Épisode Canicule S04E04 - CSI: Crime Scene Investigation Saison 4

Prè-générique

L'histoire commence en pleine journée, ce qui est assez étrange pour un épisode des Experts. Le soleil est très haut dans le ciel et comme l'indique le titre : c'est la canicule (c'est-à-dire: 50 °C – ou 122 Fahrenheit - à l'ombre). On se trouve dans le parking ouvert d'un centre où une femme s'apprête à ranger ses courses dans sa voiture. Elle cherche ses clés et, en relevant la tête elle l'aperçoit; ce bébé enfermé seul dans une voiture où la chaleur est intense. Elle s'affole et se met à hurler, ameutant tout le monde autour d'elle, malheureusement, elle n'est pas le propriétaire de la voiture, il est donc impossible pour elle d'ouvrir la porte. Dans toute cette agitation, un homme garde le sang froid, attrape la planche de skate d'un garçon passant par là et éclate la fenêtre, des tessons tombent sur un bébé… rigide.

Quelques temps plus tard, Catherine et Grissom arrivent immédiatement sur les lieux où se trouve déjà Brass. La mère qu'est Catherine est énormément touchée par la mort de cet enfant. Surtout que c'est le douzième depuis le début de l'année. "Quand est-ce que les parents vont comprendrons qu'une voiture ne pourra jamais remplacer une baby-sitter", dira-t-elle. Pauvre enfant, si la chaleur est déjà insoutenable à l'extérieur de la voiture, à l'intérieur c'est pire: 62 °C (ou 143 Fahrenheit). Et là, sous les yeux ébahis des trois policiers, on voit un homme se frayer un chemin dans la foule, il hurle de ne pas s'approcher de sa voiture et croit qu'un jeune a essayé de la lui voler en cassant la fenêtre. Brass se met devant lui et jette à l'homme un regard noir et profond (vous savez, celui qui est plein de sous-entendus), il se présente et quand il lui demande : "vous avez un enfant monsieur?" On voit le gars se décomposer et hurler "oh non, Joshua!" devant une foule désolée et scandalisée.

GENERIQUE

D'après la rigidité de l'enfant, par cette chaleur, le bébé serait mort il y a moins d'une heure. La foule étant encore présente autour de la voiture, nous verrons Grissom manifester une inhabituelle délicatesse en tendant un drap dans lequel envelopper le bébé à Catherine, afin que personne ne voie le corps. Après cela, le père, Paul Winston, est emmené en salle d'interrogatoire: il raconte que, normalement, c'est son épouse qui emmène Joshua à la crèche sauf qu'aujourd'hui… ce n'était pas un jour normal et c'était lui qui était en charge de son fils, mais, surmené par son travail il a trouvé le moyen de l'oublier dans sa voiture.

Changement de décor. Nous nous trouvons sur les bords d'un lac où se trouvent Nick et Sara. Lors de la ronde d'un garde - forestier, celui-ci a eu la mauvaise surprise de découvrir le corps d'une jeune fille. Sa tenue: maillot de bain, mini - short et chaussures pour aller dans l'eau signifieraient qu'elle était là pour une sortie qui aurait mal tournée. En l'absence de boursouflure et d'œdème mousseux, elle serait morte il y a moins de 24 heures et, pas de noyade (l'absence d'œdème mousseux révèle que l'eau n'est pas rentré dans les poumons car le mélange d'air et eaux aurait créé de la mousse). En revanche, elle a la nuque brisée et une importante blessure à la tête, ce qui pourrait être la cause la plus probable du décès. Mais là, sur la plage, ce n'est pas trop l'endroit idéal pour procéder à une autopsie alors, direction la morgue où Nick prends des photos (et remarque que la fille n'a aucun signe distinctif qui pourrait les aider à l'identifier) tandis que Sara relève des indices : une substance verte bizarre dans les cheveux, une clé de vestiaire dans l'élastique du short et des tâches de produit huileux sur les hanches.
On apprendra aussi dans la foulée que nos deux enquêteurs ont demandé leur promotion mais, n'ont pas eu de réponses pour le moment.

Autre part dans le labo, on assiste à l'arrivée du substitut du procureur en personne. Celui-ci veut qu'on fasse payer Mr Winston pour ce qu'il a fait à son fils et si possible, avoir un dossier en béton à porter devant les tribunaux. Il met la pression sur Catherine afin qu'elle ne laisse rien au hasard dans cette affaire et pour cela, de tout passer au peigne fin. On commence par la voiture. Notre enquêtrice constatera que le siège bébé est bien positionné, en l'enlevant, elle remarque qu'il n'a pas laissé de traces sur le cuir de la voiture, ce qui laisse penser que le bébé est habituellement transporté dans un autre véhicule, sans doute celui de la mère, ce qui concorde avec la version de Mr Winston. En passant le faisceau de lumière émanant de sa lampe torche sur le sol de la voiture, Grissom remarque une tache rouge, semi liquide, Catherine le teste et remarque que ce n'est pas du sang. Elle l'envoie donc à Greg qui lui fait part des résultats illico : c'est du sirop pour la toux.

Sur cela, il laisse Catherine en plan pour retrouver Warrick qui enquête sur le meurtre d'un homme. Ce dernier se trouvait tranquillement sur son fauteuil de massage quand la grande faucheuse est venue lui rendre une petite visite. Mis à part une petite ecchymose sur l'index, il ne présente aucune lésion traumatique visible. Il n'y a pas de traces d'effractions et, vu ce qu'il y a dans son appartement, le cambriolage est à exclure.

Retour sur l'enquête de la baigneuse. Le garde - forestier ayant retrouvé le vestiaire correspondant à la clé qui se trouvait sur la jeune fille, nos enquêteurs se précipitent sur la plage. Il s ouvrent le casier et trouvent des jetons de casino (normal à Las Vegas), une carte de l'université de Las Vegas au nom de Sofia Renata, un portefeuille assez masculin et un T-shirt XXL qui pourrait appartenir à son petit ami ou un gars rencontré sur la plage. La mission est donc de trouver quelqu'un qui les aurait vu ensemble. Ca tombe bien, ils ont emprunté un scooter des mers. D'ailleurs, le loueur n'est pas super content: il s'est fait avoir vu que non seulement le mec a pas assez de fric (il lui a fait un crédit pas de chance, limité) et n'a jamais rendu le scooter. L'avantage c'est que le jeune homme a laissé sa carte. On a donc son nom: Mark Young. Nous avons aussi son emploi du temps: la fille, Sofia, voulait louer un scooter sauf que, n'ayant pas de carte de crédit, elle s'est fait jeter. Heureusement (ou malheureusement) pour elle, Mark arrive tel un prince charmant et loue l'engin (à condition de se faire emmener) à 11h45. Ils se baladent 2 heures où le jeune homme lui sort le grand jeu (casinos etc.) puis les deux tourtereaux embarquent à 14 h 15 et ne reviennent jamais. Vu que le garçon est introuvable, Nick et Sara décident de poser des questions à Mr Young qui pourrait savoir quelque chose au sujet de la disparition de son fils. Mais lui n'est au courant de rien, surtout que Mark est censé être au travail. Un peu perdu par la nouvelle, il prend très mal les questions de Sara qui agit comme s'il s'agissait d'un interrogatoire. Elle parle même de perquisition à son domicile lorsqu'elle aura la permission du juge. Heureusement, Nick est là pour calmer le jeu. Avec plus de tact, il lui explique que son fils n'est pour le moment pas accusé et que s'il pouvait les laisser prendre quelques effets personnels de Mark, cela pourrait les aider à avancer dans leur enquête et permettrait d'innocenter le jeune homme. Cette technique est bien plus fructueuse car Nick semble sincère et l'homme accepte sur le champ.

On retourne au labo où Brass et Catherine interroge Mme Winston. A cause d'un voyage à Los Angeles pour le travail (elle bosse dans l'horticulture), celle-ci a été contrainte de laisser son mari emmener leur fils à la crèche. Elle a donc installé le siège bébé et elle est partie. Exceptionnellement, elle n'a pas donné le sirop pour la toux à son fils qui souffrait d'un rhume et a laissé son mari s'en charger. En sortant, celle-ci le croise et, comme on peut s'en douter, se mets à lui hurler dessus sous les yeux désolés des deux policiers.

