Previously on CSI: Vegas... ROBY: There's an assault on the truth. Not your truth, not my truth, but the truth. GRISSOM: Only one of our suspects has the skills to do what I saw. ROBY: You believe this guy framed David Hodges. I'm Martin Kline. They know. SIDLE: It's Kline's watch. His shoes. GRISSOM: Probably not his grenade. SIDLE: Kline was working for someone else when he framed Hodges. He had to be. GRISSOM: You didn't process this hallway, did you? This was actually someone cleaning up. I think they finally made a mistake. ## ## (chuckles) ## ## (recorded cackling) (thunder rumbles, crashes) (cackling in distance) (cackling in distance) You a Stephen King fan? Hmm-mm. - Well, forget... - It. - (chuckles) - (laughs) ("Turkey in the Straw" playing) (engine rumbling) (cackling in distance) Hmm. ("Pop Goes the Weasel" playing) "Have a funny Funhouse day." Mm. Wonder where everybody is. You the cavalry? Uh, wouldn't say that. I'm... Josh Folsom. This is Allie Rajan. We're from the Las Vegas Crime Lab. Welcome to nowhere. Bernice Stubb. State Police. I'm the one that called ya. Come on if you want to see something terrible. ## ## You're right, Bernice. This is pretty horrific. RAJAN: Female, looks early 20s. Any ID or witnesses? Nope, she just popped up like that. Guy who works the front desk came back here to restock the vending machine, found her. Marks on her makeup. Look like tear tracks. RAJAN: Suggests they made her up before they cut her throat. There's no blood on her clothes. There`there would have been a lot of arterial spray. They must've re-dressed her. They wanted her to look... just so. A killer with a theme. Great (!) So, your suspect, this guy Martin Kline, he's dead. And any evidence he framed David Hodges was destroyed. But we're all fired up because luminol shows nothing on his wall? Sometimes the absence of evidence can be as revealing as the evidence itself. Neither of us sprayed that luminol. SIDLE: We think the killer cleaned up with bleach and used luminol to make sure he didn't miss any. So, theory is... Kline was working for someone. Boom. They make sure he never talks. Why clean this one spot? We think that whoever did this took cover here during the blast, but shrapnel tore right through the wall. (grunts) So our new suspect got hit. They had to clean their own blood to make sure we didn't find their DNA. Police are checking local hospitals. But we think the luminol might be an even better lead. - The great poet Ovid said, "When a rose dies... "a thorn is left behind." HPLC will give us the chemical composition of the luminol. But how is that helpful? Only so many places you can find luminol, Penny. - So if we can match it to a commercial brand, we can track sales. Gil, this can't be right, can it? Ironic, isn't it? 8,000 criminals getting out of prison and one innocent man going in. That's not ironic. That's a tragedy. I meant that if you'd just been straight with me from the beginning, I could've helped you. You would not have. You had your orders. We had a hypothesis. We didn't even have a case yet. Reasonable doubt in the Hodges case is a long way off. I can see a theory, but... I don't see evidence. You could help us find some. You may be IAB, but you're a detective first. Right? Max, we need to, um... She knows. Whatever it is, you can just say it. The luminol that we found in Kline's house, it came from this lab. Are you saying one of... your people did this? We checked it and we rechecked it. Check it again. It's this lab's standard. There's no question. Gil came up with the formula. 0.3% hydrogen peroxide for longer luminescence. If you still want my help, there's only one way to play this. ## ## MAN (over P.A. system): All CSI personnel, report to the main lobby stairwell. (indistinct chatter) Excuse me. Excuse me. Excuse me. Excuse me. Excuse me. - Yes. - Boss... Um, Folsom and Rajan are in the field, but everyone else is accounted for. All three shifts. Okay. Listen up, people. This is not a mandatory safety meeting. I need you to surrender all your sidearms and kits at the front desk. Go to your stations and wait till we come see you. What's going on, boss? We have had a breach. We will now have a lockdown and an investigation. This lab, CSI, is a crime scene. ## ## ## 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? ## - I chose to earn as I learn. - I chose to help clear the air. - I chose to give him an apprenticeship, and her, and him, and him. I'm really not