up your mess.
What's going on?
This propane
has no additive in it.
Therefore, it's illegal.
No way.
I'm completely aboveboard.
Is that right?
So if I were to put this
in your car,
and turn it on,
you'd smell the propane?
Wait, wait.
Okay, you're right.
There's nothing to smell.
A man died
because of that propane.
I'm not the only one
responsible.
The hotel knew exactly
what they were getting.
Not according to Hector.
Then he's lying.
I guess we'll see.
Hey, where you going,
Mr. Romero?
I'm late for a staff meeting
back at the hotel.
The meeting's been
canceled, Hector.
Mitch Fielder told us
that you knew
exactly what you were buying.
That's a lie. He cheated me.
Oh, so then these aren't
your signatures
on these purchase orders?
There it is in black
and white, Hector.
Listen, we've been losing money
ever since the economy tanked.
And I... did what I could do.
I got rid of the maid service...
You rented out the cabana
to gigolos.
And you purchased
cheap propane, Hector.
There are 200 fireplaces
at the hotel.
On every balcony, by the pool,
in the cabanas.
We burn through a tanker
of propane every week.
That's why I had to switch
to the cheapest supplier,
you know what I mean?
He doesn't get it.
No, he doesn't.
SIMMONS: Hector, this is
no longer criminal negligence.
It's now negligent homicide.
What?
I thought somebody
hit him on the head.
They did.
And after he was hit, he died
of propane asphyxiation.
Well, I didn't mean
for that to happen.
CAINE:
But it did.
And now you're under arrest.
#
Hey, take a look at this.
I found the shut-off valve.
Do you remember it being this
dented before the explosion?
DELKO:
The dent looks the same.
Whoever did this used
a lot of force
to make this kind of a dent.
This wasn't an accident.
WOLFE: We got to put
this fireplace back together.
It's the only way we're going to
figure out who caused this leak.
I've got a torn piece of paper.
Must have blown here
during the blast.
What does it say?
I can't tell,
it's been scorched.
Okay, it's a North Biscayne
High School parking pass.
The student's
last name is Davis.
Yeah, uh, North Biscayne
High School, please.
Yeah, this is, uh, CSI Simmons
from the Miami-Dade crime lab.
Trying to figure out if you have
a student there named Davis.
No, last name-- Davis.
Uh-huh.
Really? Emma?
And she's there today?
Okay, thank you.
Did you find the student?
Not exactly.
(school bell rings)
I can't lose my job.
You're a teacher, Ms. Davis.
You probably should
have thought about that
before you solicited
a man for sex.
He solicited me!
I can tell you I'm not
surprised that he's dead.
Oh, really? Did you know
he was gonna be killed?
No! No, God, no.
It's just that
I'm not surprised that
the first guy that I slept with
wound up dead hours later.
Yeah, I was
a 30-year-old virgin.
In high school, it was a choice.
In college,
it just never happened.
And it became this
insurmountable thing.
(sighs)
I just figured
I had to do it, get it over with
or I never would.
And that's why
you went to Derek.
We met at the Ember last week.
(champagne cork pops)
DUQUESNE: Did you hook up
with him that night?
No.
I finally did it yesterday
after school.
DUQUESNE:
And when you found out
that you were just another
paying customer...
(Emma grunts)
...that make you mad?
No! No, l-I had a great time.
It felt like a real date.
He made me feel so comfortable.
He was...
he was really nice.
I've never done this before.
(pouring wine)
There's nothing
to be ashamed of.
No, I mean, it's my first time.
It's my first time, too.
With you.
We'll take it slowly.
(school bell rings)
Well, I appreciate your time,
and your candor.
Oh, wait.
I don't know if this'll help,
but yesterday when
I was, um, at the hotel,
I saw Derek arguing with a man.
Oh, really? Did you hear
what they were arguing about?
Um...
Clients and money.
I think he was a gigolo, too.
What'd he look like?
#
(siren whoops, tires screech)
(grunts)
Get up! Get over there!
Is this because
I didn't call you?
Oh, man... you're really good.
You actually had me.
I would never have known
what you did for a living.
Can't a guy hit on
a beautiful woman?
Not when you take money
for the privilege.
It's called prostitution.
A witness saw you fighting
with Derek last night.
What were you fighting about?
He stole a girl from me--
virgin.
You know how much we can
make off one of those?
That was fun.
DEREK:
Come back anytime.
Hey, Derek, you kidding me?
She had her eye on me.
I was about to close that deal.
You scared her off,
so she came to me.
Hey!