Faisons un petit détour par la morgue où Warrick tente d'élucider la mort de l'homme dans son appartement. Il remarque, en pinçant le cadavre qu'il n'y a aucun pli cutané, donc, pas de déshydratation, de plus, il n'y a rien de particulier dans son organisme qui aurait pu prévoir sa mort prématurée. Il n'y a que cette ecchymose…en la regardant de plus près, on remarque un étrange relief qui caractérise l'éclatement de plusieurs cellules, phénomène qui se produit lors du passage d'un courant électrique, bref, notre homme aurait été électrocuté. Mais, cette thèse cloche un peu pour notre criminaliste, en effet, il n'y a pas de tissus brûlés. C'est dans ces moments là que l'on se réjouit d'avoir un légiste à nos côtés. Robbins lui explique donc, que c'est un courant à basse tension qui a traversé le corps. Dans ces cas là, le courant passe dans le cœur sans endommager le muscle, son rythme s'affole et il finit par s'arrêter. Il faudrait maintenant savoir comment le courant a atteint la victime. Et du côté des câbles… Warrick ne trouve pas grand-chose: ils sont tous isolés. Et dans le fauteuil de massage… rien n'a brûlé. Par contre… les fils du téléphone ont complètement cramés. Selon Warrick, cela viendrait d'un orage qui se serait formé dans le désert. Un éclair touche les fils électriques et passe dans le combiné. Mais, le problème est qu'aucun éclair n'a frappé les lignes téléphoniques de Las Vegas. Cela ne concorde donc pas, et l'hypothèse est écartée.

Sur les conseils de Grissom, Warrick remet en question le fait que le téléphone soit le point d'entrée de courant mais, le point de sortie. Il retourne donc dans l'appartement de la victime où en compagnie d'Archie, il reconstitue la scène de crime. Le téléphone se trouvait dans la main droite du mort (là où se trouve l'ecchymose) comme le courant à traversé le cœur, celui-ci est entré par le côté gauche mais, dans son autre main se trouvait déjà une canette de soda. Donc, le courant est arrivé par une autre partie du corps… les pieds. En effet, la victime avait ses deux pieds nus posés sur le sol. Et c'est là qu'ils l'aperçoivent : une longue traînée d'eau sur le sol qui mène… à une prise électrique. Mais, me direz vous, comment l'eau est-elle arrivée là? Et je vous répondrait très simplement que l'homme a décidé de se fabriquer un climatiseur maison: un pain de glace, un ventilateur à côté et… nous voilà avec une petite brise bien agréable quand il fait chaud (vous savez, c'est comme un brumisateur permanent) sauf que la glace… ça fond et, (ressortons les cours de physique), la gravité l'attire vers le sol sur lequel elle se répand. L'eau étant conductrice d'électricité, en touchant la prise à envoyé un coup de jus dans les pieds de la victime. Et paf, c'est la mort assurée. Toutes les zones d'ombres sont éclaircies, L'affaire est résolue.

Au même moment, Sara récupère les résultats des analyses effectuées sur la substance huileuse et c'est… de la crème solaire. Vu les marques sur ses hanches et le fait que la fille en ait que sur cette partie du corps, on peut supposer que c'était Mark qui en avait sur les mains et qu'il l'a touché avec. Concernant la petite chose verte dans ses cheveux, il s'agit d'une algue, mais, le problème est que l'on en trouve partout. Heureusement, Greg vient à la rescousse des criminalistes et, en bon connaisseur qu'il est, leur a recommandé de chercher aux alentours de deux petites criques où les amoureux aiment se rendre pour batifoler un peu. Et le laborantin aura fait preuve d'une bonne intuition. Ils retrouvent très vite le scooter des mers ainsi que les affaires des deux jeunes gens. La question est: si Mark a tué la fille. Comment se fait-il qu'il ne se soit pas enfui? Réponse plausible de Sara : comme des témoins l'ont vu partir avec Sofia, se serait un mauvais plan de revenir sur le jet ski tout seul. Elle pense donc que le jeune homme serait parti a pieds et quelle chance, on a des traces de pas sur le sol qui mènent sur une falaise haute de 50 mètres, bon plan pour s'amuser, non? On supposera donc que Mark aurait fait sauté Sofia du plongeoir improvisé et que, ne la revoyant pas remonter, il s'est barré en courant.

Mais, l'histoire prend un autre sens quand on retrouve le corps du jeune homme dans l'eau. Ce dernier est mort de noyade et, on notera également que s'il ne présente aucune lésion externe, ses tympans sont brisés suite à une chute trop rapide en eau profonde. Vu la façon dont ils ont explosés, la blessure date d'avant la mort du garçon. C'est pourquoi Nick avance une autre théorie à laquelle Sara n'adhère pas : selon lui, Mark aurait poussé la fille, et aurait sauté après. Comme elle ne remontait pas, il a décidé de la chercher mais, la rupture des ses tympans l'a fait perdre connaissance et a entraîné sa mort. En l'absence de preuves qui réfutent la thèse de l'accident, c'est cette version des faits que présentera Nick au père du jeune homme en lui disant que son fils est mort en héros. Cette phrase aura pour conséquence de lui attirer les foudres de Sara qui n'approuve pas ses paroles. Quoiqu'il en soit, il vaut mieux pour le père de savoir que son fils n'est pas un meurtrier, la discussion est close et l'affaire est bouclée.

On retrouve Catherine devant la voiture ou le petit Joshua a trouvé la mort. C'est la troisième fois que la criminaliste décide de passer le véhicule au peigne fin. Mais jusque là, elle s'était contentée de regarder la banquette arrière où le siège bébé était attaché, elle n'avait jamais jeté un œil dans le coffre et elle trouvera une couverture pour bébé au nom… d'Howard Aston Winston. Très intriguée par cette découverte, elle demande à Brass de lui trouver le dossier médical de l'enfant. Celui-ci est mort de la maladie de Tes Sax, celle-ci attaque le système nerveux et empêche le développement musculaire, la personne atteinte ne survit généralement pas après ses cinq ans. Ce qui chiffonne Catherine, c'est que les parents de Joshua n'ont jamais parlé de leur premier enfant défunt, mais, la mère qu'elle est comprend qu'ils aient préféré éviter le sujet. Elle conclue donc que le père a été négligeant jusqu'à ce que Greg lui amène les analyses de sang du bébé. On y trouve une dose normale de sirop pour la toux mais, aussi des traces anormales de pesticides… et là, ça tique chez Catherine, elle s'empare de Brass et d'une commission rogatoire et part direction la maison des Winston où elle espère bien trouver le produit qui aurait empoisonné le bébé. Une fois le disulfoton en sa possession, elle repart au poste avec les parents du défunt. Ceux-ci refusent de parler d'Howard mais les traces de pesticides chez Joshua forcent Brass a demander le droit d'exhumer le corps de leur premier enfant. On se retrouve donc à la morgue où Catherine prélève un peu de sang d'Howard qu'elle donne à analyser à Greg et là, c'est l'incompréhension totale pour la criminaliste car, il n'y a rien d'anormal dans le sang du premier enfant, sauf des traces d'anti-inflammatoires prescrits pour la maladie de Tes Sax et, qui ralentit la mort et soulage la douleur de l'enfant.

