CSI: Vegas (2021–…): Season 1, Episode 10 - Signed, Sealed, Delivered - full transcript
Previously on CSI: Vegas...
My file says it's rented
to a Mr. Hodges.
It's like his own little lab.
Our life's work is on the line.
Someone stole your stuff
and is using it to frame you?
Anson Wix.
He was calling all the shots.
I'm Martin Kline.
Wix killed Kline
to keep him from flipping.
You're talking about
a really involved conspiracy.
They finally made a mistake.
What are you leaving out,
Guillermo?
Wix wanted that
old blind cop iced.
This was our last shot.
It's not over yet.
Mr. Hodges is on the run
and a fugitive.
Gil!
The LVPD spokesman I talked to
said the manhunt
for David Hodges
is the department's
top priority.
That explosive confession
posted online,
the admission
that he tampered with evidence
in hundreds of cases,
has infuriated
the law enforcement community
and many others.
Hodges didn't run.
He was taken.
You sound pretty sure.
We found
Velcro and canvas
from his ankle monitor.
Blood's not Hodges', though.
This is O negative.
Same as Guillermo.
I-I'm sorry,
I'm, like, way behind.
We think
these might have been used
to cut out the tongue
of a drug dealer named
Guillermo Chaves.
He had been talking to us.
Wix has cartel clients
that will do his dirty work.
Like kidnapping Hodges
and forcing him to confess.
And they left that,
why, as a gift?
I mean, cartels don't have
a minimum IQ for membership.
There aren't any prints,
though.
This is Wix putting
his thumb in our eye.
These do not prove that
Hodges' confession was fake.
No. These words
are gonna speak a lot louder
than a tenuous link
to a drug murder.
Do you think
he's still...
alive?
Let's not speculate.
Let's search every inch,
and then we find him.
♪ ♪
How should I know
what to do about
a broken needle on a GC/MS?
I don't even know
what a GC/MS is.
It doesn't just pop in.
You got to screw it in
before you calibrate.
It doesn't just pop in.
You have to screw it in
before you calibrate.
What the hell
are you doing here?
You're suspended.
Your status hasn't changed.
Everything's changed.
David Hodges...
David Hodges
threw us all under the bus.
Then he hopped aboard
and left town.
No.
He was kidnapped.
And he was forced
to make that false confession.
This was Anson Wix.
Here we go.
You have no evidence
for these claims.
He framed Hodges.
I've heard all this.
And you know what,
if you're right, it worked.
Why double down?
He was gonna get
his guilty verdict
and roll into the civil trial
loaded for bear.
Hodges was offered
a limited plea deal
that would have cut the legs
right from under Anson Wix's
class action suit.
He would have gotten peanuts.
There was a settlement
conference two days ago.
The A.G. was rattling sabers.
They told him.
That Hodges might take the deal.
If I'm right,
David Hodges may
very well be dead.
If I'm wrong and he's guilty,
then he's got
a big ole head start either way.
Not good.
It's crunch time, Cade.
Whoever's running this,
if they don't find him,
their head's gonna roll.
You want it to be mine or yours?
I am not going
to reinstate you, Max.
I'll grant you
temporary emergency access,
on this one case,
in a limited capacity.
Call it what you want, I
only need one thing from you.
What's that?
I need you to get out
of my chair.
That ankle monitor can't be the
only thing Hodges left in here.
There is no blood.
Not a single thing here
says that
he didn't leave
on his own power.
This is curious.
Could be a couple
of David's hairs.
Some kind of dusty smudge.
Did he leave a clue for us?
Let's go.
No, no... no!
That's inverted.
So... T-I-N?
"Tin"?
Some kind of code or a message?
Maybe he didn't get
to finish his note.
Tiny? Hey, Tiny?
Está aquí.
He put up a fight?
He tried.
You two should take a trip.
♪ ♪
Hey, David.
David?
Hmm?
No, no, no!
Relax, relax.
It's okay, here you go.
Okay, this is fresh.
See?
There you go.
Mmm.
There you go.
Easy, easy.
Okay.
It's okay.
Why are you doing this?
What do you want?
I just want to make
sure you're okay.
In case I need you later.
Anson, they're gonna find you.
No.
Your criminal trial moves to
summary judgment tomorrow.
And the civil phase
will begin Friday.
And so if I need
a little extra
sauce from you,
then I'll be back.
No one is gonna believe
that I...
Hey, hey, hey, hey!
...that...
David?
In the absence
of evidence,
people can believe a
lot of things, okay?
Hey, it's not just about money,
either.
You know?
Do you know how many times
that I have done my job,
and it just didn't matter
because of a little tiny piece
of evidence?
Not this time.
This time, the best story wins.
Anson, you're not a killer.
Here... there you go.
There's enough for
a couple days there.
And, uh...
...if I don't see you
again, I am truly sorry.
You're gonna leave me here
to die?
I am going to make sure
that you have a, um...
proper burial.
No...
no.
Bye.
No!
Help! Help! Help!
♪ ♪
♪ Who... are you? ♪
♪ Who, who, who, who? ♪
♪ Who... are you? ♪
♪ Who, who, who, who? ♪
♪ I really wanna know ♪
♪ Who... are you? ♪
♪ Oh-oh-oh ♪
♪ Who... ♪
♪ Come on, tell me who are you,
you, you ♪
♪ Are you! ♪
This case is about justice.
About what that word means
in Clark County,
and how we find it.
The story of David Hodges
has a lesson for all of us.
If your eyes are always
looking down a microscope...
...sometimes you miss
the bigger picture.
Dr. Roby.
What a pleasant surprise.
I thought you were kind of...
fired.
No, I'm back.
On double-secret
probation.
Yeah.
It's a long story.
It has to do with...
that guy.
We think he's responsible for
David Hodges' disappearance.
We think Anson Wix is
behind a lot of things.
And he's the reason
that heart stopped, too.
I'm sorry,
you're saying this man--
Guillermo Chaves...
...his murder is
somehow connected to--
Guillermo knew some
of Wix's secrets.
Guess that...
explains...
the missing tongue.
Someone was worried
he was going to talk.
Yeah, to me.
That's why he's here.
If we find the people who killed
him, we might find Hodges, too.
Have you determined cause?
Yes. It was this.
A nine millimeter
in his left ventricle.
Still in pretty good shape.