You owe me money, all right?
You can't keep
taking my clients.
Really? What are you
gonna do about it?
Look, Derek didn't
just rob me of my fee.
These women shower us
with gifts.
He cost me those, too.
Guy turns up with
a bashed-in skull--
makes you suspect number one.
I'm not saying another word.
You want to play it like that?
Fine, pretty boy.
See how you do in county lockup.
Get his ass out of here.
You all right?
Yeah, thanks.
(buoy bell ringing)
BOA VISTA: Still don't know
what Derek was hit with.
We didn't find any weapon
at the scene.
Maybe Derek can help us
out with that.
BOA VISTA:
Damn, those are some nice abs.
This guy must have
lived at the gym.
Where did he find time
to squeeze in all the women?
Always time to
squeeze in women.
Especially if they're paying.
(scoffs)
A lot of coagulated blood.
Probably suffered
an intracranial hemorrhage.
My guess is
he would have bled out
if the propane hadn't
gotten to him first.
Got a little something in this
wound. Will you do me a favor
and hand me the magnifying
glass and tweezers, please?
Gracias.
Mm-hmm.
Yeah.
Are those dandruff flakes?
Maybe from our gigolo Joe.
His dandruff could have fallen
onto the vic
when he attacked him.
Care to take it to Trace?
Thank you.
The flakes are PVC plastic.
But I can't think of anything
made of PVC heavy enough
to fracture a skull.
What if it were
part of a weapon?
Hmm?
This may help.
The flakes are coated
with water and glycerin.
Why would that be on
the outside of a weapon?
It's not what's on the outside.
It's what's on the inside.
Hmm.
I'm totally lost.
Okay. When I was a little,
my dad used to take me
to the derby.
I loved horses.
And I would always beg him
to buy me a horse.
So my dad bought me a snow globe
with a stallion on the inside.
So, you're saying
the flakes we found on the body
-are actually snow from
inside a snow globe? -Exactly.
It's the water-glycerin mixture
that makes the snow float.
What if these leaked out
when Derek was hit on the head?
What kind of guy brings
a snow globe to attack someone?
Could be a woman.
You know,
Joe did say that a lot of women
give gifts to the gigolos.
Maybe one of the women
bought it as a gift
but ended up using it
as a weapon.
#
Here you go.
Really?
#
Got Paris here.
Vacation.
-Perfect place to pick up
a souvenir. -Right?
"La Tour d'Argent,
Musee d'Orsay, Louvre,
Claudine Cadeaux, Bon Marche.
Wait-wait-wait. Go back.
Was that Claudine Cadeaux?
It's "Claudine's Gifts."
"Maison Du Chocolat...
uh... a boule de neige."
"Snow globe."
That's the snow globe!
Whose statement is that?
BOA VISTA:
It's Gretchen,
our housewife.
Ah!
(sirens wailing)
I told you, it's not here.
I gave the snow globe to Derek.
He kept it in the cabana.
Anyone could have
hit him with it.
Well, if that's the case,
Ms. Cambridge,
then you have nothing
to worry about, right?
#
CAINE:
Eric.
Sticky.
This hammer's got
some white flakes on it.
I'll bet you this was used
to smash the snow globe.
Where's the trash?
Mrs. Cambridge?
Do you recognize that?
It's a piece of a snow globe.
And can you tell me
how it got that way?
GRETCHEN:
I... uh... I, uh...
I hit Derek on the back
of the head with it.
You hit him
on the back of the head?
That's... that's strange,
because Derek was actually hit
on the front of the head.
Mrs. Cambridge, you are clearly
covering for someone.
GRETCHEN: No, listen,
you have to believe me.
-I'm telling you the truth.
It's me. It's me. -Enough.
Enough.
All right?
No more lies.
I suspected you were
cheating on me,
so I waited until you left
the house, and I followed you.
It couldn't have been you...
-You weren't...
-I came back from
my business trip a day early.
GRETCHEN:
That was amazing.
DEREK:
Good night.
CAINE: And that's when
you confronted Derek.
I thought I could convince him
to stop seeing her.
Just leave my wife alone!
Well, maybe if you paid
better attention
to her, she'd stop
coming back to me.
Where did you get this?
Gretchen gave it to me.
(grunting)
STEVEN: I saw you buy that snow
globe when we were in Paris.
I just assumed it was for me.
(sighs)
And when I saw it
at the cabana...
I lost it.
All those nights alone...
all those endless
business trips...
I thought you stopped loving me.
STEVEN:
I never did.
I'm so sorry.
-I'm so sorry.