Notre enquêtrice se demande donc pourquoi les parents ont tué l'enfant en bonne santé s'ils voulaient prolonger la vie de celui atteint d'une maladie incurable ? Elle va donc voir le pédiatre des deux bébés pour en savoir plus. Selon lui, Joshua n'était pas atteint de la maladie (les deux parents étant porteurs du gène défectueux, il y avait 25% de chances pour qu'il en souffre), les analyses faites durant la grosses de Mme Winston n'ayant rien révélé à ce sujet. Mais, deux jours avant la mort de l'enfant, ils seraient allés voir le médecin car Joshua présentait malheureusement les symptômes de la maladie qui a tué son frère surtout qu'il avait des tâches rouges dans les yeux qui la caractérise. Le pédiatre a donc refait des tests sur Joshua et attend toujours les analyses, qu'il remettra à Catherine. Et apparemment, c'est intéressant car elle convoque immédiatement les parents de Joshua au poste. La mère de l'enfant avoue avoir jardiné avec son bébé à ses côtés. Ce qu'elle ne savait pas, c'est que exposer un enfant à des produits toxiques (même à faible dose) entraîne chez lui des troubles similaires aux symptômes de la maladie de Tes Sax. Et cette ignorance va leur coûter cher. Affolés en voyant que leur second enfant pourrait être atteint de la même maladie qu'Howard, ils ont cru que les résultats du test prénatal étaient erronés. Ils ont donc fait un second test, mais la mère, refusant de revivre le même cauchemar n'a pas voulu attendre les nouveaux résultats. Alors, elle en a discuté avec son mari et, ils ont décidé de tuer leur enfant. Mr Winston a donné du sirop à son bébé pour qu'il ne souffre pas, a fermé la voiture et… a attendu. Après une cette révélation, nous avons le droit à une scène poignante où Catherine rentre dans sa voiture, épuisée, ferme la porte et allume le thermomètre… 57°C…. 

COLD OPEN:

[EXT. SKY (STOCK) - DAY]

(Sun slowly rises.)

[EXT. LAS VEGAS CITY (STOCK) - DAY]

(Various voice overs of several radio announcers dissolving one over of the other.)

ANNOUNCER (MAN):   (v.o.)  It's going to be a scorcher and ...

ANNOUNCER (WOMAN):  (v.o.)  In Las Vegas, the temperature is already 108 degrees.

ANNOUNCER (MAN):  (v.o.)  Get yourself off to the tap and keep yourself drinking all day along

ANNOUNCER (WOMAN):  (v.o.)  It's so hot, you could cook an egg on a sidewalk ...

ANNOUNCER (MAN):  (v.o.)  A record number of heat stroke victims.

ANNOUNCER (WOMAN):  (v.o.)  ... no relief in sight.

DISSOLVE TO:

BLUR INTO:

(A woman slowly makes her way to her parked car.  She puts her drink down on the car trunk and reaches into her bag to get her keys.  She looks around and something catches her eye.  She sees a baby in the baby seat in the back seat of a car.)

(She gets closer for a better look.  Once she realizes that it is a baby, she cries out to get help.  A small crowd gathers around at the commotion.)

WOMAN:  Help!  I need help!

MAN:  Ma'am, you all right?

WOMAN:  There's a baby inside the car!

MAN:  Where are your keys?

WOMAN:  It's not my car.  Help!  Somebody help us!

(A MAN gets a KID'S skateboard and rushes back to the car.)

MAN:  Get back!  Get back!

WOMAN:  Help!

(The MAN smashes the skateboard in through the car window.  The broken glass shatters onto the unmoving baby inside.)

DISSOLVE TO:


[EXT. PARKING LOT -- LATER]  

(EMERGENCY PERSONNEL are gathered around the car.)  

(GRISSOM and CATHERINE make their way to the car.  BRASS sits inside looking for the car ownership papers.)

BRASS:  Registration's not here.  This is the shopping plaza.  Mother can't be too far.

(CATHERINE peers in through the window.)

CATHERINE:  When are parents going to learn a car is not a baby-sitter?

(GRISSOM looks at the thermometer.  It reads:  108.2F.)

GRISSOM:  108 degrees outside.

BRASS:  You want to document the inside temperature?  

(BRASS opens the back door and GRISSOM puts the thermometer inside the car.  He shuts the car door.)

BRASS:  How many of these have we had this year?

CATHERINE:  I lost count after ten.

GRISSOM:  This one makes twelve.

(A man walks toward the car to see what the commotion is about.)

PAUL WINSTON:  Hey, that's my car.  Look, what the hell is going on?  Hey, that's my car.  What are they doing? Did somebody break in to my car?

BRASS:  I'm Detective Brass, Las Vegas Police.  Sir, do you have a son?

(PAUL WINSTON looks at BRASS as it occurs to him.)

PAUL WINSTON:  Oh, god! Joshua!

(GRISSOM reaches back into the car and checks the thermometer.  It reads: 145.0F.)

GRISSOM:  145 degrees inside the car.

(GRISSOM turns and looks at PAUL WINSTON, in agony over his son.)

SMASH CUT TO
END OF TEASER
ROLL TITLE CREDITS

(COMMERCIAL SET)

FADE IN.

[EXT. LAS VEGAS DESERT (STOCK) - DAY]

(Various voice over's of radio announcers.)

ANNOUNCER 1 (MAN):  (v.o.)  There is an advisory ...

ANNOUNCER 2 (WOMAN):  (v.o.)  Stay in ...

ANNOUNCER 3 (MAN):  (v.o.)  ... make sure you wear a hat and drink plenty of liquids ...

CUT TO:

[EXT. PARKING LOT -- DAY]  

(CATHERINE and DAVID PHILLIPS peer in to the back seat of the car.  CATHERINE takes pictures while DAVID PHILLIPS does his paperwork.)

CATHERINE:   If it's not babies in cars, it's babies in swimming pools.  It's that time of year.

DAVID PHILLIPS:  Body's fully rigid.  Normally, I'd say the infant's been dead for a couple of hours, but in this weather, it's possible the infant died no more than an hour ago.  I'm all through, Catherine.

GRISSOM:  I brought a sheet.  All these Looky-loo's, I think we'd better treat this like the baby's still alive.

(CATHERINE puts her camera down and reaches for the baby.  She takes the baby out of the car, stands, allows GRISSOM to wrap the sheet around the baby, then she carries the baby over to the CORONER'S van.  She steps inside, puts the baby on the gurney, straps the baby in, steps out of the van and shuts the doors.)

(The CORONER'S van leaves.)

CUT TO:


[EXT. LAKE (STOCK) - DAY]

RANGER STONE:  I spotted her from my boat during a routine patrol.

SARA:  Two prints and drag marks.  Did you move her?

RANGER STONE:  Had to.  Didn't want her floating away.

(Quick flashback to:  The two officers drag the body out of the water and up the bank to higher ground.  End of flashback.  Resume to present.)

NICK:  Short shorts.  Rock soft shoes.  Dressed for sport.

SARA:  No sign of bloating.

NICK:  Chances are she's been dead less than twenty-four hours.

SARA:  Her neck looks been broken, her head split, but there's no coat of foam.

RANGER STONE:  No what?

NICK:  Uh, we have air in our lungs, add water, you have foam.

SARA:  It means she didn't drown.

OFFICER:  Well, drownings not the only way to die out here.

(SARA looks around the area.)  

CUT TO:


[EXT. LAS VEGAS CITY (STOCK) - DAY]


[INT. CSI - INTERVIEW ROOM -DAY]

(BRASS interviews PAUL WINSTON while CATHERINE watches from the OBSERVATION ROOM.)  

PAUL WINSTON:  I was supposed to drop Joshua off at Day Care.  My wife usually brings him on the way to work.  It was a hectic morning.  My cell phone was going off.  Problems at the office.

(Quick flashback to:  [CAR (MOVING) - DAY]  PAUL WINSTON is on his cell phone.)

PAUL WINSTON:  Look, I don't care how much pressure we get from the finance here.  Will you hold on a second, I have another call.

(PAUL WINSTON presses his cell phone button and starts on the next call.)

PAUL WINSTON:  Yeah, sorry, I can't do this right now.  I'm driving.  Hold all the calls.  Tell them, they have to wait.

(End of flashback.  Resume to present.)

PAUL WINSTON:  I forgot he was in the backseat.

BRASS:  How could you forget?

PAUL WINSTON:  I'm not the one who drives him.  Vicky does that.

(BRASS glances over at the mirrors.  On the other side, CATHERINE watches the interview.)  

PAUL WINSTON:  I was distracted.  My job consumes so much of my mind.