sure what I should do with you two. Why don't you listen to us? Made that mistake before. You lied to my face and gamed me for access to confidential files. I can't help but take that personally. Okay, don't listen to us. Do you like to read? Uh, th-this is the chemical composition of the luminol that the killer used. - Your formula. - GRISSOM: Yes. But with traces of ninhydrin. A chemical reagent used to find latent prints, not blood. There's no reason it should be mixed in with the luminol. Somebody, probably topping off their supplies, capped a luminol bottle with a ninhydrin nozzle by mistake. If there's a rogue CSI with the reverse in their kit, a ninhydrin bottle with a luminol nozzle, there's a very good chance they're behind all of this ` Brass, Hodges, Kline, everything. Then I suggest you find them. Maybe then I won't recommend the D.A. throw the book at all the rogue CSIs I've met. Hey. Okay, got all my techs packed in like sardines. Anyone else I'm missing? Our ME, Dr. Ramirez. But he hasn't been on this floor in years. Too many living people. So he didn't have access to luminol? No. - Uh, boss? Sorry. - Yeah. What is it, Penny? We have a big problem. Okay. So all the grenades are missing? You had seven grenades in here? Why? We cross-reference, test and store seized weapons. How long have they been gone? I don't know. I came in here to secure everyone's sidearms, like you asked. And that's when I realised ` nobody signed them out. You wouldn't. If you were gonna use one on Martin Kline. Until we know more, this stays between us. We don't want a panic out there. - This is a nightmare. - Yeah. But it's also a lead. We find out who took these, we find our man. Sure. Unless they blow us up first. Hold up. - All right. Thanks. - Sure. Let's, uh, get her out of the sun until Hugo shows up. - Okay. Catch you later. All right, see you. - Hey. - Folsom. - Yeah. - This dust on her collar, what do you think it is? I don't know. And we can't have it processed. At least not right now. 'Cause Chris said the lab is on lockdown. What? What's going on? He said he couldn't say. Hey, Filbin and Rajiv. This here's Mr. Finch, owner I told you about, who found her. Tell 'em what you saw, Seymour. Not much, really. When I saw her there, I... I ran like hell. (inhales) I'm not sure with all that makeup, but thought she might be this girl who checked in Tuesday. Deedee Hall, 22. Newport Beach, California. So... this your place? The whole clown theme, that... that's your idea? When we opened in '88, it brought in families on the way to Vegas. Then everyone decided clowns were scary. I don't have the money to renovate, so... I'm kind of stuck. - Did you talk to Deedee? - She wasn't loving this place. You could tell her boyfriend picked it. He's one of these with eye makeup, black hair, tattoos. What, this guy? This Goth here? - Name's Dane Bash. - Mm. What room were they in? ## ## You two not checking out? What, and miss the show? (man chuckles) (door opens) (door closes) That poor girl. Come on, Mr. Finch. These people have a job to do. If you could get us the contact info for those two out by the pool, we'd appreciate that. (door closes) Blood pooled after the body was moved, and a lot's been absorbed into the mattress, but you can still tell. ## ## Perp must've knelt right over her. Imagine that being the last thing you see. - Mm. Vidushaka. - Huh. In Sanskrit, vidushaka ` clowns` they were often heroes' companions. In my childhood nightmares, they were terrifying. Hmm. Dane's missing his shoelaces. Think we know where those ended up. But he sure did love his killer clowns. - What was she doing with this guy? - Hey. Everyone goes through phases. (chuckles) Yeah? You date any Juggalos? No. All I'm saying is, it's sad she won't get to grow up and... figure herself out. Learn to make better choices. Like... don't let your boyfriend stop taking his divalproex. Judging by the date, I'd say this guy was off his medication. (phone ringing) (quietly): Oh, my God. Hello? Oh. Great. Thanks. Seymour, the manager, calling with the methheads' names and room number. Would you believe she's a Marjory? (chuckles softly) Think that name goes way below "Dane Bash" on our list of suspects. I'll have Trooper Stubb put out a BOLO. RAJAN: There's more of this dust. I'm gonna follow this trail of breadcrumbs. Can I leave you alone? - Leave your radio on. - (chuckles) (door opens, closes) (groans) What are you thinking about? Being trapped