-Don't.
Mr. Cambridge,
one more question.
Did you break the valve
on the fireplace
before or after
the attack on Derek?
I don't know
what you're talking about.
I didn't go anywhere
near the fireplace.
Take him.
I believe him.
So do I.
But if he didn't cause the gas
leak, that leaves one question.
Who did?
#
That's made of leather.
SIMMONS: That doesn't belong
in a fireplace.
Are those traction ridges?
They are.
It's from the sole of a shoe.
Yeah, the killer must've
left it behind
after he kicked the valve.
So we find the shoe
that matches...
We find the killer.
(elevator bell dings)
DELKO:
H...
I got something
on the propane leak.
Based on the flow rate and the
size of the cabana, it would've
taken about two hours for
the propane to become deadly.
Yeah, but there was no guarantee
that Derek would stay
in there the entire time.
Okay...
Maybe the killer didn't plan
to suffocate him.
Well, that's true, because I
think they were counting on him
to light the fireplace,
to cause an explosion.
That's a good plan in theory,
except the victim
would have smelled the gas
and decided to leave.
Unless the killer
knew he wouldn't.
Well, Hector Romero wouldn't
have had a motive, then.
'Cause he was making
a lot of money off Derek.
He certainly was, which means
somebody else knew
about the propane.
(sirens wailing)
Hang on a second, folks.
We posted bail.
They said I could leave.
Why do you want
to talk to my dad, again?
I don't want to talk
to your dad.
I want to talk to you.
You run the day-to-day
operations at the hotel.
Yes. So?
So, you would know
that the propane was odorless.
Let me see your shoes, please.
They're clean.
They may be,
but the foot isn't, is it?
You just weren't wearing
these shoes last night.
You had open-toe shoes on?
How do you know that?
Because you have frostbite.
BOA VISTA: It's from
exposure to propane.
From when you kicked
the valve on the fireplace.
(grunting)
(gas hissing)
(groans)
Want to tell us what happened?
Derek and I
were seeing each other.
What?!
You were with that... gigolo?
I knew what he was,
and I thought I could handle it.
But then I kept seeing...
those checks.
Here, babe. This should cover
the rest of this week's rent.
Hmm.
Busy week.
Oh, I'm sorry.
Sorry enough to quit?
We've been through this.
I know.
But, um...
I'm falling in love with you.
Me, too.
I'm gonna hit the showers.
(groans)
LUISA: I knew the next girl
he brought in there,
he'd light the fireplace
and they'd both die.
(grunting)
CAINE:
I hope you're satisfied.
Take her, please.
Come on.
No, no. No, no, no. Dad?
#
#
#
That's not funny, Walter.
(cackling)
-Come on!
-Not funny!
-It's funny.
-No, it-it's not funny.
But thank you, Walter.
Time for your WINK 96.9
weather update.
The high today 85...
VALET: Welcome to the Ember.
-Hi.
-Reception's right inside.
Thanks.
Hope you're staying cool
out there.
Going to room 32.
Welcome to the Ember.
-Here's your ticket.
-Thank you.
You did not just make it here
before I did.
-Good morning, slowpoke.
-I live 15 minutes from here,
and there's no way
you made it here before me.
Unless you used the siren.
-You used the siren, didn't you?
-Nobody told me I couldn't.
-Cheated.
-Do you want to tell me
why I'm missing out
an hour of beauty sleep here?
Yes, because we got
a report of a dead body.
The cabana boy called it in;
he said he was spooked.
What do you mean, "spooked"?
(car alarms blaring loudly)
-Okay, well, I'm awake now,
-Oh, my... stop!
as is everyone else
in a four-mile radius.
-This has been doing this
all week. -Tell you what.
You take care of that, I'II, uh,
handle the situation inside.
Okay, I'll catch up with you.
-(car alarm continues blaring)
-Stop!
Hi. Are you the hotel manager?
Finally. We called you
20 minutes ago.
Uh, where's the body?
Keep your voice down;
the guests could hear you.
Where's the body?
It's in the cabana.
But the door is locked.
My security chief is on his way
down with the master key.
It's the last cabana
on the left.
Okay.
(whispers):
Have a nice day.
#
#
No wonder the cabana boy
was spooked.
(camera shutter clicks)
BOA VISTA:
Got the key.
Oh, no.
Is it that bad?
I just don't want it
to be a bloater.
I had two bloaters last week.
I just can't do another one.
Uh, it's not a bloater.
It's a, it's a...
It's a floater.
What do you mean?
What... a floater?