BRASS:  What kind of job do you have?

PAUL WINSTON: I'm an agent for the Gaming Commission. It's a twenty-five hour a day job, eight days a week.

BRASS:  Your wife work?

PAUL WINSTON:  She works as much as me.  Joshua made it all worth while.

BRASS:  Where's your wife now?

PAUL WINSTON:  She's in L.A. on business.  How am I going to tell her?

(PAUL WINSTON puts his head in his hands.)

(Camera holds on CATHERINE.)

CUT TO:


[INT. CSI - FORENSIC AUTOPSY -- DAY]  

(NICK and SARA go over the body.  NICK snaps photos while SARA takes off something from the WOMAN'S scalp.)

(Camera zooms in for a close up.)

SARA:  Green ... something.

(NICK snaps more photos.)

NICK:  No birthmark.  No scars, no tattoos.

(NICK looks and sees an indention under the wrap around the WOMAN'S waist. He reaches out to check and finds a key for locker #28.)  

NICK:  I got a locker key.

(He looks at it.  They continue working.)

SARA:  You put in for the promotion, huh.

NICK:  Yeah, yeah.  Last week.  I still haven't heard anything about it.

SARA:  Yeah, neither have I.

(DAVID PHILLIPS walks in.)

DAVID PHILLIPS:  Hey, you ready for me?

NICK:  It's all yours.

(NICK leaves.)

SARA:  Heard you had a rough morning.

DAVID PHILLIPS:  I've had better.

(DAVID removes the shoes from the WOMAN'S feet.  He starts to wash the body and finds something unusual.  SARA notices the bluish tinge to the WOMAN'S lips.)  

DAVID PHILLIPS:  Sara, take a look at this.  What is that?

SARA:  I don't know.

(They share a look.  DAVID shrugs.)

CUT TO:


[INT. CSI - DAY]

(The x-rays are spread out on the table as ROBBINS talks with SARA and NICK.)  

ROBBINS:  You were right about your dead swimmer.  She didn't drown.  Cause of death was a culpable fracture of the neck, C1-C2.

(ROBBINS reaches out and points to the area on the x-ray on the table.)

SARA:  From the blow to the head.

ROBBINS:  Probably.  Cerebral contusions beneath the skull fracture.  Savage hit.

NICK:  Greg processed the sexual assault kit.  Positive for semen.

ROBBINS:  There were no physical findings for rape.  Not a lot to go on here.  Gastric lumen contained dark, pasty material, maybe slightly digestive meat, stringy vegetable matter.

(NICK'S cell phone rings.  He moves aside to answer it.)  

SARA:  Does it give us a timeline?

ROBBINS:  Emptying rates vary from person to person, but I estimate that she ate two to four hours before death.

NICK:  (b.g.)  Hello.  Yeah.  All right.  Good.

(NICK hangs up.)

NICK:  Ranger Stone came through.  We found our locker.

CUT TO:


[INT. CSI - HALLWAY -- DAY]  

(CATHERINE turns the corner.)

JEFFREY SINCLAIR:  Ms. Willows.  Chief Deputy D.A. Jeffrey Sinclair.

(They shake hands.)

CATHERINE:  mm-hmm.  Personal visit.  Must be important.

JEFFREY SINCLAIR:  It is.  Joshua Winston.  The dead infant.

CATHERINE:  We're working on it.

JEFFREY SINCLAIR:  How long was the baby left inside the car?

CATHERINE:  Based on the time of death, uh, we estimate roughly an hour.  The 911 call came in 11:30 in the morning.

JEFFREY SINCLAIR:  Okay.  And what time does Paul Winston start work?

CATHERINE:  According to Captain Brass ... uh, ten a.m.

JEFFREY SINCLAIR:  Hour and a half.  Come on.  I got a three year old at home and I've left him inside in a covered garage with groceries two minutes tops. But two hours in this heat?

CATHERINE:  I know.  It's a tragedy.

JEFFREY SINCLAIR:  You know, cases like these almost never see the inside of a court room, but this one will.

CATHERINE:  Is there any worse punishment than losing your child?

JEFFREY SINCLAIR:  Yeah, jail time.  I want him behind bars so the next time a parent steps away from their vehicle in triple degree heat, they check the backseat before they lock the door.

CATHERINE:  Doesn't change my job.

JEFFREY SINCLAIR:  Look, I need you guys to thoroughly document this case.  I don't want any more surprises in court.  So, from the car to the kid, just try to cross your T's and dot your I's, okay?

(JEFFREY SINCLAIR steps away.)

CATHERINE:  I always do.

CUT TO:


[INT. CSI - GARAGE -- NIGHT]  

(CATHERINE and GRISSOM check the car out.)

CATHERINE:  Car seat's fastened correctly.  Most aren't.

(CATHERINE removes the car seat.)  

CATHERINE:  Hey, Gil.  Look at this.  What do you think?

GRISSOM:  uhm ... nothing.

CATHERINE:  Exactly.  There's no indentations in the leather.

GRISSOM:  Well, maybe this wasn't the primary vehicle for transporting the baby.

CATHERINE:  Yeah.  Same thing the father said.

(GRISSOM sees something.)

GRISSOM:  What is that?

(CATHERINE looks and sees the drops.)

CATHERINE:  I don't know.

(She takes a swab of it and tests it for blood.)

CATHERINE:  Negative for blood.

(GRISSOM sighs.)

CATHERINE:  What are you thinking?

GRISSOM:  (shakes his head)  I don't get people.

FADE OUT.

(COMMERCIAL SET)



FADE IN.

[EXT. LAS VEGAS CITY (STOCK) -- DAY]  

ANNOUNCER (MAN):  (v.o.)  It's still hot out there folks.

ANNOUNCER (MAN):  (v.o.)  If you have to be outside, please, take your water
bottle.

ANNOUNCER (WOMAN):  (v.o.)  Take the advice and drink plenty of fluids.

CUT TO:



[INT. JONES' RESIDENCE -- DAY]

(WARRICK takes pictures as he walks around the dead body.  He looks up as
GRISSOM enters the room.)

WARRICK:  (surprised)  You with me?

GRISSOM:  I am now.  Catherine's doing the baby case.  It's hot in here.

WARRICK:  Oh, yeah.

(WARRICK takes more pictures of the scene around the body.)

WARRICK:  Super came in and checked the a/c and he found him like this.  Wesley
Jones.  33.  His massage chair.  No signs of forced entry.

GRISSOM:  It doesn't appear that robbery was a motive.

WARRICK:  Small bruise on the fingertip, but no outward signs of trauma.

(WARRICK takes more pictures.)

GRISSOM:  I had a case once where a soda can was the murder weapon.  Suspect
used it to bash in the victim's head.

(GRISSOM looks around the room as WARRICK takes a picture of the soda can.)

WARRICK:  Diet shake, fitness magazines, cookie crumbs on a baking sheet.  This
guy's trying to start a diet or falling off one?

GRISSOM:  He's got a workout schedule.  And today?  Three-mile run.  Fat
metabolizers containing ephedra.  Scorching heat and ephedra?  That's not good.

(Quick flashback of:  WESLEY JONES walking through his apartment, wobbly and woozy.  He gets a drink out of the refrigerator and makes his way to his chair. He sits down, then has problems breathing.  He lays back and dies.  End of flashback.  Resume to present.)  

WARRICK:  Sounds like a heat stroke to me.

GRISSOM:  Yeah.  Feel the burn.

CUT TO:


[INT. CSI - DNA LAB -- DAY]

(CATHERINE walks into the lab.)  

CATHERINE:  Hey, Greg.

GREG:  Hey.

CATHERINE:  How are we doing on that swab?

GREG:  Ah, should be ready any minute. Another baby.  I hear the D.A.'s really gunning for the father.  What do you think they're going to charge him with? Murder?

CATHERINE:  Not likely.  Child endangerment.  Child neglect.  Child abuse.

GREG:  Sounds like a slap on the wrist to me.

CATHERINE:  You and the D.A. can shake hands.

(The printer prints the results.)

