ACT ONE

FADE IN:

EXT. LAS VEGAS (STOCK) - DAY

To establish.

INT. CSI VEHICLE - DAY

Nick turns the SUV around a corner and is met by a street full of media and other people. Greg is in the passenger seat trying to pull on a T-shirt with a pocket. Both men have changed and their suits hang in the back of the SUV.

NICK
What is this?

Greg finally gets his shirt pulled on and stares at the crowd.

GREG
I bet it's another one.

Nick shakes his head.

NICK
There wasn't this many people at
the last one.

GREG
We haven't been to one in two days.
They've been getting more news coverage.

Police clear a path for Nick to drive up to the cordon tape. He turns off the SUV and digs out a dollar, showing it to Greg.

NICK
I have a buck that says it's not.

Greg digs a bill out of his pocket, holding it up.

GREG
I have one that says it is.

They both put their bets in their shirt pocket. The men get out, grab their field kits, and head inside.

INT. 200 NE SHAVER ST.

Catherine meets them at the door.

CATHERINE
We have a couple, their two children,
two paramedics, and one police
officer, all dead. Nick, I want you
to start in the basement. I have
Riley up here. Greg, the yard opens
onto the desert. Ray is back there
already, but it's a lot of ground
to cover, so go help her.

NICK
Is it looking like he did this?

CATHERINE
Yes. It looks like the EMS Killer.

NICK
The EMS Killer.

Greg smiles. Nick shakes his head. Greg turns to leave.

CATHERINE
Greg.

He turns back.

CATHERINE (CONT'D)
Don't ever let another CSI distract
you on the stand again. That weakens
your credibility with the jury.

Greg smiles sheepishly. Nick looks away, fighting a smile

GREG
Sorry. It won't happen again.

CATHERINE
And both of you should know better
than to bet on a crime scene.

NICK
How did--

Catherine yanks the dollars each stuck in their shirt pocket. Before the two can take the bills back, she pockets the money as she turns away .Nick mocks him as he walks away. Greg just shakes his head, heading back out the door.

INT. CSI - BREAK ROOM - DAY

The room is packed with the CSI and technicians including LANGSTON, RILEY, HODGES, WENDY, and MANDY. Greg walks in and sits down in an open chair. Catherine comes in and moves to the front of the group.

CATHERINE
I just got off the phone with the
day shift supervisor. They haven't
come across anything case breaking
yet. How has the evidence looked
tonight for us?

MANDY
You mean other than discovering a
few of the victims were actually
criminals with warrants?

CATHERINE
Yes.

Silence.

CATHERINE
Ok. Has the evidence we have so far
told us anything new about the killer?

HODGES
Not to burst your bubble, boss, but
if any one of us actually found
something new right now, I think
that person would be doing a victory
dance in the hallway? The EMS
Killer has been kicking our hind
ends for three weeks now.

Greg rubs his finger over his lips to keep from smiling.

CATHERINE
Thank you for that insight, Hodges.
Does anyone have anything constructive
to offer?

RILEY
How about theories of the killer's
choice of location?

Greg shifts in his chair. He has an idea, but doesn't really have the confidence to voice it.

CATHERINE
What's your idea?

RILEY
Maybe he's targeting a certain type
of house. So far all the locations
seem to have the same architecture
and color.

NICK
That's like saying the color and
brand of lawn mower they all owned
was motive.

RILEY
At this point, for all we know,
maybe it was their lawn mowers.
Has anyone checked that?

No one else speaks.

CATHERINE
Riley, Nick, look into your ideas.
It can't hurt at this point. If you
get nothing, go back to the other
evidence. Okay?

They nod.

CATHERINE
Any other ideas?

No one answers.

CATHERINE
Well, if that's all, then--

GREG
(fast blurt)
I think the killer is someone
related to, or close to, the clinic
bomber.

CATHERINE
Is there something you found that
you haven't told us, Greg?

GREG
No. It's just that--

He stops talking when everyone looks at him.