I'll take it down to ballistics.
Ligature marks on his wrists.
Mr. Chaves appears to have been
bound before he was executed.
There's some, uh,
ink here, too.
Under the skin.
Curious, right?
I thought he used a pen
to try to escape his bindings.
Way too much ink for a Bic.
Little tears in the skin.
Could these have been made
by a fountain pen?
Pretty classy writing implement
for a drug dealer.
Did we find
Guillermo's tongue?
It wasn't on his admission form.
Why?
There's something
in his throat.
I think you might be right.
Anyone know what this is?
Well, I guess you've
never been tied up
and thrown in the trunk
of a car before.
It's part
of the trunk release handle.
I bet Guillermo was trying
to get away.
Want to guess what kind of car
this bad boy came from?
Or I could just tell you.
It came
from an old Chrysler.
Pretty sure
an '88 LeBaron.
Wait, how did you determine
that year and model so quickly?
I started
with the vehicles registered
to Guillermo's
known associates.
And this guy's car has
the exact same
trunk release.
Say hello
to Alfredo Rincon.
I know this guy--
he was one of the fellas I was
tailing all over Spring
Valley last week.
He goes by Tiny?
My man's six-five, 250.
I guess that aka must be
some of that famous
Cartel de Sinaloa humor.
Mm.
Hey, boss.
Yeah.
I've got something for you.
The gun that killed Guillermo
has been used before.
I am guessing
that David Hodges
overheard one
of his kidnappers
call Mr. Rincon
by his nickname Tiny.
So this must have been what
Hodges was trying to tell us
when he left this message.
LVPD is knocking on doors,
looking for Mr. Rincon
and Manuel Garza.
You found
something new on Garza?
Actually something old.
The slug we pulled
out of Guillermo
was a ballistics match
to a 2007 cold case.
And the victim's name was
Trina Sud.
And Garza was a suspect
in that murder?
More like the only suspect. They
didn't have enough to charge.
And I can't say 100%
if Garza killed Guillermo.
So this is who took Hodges.
We're close.
Looks like it.
The ink in Guillermo's wrists--
thin-layer chromatography
says it's Diplomat Royal Blue.
From a fountain pen.
You see?
It's always in his front pocket.
It kind of makes me nervous.
This is why they invented
pocket protectors.
That pen is a Parker, they only
take a few kinds of cartridges.
The Diplomat Royal Blue ink
in Guillermo's
wrists must have come
from Wix's pen.
Or somebody else
is using the same ink.
That's what Wix'll say.
Well, then we need his pen--
if Guillermo's DNA is on it,
then Wix'll have a hard
time explaining that away.
Maybe I can borrow it.
Hey.
They found Tiny Rincon.
What's that orange stuff?
You putting that on my shoe?
No, Mr. Tiny, it was there.
I'm just taking it
off your shoe.
Be nice to know
where you've been lately.
Unless you want to tell us
where David Hodges is.
I don't know no David Hodges.
I seen him on the news,
that's it.
What about Manuel Garza?
We want him for murder.
He's your buddy, right?
I don't know any Manuel...
Come on, Tiny.
My name's Alfredo.
I don't know
any Tiny.
Do you not remember, like,
two hours ago when we found you
at your mother's apartment?
Even she called you Tiny.
Well, yeah, yeah, sometimes.
You're negative for GSR.
So...
maybe you were
just an accomplice.
You and Garza
silenced Guillermo
and then you made
David Hodges talk.
We know
David Hodges was in that room.
And this little note
that he started
makes me think
that you were in there, too.
Hmm.
Never been there.
Then why's your name
on the floor?
People go missing
in this town
all the time.
Maybe your friend just...
checked in someplace and then...
checked out.
What-what is that supposed
to mean?
Where's your car?
Hmm, no sé.
Is that because maybe
you left something interesting
in the trunk, a little blood?
Some zip ties, a pen maybe?
Or is your forgetfulness
because you shoved that
down Guillermo's throat?
That's it?
Your friend drew a word
in the dirt.
And some other dude
swallowed a knob?
Like you think would be
on my old car?
That's not enough to charge me.
Your "old car."
Mm.
It broke down too much,
so I had to...
get rid of it.
I guess I got
to Uber out of here.
I can, uh, go, right?
We got to find that car.
All right, Danny, right
through here, bring her in.
I think there must be
some kind of mistake.
That's not a Chrysler LeBaron.
Oh, it is.
I mean, was, yeah.
Belonged to Alfredo Rincon.
There, see?
So when he said
he got rid of it?
He junked it.
Is there really
a whole car in there?
Dude out there said they
just baled it this morning.
If it ain't
what you wanted,
you want me
to take it back?
No, no, no.
We'll take it, thanks.
Not ideal, but if
there's any evidence
that Wix was involved
in Guillermo's murder...
It's still in
there somewhere.
So I got the hearing
on my ex parte motion moved up.
Yeah, so tomorrow should be
a slam dunk.
And the...
And I'm gonna
call you back.
Bye.
What are you doing here?
I'm about to solve
this crossword.
I got one left-- 43 down.
And I'm out of ink.
Do me a favor,
can I borrow your pen?
Take two seconds.
Nine letters, Latin legal term.
"De minimus."
"Of the smallest things."
"Smallest things."
That's what your life
has been all about, right?
Yeah, well, you know,
they add up.
Not this time.
I just wanted to tell you that
if David Hodges doesn't return
to the land of the living,
I'm gonna send you to prison,
one way or another.
Don't make promises
you can't keep.
Be careful, Dr. Grissom,
I know people.
Moment of truth.
This orange business you found
on Wix's bag, it's the same
stuff that was on Tiny's shoes?
Ethyl acetate, limonene, and
about a dozen other synthetics.
Put 'em together, and you get
an industrial fragrance.
"Industrial fragrance"
sounds nasty.
Perfume for buildings.
Casinos use them to mask
the smell of nicotine
and other things.
They never heard of Febreze?
Casinos control
all five of your senses.
Every sound from a slot machine
is in B minor.
Busy carpet patterns
keep your eyes
up on the blinking lights.
You don't hold onto cash,
you toss away chips
that feel like toys.
The drinks are free
if you're playing.
Even the air has
its own signature scent.
You're not having a good time;
a good time
is being injected into
your central nervous system.