CATHERINE:  Your print out's ready.

GREG:  The red stain in the car ... prophenerine malaeise.  

CATHERINE:  Cough syrup.

CUT TO:



[EXT. LAKE -- DAY]  

(NICK reaches into the open locker and takes out some chips.  He hands the chips
to SARA.)

NICK:  Dollar slots.

SARA:  Is there truly no place left in Las Vegas without slot machines?

(He takes out the other contents of the locker.  He hands the bag to SARA while
he checks the wallet.)

NICK:  University student ID.  Sophia Renatta, 20 years old.

SARA:  And a guy's wallet.  No credit card.  No driver's license.  

(SARA pulls out a t-shirt from the bag.)

SARA:  Oh, this is too big for Sophia.  It's double extra large.

NICK:  Well, that's certainly a guy's.  Could be a boy-friend's ... beach buddy
... ?

SARA:  Suspect?

CUT TO:



[EXT. LAKE - DAY - SHORT TIME LATER]

(NICK and SARA interview the OWNER of a WAVERUNNER RENTAL.)  

RENTAL OWNER:  Yeah, I remember her and her punk in shining armor.  

NICK:  He wasn't a cool guy?  

RENTAL OWNER:  He stiffed me.  Twice, bro.  Rented a waverunner, didn't bring it
back, and that cheap-assed plastic got a two-pay limit.  I'm out five grand.

SARA:  Ouch.

NICK:  They look like a couple to you?

RENTAL OWNER:  She was a pretty girl with a problem.  He knew and in when he saw
one.

(Quick flashback to:  SOPHIA RENATTA tries to rent a waverunner.)

RENTAL OWNER:  You got a credit card?

SOPHIA RENATTA:  No.

RENTAL OWNER:  No?  We got a line here, why don't' you step aside ...

(A MAN steps up to the front of the line.)

MARK YOUNG:  Maybe, I can help?

(He and SOPHIE look at each other and smile.)

(End of flashback.  Resume to present.)  

NICK:  So, you think they just met?

RENTAL OWNER:  I'll bet.  Something must've been in the air.

SARA:  We're going to need the rental log, if you don't mind.

RENTAL OWNER:  Go crazy.

SARA:  Thanks.

NICK:  Thanks.

(SARA takes the log book and they both step back from the dock.)

SARA:  Here it is.  Mark Young.  Checked out the Waverunner.  11:45, but he and
Sophia didn't hit the water till 2:15.

NICK:  Well, if he did just meet her, he's a pretty smooth operator.  Bailed her
out, bought her lunch, and still had some coins left over to play the slots.

SARA:  Classic lake date.

(They turn around to look at the waverunner on the water.)

(Quick flashback to SOPHIE and MARK on the waverunner.  End of flashback.  
Resume to present.)

SARA:  Boy meets girl.  Girl ends up dead.

CUT TO:



[EXT. LAS VEGAS CITY (STOCK) - DAY]



[INT. POLICE DEPARTMENT - INTERVIEW ROOM -- DAY]  

(CATHERINE and BRASS interview VICKY WINSTON.)

CATHERINE:  Mrs. Winston.

VICKY WINSTON:  I asked my husband to do one thing.  One thing.  I got up early,
I fed Joshua, I got him changed, dressed.  All he had to do was drop him off.

CATHERINE:  You flew to Los Angeles, Mrs. Winston?

(VICKY WINSTON sighs.)

VICKY WINSTON:  I had business in Anaheim.  I'm in Horticulture.  My company is
designing a garden for a new hotel.

BRASS:  How'd you get to the airport?

VICKY WINSTON:  I drove my car.

CATHERINE:  I presume you have a babyseat in your vehicle.

VICKY WINSTON:  Of course, it's the law.  I put it in Paul's car before I left.

(Quick flashback to:  VICKY WINSTON carries the car seat over to PAUL'S car and
puts it in the back seat.  End of flashback.  Resume to present.)

CATHERINE:  Ms. Winston, did Joshua have a cold?

VICKY WINSTON:  He had a slight cough.  There was a bug going around in day
care.

CATHERINE:  Did you give him anything for it?

VICKY WINSTON:  Cough syrup.  Last night.

CATHERINE:  How about this morning?

VICKY WINSTON:  There's a rule in our house that only one parent medicates a
child.  But, I told Paul to go ahead and give it to Joshua if he was still
coughing.  Why?

(She looks at them.)

BRASS:  Thanks for coming in.  We're all done.  Thank you.

(VICKY WINSTON looks out the door and sees PAUL walking outside the hallway.  He
looks inside the office and sees VICKY.  She gets to her feet and heads toward
him.)  

(She starts to hit him and scream at him.)  

VICKY WINSTON:  What is wrong with you?  How could you leave him in the car?  
What is wrong with you?

(He holds her as she cries.  CATHERINE and BRASS watch the WINSTONS move aside.)

CUT TO:



[INT. CSI - INTERVIEW ROOM -- DAY]  

(SARA and NICK interviews MARK YOUNG'S father.)  

SARA:  Mr. Young, your son was last seen with a young girl.  We know that he
rented a waverunner.  Now that young girl is in our morgue and we don't know
where your son is.

MR. YOUNG:  I can't believe this is happening.  Mark has a job.  There's no
reason for him to be on the lake during a work day.

SARA:  We contacted Mark's manager at work.  He called in sick.

MR. YOUNG:  What are you saying?  That he killed this girl?  What is this?!

NICK:  No, no. No one's saying that. We're just ... Mr. Young, when is the last
time that you saw Mark?

MR. YOUNG:  Yesterday morning.  He came by, got something to eat and he left.  I
mean, at this age, I can't keep track of him.

NICK:  Hey, believe me, I understand.  I've been there.

MR. YOUNG:  Mr. Stokes, my son is not a criminal.

NICK:  We're not saying he's a criminal.  

SARA:  All we're saying is your son had contact with the victim and now he's
missing.  What we'd like to do is get a warrant to search your house.

MR. YOUNG:  A warrant?

NICK:  But maybe we don't need one.  If we could just come by there and collect
some of Mark's things, uh, we could get a DNA sample, exclude him as a suspect.

MR. YOUNG:  You can take whatever you want.  Mark didn't hurt that girl.

CUT TO:



[INT. CSI - FORENSIC AUTOPSY -- DAY]  

(ROBBINS goes over the body findings with WARRICK.)  

ROBBINS:  Go ahead, pinch him.

WARRICK:  There's no tenting.  So he wasn't dehydrated.  No, heat stroke.

ROBBINS:  Vitreous urea nitrogen and creatinine were normal.  Same for sodium.

WARRICK:  What about drugs?

ROBBINS:  Tox was negative.

WARRICK:  Heart attack?

ROBBINS:  Organ was normal, under 400 grams.  Left ventricle less than 1.5
centimeters.

WARRICK:  I've run out of questions.

ROBBINS:  Well, I would've missed this one if it weren't for you.

(ROBBINS holds up the body's hand.)

WARRICK:  Oh, you sectioned off that fingertip bruise.

ROBBINS:  Look at the scope.

(WARRICK looks at the scope.)

[SCOPE VIEW of skin cells]

WARRICK:  The skin cells look stressed out.

ROBBINS:  It's called nuclear streaming.  It occurs when an electric current
passes through tissue.

WARRICK:  He was electrocuted.  But how come there's no burn marks?

ROBBINS:  Low-power shock.  Uh, current crossed the heart.  No damage to the
muscle, but havoc on the rhythm.

(Quick flashback to:  WESLEY JONES sits back in his chair in front of the fan.)

ROBBINS:  (v.o.)  Ventricular fibrillation.  

(He starts to gasp for air)

(Quick CGI to:  Camera moves through the chest to the heart to show the
irregular beat.)

ROBBINS:  (v.o.)  A precision clock becomes a bag of worms.

(End of CGI.  Resume to present.)

ROBBINS:  All it takes is a little current.

WARRICK:  And a point of contact.

CUT TO:



[INT. CSI - TRACE LAB - DAY]

(NICK and SARA are in the trace lab.)

