Lindsay felt like a giggling kid as she beheld before her the towering Laugh Track Hot Air Balloon in the middle of a Manhattan building helipad. Danny caught her smiling.
"It's not a theme park ride" Danny teased.
"It's just" Lindsay started "I've never seen a hot air balloon this close before"
"That's sad" Danny said as he walked towards the hot air balloon. "Hey Mike!"
The pudgy, bald man operating the hot air balloon reached out his hand to Danny as he pulled Danny inside the compartment. "Danny CSI, whattup? Who's the pretty girl?"
Mike helped Lindsay inside the balloon as Lindsay looked up into the enormous cavity that held the hot air emanating from the flames.
"Lindsay Monroe, hot-air-balloon-virgin" Danny answered.
"I'm honored. I'll be gentle." Mike answered naughtily. "How can I help you?"
"We're investigating the murder of this girl who might be working at the Laugh Track" Danny answered. "Cindy said…"
"Ooohhh… so you've talked to Cindy" Mike interrupted. He then turned to Lindsay "You should have seen those two…."
"…. That this phone" Danny in turn interrupted Mike, showing him the Motorola phone "belonged to Angela Gershon".
"Yeah, that's Angie's" Mike answered.
"Does she ever go up here in the balloon with you?" Lindsay asked.
"Everybody at the Laugh Track has gone up with me" Mike said. "Even Danny and Cindy have gone up with me once. Was it an anniversary? Proposal?"
Lindsay turned to Danny. "Proposal?"
Danny gave Mike dagger looks. "So Angie's gone up here with you. Alone?"
Mike thought for a while. "Not alone. Always with G-Rob, her boyfriend"
Danny nodded his head. "Listen, Mike, we might need to process your ride, it will take a while. We can get a warrant…"
"Hey, it's you, man." Mike answered. "Warrant's for strangers". Mike stepped out of the balloon as Danny snapped on a pair of gloves.
As Mike left the balloon, his eyes met with Lindsay and he silently gestured to his ring finger, as if flashing an imaginary ring.
"Proposal" Mike said under his breath.