The guests are
injecting themselves
into a central nervous system.
The biggest brains in Las Vegas
don't go to the casinos,
Chris, they are the casinos.
This stuff doesn't
just drip on you.
Wix and Rincon must've
been stained at the source.
A big HVAC system.
What was it Rincon said?
"Maybe your friend
checked in someplace
and then checked out"?
Think they took Hodges
to a hotel?
Only 150,000 guest
rooms in Las Vegas.
We've really
narrowed it down.
No, no, but we will.
These are designer fragrances.
And this one
must've been designed
for someplace
in particular.
Where do we even start?
It's like the Zen monk said.
To begin...
begin.
Mr. Wix, we're coming for you.
♪ ♪
♪ ♪
Yo, pyro,
need some caffeine?
No, I'm good.
I was just thinking
back a few months.
Your pawnshop case.
The Salvador Dali gun blob.
Yeah.
When Mark asked me
to move in with him.
Right.
I had this impulse then
to toss his key
in with the rest of the metal
you were melting.
Hugo said that you're never
gonna talk to me
about Mark because
you're too professional.
Don't worry.
I'm gonna be
more professional, too.
What's that?
It's the ashtray.
Huh.
Looks like someone
with pink lipstick
was a guest
in Tiny's car recently.
I wonder what she knows.
Oh, yeah.
It's a lighter-- might be
able to grab a print off it.
Maybe if you-- ah...
Uh-huh.
And then...
Yep.
Nice. Huh.
Okay.
Gotcha.
Tiffani Winters.
Tiffani with an "I."
You think that's
her original, given name?
Maybe her parents always
knew she was gonna be
an exotic dancer.
Two priors for solicitation.
At the Panther Den.
Guess I know
where we're having lunch.
Hmm.
I really wish there was
a National Smells Database.
Any of the casinos
willing to play ball?
No. So I had to go
straight to the source.
Turns out there are
two companies
that make most
of the industrial scents
in this town.
They gave you their formulas?
A whole bunch of top secret
designer fragrances
like the one you found,
but they're all patented.
So don't go posting them online
unless you want to get sued.
This message can self-destruct
for all I care as long
as we get what we need.
The trick to these scents
is their top notes.
The base notes are
typically oils.
Not usually as distinct.
They evaporate, so we can't
expect a perfect match.
That one's pretty damn similar
to the one you found.
Hmm.
The Mosaic Casino.
How ironic.
What?
They got my favorite
roller coaster.
I haven't been
on it in years.
Yeah, I mean,
if you're telling me that
that's the scent that we use,
I believe you, but...
we have 500 rooms.
Yeah, and we are gonna
search every single one.
All right, gentlemen,
today's ex parte hearing is
to determine if the stay
on the David Hodges civil trial
should be lifted.
Mr. Wix, you have new evidence
to present the court?
Yes, Your Honor, a video.
I need to clear my conscience
and set the record straight.
I forced a guilty verdict
with a fake DNA test.
♪ Hood Mona Lisa,
break a ... into pieces ♪
♪ Had to "X" some cheesy ...
out my circle like a pizza ♪
♪ I'm way too exclusive, I don't
shop on Insta boutiques ♪
♪ All them little ... clothes
only fit fake booties ♪
♪ Bad, bad,
still talking cash ... ♪
Tiffani?
Hi.
Excuse me.
Hey, Tiffani?
Could you maybe come down?
We need to talk.
♪ That's my trash,
you the maid, so you... ♪
I used to date Tiny.
When?
Uh, last week.
But whatever
you're here about,
I don't know anything.
What about this guy?
Manuel Garza.
Oh, well, that's Manny.
He's friends
with the club owners.
When was the last
time you saw him?
Five minutes.
Well, he's here now?
♪ ♪
Dispatch, this is C-14 Folsom.
We need backup
at 37 Freilich now.
Hey, Allie, Allie.
Nothing here.
Floor five is clear.
Moving up to six.
Master key's not working
on this door.
Hey.
And that was just the beginning.
Since then, I created evidence
for more cases
than I can even remember.
Considering
what I just heard,
let's just say I'm dying to hear
why I shouldn't start
this trial immediately.
Hey, Tiny.
Stop! I said stop!
Let's get out of here.
Hodges is not
on the third floor.
Move, move, go, split up.
I got Tiny!
♪ ♪
Stop!
Put it down! Tiny!
Put it down! Put it down!
Male. 40s.
He's not here.
Anything?
He is not anywhere
in this hotel.
Damn it.
Even if we reject
that possibility,
there is another bit
of precedent
you must consider.
Mr. Tyner,
I appreciate it. That's enough.
The court finds ample basis
to lift the stay
on the David Hodges
civil trial.
If he doesn't see fit to appear,
that's fine.
We've heard enough from him.
Next Monday, 9:00 a.m.
Where is he, Manuel?
Where is he?
Where's David Hodges?
Where are you keeping him?!
Manuel, tell me,
where are you keeping him?
Please! Please.
He's...
Rincon had on
black pants and a maroon top.
He took off in a blue SUV.
I didn't get
the make or model.
Allie.
Hey, Al.
You okay?
He was gonna tell me.
We should get back.
Come on.
You guys all right?
We heard Wix's friend got away.
Mm-hmm.
One of them didn't.
Back to square one.
We need something
that puts Wix in that car.
♪ ♪
Nothing?
Well,
some bad nothing,
some good nothing.
This used to be part
of the trunk release.
You can see
where it snapped off.
If we find Tiny, maybe he'll...
Hey.
We got Wix's pen.
We still have to prove it.
♪ ♪
It's all preliminary,
but the blood on the clip
is gonna be Guillermo's.
Anything from Wix?
Maybe. Actually got
some white blood cells
on the barrel.
Probably, like...
From saliva?
Mm-hmm.
Looks like the
sample's too degraded
to get a definitive ID.
Yeah.
But it's not all bad news.
I'm confused. Did you find
Wix's DNA on this pen or not?
What we found is a
salivary DNA profile
for Huntington's disease.
Meaning?
Wix's sister, Anna, has
Huntington's disease.
Mm-hmm.
And less than .01%
of the population
is afflicted with it.
You were right.
Yeah.
But this isn't enough.
Yeah. I mean,
it's circumstantial, right?
Well, do you have anything else
we can do with the DNA?
It's not a perfect sample.
