BRASS: A truck driver making a delivery found him.
T.O.D.?
About two or three hours ago.
GRISSOM: Neck contusion.
Looks like he went down fighting.
GRISSOM: Any ID?
Just this.
Palermo room key.
Nice clothes.
Well, they do make the man.
He's got some kind of transfer on his pants.
WILLOWS: Yeah, and on his shirt.
So what's a guy dressed for a party
with a key to this hotel doing out here?
I don't know.
But the party's over.
Captioning sponsored by CBS, C.S.I. PRODUCTIONS
♪ 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 ♪
♪ Oh, you! ♪
Got smudges that look like white paint up here.
Similar to the trace
on the vic's clothes.
Same down here.
So whatever it is, it must have been wet.
I don't see any wet paint signs up here either.
MAN: Two performances nightly
of Palermo's fabulous show, "The Girls of India."
Now on display at Palermo Jewelers--
Diamonds at Romanoff's.
The room is registered to a Jeffrey Powell of Van Nuys, California.
He check in with anybody?
No. The reservation was for one person.
He checked in yesterday,
paid with a corporate credit card.
Do you remember the name of the company?
Sheritown Inc.
We're going to need access
to all of the surveillance footage from tonight, all right?
You got it. Okay.
Two glasses.
Think our vic got lucky?
Oh, yeah.
He got lucky, all right.
He got lucky
with a blonde.
Jeans...
full of holes.
Must have been wearing them a long time.
Either that or he just bought them an paid a fortune.
I remember my first time to Vegas.
I got one of these--
Guide to blackjack.
Everybody dreams of hitting it big out here, don't they?
Yeah, well, if that ever ends you can kiss Vegas good-bye.
STOKES: We have a winner.
Jackpot.
Ooh, Sasan.
Cost him more than all of his other clothes put together.
There's some kind of blue powder trace
on the pocket.
Nicky, take this.
California driver's license.
Company credit card.
Amateur Speedway Association card.
Guy liked fast cars.
Except he was driving a Toyota.
No cash.
This sounds like a classic trick roll.
Kid from out of town on a lucky streak-- I cannot lose tonight!
he's an easy mark.
Get him up to the room...
loosen him up...
jump him and dump him.
Mom was right--
always wear clean ones.
Because you never know what could happen.
What do you think that is?
Why don't you take a whiff?
Why am I always the guy who has to sniff the shorts?
'Cause it's your job.
You do it.
Red wine.
It's not on his pants.
What about the shirt?
No.
So he must have changed after the mess.
Oh, I already went through his pockets.
Of course, I was double-gloved.
Clothes are brand new.
Hmm...
Looks like a callus.
STOKES: There's a long-haired blonde.
Yeah, I've been watching this for a while now.
Time stamped 10:52 p.m.
He entered his room a couple of minutes later.
Manager said the last time he used his card key
was 10:54 p.m.
MAN: We look forward about an hour...
Jeff leaves his room alone.
STOKES: He doesn't have a jacket on.
He's probably not going too far.
So he gets off the elevator, goes into the casino,
and nine minutes later,
same blonde goes down in the elevator.
Mm-hmm.
Grab that.
Print that.
After the vic gets off the elevator,
I lose him in the casino crowd
for about 15 minutes.
How do you lose him?
Aren't there a hundred cameras in there?
And at four hours of video each,
that's 400 hours of video I got to go through.
The vic was found at the loading dock
off the shopping arcade.
He's heading for the arcade here.
That's the last time
I've got him on camera.
There's no surveillance in the arcade hall.
Only in the individual stores.
Freeze that.
Enhance that bag.
The vic was wearing a Sasan jacket.
There's a Sasan boutique in the arcade.
I'm going shopping.
But you were working last night.
Yeah, we've been short-handed.
Do you, uh, do you recognize either one
of these people?
No. Sorry.
How about this?
Recognize that?
Sure. That's from the new Spring line.
The leather's like skin. It's incredible.
Show me that picture again.
Now I remember.
He bought a whole outfit.
Even wanted underwear.
We don't sell underwear.
Credit card receipt, anything like that?
He paid cash.
He was flashing a wad.
Mm-hmm. Buy anything for her?
Nothing.
She didn't need anything.
Looked perfect.
Was making my job real easy.
That guy would have bought anything
she wanted him to, Mr. Stokes.
Thank you.
I found extensive contusion
involving the anterior aspect of the neck
with hemorrhage in all the strap muscles.