in here with a killer or our future in prison? I've been around plenty of murderers. Getting threatened with jail is different. You'd look good in a jumpsuit. Besides, we live in international waters. I don't think they could extradite us. (chuckles) - (chiming) - Oh, we might not have to go on the run just yet. Ninhydrin bottle with a luminol cap. Bottle number nine. It was in the supply room? Number nine. Martin Kline's killer must have handled this. WOMAN (over P.A.): The building remains in lockdown. (announcement continues indistinctly) Here. That's Penny after she realised they were missing. This is the best you've got? There's no surveillance in the ballistics lab? There's only one camera in the hallway, but I blew it up to focus on Ballistics. When we put a bunch of cameras in labs, all we end up doing is digging up footage for discovery requests. I'm no fan of Big Brother, but sometimes you do miss him. Hold on. That's the grenade bin. The reflection. The ballistics lab is right over here. And he's walking it back empty. This image is garbage. I don't think we ever see his face. You see that time stamp? That's only five minutes before you locked us down. Whoever took those grenades, they're still in the building. ## ## (cart rolling) Excuse me. Sir. It's Tom. This guy was a guest. He had a room a few doors down from where that girl was found. Have you seen him? You're a detective? Work for Las Vegas Crime Lab. (chuckling) Y'all are just as dirty as us desert rats. I did time for assault. One of you people said my DNA was at a bar where some woman was stabbed. And was it? Okay, uh, how 'bout this? Know what it is? I do. That's dirt. - Great. - (cart rolling) Have a funny Funhouse day, Tom. Folsom. I need you down here. Now. FOLSOM: Another one? Where the hell did it come from? You're asking me? Weren't you guarding the scene? There was a 911 call on the highway. I was gone an hour. Sorry. I didn't know I was guarding a portal to clown hell or whatever. Wait a minute. Same nose, same ears. It's Dane Bash. We're gonna need another suspect. RAJAN: No defensive wounds, no abrasions from bindings. And all that blood up near the pillows. I'd guess they were killed in their sleep. You might be right. The teardrops don't quite start from the tear ducts. It's almost like something was dripped on them. Condensation from the ice machine? Liver temperature says they died about 40 hours ago. Dual lividity suggests the bodies were moved shortly after. Someplace dark and cool. So he took 'em someplace to dress them before he started... presenting his work. Must have a stash spot. (exhales) A room with a window, I'd bet. Zigzag lines are sunburn. And we've got these mosquito bites here. - Think that's all postmortem? - We see it when hikers get lost in the desert. Can't reach for your sunscreen or bug spray when you're toast. - Oh. - I, uh, should get back on the road. I'll call you once the autopsies are done. I'm gonna take these for prints. They're pretty cool, huh? The origami, I mean. I'm not saying I'm a fan of his other work. - Yeah. - (weak chuckle) (exhales) Think I owe an apology to Dane Bash. Mm. I'm sure he'd forgive you if you solved his murder. He was probably just going through a phase, too. Okay. This theory of yours ` everybody goes through phases ` I'm having a hard time picturing yours. (chuckles) Nice try. Ah. There's that ice cream truck again. - (engine idling) - Pretty good place to store bodies. Mm. ("Turkey in the Straw" playing) Hmm. Oh. Trying to guess who did it? It's always the last person you suspect. That would be you, sweetheart. (chuckles) Uh, I think you overshot the mark. We're looking for one print, not a dozen on top of each other. Well, that's why they invented 3D comparators. - You've been on the boat too long. - (exhales) SIDLE: Okay... It's new. It's not magic. Give me a second. I checked with security. They say nobody's tried to get in or out. Is that how you enhance it? You've watched too many movies. I might not be able to make his face appear, but the way this thieving traitor moves might give him away. You're pissed. At myself. We got a bad seed, and I missed him. Some people, when they're honest to a fault, they just assume the people they care about are, too. That's him. Did you see him slip right there? NORA: Yeah. 