How is it a floater?
The hat--
what happened to the hat?
It was just floating.
Like in the air, floating?
As in three inches
above the body.
Look, I got a photo of it.
That's a...
great reflection of you.
What?
The hat was floating.
You might want to catch up
on that beauty sleep.
I know what I saw.
I'll tell you,
I know what I see.
This guy took
a real-life beating.
Head injury with
multiple contact wounds.
We've got numerous
cast-off stains.
He was hit more than once.
Well, once could be an accident,
but more than that is murder.
HOTEL MANAGER:
His name is Derek Vaughn.
He's rented that particular
cabana by the week
for the last six months.
Did he have many visitors?
My daughter Luisa handles
day-to-day operations.
-I can ask her.
-No need.
I'll talk to her.
Listen, Lieutenant,
I would really appreciate it if
you kept this out of the press.
I can't afford to
scare away my guests.
You know, Mr. Romero, right now,
public relations is
the least of your problems.
# Yeah! #
# We don't get fooled again #
# Don't get fooled again #
# No, no! #
(people talking,
camera shutters clicking)
I have no idea who Mr. Vaughn
entertained in his cabana.
You're the director of
operations of this hotel, ma'am.
Lieutenant, we don't
spy on our guests.
We value their privacy,
so all that mattered was that
he paid his rent on time.
What was the rent on the cabana?
$2,000 a day, $14,000 a week.
Well, that's a big number.
What was his method of payment?
Mm, always paid by check.
Okay. Where are
those checks now?
Hey, there he is!
Our very own Criss Angel.
Better make sure that
that bag is sealed tight.
You don't want the hat to...
float away.
Never going to live
this down, am I?
No, we've got some serious
mileage left on this one, pal.
Okay. Well, then,
let's get this over with
as quickly as possible,
'cause I don't want to spend
any more time in this place.
Well, Natalia said
that our victim
got hit over the head
with an object.
Any of those things
our murder weapon?
WOLFE:
These? No. They're negative.
But whatever hit him in
the head was definitely heavy,
'cause it penetrated his skull.
We have oval-shaped
droplets on the wall.
Tails arcing toward the door.
90-degree spatter
on the ceiling.
So my guess is
the killer stood here.
He swung whatever the weapon
was in a clubbing fashion.
Maybe we can find
his footprints.
Well, uh... what makes
you so sure he's a he?
You know something I don't know?
Well, we got about five or six
different strands of hair here.
They're all long, and
they're all different colors.
And look at this.
Box of condoms.
Guess our victim was a player.
Maybe he played
with the wrong girl.
Boyfriend got angry,
showed up...
Tell you what,
I'll get in contact with
Horatio, see if I can't get
a list of our victim's guests.
You can't wait to get
out of here, can you?
I'm bringing the hat with me.
(car alarm blaring)
Hello? No.
I can't bring it in, because
as you can hear, it won't stop.
No, I need somebody
to come here.
No, not in three hours!
I need someone now!
This is the third time today.
Can you hear me?
You're breaking up.
Really?
Wow, the tech gods
must be angry at you.
I could hear your alarm all
the way from the hotel bar.
Oh...
You need some help?
If you're a mechanic, I guess.
I'm not,
but I'm good with my hands.
Okay.
-Is it all right?
-Yeah, be my guest.
Guys, I got it.
(car alarm continues blaring)
You know what you're doing?
(car alarm stops)
Okay. That should do it.
Shouldn't give you
any more trouble.
I'd still see a mechanic.
Wow, thank you.
How did you learn to do that?
It was awesome.
My dad. I could change
your oil, too, if you want.
No, I'm good. I'm good. Thanks.
Well, how about...
dinner, instead?
What's your name?
-It's Joe.
-Joe, hi.
Natalia. Nice to meet you.
Uh, let me give you my card.
I have to run back to work.
Great, thanks.
Officer Boa Vista.
Officer.
Yeah. Is that a problem?
Not at all.
I'll call you.
Okay.
Thanks again.
Yeah.
-(growls)
-(gasps)
What are you,
eight years old?
Seven.
-(laughing)
-What is wrong with you?
Look, man, that hat seems like
it's really messing with you.
Come on. I know everyone
thinks I'm crazy,
but I swear to God,
I saw this hat floating.
-I saw it happen.
-I believe you.
Yeah, keep busting my chops.
I know I'm not crazy.
The hat was floating.
It was up in the air.
Wolfe, I said I believe you.
You do?
Yes. I've seen my fair share of
strange things on crime scenes.
-Yeah?