The thyroid, cricoid
and arytenoid cartilages are all multiply fractured.
The hyoid bone is fractured as well.
The blunt-force trauma to the neck?
Yeah. COD is asphyxiation
due to obstruction of the airway.
Took a few minutes to die.
Any idea of the source of the BFT?
Well, I enhanced the contusion on the neck
using UV photography.
Looks like there's a defined edge on the weapon.
Yeah, that could be anything.
How about prelim tox results?
Well, tox detected methamphetamine, sildenafil
and oxycodone.
Stimulant, erection and a painkiller.
Party in a pill.
Where was that on my wedding night?
SANDERS: Does this couple look familiar?
Sweet red Ferrari. F-360 Spyder.
When did you see them?
Last night-- I brought the car when they left.
Around 8:15.
They're gone a couple hours.
The car-- pfft-- was amazing.
Did they happen to tell you where they were going?
No.
Do you know what time they got back to the hotel?
Uh, a little after 10:00.
The guy gave me a Benjamin.
I kept an eye out on that baby,
I didn't want any of these other maniacs
putting their paws on it.
What about the girl?
You ever seen her before?
I don't think so.
She strike you as a working girl?
I'll say this, if she was hooking,
then she was top shelf, just like that car.
I felt kind of like that garage guy
in Ferris Bueller's Day Off?
You know, he likes the car so much,
he takes it out for a spin for, like, the whole day.
Not that I'd ever do that.
Of course not.
Whoa, look, I had nothing to do
with the damage on that car.
I mean, it was pristine before they took it out.
They were in an accident? How bad?
Look, any scratch on that beauty is a tragedy.
And this was, like, a dent.
You know what? They looked like they didn't even care.
Anything else I can do for you?
Um, thanks.
Lenny. Lenny Andretti.
No relation.
The trace for your vic's jacket pocket
was primarily talc.
Blue baby powder?
No. Take a look.
Birefringent crystals.
Pretty. What are they?
It's a mixture of silica and axolite,
two abrasives.
But when found with talc, it suggests only one use.
And that would be?
In 1897, William Spinks received a patent
for what came to be known as "Spinks Billiard Chalk."
You may be surprised to know that cue-tip chalk
does not contain chalk at all,
it is a mixture of axolite and silica.
The abrasives give grip to the tip when it hits the ball.
Stop trying to make that sound dirty.
Out vic had a callus on his hand. Mm...
Don't.
Which means that he was probably playing a lot of pool.
Where do you go in this town to shoot stick
with a hot blonde and a Ferrari?
BRASS: There's at least a half a dozen
of these high-end pool halls in Vegas.
The word on the street is
a lot of out-of-town money comes through here.
WILLOWS: Well, it's closer to Palermo, it's a good place to start.
Hey, buddy, how's it going?
Have these two been in lately?
No.
It's pretty dark in here,
wouldn't recognize my own mom if she came in.
It wasn't so dark you couldn't count your vig
from that game over there.
It's not illegal to bet on a pool game in Nevada.
But it is illegal for the house to take a cut
without a gaming license.
I don't see one on the wall.
That's because nothing like that's going on here.
BRASS: So, if we asked everyone in here, no one would say
that you're taking a piece of the action?
Let me take another look.
Sure. Knock yourself out.
I never seen the guy.
Girl's kind of a regular here.
Name's Heidi.
So, I guess your eyes do get used to the dark.
You know where we can find this Heidi?
Oh, man...
BRASS: You know, I don't see that license anywhere.
Look, here's what we're going to do.
Get on the phone.
Call Heidi.
Tell her a distinguished gentleman has just come in
with a large wad of cash looking for some action.
That'd be me.
Heidi Wolff?
How you doing?
I'm Jim Brass, Las Vegas Police.
Can I talk to you for a minute?
About what?
Do you know this guy?
No.
Apparently, you think I do.
Oh, I know you do.
You want to tell me how he turned up dead?
So you spent the night with Jeff Powell.
And he was alive when he left me.
Oh. He left you?
Yeah. Believe it or not.
Look.
He was getting kind of weird on me.
Hey.
Where you going?
Don't worry, I'll be right back.
You know, I think I may just have to fall in love with you.
So I put on my clothes and I got out of there.
I was looking for fun,
not a lifetime commitment.
Is that what you call fun?
Rolling a guy, taking his money?
I didn't take his money.
Heidi, Heidi, ho.
Look, we know Jeff was waving around a large wedge of cash.