DAVID HODGES:  The substance on her hips is suntan lotion.  Waterproof, zinc
oxide, high SPF.

SARA:  Well, that's odd.  The victim had a deep, even tan.  We collected low SPF
oil from the locker.  It's a simple transfer -- him to her.

(Quick flashback to:  MARK puts his hands on SOPHIE'S waist as she laughs.  End
of flashback.  Resume to present.)

SARA:  What about the green substance in the head wound?

DAVID HODGES:  Mm.

(DAVID moves aside and lets SARA look at the scope.)

[SCOPE VIEW of the algae (or 'green' stuff) ]

DAVID HODGES:  Navicula, hannaea, achnanthes, cymbella.

SARA:  Algae.

DAVID HODGES:  Yeah, not the free-swimming kind.  These are epilithic diatoms.  
Attached to rocks.

SARA:  Girl's out at the lake.  She meets some random guy she knows nothing
about and she goes off with him.

DAVID HODGES:  She places herself in a bad situation.

SARA:  And bad things happen.

(Quick flashback to:  MARK and SOPHIE are on the waverunner.  He makes a sharp
turn and she falls off, hitting her head on the algae-covered rocks on the
bottom.)

SARA:   (v.o.)  Sophia takes a header and he bails.

(End of flashback.  Resume to present.)

CUT TO:



[INT. CSI - LAB ]

(NICK and SARA look at the map spread out on the table.)

SARA:  This algae grows everywhere.

NICK:  A waverunner ... point and throttle.

(NICK sighs.)

NICK:    We have no idea where they went.

(GREG stands in the doorway.)

GREG:  Heard you guys narrowed your search area to 44 square miles.  That could
take like months.

NICK:  And I'm sure you're here to shed some light on the situation.

(GREG walks into the lab.)

GREG:  Your case is a boy-girl thing, right?

NICK:  Right.

SARA:  Mm-hmm.  

GREG:  Body was washed up near Windmill Cove?  

NICK:  mm-hmm.

(GREG points to the next two coves on the map:  SANDY POINT COVE and TEQUILA
COVE.)

GREG:  These two coves to the north -- Cotton Wood Island, Tequila -- huge make-
out spots.  But nearly impossible to get to by land.

SARA:  And how would you know that, Greg?

GREG:  A gentleman never tells.  Anyway, I thought that would be a good place to
start.  If you guys need an extra set of hands ...

NICK:  Uh, no. No.  I think we got it, boss.

(GREG leaves the room.  SARA smiles.)

CUT TO:



[INT. CSI - GARAGE -- DAY]  

(CATHERINE turns on the garage lights and looks through the car.  She finds a
photo of the WINSTONS with a baby between them.  She looks in the trunk and
finds some drycleaning.  She puts that aside.  She finds a plastic bag of old
clothes and things.  Inside the bag, she finds a blanket with the name:  HOWARD
ASTON WINSTON embroidered on it.)  

CATHERINE:  "Howard Aston Winston."

FADE OUT.

(COMMERCIAL SET)



FADE IN.

[EXT. LAS VEGAS CITY (STOCK) - DAY]

ANNOUNCER (WOMAN):  Recording a record number of ...

ANNOUNCER (MAN):  The Clark County Health Department still advises all citizens
to stay hydrated and ...

CUT TO:



[INT. CSI - HALLWAY -- DAY]  

(BRASS and CATHERINE walk through the hallway.)  

BRASS:  I got the state medical records for Howard Ashton Winston -- born August
12, 2000.  Would've been three years old.

CATHERINE:  When did he die?

BRASS:  Last year -- Tay-Sachs disease.

CATHERINE:  Oh, that's incurable.  Like MS, right?

BRASS:  Yeah, I worked with a cop in New Jersey whose son died from it.  Aw, the
poor kid went blind, couldn't swallow.  In the end, he couldn't even lift his
head up.

CATHERINE:  The Winstons never mentioned they had another child.

BRASS:  Losing one kid is tough, but two?

CATHERINE:  I know it.

CUT TO:



[INT. CSI - LAB -- DAY]

(Camera moves along the clearboard with a layout of the JONES' apartment.  Next
to that, WARRICK examines the massage chair.  Also in the lab, ARCHIE works on
something at the table.)  

WARRICK:  These wires are all insulated.  No burn marks.  Current didn't pass
through this chair.

ARCHIE:  Whoa-ho!

WARRICK:  What you got?

ARCHIE:  Ultimate power.  I could program this bad boy to make me a cup of
coffee.

WARRICK:  Is there any sign of electrical surging?

ARCHIE:  Well... this remote control's got plenty of juice, but ... the board's
clean, no scoring.  (pauses)  You know, if I had my choice about how I was going
to go out, it would not be electrocution.  I think an aneurysm in my sleep--
quick and painless.

WARRICK:  I like surprises.

(ARCHIE opens the remote; WARRICK opens the phone.)

WARRICK:  Bingo.  Look at that.  Current went through the phone.

ARCHIE:  From what?

WARRICK:  Heat lightning.  Storm rolls through the desert, sometimes it strikes
in town.

(Quick flashback to:  [EXT]  Lightning strikes and hits a telephone pole, the
current runs through the wires, through the box, through the phone lines, up the
wires, into the house and zaps WESLEY JONES as he talks on the phone.  End of
flashback.  Resume to present.)

ARCHIE:  Electrocution through the phone line?  I thought that was a myth.

WARRICK:  This look like a myth to you?

CUT TO:



[EXT. LAKE - DAY]

(NICK and SARA are on the boat.  They find the waverunner in a cove.)  

NICK: Greg was right.  There's our waverunner.

CUT TO:



[EXT. COVE - DAY]

(SARA swabs the towel.  She tests the swab.)

SARA:  Signs of sex; no sign of blood.

NICK:  Half a tank of gas.  Why didn't he just take this to get out of Dodge?

SARA:  Well, if he leaves the dock with Sophia, comes back alone ... somebody
might notice.

NICK:  So... he just hoofs it out of here?  How?

RANGER STONE:  There's an access route about two miles east, but in this heat,
no way.

(SARA looks on the dirt near the towel and sees several shoe prints.)

(Quick flashback to:  Close up of SOPHIA'S soft shoes.  The shoe prints match.  
End of flashback.  Resume to present.)  

SARA:  Well, if you kill somebody ... you find a way.  Check it out.

(SARA gets to her feet and follows the prints.  NICK follows SARA up the hill.)

CUT TO:



[INT. CSI - LAB -- DAY]  

(WARRICK shows GRISSOM the map on the monitor.)  

WARRICK:  Strike map from the national lightning detection network.

(The computer beeps.)

WARRICK:  This is Vegas in yellow.  

(A red beeping square appears on the monitor:

     ID: 30994
     Flash Radius:  4.2 km

(A second red beeping square appears on the monitor:

     ID 30993
     Flash Radius:  3.1 km

(Camera pulls back to show three blinking red squares on the monitor map.)

WARRICK:  Hasn't had a lightning strike in three days.

GRISSOM:  You got another theory?

WARRICK:  All I got is a fried phone.

GRISSOM:  One point on the electrical path to ground.

WARRICK:  If the phone wasn't the way in, maybe it was the way out.

CUT TO:



[INT. JONES' RESIDENCE -- DAY]

(WARRICK and ARCHIE put the massage chair back in the room where it was found.)

ARCHIE:  You good on your end?

WARRICK:  Yes.

ARCHIE:  Good.  

WARRICK:  This about it?

ARCHIE:  Yeah.

WARRICK:  Okay ... now, electricity is fickle, right?

ARCHIE:  Yeah.

WARRICK:  One centimeter can mean the difference between a little zap and dead.  

(WARRICK passes his flashlight over the chair and envisions WESLEY JONES sitting there dead.)

WARRICK:  So, let's assume that the current went out through his right index finger and the phone.  For it to cross his heart, it must've come from the left side of his body, right?

ARCHIE:  We've ruled out the fan and the chair.  Can was in his left hand, so ... the point of entry must've been somewhere else on his body.