'Cause he's not wearing any shoes. You know who it is. Yeah. Mr. Degeneres, may we come in? (sniffing) This about those dead clowns? Good guess. Hey, Folsom. There's more of that dust here. Where's your girlfriend? We need to talk to both of you. (shudders) Yeah, maybe we don't want to talk to you. - (glass shatters) - Hey! Hands where I can see 'em! It's just a pipe! It's meth. You going somewhere, Marjory? You weren't trying to bust out the window, were you? MARJORY: I'm sorry. (exhales) ## ## So we're supposed to believe you two lovebirds are each other's alibi? Is your name really Stubb? (chuckles softly) (quietly): If they did it, they're too high to have pulled it off alone. Tell us about your friend with the ice cream truck. No, no, he's just a guy we buy... ice cream from. Where did you get those bites? Out by that empty pool. It's mosquito lake in there. What? (buzzing) I think I know where Dane got his jagged sunburn. SEYMOUR: We called it Funland. It was the room under the shallow end. It was for kids. Now it's just storage, maintenance stuff. Housekeeping's got the key. Do you mean Tom? The mean, angry guy? Well, Tom's not real friendly, but he's not a... you know. A killer? - He told me he was a violent felon. Managed to bring that up right away. - Mm. - How 'bout just telling us where the entrance to this... Funland is? Follow me. I'll take you. (exhales) (rodents squeaking) ## ## I found it like this this morning. (creaking) I'm having a hard time picturing kids enjoying this. ## ## Hey, Al. Think I know where that dust came from. Allie? Allie? You got to believe me. I had no idea this was down here. Someone forgot to clean up. Maybe it's because he's not finished. You put me on the Kline case, remember? The guy was blown up by a grenade. I thought I better figure out what kind. This is why we have reference materials. NORA: These are all here. - All safe-tied. - CHRIS: Of course they are. Chris, do you understand you scared the hell out of all of us? You know the rules. You always sign out weapons. Well, what if your boss is on the intercom saying, "Drop everything, report to the lobby"? Does that include your shoes? I sprained my ankle. It's a little swollen. This feels better. Chris, we have rules. Then, fine, I'm guilty. Of an OSHA violation. Come on, boss. The, uh, mismatched bottle is his. What? ## ## ## ## RAJAN: If we do get a decent print, it'll be easy enough to match. Tom's been in the system since '99, when he stabbed his girlfriend. "If we get a print"? That hurts. Hey, I'm impressed with your little field trick. Okay? But would just be nice if we could use a lab. Any word on what's going on there? - Mm-mm. - Mm. Were you as scared as I was down there with that creep? No. They programmed me at the factory to have no fear. (chuckles) (alarm ringing) This first batch is done. (alarm stops) Huh. (grunts softly) Hmm. We're in business. FOLSOM: Jeremiah Dalt. You know him? Oh, he is familiar. Where do I know him from? In 2013, he slashed five women's throats across rural Nevada. Oh. Oh, I read about him last month. He's one of the criminals set to be released because of your lab. One of the gnarly ones getting out of supermax at High Desert. For the moment, he's still in. So it doesn't make a lot of sense why his prints are at our scene. If you want to spare us a trip, why don't you explain how that's possible? How would I know? Keep him close. We're going to talk to his buddy Dalt. Just... why? Just tell me that. Tell me why on earth I would blow up a guy - I don't even know. - Tell you what, Mr. Park, I think this'll be more productive if you focus on answering questions. And you can start with the one you just asked. Why? - But I didn't... - Luminol was found at the scene. So I'm the only CSI that uses luminol now? Is this the Twilight Zone? But yours was laced with ninhydrin. Because you switched the nozzles. Your prints were on the bottle, Chris. Okay. All right, I get it now. I-I lost a bottle of luminol at a scene. Last month. Murder case. What, you just let that slide? There's no protocol for losing your materials? It's eight bucks' worth of materials. It's not like we're talking about dangerous chemicals. I don't report when I lose a pencil, either. Which murder case? Jaden Dudley. The bailiff that they found in the parking garage. I was-- I was processing his car. I went back to get some evidence tents and when I came back, I-I couldn't find my luminol. Vanished. Just like that. The scene wasn't well-controlled. I complained to the sergeant at CCAC. So, what, you think a-a bystander took the bottle? I mean... it had to