-Remember the "ghost"?
-Yeah.
-See?
Thing is, there's always
a logical explanation.
Yes, there is.
-So, let's figure it out.
-Okay.
Horatio.
CAINE: These are
the victim's rent checks.
Yeah, a runner
just dropped them off.
They're all payable to Derek,
and not the hotel.
Yes, but they're
endorsed to the hotel.
Yeah. They're all from
different women, too.
I mean, there's a $500 check
for weeding.
$700 check for tree-trimming.
$300 check for planting.
This guy must have
a gold-plated hedge clipper.
He was no gardener, Frank.
He could be an escort.
There's only one
dated yesterday,
from a Gretchen Cambridge.
Cambridge. Okay.
Take Natalia
and go see Ms. Cambridge.
I'm going back to the hotel.
Think they knew they were
renting out a cabana
to a gigolo?
Let's find out.
(siren wailing)
My husband's going to
be home any minute.
You're married?
Don't know how I'm going
to explain this to Steven.
Well, you can start by
explaining it to us.
Steven travels for business.
But when he's home,
it's golf or the computer.
It's like I'm invisible.
I needed someone to
fill the emptiness.
So you hired a gigolo?
A friend of mine
told me about this guy
who worked out of the Ember.
She said he was discreet,
and that's exactly
what I needed.
A gigolo?
BOA VISTA: You wanted
a younger man to use for sex?
-Good night.
-Good night.
GRETCHEN: It wasn't like that.
It wasn't about the sex.
He really cared about me.
You look incredible.
(laughs)
It's the lighting.
DEREK:
It's your eyes.
It's your mouth.
It's your body.
GRETCHEN:
I'm too old for you.
DEREK:
Your beauty is ageless.
TRIPP:
The guy serviced a lot of women.
You sure you didn't get jealous?
I didn't care
about the other women.
When I was with him,
it was just us.
BOA VISTA: And where does your
husband figure into all this?
Does he know about Derek?
Steven didn't kill Derek.
He wasn't even here last night.
He was in Idaho all week.
(car door closes)
That's my husband.
Please don't say
anything about this.
Man's going to find out
eventually.
I've told you everything
I know about Derek.
I have no idea
what happened to him.
Everything okay, officers?
Your, uh, your wife
just made a very generous
donation to the police fund.
Oh, well, Gretchen has
a generous heart.
That she has.
BOA VISTA:
So we'll be back to collect.
-You ready?
-Yeah.
Watch and learn.
(gas hissing)
What?
(chuckles)
How did you...?
How'd you do that?
Sulfur hexafluoride gas
is denser than air.
So in a closed space,
like this box
or an unventilated cabana,
sinks to the bottom,
displacing the air upwards.
WOLFE: And along with it
goes the Panama hat.
SIMMONS:
Exactly.
You know what doesn't
make sense, though--
if there was gas in that cabana,
why wouldn't I have smelled it?
Well, you wouldn't
necessarily smell it
unless the additive was there.
Suppliers are required
by law to add a chemical
that makes it smell
so you can detect leaks.
Pure gases are odorless.
You'll never know they're there.
Okay, so we didn't have a pure
source of sulfur hexafluoride.
What are some other gases
that are heavier than air?
-Butane, propane, acetylene...
-Wait a second.
WOLFE: There was a fireplace
in the cabana.
One of those gas fireplaces--
that has propane.
Maybe. I doubt
a burning fireplace
would put out enough vapors
to float a hat.
Unless there's a leak.
WOLFE:
All that propane-- one spark.
SIMMONS:
Yeah.
(gas hissing)
Oh, my God.
-What? -Calleigh and Delko
are still there.
(cell phone vibrating)
(gas hissing)
(phone ringing)
Yes, Mr. Wolfe.
Traveling now.
Get down!
(coughing)
Eric!
Get up!
Come on, get up!
Eric, come on, get up.
We got to get out of here.
Help! Help! Help!
Help! Let's go! Get up! Get up!
Get up!
Help!
Somebody help!
-Come on!
-Eric!
Get up!
(siren wailing)
(garbled radio transmissions)
WOLFE:
Hey.
Are you guys okay?
Yeah. I got
a hell of a headache.
I'll be all right.
Wish I could say the same
for the evidence.
It's all been destroyed.
You said the hat was floating
when you got on the scene
this morning?
Yeah, that's right.
The sinking propane caused it
to rise off the floor.
What are you thinking?
I'm thinking heavy gas
like propane settles
close to the floor.
Right where
the victim was lying.
(phone ringing)
Loman.