But even if it was,
his pen was in the trunk.
The cartel guys are his clients.
They probably borrowed his
pen. I mean, there's a bunch
of different ways
they can spin that.
We do not have enough
to convict him.
We do have enough to arrest him.
Hear me out. It
is Friday night.
Max...
The press will not get wind of
this until sometime on Monday.
The man is suing
the state of Nevada
on behalf of thousands of
wrongfully incarcerated people.
Do you know what kind of risk
we'd be taking?
How punitive this would look?
When you
first put that badge on...
...you were not so worried
about how things look.
Let that be his weakness.
Hmm? Let's find out what is.
What would you do?
Haul him in.
Process him.
Crawl all over that man.
His life. His things.
And we'll find the truth.
Go get him.
Jacket and your shoes.
Enjoy this.
It's not going to end
the way you want.
Right now, we just want
your jacket and your shoes.
Hands out.
♪ ♪
Where were you the night
that Guillermo Chaves
was killed?
Are you aware
that Mr. Chaves had been talking
to law enforcement
about testifying
against you?
Do you want
to sign a confession?
I can loan you a pen.
We found yours in
the trunk of a car.
The one Guillermo Chaves
tried to escape from.
We know it's yours.
And not just because you've been
on TV with it in your pocket.
I lost that pen.
Anyone could've found it,
I guess.
Is this really
what you want to talk about?
No.
I want to talk
about David Hodges.
So do I.
Where did he run off to,
do you think?
You took him.
Well, show me the proof,
'cause I have an airtight case
against a criminal who just
confessed and went on the run.
And I like my story
a lot better than yours.
There's that scent again.
The same chemical Grissom
swabbed off Wix's briefcase
was present on his loafer.
That's a dead end.
'Cause Hodges
wasn't at the Mosaic.
None of this
is leading anywhere new.
Okay.
I found an interesting
chemical on your shoes
and your briefcase.
When was the last time
you were at the Mosaic?
I'll tell you what.
I think I've had enough
of this
scintillating conversation.
There is no blood on my hands.
But then, you know that.
And I know that I can invoke
the Fifth Amendment.
So,
good luck
following the evidence.
That chemical that was on
Wix's briefcase? It changed.
What? What do you mean?
In the time since your husband
ran his swab through Mass Spec
and just now,
these peaks dissipated.
The top notes evaporated.
You reran it?
I mean, it didn't match
the sample we got
from his shoes, so...
And people say
I'm curious...
I-I'm sorry.
These chemicals
I'm not entirely sure
how this helps.
are changing.
We thought they were stable.
It might have started out
as something different.
Also, something Bryan told me.
All these casinos,
they steal from each other.
Employees. Table games.
Fragrances.
We need to find out
where this scent started.
You're the materials
and elemental analysis lady.
I think it's time for you
to play with some molecules.
It's beautiful, but it
looks a little unstable.
Well, they have to be.
Perfumes are designed
to release their top notes.
Like a lot of things,
as they age...
They mellow?
Base notes are more standard.
Oils, mostly.
It can be hard
to tell what was sitting
on top, but I don't think
that we're looking
at the Mosaic Casino's scent.
I think we're looking
at a rapidly aging knockoff.
So, Wix
and his underling were splashed
with a chemical counterfeit?
From...
The Green Emerald.
That's been shuttered
since COVID.
It's empty.
Let's hope not.
♪ ♪
This must be how they got in.
Door's been busted.
Hey, boss, this
has got to be
the place. We got your orange
stuff by the HVAC unit in back.
David's been missing
for 72 hours.
This place has 1,200 rooms.
If he hasn't had any water...
We're gonna run out of time.
Got to get lucky.
We're in the wrong place
for that.
'Cause the house always wins.
You were the manager here, yes?
For five years before we closed.
Where's your switchboard?
The nerve center, huh?
Guess it's time to
use our senses.
In an emergency, you can call
every room at once, right?
Sure. Insurance
requires that.
Do it. Now.
There.
Room 208.
It's not ringing.
Go. Go, go. Let's go.
We're on it.
On it.
David. David?
David.
David?
He's alive.
Can you hear me?
David!
Open your eyes,
David. Look at me.
You're okay.
Yeah.
Took you long enough.
All right.
It's not just the innocent
men and women I represent
who have been wrongfully accused
by the Clark County Crime Lab.
It is myself.
Open seven.
Last week, I myself
was accused...
Were you going somewhere?
What is this?
We just wanted to say thank you.
We took your advice.
Followed the evidence.
David Hodges says hello.
We don't know if you plan
on defending yourself,
but we thought we'd drop off
these charging documents.
You're facing kidnapping,
obstruction of justice,
extortion,
attempted murder.
There-There's more,
but you get the idea.
I don't know what David Hodges
told you, but...
He told us everything.
Well,
I guess he'll get to tell
his story to the jury,
and I'll get to tell mine.
I got a story for you.
This con man lawyer
tries to lie and cheat
his way to fame and fortune
at the expense
of good people
who spend their lives
trying to provide justice
for the innocent.
But, as fate would have it,
his fraud fails.
Truth prevails.
And he spends
the rest of his life in jail.
Your sister was right.
The best story wins.
See you in court.
Close seven.
♪ ♪
♪ I looked under chairs ♪
♪ I looked under tables ♪
♪ I'm tryin' to find the key ♪
♪ To 50 million fables ♪
♪ They call me the seeker ♪
♪ I been searchin' low
and high ♪
♪ I won't get to get
what I'm after ♪
♪ Till the day I die ♪
♪ I asked Bobby Dylan ♪
♪ I asked The Beatles ♪
♪ I asked Timothy Leary ♪
♪ But he couldn't help me,
either ♪
♪ They call me the seeker ♪
♪ I been searchin' low
and high ♪
♪ I won't get to get
what I'm after ♪
♪ Till the day I die ♪
♪ People tend to hate me ♪
♪ 'Cause I never smile ♪
♪ As I ransack their homes ♪
♪ They want to shake my hand ♪
♪ Focusing on nowhere ♪
♪ Investigating miles ♪
♪ I'm a seeker,
I'm a really desperate man. ♪
As the yearlong trial concludes
with that verdict,
Anson Wix now awaits sentencing.
Tonight, a third homicide victim
in as many nights
has been discovered downtown.