be. Right? - Hey. - We checked the grenades. None of them were tampered with or swapped. It doesn't exonerate Chris, but Kline wasn't killed with one of ours. I asked Nora to hold off on alerting LVPD until we give Chris' story a closer look. Here's the case that he was working. SIDLE: Victim was a court bailiff. Is Chris suggesting that there could be a connection to the David Hodges case? Let us see the evidence. That's the only story we want to read. FOLSOM: You were an avowed communist. - RAJAN: No. That's ridiculous. - (chuckles) - Pulled the wings off of flies. - Oh. Yeah. Very close. I was in a punk band at Harvard. That's a phase, all right. Can you let me focus, please? I've never interviewed a serial killer before. Do you know much about Jeremiah Dalt? Not really. I just had him mentally filed as, you know, Dahmer lite. Says here he always killed young couples. Slashed their throats, staged their bodies. - Mm-hmm. - It's familiar. Dalt chose his victims based on their location. He researched them for months. His kills tracked the Gemini constellation, the bipolar nebula. Funhouse Motel fits perfectly. Maybe Tom's a fan. Wanted to help him complete the pattern? There were six more flowers ready to go into Funland. It makes you wonder how many more stars they were looking to add to his design. Mm. (inhales) (exhales) I love it. A murder scene to go. One large bailiff, one small car. Chris said they didn't make much headway. - The case is still open. - Good. Maybe we'll solve it. SIDLE: And maybe the guy who killed this bailiff, Jaden Dudley, is our man. GRISSOM: Chris wouldn't need luminol to, uh, find blood in this car. It's all over the place. And yet... This wasn't sprayed. It looks like it was leaked. Quite a lot. I'd guess it rested on its side for a while. Maybe the kid's not lyin'. So what do we think? The... killer came back to the scene after Chris processed the car? Could be that, uh, he was looking for something to help frame Hodges. Killer would have had to get in and dig around to find that bottle. May I? The victim was bald, and this looks like dandruff. Maybe the killer left it when he reached under the seat for the bottle. He's ours now. ...the unbinding. I'm telling you, - there is a flood coming. - (lock buzzes) There is a force in this world, Mason, and they can't stop it. Oh. Look at this pair. Be nice, Mr. Dalt. (quietly): You get five minutes, tops. He's already too excited. Sorry about Mason. The man is a dolt, but... he does bring me my lunch. Mr Dalt, I'm Josh Folsom. This is Allie Rajan. - We're from the Las... - Honey, do you think I care what your job is? How you earn a wage? That's not what interests me about people like you. People like us? Couples. One of them was spooning when I... Found these at a murder scene. They're beautiful, don't you think? Origami is so calming. Just let your mind go. Picture anything, anything, while you do it. These have your prints on 'em. How'd they end up at the Funhouse Motel in Esmeralda? Mm. Don't know. I've never been. Bet I could find it on a map, though. How do you know this guy? I don't. Well, Mr Dalt, um... we think he's been copying you. The way of lesser men, isn't it? What has he done? (inhales) Uh, two victims. Dressed as... clowns. Don't be so upset. He made sure they didn't feel anything. Didn't see it coming. How did you know that? How would you know that he killed them in their sleep? Mason. I think I need to be alone now. You can just tell us. It's over. It's really not. FOLSOM: Unlock the gate. ## ## (exhales) I did not care for that man. I pressed too hard. It's not my thing, talking to psychotics. I brought up Tom too quickly. Hey, it's why we came. Dalt knew how Tom did what he did, and he` and he seemed gratified. I keep thinking maybe they're both responsible. I'm not following, exactly. What if someone like Dalt could really pull your strings and you had to kill someone for him? Okay. Come over here. Kill me. Come on, come on, come on. (grunting) The knife. Knife. Yeah. - Come on, kill me! Yeah. All right. - (panting) Okay. Right now, how do you feel? Uh... If someone made me kill you, I'd feel horrified. - I wouldn't do it. - No, no, but you have to do it. What would you do? Okay, well, I'd-I'd be upset. I-I'd be angry and I'd feel sad. I don't know. I'd probably cry like crazy! The streaks. The streaks. Is this the angle? (exhales) ## ## The marks on Deedee's face were tears, but... just not hers. Tears have DNA. But we aren't