Haven't finished yet.
Listen, I've got some
information I think might help.
The victim was exposed
to high levels of propane gas.
I am seeing nonspecific acute
visceral congestion.
Along with pinpoint hemorrhages
in the epicardium.
All signs of asphyxiation.
LOMAN: Propane displaces oxygen
in the lungs.
Without oxygen, Derek was
likely dead within minutes.
What about the head injury?
WOMAN (over P.A.):
Dr. Loman, code three.
I just got called to a triple.
You'll have to wait
for my final report.
Derek didn't die
from the head injury.
Propane killed him first.
Really?
You know, the leak
could have been an accident.
Maybe, but before the explosion,
I noticed that
the gas shut-off valve
on the fireplace was dented.
We need to go back in and take
another look at the fireplace.
-Yeah.
-Yeah.
CAINE:
Everybody stay where you are.
What do you think you're doing?
I'm shutting you down.
-Why?
-You almost got
two of my people killed, because
your propane had no odor.
That's illegal.
What?!
You take care of payroll,
I got this.
I swear, I had no idea
we were buying illegal propane.
Like you had no idea
Derek Vaughn was a gigolo.
You're looking at some
pretty serious charges, Hector.
Criminal negligence,
running a prostitution ring...
And that's just
for starters, Hector.
Okay, look, listen, I admit,
I knew about Derek's profession.
But I'm not a pimp.
He paid me for the cabana,
that's all.
What about the propane?
I want to get to the bottom
of that as much as you do.
Call your supplier right now.
(phone ringing)
Mitch, this is Hector.
We had a leak.
Can you come
and take a look at it
before your delivery guy
fills the tank today?
Mitch Fielder.
My name is Lieutenant Caine.
Where's Hector?
Hector...
is cleaning up your mess.
What's going on?
This propane
has no additive in it.
Therefore, it's illegal.
No way.
I'm completely aboveboard.
Is that right?
So if I were to put this
in your car,
and turn it on,
you'd smell the propane?
Wait, wait.
Okay, you're right.
There's nothing to smell.
A man died
because of that propane.
I'm not the only one
responsible.
The hotel knew exactly
what they were getting.
Not according to Hector.
Then he's lying.
I guess we'll see.
Hey, where you going,
Mr. Romero?
I'm late for a staff meeting
back at the hotel.
The meeting's been
canceled, Hector.
Mitch Fielder told us
that you knew
exactly what you were buying.
That's a lie. He cheated me.
Oh, so then these aren't
your signatures
on these purchase orders?
There it is in black
and white, Hector.
Listen, we've been losing money
ever since the economy tanked.
And I... did what I could do.
I got rid of the maid service...
You rented out the cabana
to gigolos.
And you purchased
cheap propane, Hector.
There are 200 fireplaces
at the hotel.
On every balcony, by the pool,
in the cabanas.
We burn through a tanker
of propane every week.
That's why I had to switch
to the cheapest supplier,
you know what I mean?
He doesn't get it.
No, he doesn't.
SIMMONS: Hector, this is
no longer criminal negligence.
It's now negligent homicide.
What?
I thought somebody
hit him on the head.
They did.
And after he was hit, he died
of propane asphyxiation.
Well, I didn't mean
for that to happen.
CAINE:
But it did.
And now you're under arrest.
#
Hey, take a look at this.
I found the shut-off valve.
Do you remember it being this
dented before the explosion?
DELKO:
The dent looks the same.
Whoever did this used
a lot of force
to make this kind of a dent.
This wasn't an accident.
WOLFE: We got to put
this fireplace back together.
It's the only way we're going to
figure out who caused this leak.
I've got a torn piece of paper.
Must have blown here
during the blast.
What does it say?
I can't tell,
it's been scorched.
Okay, it's a North Biscayne
High School parking pass.
The student's
last name is Davis.
Yeah, uh, North Biscayne
High School, please.
Yeah, this is, uh, CSI Simmons
from the Miami-Dade crime lab.
Trying to figure out if you have
a student there named Davis.
No, last name-- Davis.
Uh-huh.
Really? Emma?
And she's there today?
Okay, thank you.
Did you find the student?
Not exactly.
(school bell rings)
I can't lose my job.
You're a teacher, Ms. Davis.
You probably should
have thought about that
before you solicited
a man for sex.
He solicited me!
I can tell you I'm not
surprised that he's dead.
Oh, really? Did you know
he was gonna be killed?
No! No, God, no.
It's just that
I'm not surprised that
the first guy that I slept with
wound up dead hours later.