(WARRICK passes the light down the chair and envisions seeing WESLEY JONES' legs and feet flat on the floor.)  

(He and ARCHIE both kneel down.  WARRICK looks at the floor and finds a foot print.)  

WARRICK:  His bare foot touched the floor.

(Using the flashlight, he sees markings and follows the markings to the left toward the wall.  Both he and ARCHIE get to their feet and follow the markings.  WARRICK kneels down and looks between the shelves.  He sees the burned out extension cord.)

WARRICK:  Path of least resistance.

CUT TO:


[EXT. COVE -- DAY]

(NICK and SARA follow the footprints up to the edge of the Cliffside.)  

SARA:  That's got to be a 50-foot drop.

NICK:  Yeah, but when you're young, it just looks like a whole lot of fun.

SARA:  Not for Sophia.

(Quick flashback to:  MARK and SOPHIA go to the edge of the cliff.  MARK'S
urging SOPHIA to jump.)

MARK YOUNG:  Come on, go for it.

SOPHIA:  No, I don't ...

MARK YOUNG:  It'll be a rush.

SOPHIA:  I don't know.

(He pushes her in and she falls head first to the water below.)

(End of flashback.  Resume to present.)

NICK:  Well, if that's where she died ... the evidence isn't up here.  It's down there.

CUT TO:


[INT. CSI - LOCKER ROOM -- DAY]  

(CATHERINE opens her locker and gazes at the pictures of LINDSEY pinned to her locker door.  The last picture is a drawing with "SUPER MOMMY" on it.)  

GREG:  Catherine ...  Hey, I got your results.  Found a therapeutic level of cough syrup in the baby's system, no more than the recommended dosage.

CATHERINE:  So, between the cough syrup and the heat, Joshua probably fell asleep and the father forgot that he was there.

GREG:  Maybe.  I also found organophosphates, more specifically, disulfoton.

(CATHERINE turns and looks at GREG.)

CATHERINE:  Pesticides.  

(GREG hands the print results to CATHERINE to look at.)

CATHERINE:  What the hell's he doing with pesticides in his system?

(GREG shrugs.  CATHERINE turns and closes her locker door as she thinks about
the possibilities.)

CUT TO:


[EXT. WINSTON RESIDENCE - FRONT WALK -- DAY]  

(BRASS and CATHERINE walk up to the house.)  

(The door opens and VICKY WINSTON appears.)

BRASS:  Mrs. Winston, we have a warrant to search the premises.

(Behind her, PAUL WINSTON walks into the living room.)

CATHERINE:  Where do you keep your gardening supplies?

(Cut to:  CATHERINE opens the shed door and looks inside.)

CUT TO:


[EXT. LAKE -- DAY]  

(NICK and SARA instruct the divers in the water on what to look for.)  

NICK:  Spiral search pattern.  The anchor chain is your center point.  Do a 360, then drop your depth.  Now, you're not done till you hit the bottom, okay?

SARA:  You're looking for anything she might've hit her head on, probably something covered with algae.

NICK:  Good luck.

(The divers head down into the lake.)

INTERCUT WITH:

(CATHERINE looks around the garden shed.  She looks through the basket full of
products.  She picks up one after the other, looking at the labels.  She picks
up a third container on which reads:  "ACTIVE INGREDIENTS:  LAMBDA-CYHALOTHRIN,
DISULFOTON, OTHER INGREDIENTS".  It also reads: "Keep out of reach of
children".)  

CUT BACK TO:

(The diver surfaces.)

NICK:  What do you got?

(He hands NICK a camera monitor with a picture of a dead face trapped in the
algae below.)  

NICK:  That's got to be Mark Young.

SARA:  Yeah.

CUT TO:



[EXT. WINSTON RESIDENCE -- DAY]  

(CATHERINE walks up to BRASS and the WINSTONS.  She shows them the bagged
container.)  

BRASS:  Mr. and Mrs. Winston, why don't we get out of this heat?

(They turn and head for the cars.)  

CUT TO:



[EXT. LAS VEGAS CITY (STOCK) - DAY]



[INT. POLICE DEPARTMENT - BRASS' OFFICE - DAY]

(BRASS interviews VICKY and PAUL WINSTON.)

BRASS:  Why didn't you tell us you had another child who also died?

VICKY WINSTON:  How dare you bring up Howard.  I'm a mother in mourning.  I've
already buried one child.  I have to bury another.  One was in god's hands, the
other in the incapable hands of my husband.  Show some compassion.  I'm not the
guilty one here!

PAUL WINSTON:  I'm guilty.  I'm not a bad parent; I was negligent.  I take full
responsibility for what I did, but leave Howard out of it.

BRASS:  We found pesticides in Joshua's bloodstream.  I'm going to have to get a
court order and exhume the body of your first child.

(PAUL WINSTON sighs.)

PAUL WINSTON:  Vicky and I went through hell watching Howard deteriorate.  Can't
you let my boy rest in peace?

BRASS:  I'm afraid not.

CUT TO:



[INT. CSI - FORENSIC AUTOPSY -- DAY]

(Camera opens on s small casket.  On the monitor behind is a view of the baby
inside the casket.)  

ROBBINS:  With exhumations, you always hope for a good embalmer, and I think
we've got one.  Body's well-preserved.  Tay-sachs is a genetic disorder.  You
see the retarded musculature?  Classic symptom.

CATHERINE:  Night and day, compared to Joshua.

(CATHERINE uncaps the needle on the syringe.  She reaches inside the casket and
takes a sample from the baby.)  

CATHERINE:  Quite a lot of vitreous fluid left.  

ROBBINS:  I stand corrected -- great embalmer.

CUT TO:



[INT. CSI - DNA LAB --DAY]  

(CATHERINE walks into the lab and hands GREG the vial.)  

CATHERINE:  Run this?

(GREG takes the baggie sample and looks at it.)  

(He runs the sample.)  

(Lots of cuts of GREG preparing and running the sample while CATHERINE waits.)

(The printer prints the results.)

GREG:  No cough syrup.  No pesticides.  Traces of monocycline.

CATHERINE:  Anti-inflammatory.  Sometimes prescribed for Tay-Sachs.  Well, it's the same principle of giving marijuana to glaucoma patients -- doesn't really cure the vision problems; it just buys you time.

GREG:  Band-aid.

CATHERINE:  Yeah.

GREG:  Maybe the Winston's didn't want Howard to suffer.

CATHERINE:  So, they don't kill their first child, who's dying.  Why kill the second child, who's healthy?

(CATHERINE shakes her head.)

FADE OUT.

(COMMERCIAL SET)


FADE IN.

[INT. DR. GARNER'S OFFICE -- DAY]

(DR. GARNER looks at the x-rays on the view box as CATHERINE interviews him.)  

CATHERINE:  So, both Howard and Joshua Winston were patients of yours?

DR. GARNER:  (nods)  Yes.  I was with them when Howard died.  That was a dark time for them and I must say that it took a lot of courage for them to try again.  Because both parents carry the Tay-Sachs allele, there was a twenty-five percent chance that the second child would be born with it.

CATHERINE:  But Joshua dodged the bullet.

DR. GARNER:  We tested Vicki early in the second trimester; the results came back negative.

CATHERINE:  Had you seen Joshua recently?

DR. GARNER:  A couple days before he died.

CATHERINE:  It was a regular checkup, or ... ?

DR. GARNER:  No. Vicki called in a panic, said something was wrong.  I told her to bring him right in.  

(Quick flashback to:  DR. GARNER checks JOSHUA as his parents watch.)

DR. GARNER:  (v.o.)  And despite the fetal test, Joshua seemed to be exhibiting all the classic signs of early Tay-Sachs.  Floppiness, poor head control, unable to turn over, decreased muscle tone.  When they brought him in it was Howard all over again.

(End of flashback.  Resume to present.)

DR. GARNER:  The only conclusion was that the fetal test was a false negative.

CATHERINE:  What are the odds?

DR. GARNER:  Under one percent.  When I saw Joshua's retinas there were red
spots -- classic Tay-Sachs.  I sent out an enzyme test to confirm it.