CATHERINE
Just that what?

GREG
Well... The killings started the
same day Craig Toomey committed
suicide, just like the threat
letters promised. And the letters
all had personal information only
someone related to, or close to,
Toomey would know.

CATHERINE
We already checked his background,
Greg. He had an ex-wife, no children,
and no surviving family. The man
only had two people that kind of
considered him a friend.

MANDY
I still don't get why he bombed the
clinic for his ex.

WENDY
The clinic refused his medical
insurance and she died because she
couldn't get treatment. He still
loved her enough to blow up a
building and forty people.
(looks at Greg)
This serial killer's pattern is
random. It may be rare, but that's
what it is.

GREG
But every serial killer has a
pattern. Even if it's not obvious
to us.

RILEY
And we'll find it, but I agree with
Wendy this guy isn't killing to
avenge Craig Toomey.

CATHERINE
If there is nothing else, let's get
back to work. Keep digging.

Greg looks at the floor, not leaving with everyone else does.

NICK (O.S.)
It was a good theory, Greg.

Greg looks up at him. Nick smiles.

NICK
If you really think that's the
motive, work on it. Nothing wrong
with a theory when you have nothing
else to go on.

GREG
Grissom told you that, didn't he?

Nick just smiles as he walks out.

INT. 200 BUTLER COURT - NIGHT

Greg and Catherine enter the home. It's hazy inside from clearing smoke. They turn into the living room.

INT. 200 BUTLER COURT – LIVING ROOM - NIGHT

A dead couple, three dead firefighters and two dead policemen are on the floor. The couple had been gagged and bound with black electrical tape. Assistant coroner DAVID is leaning over the nearest firefighter, checking his body temperature.

CATHERINE
It's beginning to feel like we're
living in a horror movie.

GREG
Except that you can walk out on a
horror movie and won't get blood on
your jeans.

Catherine chuckles.

DAVID
I just got here, guys. Sorry.

CATHERINE
Robbins has you running ragged?

DAVID
No. This EMS Killer is. I'll be
done with this one in ten minutes.

CATHERINE
We have more crime scene to work.
Take your time.
(to Greg)
I'll go left, you go right.

Greg nods. Catherine disappears into a hall. Greg sets his kit down and pulls out his flashlight. He begins working the scene, searching for evidence. He kneels down in front of a loveseat, moving the light slowly over it.

He can hear faint breathing, turns and sees David is across the room. He looks down at the firefighter nearby. Greg reaches out, pushing his fingers against the firefighter's neck.

GREG
David, go call for a medic.

David looks up.

DAVID
What?

Greg drops his flashlight, quickly moving to the firefighter's side.

GREG
This one's still alive. Go call a medic.

David drops what he's doing and runs to the door.

DAVID (O.S.)
WE NEED A MEDIC IN HERE!

The firefighter opens his eyes a little.

GREG
Hey, can you hear me? Hang in
there, okay? Hang on.

Catherine runs into the room. David joins Greg in trying to keep the firefighter alive.

INT. SUNRISE HOSPITAL - ROOM 214 - DAY

Detective Jim BRASS sits in a chair staring at his cell phone. In the bed is the surviving firefighter, DARIO Ricci. Brass looks up when Dario stirs. He puts his phone in his pocket and stands up. The man's eyes open and he focuses on him. Brass smiles as he approaches the bed.

BRASS
I'm Detective Jim Brass, Mister
Ricci. Do you feel up to answering
some questions?

DARIO
(Bronx accent)
It's Dario. I'm in the hospital?

BRASS
Yes. Do you remember what happened to you? How you got here?

Dario thinks for a moment. Brass pulls out a pen and pad of paper.

DARIO
We responded to a call and... There
were three of us. Where is Danno
and Brick?

BRASS
Brick?

DARIO
Richard. Was the fire bad? Did they
make it out?

Brass has to take a deep breath before he can answer.

BRASS
I'm sorry, Dario. The other
firefighters didn't make it. There
was no fire. It was the EMS Killer.