With no suspects yet identified,
some are asking,
is there a serial killer
active in Las Vegas?
My file says it's rented
to a Mr. Hodges.
It's like his own little lab.
Our life's work is on the line.
Someone stole your stuff
and is using it to frame you?
Anson Wix.
He was calling all the shots.
I'm Martin Kline.
Wix killed Kline
to keep him from flipping.
You're talking about
a really involved conspiracy.
They finally made a mistake.
What are you leaving out,
Guillermo?
Wix wanted that
old blind cop iced.
This was our last shot.
It's not over yet.
Mr. Hodges is on the run
and a fugitive.
Gil!
The LVPD spokesman I talked to
said the manhunt
for David Hodges
is the department's
top priority.
That explosive confession
posted online,
the admission
that he tampered with evidence
in hundreds of cases,
has infuriated
the law enforcement community
and many others.
Hodges didn't run.
He was taken.
You sound pretty sure.
We found
Velcro and canvas
from his ankle monitor.
Blood's not Hodges', though.
This is O negative.
Same as Guillermo.
I-I'm sorry,
I'm, like, way behind.
We think
these might have been used
to cut out the tongue
of a drug dealer named
Guillermo Chaves.
He had been talking to us.
Wix has cartel clients
that will do his dirty work.
Like kidnapping Hodges
and forcing him to confess.
And they left that,
why, as a gift?
I mean, cartels don't have
a minimum IQ for membership.
There aren't any prints,
though.
This is Wix putting
his thumb in our eye.
These do not prove that
Hodges' confession was fake.
No. These words
are gonna speak a lot louder
than a tenuous link
to a drug murder.
Do you think
he's still...
alive?
Let's not speculate.
Let's search every inch,
and then we find him.
♪ ♪
How should I know
what to do about
a broken needle on a GC/MS?
I don't even know
what a GC/MS is.
It doesn't just pop in.
You got to screw it in
before you calibrate.
It doesn't just pop in.
You have to screw it in
before you calibrate.
What the hell
are you doing here?
You're suspended.
Your status hasn't changed.
Everything's changed.
David Hodges...
David Hodges
threw us all under the bus.
Then he hopped aboard
and left town.
No.
He was kidnapped.
And he was forced
to make that false confession.
This was Anson Wix.
Here we go.
You have no evidence
for these claims.
He framed Hodges.
I've heard all this.
And you know what,
if you're right, it worked.
Why double down?
He was gonna get
his guilty verdict
and roll into the civil trial
loaded for bear.
Hodges was offered
a limited plea deal
that would have cut the legs
right from under Anson Wix's
class action suit.
He would have gotten peanuts.
There was a settlement
conference two days ago.
The A.G. was rattling sabers.
They told him.
That Hodges might take the deal.
If I'm right,
David Hodges may
very well be dead.
If I'm wrong and he's guilty,
then he's got
a big ole head start either way.
Not good.
It's crunch time, Cade.
Whoever's running this,
if they don't find him,
their head's gonna roll.
You want it to be mine or yours?
I am not going
to reinstate you, Max.
I'll grant you
temporary emergency access,
on this one case,
in a limited capacity.
Call it what you want, I
only need one thing from you.
What's that?
I need you to get out
of my chair.
That ankle monitor can't be the
only thing Hodges left in here.
There is no blood.
Not a single thing here
says that
he didn't leave
on his own power.
This is curious.
Could be a couple
of David's hairs.
Some kind of dusty smudge.
Did he leave a clue for us?
Let's go.
No, no... no!
That's inverted.
So... T-I-N?
"Tin"?
Some kind of code or a message?
Maybe he didn't get
to finish his note.
Tiny? Hey, Tiny?
Está aquí.
He put up a fight?
He tried.
You two should take a trip.
♪ ♪
Hey, David.
David?
Hmm?
No, no, no!
Relax, relax.
It's okay, here you go.
Okay, this is fresh.
See?
There you go.
Mmm.
There you go.
Easy, easy.
Okay.
It's okay.
Why are you doing this?
What do you want?
I just want to make
sure you're okay.
In case I need you later.
Anson, they're gonna find you.
No.
Your criminal trial moves to
summary judgment tomorrow.
And the civil phase
will begin Friday.
And so if I need
a little extra
sauce from you,
then I'll be back.
No one is gonna believe
that I...
Hey, hey, hey, hey!
...that...
David?
In the absence
of evidence,
people can believe a
lot of things, okay?
Hey, it's not just about money,
either.
You know?
Do you know how many times
that I have done my job,
and it just didn't matter
because of a little tiny piece
of evidence?
Not this time.
This time, the best story wins.
Anson, you're not a killer.
Here... there you go.
There's enough for
a couple days there.
And, uh...
...if I don't see you
again, I am truly sorry.
You're gonna leave me here
to die?
I am going to make sure
that you have a, um...
proper burial.
No...
no.
Bye.
No!
Help! Help! Help!
♪ ♪
♪ Who... are you? ♪
♪ Who, who, who, who? ♪
♪ Who... are you? ♪
♪ Who, who, who, who? ♪
♪ I really wanna know ♪
♪ Who... are you? ♪
♪ Oh-oh-oh ♪
♪ Who... ♪
♪ Come on, tell me who are you,
you, you ♪
♪ Are you! ♪
This case is about justice.
About what that word means
in Clark County,
and how we find it.
The story of David Hodges
has a lesson for all of us.
If your eyes are always
looking down a microscope...
...sometimes you miss
the bigger picture.
Dr. Roby.
What a pleasant surprise.
I thought you were kind of...
fired.
No, I'm back.
On double-secret
probation.
Yeah.
It's a long story.
It has to do with...
that guy.
We think he's responsible for
David Hodges' disappearance.
We think Anson Wix is
behind a lot of things.
And he's the reason
that heart stopped, too.
I'm sorry,
you're saying this man--
Guillermo Chaves...
...his murder is
somehow connected to--
Guillermo knew some
of Wix's secrets.
Guess that...
explains...
the missing tongue.
Someone was worried
he was going to talk.
Yeah, to me.
That's why he's here.
If we find the people who killed
him, we might find Hodges, too.
Have you determined cause?
Yes. It was this.
A nine millimeter
in his left ventricle.
Still in pretty good shape.
I'll take it down to ballistics.
Ligature marks on his wrists.