CATHERINE:  And did you confirm it?

DR. GARNER:  Results haven't come back yet.

CUT TO:



[INT. CSI - FORENSIC AUTOPSY -- DAY]  

(ROBBINS goes over the autopsy findings with NICK and SARA.)  

ROBBINS:  Mark Young.  Cause of death is asphyxia due to fresh water drowning.  No bruises or other injuries.  Except for a ruptured tympanic membrane.

SARA:  Hmm.

(SARA leans forward and looks through the scope at the inside of MARK'S ear.)

SARA:  Hmm.

(Quick CGI POV of the tear inside the ear.  End of CGI POV.  Resume to present.)

SARA:  Tear's red.  It's ragged.

ROBBINS:  Ante-mortem injury.  In water, burst eardrums typically result from rapid decent.  Sudden changes in pressure without equalizing.

(Quick flashback to:  MARK and SOPHIE are on the top of the ledge.  MARK pushes SOPHIE off the edge.)

NICK:  (v.o.)  She went in first.

(She falls in.  He screams, excited.)

MARK YOUNG:  Whoo-hoo!

NICK:  (v.o.)  And he jumped in after her.

(When he sees that she hasn't surfaced, he jumps in.)  

(UNDERWATER:  He finds SOPHIE and tries to get her free.  He surfaces and dives back in.  His ear drums burst and he dies, tangled in the weed below.)  

(End of flashback.  Resume to present.)

NICK:  This was an accident, Sara.  He was trying to save her.

SARA:  That's a great theory.  But we can't prove that.

NICK:  Twenty-six feet under with a busted eardrum?  If not to save her, why dive that deep?

SARA:  I don't know.  Case is over.

NICK:  Almost over.

CUT TO:



[INT. CSI - LAB]

(Using the photos of the scene up on the wall, WARRICK shows GRISSOM his
theory.)  

WARRICK:  Found this mineral residue that led all the way from the massage chair
to this burnt-out power strip across the room ... water stain.

GRISSOM:  Well, there's your conductor.

WARRICK:  I also found them on the cookie sheet and this water-damaged magazine
right here.  And I found this plastic bag in the kitchen garbage.

GRISSOM:  "Ice block."

WARRICK:  Add that with the fan, you got yourself a homemade swamp cooler.

(Quick flashback to:  The ice block is set up in front of the running fan.  
WESLEY JONES sits in his chair cooling off.  The water from the ice drips out of
the pan, on to the magazine, down the table and pools on the floor at his feet.)

(As more ice melts, the water pools and runs along the power cord all the way to
the electric socket.  The socket shorts, the shock runs along the cord and
water, up through WESLEY JONES' feet and out to the telephone in his hand.)

(End of flashback.  Resume to present.)

GRISSOM:  Inventive.

WARRICK:  Guy was just trying to stay cool.

CUT TO:


[EXT. LAS VEGAS CITY (STOCK) - DAY]


[INT. CSI - HALLWAY -- DAY]  

(SARA rounds the corner and finds NICK talking with MR. YOUNG.)  

NICK:  I think he died trying to save someone's life.

MR. YOUNG:  Thanks.

NICK:  No, it's my pleasure.

(She sees them shake hands.  MR. YOUNG leaves.)

SARA:  Hey, Nick.

(NICK picks up his messages off the counter.  They turn and head back inside.)

NICK:  Hey.

SARA:  What are you doing?

NICK:  What do you mean?

SARA:  What did you tell him?  His son died a hero?

NICK:  Look, I'm just trying to give the guy a little peace, you know?

SARA:  Oh, well, who are you trying to help feel better, him or you?

NICK:  Hey, let me ask you something, Sara:  You're Mr. Young, would you rather know this much or nothing at all?

SARA:  You know, if the evidence doesn't support the answer, a CSI shouldn't be asking that question.

NICK:  Well, okay, if that works for you.

SARA:  Be careful.

(SARA walks away.  NICK walks off camera frame.)

CUT TO:


[INT. CSI - LAB ]  

(CATHERINE looks at various projector shots.  The chemical compounds are reflected off of her and the walls behind her.)  

CUT TO:


[EXT. LAS VEGAS CITY (STOCK) - DAY]


[EXT. POLICE DEPARTMENT - INTERVIEW ROOM - DAY]

(BRASS and CATHERINE interview PAUL and VICKY WINSTON.)

VICKY WINSTON:  I was in the garden this weekend.  Why are you so interested in everything we do?  I mean, when did our lives become an open book?

BRASS:  When your second son ended up dead.

CATHERINE:  When you were in the garden, was Joshua with you?

VICKY WINSTON:  No.

PAUL WINSTON:  Yes, he was.  We had a fight...

(Quick flashback to:  VICKY is in the garden.  PAUL walks up with JOSHA in his
arms, the baby's crying.)

PAUL WINSTON:  Vicky, it's your turn.  I've had him for the past four hours.

VICKY WINSTON:  What, are you counting hours now?  He's your son.

PAUL WINSTON:  Look, if you're not gardening here, then it's at work.  I've had him all day.  It's your turn.  Here.

(He hands the baby to VICKY, stands up and leaves.)

PAUL WINSTON:  Thank you.

VICKY WINSTON:  See the pretty flowers, Joshua?

(End of flashback.  Resume to present.)

(VICKY looks at PAUL and sighs.)

VICKY WINSTON:  I guess he was.  But the moment he passed Joshua off to me I went inside.

CATHERINE:  Did you wash your hands?

VICKY WINSTON:  Honestly, I don't remember.  I'm in the garden a lot, so I'm sure I washed my hands.

CATHERINE:  Well, I met with your pediatrician, Dr. Garner.  When you brought Joshua in on that emergency call, it was because you feared that he, too, had Tay-Sachs.

PAUL WINSTON:  We had the test before he was born.  Dr. Garner said we were fine.

BRASS:  I can imagine for both of you it must have been like reliving the nightmare.  One child, now two.

CATHERINE:  Did you know that repeated exposure to certain pesticides, even in small amounts, can have an adverse effect in infants?  Even mimic the signs of Tay-Sachs?

BRASS:  The symptoms are similar.  Floppiness of the head, arching of the back.  

(VICKY and PAUL share a look of alarm.)

BRASS:  Blindness ... inability to swallow.

CATHERINE:  You work with pesticides, Mrs. Winston, on your job and in your garden.  And you handled Joshua -- we suspect that that's how the traces got into his system.  I'm just speculating here, but I think this is what happened next:

(Quick flashback to)

VICKY WINSTON:  No, Paul. I went through hell with Howard, I can't go through that with Joshua.

PAUL WINSTON:  We'll wait for the enzyme tests.

VICKY WINSTON:  No. No more tests.  No more drugs.  No more kids.  No more!  I can't live through that again, and neither can you.

(End of flashback.  Resume to present.)

CATHERINE:  You gave Joshua cough syrup, Mr. Winston.  Why did you medicate him?

BRASS:  'Cause, maybe, you just didn't want him to suffer?

(Quick flashback to:  PAUL WINSTON gives JOSHUA some cough syrup.  He closes the car door and walks away.  He looks back at the car, then turns the car alarm on, leaving JOSHUA in the car.)

(End of flashback.  Resume to present.)

VICKI WINSTON:  You have no idea what it's like to watch your child die.  

PAUL WINSTON:  We couldn't go through that again.

CATHERINE:  The shame of it is you didn't have to. The enzyme test that dr. Garner ran came back negative.  Joshua didn't have Tay-Sachs.  You killed a perfectly healthy baby.

(VICKY WINSTON whimpers softly, then starts to cry.)

FADE TO WHITE

[EXT. PARKING LOT]

(CATHERINE walks out to her car.  She gets inside and shuts the door.  She turns on the temperature gauge.  It reads:  135 degrees F inside temp.)

(CATHERINE leans back in her seat and watches as the temperature rises.  136 ... 137 ... )

(Camera holds on CATHERINE.  She sighs.)

(Blur out.)

FADE TO BLACK.

THE END.

Fait par Wella