Yeah, I was
a 30-year-old virgin.
In high school, it was a choice.
In college,
it just never happened.
And it became this
insurmountable thing.
(sighs)
I just figured
I had to do it, get it over with
or I never would.
And that's why
you went to Derek.
We met at the Ember last week.
(champagne cork pops)
DUQUESNE: Did you hook up
with him that night?
No.
I finally did it yesterday
after school.
DUQUESNE:
And when you found out
that you were just another
paying customer...
(Emma grunts)
...that make you mad?
No! No, l-I had a great time.
It felt like a real date.
He made me feel so comfortable.
He was...
he was really nice.
I've never done this before.
(pouring wine)
There's nothing
to be ashamed of.
No, I mean, it's my first time.
It's my first time, too.
With you.
We'll take it slowly.
(school bell rings)
Well, I appreciate your time,
and your candor.
Oh, wait.
I don't know if this'll help,
but yesterday when
I was, um, at the hotel,
I saw Derek arguing with a man.
Oh, really? Did you hear
what they were arguing about?
Um...
Clients and money.
I think he was a gigolo, too.
What'd he look like?
#
(siren whoops, tires screech)
(grunts)
Get up! Get over there!
Is this because
I didn't call you?
Oh, man... you're really good.
You actually had me.
I would never have known
what you did for a living.
Can't a guy hit on
a beautiful woman?
Not when you take money
for the privilege.
It's called prostitution.
A witness saw you fighting
with Derek last night.
What were you fighting about?
He stole a girl from me--
virgin.
You know how much we can
make off one of those?
That was fun.
DEREK:
Come back anytime.
Hey, Derek, you kidding me?
She had her eye on me.
I was about to close that deal.
You scared her off,
so she came to me.
Hey!
You owe me money, all right?
You can't keep
taking my clients.
Really? What are you
gonna do about it?
Look, Derek didn't
just rob me of my fee.
These women shower us
with gifts.
He cost me those, too.
Guy turns up with
a bashed-in skull--
makes you suspect number one.
I'm not saying another word.
You want to play it like that?
Fine, pretty boy.
See how you do in county lockup.
Get his ass out of here.
You all right?
Yeah, thanks.
(buoy bell ringing)
BOA VISTA: Still don't know
what Derek was hit with.
We didn't find any weapon
at the scene.
Maybe Derek can help us
out with that.
BOA VISTA:
Damn, those are some nice abs.
This guy must have
lived at the gym.
Where did he find time
to squeeze in all the women?
Always time to
squeeze in women.
Especially if they're paying.
(scoffs)
A lot of coagulated blood.
Probably suffered
an intracranial hemorrhage.
My guess is
he would have bled out
if the propane hadn't
gotten to him first.
Got a little something in this
wound. Will you do me a favor
and hand me the magnifying
glass and tweezers, please?
Gracias.
Mm-hmm.
Yeah.
Are those dandruff flakes?
Maybe from our gigolo Joe.
His dandruff could have fallen
onto the vic
when he attacked him.
Care to take it to Trace?
Thank you.
The flakes are PVC plastic.
But I can't think of anything
made of PVC heavy enough
to fracture a skull.
What if it were
part of a weapon?
Hmm?
This may help.
The flakes are coated
with water and glycerin.
Why would that be on
the outside of a weapon?
It's not what's on the outside.
It's what's on the inside.
Hmm.
I'm totally lost.
Okay. When I was a little,
my dad used to take me
to the derby.
I loved horses.
And I would always beg him
to buy me a horse.
So my dad bought me a snow globe
with a stallion on the inside.
So, you're saying
the flakes we found on the body
-are actually snow from
inside a snow globe? -Exactly.
It's the water-glycerin mixture
that makes the snow float.
What if these leaked out
when Derek was hit on the head?
What kind of guy brings
a snow globe to attack someone?
Could be a woman.
You know,
Joe did say that a lot of women
give gifts to the gigolos.
Maybe one of the women
bought it as a gift
but ended up using it
as a weapon.
#
Here you go.
Really?
#
Got Paris here.
Vacation.
-Perfect place to pick up
a souvenir. -Right?
"La Tour d'Argent,
Musee d'Orsay, Louvre,
Claudine Cadeaux, Bon Marche.
Wait-wait-wait. Go back.
Was that Claudine Cadeaux?
It's "Claudine's Gifts."
"Maison Du Chocolat...
uh... a boule de neige."
"Snow globe."
That's the snow globe!
Whose statement is that?
BOA VISTA:
It's Gretchen,
our housewife.