And the money was gone when we found him.
You're an expensive date, Heidi.
I'm a professional gambler.
Probably the only one in Vegas who declares every dollar.
You can check my tax returns.
We checked the hotel sheets.
We had sex.
Is that against the law? No.
No.
We won some money shooting pool.
Is that against the law? No.
You gave him drugs.
Is that against the law?
Yeah.
Look, here's the way I see it breaking down.
You left the room nine minutes after he did.
You went downstairs.
You checked with your partner.
You killed the kid, you took the cash,
end of story.
Let's get this straight.
He was a sweet kid and I'm sorry he's dead,
but I had nothing to do with it.
And I'm done talking.
SANDERS: According to the DMV,
of the 12 Ferrari F-360 Spyders registered in Vegas,
only three are red.
Two of them are privately owned,
and a rental company has the third.
Since the vic owns a Toyota in L.A.
and Heidi Wolff drives a Beetle...
You figured this would be a good place to start.
Welcome to Extravagant Auto.
Robert Rhoda.
If what you're dreaming about's on four wheels,
I can get it for you.
Actually, we're looking for a red Ferrari Spyder.
The lady likes fast cars.
And I just happen to have one.
But it got into a little fender-bender,
so it's going to take a day or so to get it fixed.
We'll take it as is.
Looks like paint transfer on the left rear quarter.
Clear coat's been peeled front-to-back.
Which means the Ferrari was the faster vehicle.
The Ferrari is always the faster vehicle.
Ooh.
Nice dent to the front bumper.
RHODA: You're looking at $15,000 of damage there.
Who rented it?
Can't help you with that.
Our customer records are confidential.
In any case, we're not making a police report
about the damage.
No need to, we're impounding it.
What?
Looks like the interior's been cleaned.
I'll call auto transport
and have them tow it back to the lot.
Mr. Rhoda, what are you doing?
I'm documenting my loss.
I'm filing for crime victim compensation.
Grissom?
Hodges confirmed the paint transfer
on the Ferrari is a black acrylic enamel.
That doesn't narrow it down much.
Well, it gets better.
It's a GM paint, with traces
of fiberglass reinforced plastic.
Which means, we're looking for a black Corvette.
I'll have Brass put out a broadcast.
Nick ran the vic's credit card.
"Sheritown, Inc." is based in L.A.,
run by a guy named Mick Sheridan.
I'm going to meet him at the P.D.
Mick Sheridan the movie producer?
I grew up watching his action blockbusters--
car chases, ninjas, cyborg death machines.
We used to make body armor
out of tinfoil, and re-enact the scenes
all over the neighborhood.
What about you, you were a Green Beret kid?
Secret agent?
I'm not telling.
And stay away from my tinfoil.
I'm sick about this.
Of all kids.
Jeff.
I can't stop crying.
You want something to drink?
Oh, thanks, uh...
Small Pellegrino, room temperature.
POLICEMAN: Sure thing.
Mr. Sheridan, can you tell us anything about this girl?
I don't know her.
Jeff must have met her here.
I loved him like a son.
Smart. Hard-working.
I hired him right out of law school.
What kind of work did he do for you?
An assistant.
He wanted to learn the movie business
from the bottom up, like I did.
Oh, right, you used to be an actor.
Yeah. But I had a nasty habit-- I wanted to eat regularly.
And didn't want to work as a waiter to do it.
Did Jeff have any nasty habits?
We found several different drugs in his bloodstream.
BRASS: What was Jeff doing
in Las Vegas?
Um... About a month ago,
when he was making copies of my divorce settlement,
he spotted a provision
that my wife's lawyer had rephrased.
My lawyers had missed it.
He saved me millions of dollars.
So to thank him, I gave him a vacation.
You give him any cash?
Couple hundred bucks, corporate credit card.
Told him to have fun.
Fun, huh?
Yeah.
I'll be regretting that for the rest of my life.
I guess the broadcast paid off.
Black 'Vette.
Parking enforcement
found it abandoned off Durango near Russell.
Right between the pool hall
and the Palermo?
Yup.
This would have been impossible to drive away.
Yeah.
Bummer.
Please tell me there's something more to this guys and cars thing
beside the obvious penis extension metaphors.
So you want me to lie?
Red paint transfer.
I'll get a sample to Hodges.
See if he can
match it to the Ferrari.
It's a rental.
Extravagant Automobiles?
No. Zenith?
Yeah, night to be in the car rental business.
Driver's name is Randy Bolen.