DARIO
Ah no. No, no, no. That bastard!

BRASS
It would really help if you could
tell me what happened. Why don't we
start from when you arrived at the
address, 200 Butler Court?

DARIO
There wasn't much smoke and the
house was dark.

BRASS
Dark?

DARIO
No lights were on. The streetlight
was
out too. In that neighborhood that
was unusual. So we waited for police
backup like the captain told us to.
When they got there, we went in.

Dario thinks about that.

DARIO
But it was wrong. The smoke was wrong.

BRASS
Wrong how?

DARIO
It felt... Clean.

BRASS
Clean? How do you get clean smoke?

DARIO
Not from a fire, that's how. I
hadn't gotten my mask all the way
on when I walked through the door.
It was cool and moist, like fog.

BRASS
In a house?

DARIO
I'm telling you that's what it felt
like. It was really thick inside.

BRASS
Okay. What happened next?

DARIO
Well... Then... Then things got bad
fast. I remember Brick started screaming
get out. Then he stopped all of a
sudden. I heard a gun go off. Then
I felt something poke my neck and
then... Then nothin' until I woke
up here.

BRASS
Nothing else at all?

DARIO
Detective, that bastard killed two
good friends and has made this city
go crazy. If I remembered something
else, I'd tell you.

Brass puts his notepad away. He digs out a business card, setting it on the bedside table.

BRASS
All right. But if you do remember
something else, call me.

DARIO
In a New York minute.

Brass smiles and leaves.

INT. CSI - LAYOUT ROOM - NIGHT

Catherine has a map of Las Vegas spread on the layout table. She is writing on paper flags and marking the map with the flags. Greg comes into the room carrying a piece of paper and sits on a nearby stool. She smiles at him.

GREG
Back on the pattern map, huh?

CATHERINE
It hasn't been updated in three
days. Decided I'd do it while I
waited for DNA results. What'cha got?

GREG
Good news or bad news, depending on
how you want to look at it.

He hands her the paper. She rests her hip against the table while she reads it. With a flick of the wrist she tosses it on the table.

CATHERINE
Sedated just like the other two firefighters.

GREG
Brass also called. He said Dario
remembers there was smoke when they
got there. The interesting thing is
the firefighter said the smoke was
moist and clean.

That brings a smile to Catherine's lips.

CATHERINE
The killer used a fog machine!

GREG
How do you know?

CATHERINE
I used one in some of my shows.
Like a humidifier it creates a
water vapor, but much finer and
more condensed. The fog felt just
like that. It made me feel refreshed
afterwards too.

Greg's eyebrows lift.

CATHERINE (CONT'D)
Not one word!

GREG
You brought it up.

CATHERINE
I'll make some calls when I'm done
here. That firefighter is lucky.
The other two were dosed with enough sedative to drop an elephant.

Catherine goes back to work on the map.

GREG
I think the dose was on purpose.

Catherine hesitates. She stands up, but keeps working.

CATHERINE
You think the killer wanted him to live?

GREG
The dose was too exact. The killer
left him alive for some reason.

CATHERINE
You're sticking with your theory,
still? Even though there is no
evidence to prove it?

GREG
It's because we don't have evidence
that I'm sticking to my theory. I
remembered that Grissom always said
when you don't have evidence, work
from a theory until you do.

CATHERINE
So what is the killer's motive? And
why spare this firefighter after three
weeks? Why is this killer murdering
civilians as well as EMS personnel?

GREG
I don't know yet.

Catherine stops what she's doing, looking at the photographs on the opposite wall. She turns to him and smiles.

CATHERINE
Grissom also said even a theory
needs a motive. If you have no
motive, Greg, your theory doesn't
hold water. Understand?

He nods.

CATHERINE (CONT'D)
Why don't you make the calls about
the fog machine? Let me know what
you find.

GREG
Sure.

Catherine watches him leave before she turns back to her map.

FADE OUT.

END OF ACT ONE