Ah!
(sirens wailing)
I told you, it's not here.
I gave the snow globe to Derek.
He kept it in the cabana.
Anyone could have
hit him with it.
Well, if that's the case,
Ms. Cambridge,
then you have nothing
to worry about, right?
#
CAINE:
Eric.
Sticky.
This hammer's got
some white flakes on it.
I'll bet you this was used
to smash the snow globe.
Where's the trash?
Mrs. Cambridge?
Do you recognize that?
It's a piece of a snow globe.
And can you tell me
how it got that way?
GRETCHEN:
I... uh... I, uh...
I hit Derek on the back
of the head with it.
You hit him
on the back of the head?
That's... that's strange,
because Derek was actually hit
on the front of the head.
Mrs. Cambridge, you are clearly
covering for someone.
GRETCHEN: No, listen,
you have to believe me.
-I'm telling you the truth.
It's me. It's me. -Enough.
Enough.
All right?
No more lies.
I suspected you were
cheating on me,
so I waited until you left
the house, and I followed you.
It couldn't have been you...
-You weren't...
-I came back from
my business trip a day early.
GRETCHEN:
That was amazing.
DEREK:
Good night.
CAINE: And that's when
you confronted Derek.
I thought I could convince him
to stop seeing her.
Just leave my wife alone!
Well, maybe if you paid
better attention
to her, she'd stop
coming back to me.
Where did you get this?
Gretchen gave it to me.
(grunting)
STEVEN: I saw you buy that snow
globe when we were in Paris.
I just assumed it was for me.
(sighs)
And when I saw it
at the cabana...
I lost it.
All those nights alone...
all those endless
business trips...
I thought you stopped loving me.
STEVEN:
I never did.
I'm so sorry.
-I'm so sorry.
-Don't.
Mr. Cambridge,
one more question.
Did you break the valve
on the fireplace
before or after
the attack on Derek?
I don't know
what you're talking about.
I didn't go anywhere
near the fireplace.
Take him.
I believe him.
So do I.
But if he didn't cause the gas
leak, that leaves one question.
Who did?
#
That's made of leather.
SIMMONS: That doesn't belong
in a fireplace.
Are those traction ridges?
They are.
It's from the sole of a shoe.
Yeah, the killer must've
left it behind
after he kicked the valve.
So we find the shoe
that matches...
We find the killer.
(elevator bell dings)
DELKO:
H...
I got something
on the propane leak.
Based on the flow rate and the
size of the cabana, it would've
taken about two hours for
the propane to become deadly.
Yeah, but there was no guarantee
that Derek would stay
in there the entire time.
Okay...
Maybe the killer didn't plan
to suffocate him.
Well, that's true, because I
think they were counting on him
to light the fireplace,
to cause an explosion.
That's a good plan in theory,
except the victim
would have smelled the gas
and decided to leave.
Unless the killer
knew he wouldn't.
Well, Hector Romero wouldn't
have had a motive, then.
'Cause he was making
a lot of money off Derek.
He certainly was, which means
somebody else knew
about the propane.
(sirens wailing)
Hang on a second, folks.
We posted bail.
They said I could leave.
Why do you want
to talk to my dad, again?
I don't want to talk
to your dad.
I want to talk to you.
You run the day-to-day
operations at the hotel.
Yes. So?
So, you would know
that the propane was odorless.
Let me see your shoes, please.
They're clean.
They may be,
but the foot isn't, is it?
You just weren't wearing
these shoes last night.
You had open-toe shoes on?
How do you know that?
Because you have frostbite.
BOA VISTA: It's from
exposure to propane.
From when you kicked
the valve on the fireplace.
(grunting)
(gas hissing)
(groans)
Want to tell us what happened?
Derek and I
were seeing each other.
What?!
You were with that... gigolo?
I knew what he was,
and I thought I could handle it.
But then I kept seeing...
those checks.
Here, babe. This should cover
the rest of this week's rent.
Hmm.
Busy week.
Oh, I'm sorry.
Sorry enough to quit?
We've been through this.
I know.
But, um...
I'm falling in love with you.
Me, too.
I'm gonna hit the showers.
(groans)
LUISA: I knew the next girl
he brought in there,
he'd light the fireplace
and they'd both die.
(grunting)
CAINE:
I hope you're satisfied.
Take her, please.
Come on.
No, no. No, no, no. Dad?
#
#
#
That's not funny, Walter.
(cackling)
-Come on!
-Not funny!
-It's funny.
-No, it-it's not funny.
But thank you, Walter.