Mr. Chaves appears to have been
bound before he was executed.
There's some, uh,
ink here, too.
Under the skin.
Curious, right?
I thought he used a pen
to try to escape his bindings.
Way too much ink for a Bic.
Little tears in the skin.
Could these have been made
by a fountain pen?
Pretty classy writing implement
for a drug dealer.
Did we find
Guillermo's tongue?
It wasn't on his admission form.
Why?
There's something
in his throat.
I think you might be right.
Anyone know what this is?
Well, I guess you've
never been tied up
and thrown in the trunk
of a car before.
It's part
of the trunk release handle.
I bet Guillermo was trying
to get away.
Want to guess what kind of car
this bad boy came from?
Or I could just tell you.
It came
from an old Chrysler.
Pretty sure
an '88 LeBaron.
Wait, how did you determine
that year and model so quickly?
I started
with the vehicles registered
to Guillermo's
known associates.
And this guy's car has
the exact same
trunk release.
Say hello
to Alfredo Rincon.
I know this guy--
he was one of the fellas I was
tailing all over Spring
Valley last week.
He goes by Tiny?
My man's six-five, 250.
I guess that aka must be
some of that famous
Cartel de Sinaloa humor.
Mm.
Hey, boss.
Yeah.
I've got something for you.
The gun that killed Guillermo
has been used before.
I am guessing
that David Hodges
overheard one
of his kidnappers
call Mr. Rincon
by his nickname Tiny.
So this must have been what
Hodges was trying to tell us
when he left this message.
LVPD is knocking on doors,
looking for Mr. Rincon
and Manuel Garza.
You found
something new on Garza?
Actually something old.
The slug we pulled
out of Guillermo
was a ballistics match
to a 2007 cold case.
And the victim's name was
Trina Sud.
And Garza was a suspect
in that murder?
More like the only suspect. They
didn't have enough to charge.
And I can't say 100%
if Garza killed Guillermo.
So this is who took Hodges.
We're close.
Looks like it.
The ink in Guillermo's wrists--
thin-layer chromatography
says it's Diplomat Royal Blue.
From a fountain pen.
You see?
It's always in his front pocket.
It kind of makes me nervous.
This is why they invented
pocket protectors.
That pen is a Parker, they only
take a few kinds of cartridges.
The Diplomat Royal Blue ink
in Guillermo's
wrists must have come
from Wix's pen.
Or somebody else
is using the same ink.
That's what Wix'll say.
Well, then we need his pen--
if Guillermo's DNA is on it,
then Wix'll have a hard
time explaining that away.
Maybe I can borrow it.
Hey.
They found Tiny Rincon.
What's that orange stuff?
You putting that on my shoe?
No, Mr. Tiny, it was there.
I'm just taking it
off your shoe.
Be nice to know
where you've been lately.
Unless you want to tell us
where David Hodges is.
I don't know no David Hodges.
I seen him on the news,
that's it.
What about Manuel Garza?
We want him for murder.
He's your buddy, right?
I don't know any Manuel...
Come on, Tiny.
My name's Alfredo.
I don't know
any Tiny.
Do you not remember, like,
two hours ago when we found you
at your mother's apartment?
Even she called you Tiny.
Well, yeah, yeah, sometimes.
You're negative for GSR.
So...
maybe you were
just an accomplice.
You and Garza
silenced Guillermo
and then you made
David Hodges talk.
We know
David Hodges was in that room.
And this little note
that he started
makes me think
that you were in there, too.
Hmm.
Never been there.
Then why's your name
on the floor?
People go missing
in this town
all the time.
Maybe your friend just...
checked in someplace and then...
checked out.
What-what is that supposed
to mean?
Where's your car?
Hmm, no sé.
Is that because maybe
you left something interesting
in the trunk, a little blood?
Some zip ties, a pen maybe?
Or is your forgetfulness
because you shoved that
down Guillermo's throat?
That's it?
Your friend drew a word
in the dirt.
And some other dude
swallowed a knob?
Like you think would be
on my old car?
That's not enough to charge me.
Your "old car."
Mm.
It broke down too much,
so I had to...
get rid of it.
I guess I got
to Uber out of here.
I can, uh, go, right?
We got to find that car.
All right, Danny, right
through here, bring her in.
I think there must be
some kind of mistake.
That's not a Chrysler LeBaron.
Oh, it is.
I mean, was, yeah.
Belonged to Alfredo Rincon.
There, see?
So when he said
he got rid of it?
He junked it.
Is there really
a whole car in there?
Dude out there said they
just baled it this morning.
If it ain't
what you wanted,
you want me
to take it back?
No, no, no.
We'll take it, thanks.
Not ideal, but if
there's any evidence
that Wix was involved
in Guillermo's murder...
It's still in
there somewhere.
So I got the hearing
on my ex parte motion moved up.
Yeah, so tomorrow should be
a slam dunk.
And the...
And I'm gonna
call you back.
Bye.
What are you doing here?
I'm about to solve
this crossword.
I got one left-- 43 down.
And I'm out of ink.
Do me a favor,
can I borrow your pen?
Take two seconds.
Nine letters, Latin legal term.
"De minimus."
"Of the smallest things."
"Smallest things."
That's what your life
has been all about, right?
Yeah, well, you know,
they add up.
Not this time.
I just wanted to tell you that
if David Hodges doesn't return
to the land of the living,
I'm gonna send you to prison,
one way or another.
Don't make promises
you can't keep.
Be careful, Dr. Grissom,
I know people.
Moment of truth.
This orange business you found
on Wix's bag, it's the same
stuff that was on Tiny's shoes?
Ethyl acetate, limonene, and
about a dozen other synthetics.
Put 'em together, and you get
an industrial fragrance.
"Industrial fragrance"
sounds nasty.
Perfume for buildings.
Casinos use them to mask
the smell of nicotine
and other things.
They never heard of Febreze?
Casinos control
all five of your senses.
Every sound from a slot machine
is in B minor.
Busy carpet patterns
keep your eyes
up on the blinking lights.
You don't hold onto cash,
you toss away chips
that feel like toys.
The drinks are free
if you're playing.
Even the air has
its own signature scent.
You're not having a good time;
a good time
is being injected into
your central nervous system.
The guests are
injecting themselves
into a central nervous system.