gonna starve. They're gonna let us out as soon as lockdown is over. Yeah, yeah. But if... Fine. If we were gonna starve, I would eat Randy. - Randy? Why? - He's a snack. I think I know who took the luminol. How? Mitochondrial DNA takes days to profile. And killed Kline and framed Hodges. All of it. It was him. ## ## - GRISSOM: Anson Wix. - Man really signed his name for us? - Left some dandruff, too, I assume. We'll know in a couple of days. We found the spot where it looks like Chris lost his luminol. Wix was there two days later. NORA: Anson Wix is the attorney for the class action against the state. Exactly. And he had access to the luminol that Chris lost. Not just any luminol. The one that was used at Martin Kline's crime scene. Well, I was never privy to your thinking. But... wasn't the theory that there was a forensic expert behind all this? Wix has been trying criminal cases for, like, 27 years. He knows our playbook backwards. He's been all over this from jump. He represented everyone that was associated with the attack on Jim Brass. I think he was calling all the shots. GRISSOM: And he had his expert witness, Martin Kline, working for him. He could handle all the technical aspects. SIDLE: When we got too close, Wix killed Kline to keep him from flipping. ## ## NORA: You're talking about a really involved conspiracy. A-And a really brutal murder. Why? Why go to all the trouble? Money. A whole lot of money. You're right. (scoffs) Wrongful imprisonment suits pay out like a slot machine. He's got thousands of them. And lawyers take 40%. That's a whole lot of motive. 'Course, we're gonna need more. NORA: Yeah. You're not gonna make a case with two dandruff flakes and a visit to an impound yard. - No. - Wix didn't kill that bailiff. The family hired him to represent them in a wrongful death suit. And Wix had a legal right to inspect that car at impound. We can't prove that he stole the luminol. (inhales) Well... (clears throat) You'll find something else. Carefully, I hope. I have faith. You're pretty sneaky. Aren't you gonna report us? I didn't swear an oath to IAB. I don't think the cause of justice is advanced by letting 8,000 criminals out of jail so this bastard can get rich. Find me something. I'll take it to the D.A. myself. Long one? - Worst of my life. - Hmm. I didn't love mine, either. But I think we'll both pull through. Uh, I'm-I'm really sorry, boss. I'll, uh... be more careful with my gear and, uh... And you'll help me on that Kline murder. 'Cause I need my best people on it. I'll be the first one in tomorrow. Yes, you will. And wear your damn shoes. (Chris laughs) If you're looking for Tom, he, uh... he quit. Two days ago. We don't want to talk to Tom. We want to talk about the day you received these in the mail. - (exhales) - FOLSOM: Dalt put you up to it. Didn't he? SEYMOUR: Guard on his cell block sent me his letter. ## ## When Deedee and Dane checked in, did they fit some description he gave you? Dressing them as clowns, that wasn't your idea either, was it? It's his MO. His flowers. I mean, we know you felt terrible about it. You left DNA on the bodies. Your tears. He knew everything about me. My family. He had it all planned out. - What? - The first letter said the Funhouse was always supposed to be... part of his constellation. Then he sent these instructions. And you know he's getting out. He's one of those people they have to release. He was gonna kill my family if I didn't. I still can't believe I did. (crying) (handcuffs clicking) What am I? Do you still have the letters? (latch clicks) What a pleasant surprise. Oh, we're not the surprise. (handcuffs clicking) Hey! What the... Get off me! Get off! I had to send the letters! He said he was gonna kill my family if I said anything! He's getting out and he knows where I live! He made me send 'em! Now, that's funny. How'd you like the rest of the circus? It's nothing compared to what happens next. You really have no idea what's coming. Uh, I know one thing. You're gonna die in here. Maybe. But the beautiful thing is, nobody believes that any more. Would you please thank David Hodges for me? Before people knew I was going to be released, I think they just threw my letters in the trash. Open it, please. This was just the beginning. - There's a flood coming. - (door opens) I'm home. A force in this world. Unbinding us. It's not righteous. It's not justice. But it can't be stopped. You people are going to reap the whirlwind. (chuckles)