Local address.
Let's go talk to him.
"Randy Bolen.
"Misdemeanor possession, assault,
"felony possession for sales..."
You can't help but break the law, can you?
What's with the forehead?
Well, you got that bruise somehow.
Want me to add leaving the scene of an accident to the list?
It was a fender bender. Not my fault.
Sure about that?
Yeah.
Because your car and the Ferrari were both rented.
So what? It's a coincidence.
You're a local. Why did you need to rent a car?
I can't afford one all the time, so I rent one when I can.
What were you doing all night before your fender bender?
What was I doing? I was shooting pool.
Place called The... The Cue-T.
How'd you play? Did you win any money?
You know, you win some, you lose some.
I guess that would be lose some.
How much?
Ten grand.
That's a lot of money for a guy like you.
I've had worse nights.
Yeah, I'm sure you have.
You're having one now.
These the guys you played?
Yeah.
Now, there's a coincidence,
because they were in the Ferrari,
which makes you a very sore loser.
Okay.
So I rubbed him a little.
It was a stupid thing to do.
Not as stupid as killing him.
What, that kid-- he's dead?
Yeah.
I want a lawyer.
According to his record,
Randy Bolen used to be a professional stunt driver.
Must not have been a very good one.
He teaches at that track off Boulder Highway
where middle-aged guys get
to act out their Grand Prix fantasies.
Mm-hmm, okay.
A guy like that gets beat by a punk kid on the street,
it's gonna be an assault on his manhood.
He's got a temper.
Okay. I'll see if I can place him at the hotel.
I'll let you know.
Hey, Arch. Hey.
Surveillance footage from the Palermo?
Yeah.
I just found something really interesting.
That's the blonde from the elevator.
There she is again.
And here's Jeff Powell.
This is where his evening begins,
when he meets her for the first time.
Ooh.
She didn't look too happy.
Yeah.
Keep watching
when she points at something.
Keep your eyes on her wine.
You think that was on purpose?
Well, sure looks that way.
Take a look at this.
Girl was loaded.
It's safe to say she wasn't after him for his money.
Hey.
Warrants came through on the rental agreements.
Jeff Powell went a little crazy with his corporate card
and rented the Ferrari himself?
No. Heidi Wolff rented it.
The reservation was held in her name
by a company called Caprice Unlimited.
This is where it gets interesting.
Caprice Unlimited also rented Randy Bolen's Corvette.
What kind of business is it?
All I know so far is that they're unlisted.
Well, nothing's entirely unlisted these days.
Caprice Unlimited.
Mm-hmm.
"Caprice Unlimited."
"Anything is possible."
Sounds like a sex business.
What are you going to say?
Uh, something other than,
"A guy is dead, and it looks like you're involved."
MALE VOICE ( on phone ): You've reached Caprice Unlimited.
Leave a message; we shall call you.
Not taking calls.
Let's see if they're making any.
Triangulation's consistent.
Caprice Unlimited made the calls from this address.
According to the building owner, Caprice is only
renting it for two days.
MAN: No, not quite.
Oh, yes.
Perfect.
You two,
go get your costumes and
find out what's expected of you.
Why don't you wait for me inside?
MAN: ( clears throat ): I'm sorry.
This is a private residence.
My name is Gil Grissom, this is Sara Sidle.
We're with the Crime Lab.
Anthony Caprice.
There's no crime here.
That was a job interview.
Over $150,000 has been spent on this event.
It's for several golf club salesman.
They're from Kansas City.
Japanese formality will mesh very nicely with their inherent
Midwestern restraint.
Their idealized woman-- submissive,
but in control-- becomes the geisha.
I get it.
You're one of those companies that stages fantasies, right?
Everything appears real,
but it's all been worked out in advance?
These scenarios take weeks to craft.
I learn everything
about my client's wants and his desires,
all without him even knowing.
Secret longings--
they have a... a kind of electricity.
They're often
much more visible than we would want them to be.
And, uh, Jeff Powell's evening--
the girl, the car, the billiards--
all paid for by Mick Sheridan?
Never heard of him.
Who did pay?
A benefactor.
Wishes to remain anonymous.
GRISSOM: Somebody rich who likes to manipulate people probably.
Everybody likes to be in control.
You don't have to be rich to want that.
If you're so law-abiding, why did Heidi Wolff
and Randy Bolen lie to the police about what happened?
Did you tell them to do that?
All my employees have a very strict
non-disclosure agreement that they have to sign,
although, I'd never expect them to lie to the police.