The biggest brains in Las Vegas
don't go to the casinos,
Chris, they are the casinos.
This stuff doesn't
just drip on you.
Wix and Rincon must've
been stained at the source.
A big HVAC system.
What was it Rincon said?
"Maybe your friend
checked in someplace
and then checked out"?
Think they took Hodges
to a hotel?
Only 150,000 guest
rooms in Las Vegas.
We've really
narrowed it down.
No, no, but we will.
These are designer fragrances.
And this one
must've been designed
for someplace
in particular.
Where do we even start?
It's like the Zen monk said.
To begin...
begin.
Mr. Wix, we're coming for you.
♪ ♪
♪ ♪
Yo, pyro,
need some caffeine?
No, I'm good.
I was just thinking
back a few months.
Your pawnshop case.
The Salvador Dali gun blob.
Yeah.
When Mark asked me
to move in with him.
Right.
I had this impulse then
to toss his key
in with the rest of the metal
you were melting.
Hugo said that you're never
gonna talk to me
about Mark because
you're too professional.
Don't worry.
I'm gonna be
more professional, too.
What's that?
It's the ashtray.
Huh.
Looks like someone
with pink lipstick
was a guest
in Tiny's car recently.
I wonder what she knows.
Oh, yeah.
It's a lighter-- might be
able to grab a print off it.
Maybe if you-- ah...
Uh-huh.
And then...
Yep.
Nice. Huh.
Okay.
Gotcha.
Tiffani Winters.
Tiffani with an "I."
You think that's
her original, given name?
Maybe her parents always
knew she was gonna be
an exotic dancer.
Two priors for solicitation.
At the Panther Den.
Guess I know
where we're having lunch.
Hmm.
I really wish there was
a National Smells Database.
Any of the casinos
willing to play ball?
No. So I had to go
straight to the source.
Turns out there are
two companies
that make most
of the industrial scents
in this town.
They gave you their formulas?
A whole bunch of top secret
designer fragrances
like the one you found,
but they're all patented.
So don't go posting them online
unless you want to get sued.
This message can self-destruct
for all I care as long
as we get what we need.
The trick to these scents
is their top notes.
The base notes are
typically oils.
Not usually as distinct.
They evaporate, so we can't
expect a perfect match.
That one's pretty damn similar
to the one you found.
Hmm.
The Mosaic Casino.
How ironic.
What?
They got my favorite
roller coaster.
I haven't been
on it in years.
Yeah, I mean,
if you're telling me that
that's the scent that we use,
I believe you, but...
we have 500 rooms.
Yeah, and we are gonna
search every single one.
All right, gentlemen,
today's ex parte hearing is
to determine if the stay
on the David Hodges civil trial
should be lifted.
Mr. Wix, you have new evidence
to present the court?
Yes, Your Honor, a video.
I need to clear my conscience
and set the record straight.
I forced a guilty verdict
with a fake DNA test.
♪ Hood Mona Lisa,
break a ... into pieces ♪
♪ Had to "X" some cheesy ...
out my circle like a pizza ♪
♪ I'm way too exclusive, I don't
shop on Insta boutiques ♪
♪ All them little ... clothes
only fit fake booties ♪
♪ Bad, bad,
still talking cash ... ♪
Tiffani?
Hi.
Excuse me.
Hey, Tiffani?
Could you maybe come down?
We need to talk.
♪ That's my trash,
you the maid, so you... ♪
I used to date Tiny.
When?
Uh, last week.
But whatever
you're here about,
I don't know anything.
What about this guy?
Manuel Garza.
Oh, well, that's Manny.
He's friends
with the club owners.
When was the last
time you saw him?
Five minutes.
Well, he's here now?
♪ ♪
Dispatch, this is C-14 Folsom.
We need backup
at 37 Freilich now.
Hey, Allie, Allie.
Nothing here.
Floor five is clear.
Moving up to six.
Master key's not working
on this door.
Hey.
And that was just the beginning.
Since then, I created evidence
for more cases
than I can even remember.
Considering
what I just heard,
let's just say I'm dying to hear
why I shouldn't start
this trial immediately.
Hey, Tiny.
Stop! I said stop!
Let's get out of here.
Hodges is not
on the third floor.
Move, move, go, split up.
I got Tiny!
♪ ♪
Stop!
Put it down! Tiny!
Put it down! Put it down!
Male. 40s.
He's not here.
Anything?
He is not anywhere
in this hotel.
Damn it.
Even if we reject
that possibility,
there is another bit
of precedent
you must consider.
Mr. Tyner,
I appreciate it. That's enough.
The court finds ample basis
to lift the stay
on the David Hodges
civil trial.
If he doesn't see fit to appear,
that's fine.
We've heard enough from him.
Next Monday, 9:00 a.m.
Where is he, Manuel?
Where is he?
Where's David Hodges?
Where are you keeping him?!
Manuel, tell me,
where are you keeping him?
Please! Please.
He's...
Rincon had on
black pants and a maroon top.
He took off in a blue SUV.
I didn't get
the make or model.
Allie.
Hey, Al.
You okay?
He was gonna tell me.
We should get back.
Come on.
You guys all right?
We heard Wix's friend got away.
Mm-hmm.
One of them didn't.
Back to square one.
We need something
that puts Wix in that car.
♪ ♪
Nothing?
Well,
some bad nothing,
some good nothing.
This used to be part
of the trunk release.
You can see
where it snapped off.
If we find Tiny, maybe he'll...
Hey.
We got Wix's pen.
We still have to prove it.
♪ ♪
It's all preliminary,
but the blood on the clip
is gonna be Guillermo's.
Anything from Wix?
Maybe. Actually got
some white blood cells
on the barrel.
Probably, like...
From saliva?
Mm-hmm.
Looks like the
sample's too degraded
to get a definitive ID.
Yeah.
But it's not all bad news.
I'm confused. Did you find
Wix's DNA on this pen or not?
What we found is a
salivary DNA profile
for Huntington's disease.
Meaning?
Wix's sister, Anna, has
Huntington's disease.
Mm-hmm.
And less than .01%
of the population
is afflicted with it.
You were right.
Yeah.
But this isn't enough.
Yeah. I mean,
it's circumstantial, right?
Well, do you have anything else
we can do with the DNA?
It's not a perfect sample.
But even if it was,
his pen was in the trunk.
The cartel guys are his clients.
They probably borrowed his
pen. I mean, there's a bunch
of different ways
they can spin that.
We do not have enough
to convict him.
We do have enough to arrest him.
Hear me out. It
is Friday night.
Max...
The press will not get wind of
this until sometime on Monday.
The man is suing
the state of Nevada
on behalf of thousands of
wrongfully incarcerated people.
Do you know what kind of risk
we'd be taking?
How punitive this would look?
When you
first put that badge on...
...you were not so worried
about how things look.
Let that be his weakness.
Hmm? Let's find out what is.
What would you do?
Haul him in.
Process him.
Crawl all over that man.
His life. His things.
And we'll find the truth.
Go get him.
Jacket and your shoes.
Enjoy this.
It's not going to end
the way you want.
Right now, we just want
your jacket and your shoes.
Hands out.
♪ ♪
Where were you the night
that Guillermo Chaves
was killed?
Are you aware
that Mr. Chaves had been talking
to law enforcement
about testifying
against you?
Do you want
to sign a confession?
I can loan you a pen.
We found yours in
the trunk of a car.
The one Guillermo Chaves
tried to escape from.
We know it's yours.
And not just because you've been
on TV with it in your pocket.
I lost that pen.
Anyone could've found it,
I guess.
Is this really
what you want to talk about?
No.
I want to talk
about David Hodges.
So do I.
Where did he run off to,
do you think?
You took him.
Well, show me the proof,
'cause I have an airtight case
against a criminal who just
confessed and went on the run.
And I like my story
a lot better than yours.
There's that scent again.
The same chemical Grissom
swabbed off Wix's briefcase
was present on his loafer.
That's a dead end.
'Cause Hodges
wasn't at the Mosaic.
None of this
is leading anywhere new.
Okay.
I found an interesting
chemical on your shoes
and your briefcase.
When was the last time
you were at the Mosaic?
I'll tell you what.
I think I've had enough
of this
scintillating conversation.
There is no blood on my hands.
But then, you know that.
And I know that I can invoke
the Fifth Amendment.
So,
good luck
following the evidence.
That chemical that was on
Wix's briefcase? It changed.
What? What do you mean?
In the time since your husband
ran his swab through Mass Spec
and just now,
these peaks dissipated.
The top notes evaporated.
You reran it?
I mean, it didn't match
the sample we got
from his shoes, so...
And people say
I'm curious...
I-I'm sorry.
These chemicals
I'm not entirely sure
how this helps.
are changing.
We thought they were stable.
It might have started out
as something different.
Also, something Bryan told me.
All these casinos,
they steal from each other.
Employees. Table games.
Fragrances.
We need to find out
where this scent started.
You're the materials
and elemental analysis lady.
I think it's time for you
to play with some molecules.
It's beautiful, but it
looks a little unstable.
Well, they have to be.
Perfumes are designed
to release their top notes.
Like a lot of things,
as they age...
They mellow?
Base notes are more standard.
Oils, mostly.
It can be hard
to tell what was sitting
on top, but I don't think
that we're looking
at the Mosaic Casino's scent.
I think we're looking
at a rapidly aging knockoff.
So, Wix
and his underling were splashed
with a chemical counterfeit?
From...
The Green Emerald.
That's been shuttered
since COVID.
It's empty.
Let's hope not.
♪ ♪
This must be how they got in.
Door's been busted.
Hey, boss, this
has got to be
the place. We got your orange
stuff by the HVAC unit in back.
David's been missing
for 72 hours.
This place has 1,200 rooms.
If he hasn't had any water...
We're gonna run out of time.
Got to get lucky.
We're in the wrong place
for that.
'Cause the house always wins.
You were the manager here, yes?
For five years before we closed.
Where's your switchboard?
The nerve center, huh?
Guess it's time to
use our senses.
In an emergency, you can call
every room at once, right?
Sure. Insurance
requires that.
Do it. Now.
There.
Room 208.
It's not ringing.
Go. Go, go. Let's go.
We're on it.
On it.
David. David?
David.
David?
He's alive.
Can you hear me?
David!
Open your eyes,
David. Look at me.
You're okay.
Yeah.
Took you long enough.
All right.
It's not just the innocent
men and women I represent
who have been wrongfully accused
by the Clark County Crime Lab.
It is myself.
Open seven.
Last week, I myself
was accused...
Were you going somewhere?
What is this?
We just wanted to say thank you.
We took your advice.
Followed the evidence.
David Hodges says hello.
We don't know if you plan
on defending yourself,
but we thought we'd drop off
these charging documents.
You're facing kidnapping,
obstruction of justice,
extortion,
attempted murder.
There-There's more,
but you get the idea.
I don't know what David Hodges
told you, but...
He told us everything.
Well,
I guess he'll get to tell
his story to the jury,
and I'll get to tell mine.
I got a story for you.
This con man lawyer
tries to lie and cheat
his way to fame and fortune
at the expense
of good people
who spend their lives
trying to provide justice
for the innocent.
But, as fate would have it,
his fraud fails.
Truth prevails.
And he spends
the rest of his life in jail.
Your sister was right.
The best story wins.
See you in court.
Close seven.
♪ ♪
♪ I looked under chairs ♪
♪ I looked under tables ♪
♪ I'm tryin' to find the key ♪
♪ To 50 million fables ♪
♪ They call me the seeker ♪
♪ I been searchin' low
and high ♪
♪ I won't get to get
what I'm after ♪
♪ Till the day I die ♪
♪ I asked Bobby Dylan ♪
♪ I asked The Beatles ♪
♪ I asked Timothy Leary ♪
♪ But he couldn't help me,
either ♪
♪ They call me the seeker ♪
♪ I been searchin' low
and high ♪
♪ I won't get to get
what I'm after ♪
♪ Till the day I die ♪
♪ People tend to hate me ♪
♪ 'Cause I never smile ♪
♪ As I ransack their homes ♪
♪ They want to shake my hand ♪
♪ Focusing on nowhere ♪
♪ Investigating miles ♪
♪ I'm a seeker,
I'm a really desperate man. ♪
As the yearlong trial concludes
with that verdict,
Anson Wix now awaits sentencing.
Tonight, a third homicide victim
in as many nights
has been discovered downtown.
With no suspects yet identified,
some are asking,
is there a serial killer
active in Las Vegas?