Maybe you just asked them the wrong questions.
Here's a copy of Mr. Powell's scenario.
Every event that they talked about was meticulously planned
in advance and timed down to the minute.
And his murder?
Tragic.
But it's not in my script.
Now, if you'll excuse me,
I have a hot tub to calibrate.
Oh.
And may all your dreams come true.
Well, I hope this means you know what happened to Jeff.
That's the first time that the tower
yanked back my Gulfstream on takeoff.
No kidding.
Well, there's always a first for everything.
We can talk in here.
Something wrong with your office?
No.
You seem to have bad luck
with the people who work for you.
If that's a joke, it's in pretty poor taste.
Three years ago, you were busted
with an eight ball of cocaine in your luggage.
You claimed that your personal assistant had planted it.
That's because he did.
The charges against me were dropped.
The poor kid had a serious problem.
I got him into a program.
Understand he's doing better now.
I hear you bought him a car to shut him up and take the rap.
The media spins every...
The media.
We found an ounce of cocaine in Jeff Powell's personal effects.
He was buying drugs for you.
I don't do drugs.
And I had no idea that Jeff had a drug problem.
Last time, you bought a car,
this time, an elaborate fantasy to shut him up.
Problem is, he's dead.
And that makes you responsible.
Captain Brass...
you've seen too many of my movies.
I'd like to call my attorney now.
SIDLE: The script for Jeff's fantasy
starts with Heidi and Randy renting the cars at 6:00 p.m.
Then it says Randy drives the Corvette
to The Cue-T and waits.
WILLOWS: And Heidi takes the Ferrari.
Finds Jeff
at the Palermo bar.
SIDLE: Her instructions were: "Act upset.
"Make up story about abusive high roller boyfriend.
Allow Jeff to offer comfort."
Sorry. I'm really okay.
No, I'm not.
Anything I can do for you?
It's my damn boyfriend.
Any guy would help a beautiful woman in distress, right?
Some guys are intimidated by beauty
or fear rejection.
Evidently, Caprice knew Jeff well enough
to know he'd want to help her.
Heidi's next instructions were:
"Repay subject's kindness by buying drink."
Which she then accidentally spills on his clothes.
Insists on buying him a new outfit,
one that he couldn't afford on his own.
SIDLE: Everything was scripted down to the minute--
the clothes,
The Cue-T,
the car.
Sheridan told Caprice
that Jeff had been shooting pool since he was a kid.
So betting on and winning
a big money game was probably just part of the fantasy.
Yeah, and he was a NASCAR fan.
So the whole staged car chase, narrow getaway
was everything he dreamed about.
As was the partying in his hotel room.
And the sex.
SIDLE: Not quite.
According to the script,
"Your employment ends with the good-night kiss.
"You are not requested to perform,
"nor compensated for,
"any activity you initiate beyond this point.
Should nature take its course, you are on your own."
GRISSOM: So the staged fantasy
ended at Jeff's hotel room.
Which means he was off script when he was killed.
STOKES: I don't get it.
After a night like that, I would have felt like Superman.
Why leave the girl?
The victim got to the shopping arcade
15 minutes after he got off the elevator.
It's not that long a walk.
I need to know what he was doing during that time.
There's your guy.
Whatever he's reacting to is off camera.
Somewhere in the direction of the baccarat tables.
When the blonde came up to the vic in the bar the first time,
she pointed in that same direction.
What's going on over there?
He's playing solo with the dealer.
That's ten or 20,000 a hand.
Guy's a whale.
Your vic's really going at him.
You know, Heidi was only supposed to tell a story
about a high roller boyfriend.
Maybe she actually picked somebody out.
What are you doing?
I've been looking at video three days solid now.
My butt fell asleep.
Wait a second.
I've seen those guys
behind him somewhere else.
Hang on.
Jeff went from the casino
to shopping arcade,
And right behind him, it's them.
Same guys.
Well, call me Ishmael.
Why?
You need to read more, Arch.
GRISSOM: Jeff was a winner at everything he tried that night.
And he was falling in love.
Which can make a guy do some pretty stupid things.
So anytime more than $10,000 hits the table,
the casino's required to I.D. the player.
Which may help us harpoon a whale.
Yep.
MAN: What's the occasion?
We're investigating the death of the young man
on the casino's loading dock.
Are you familiar
with this guy?
That's Dennis Kim.
Flies in four, five times a year
from Seoul to play baccarat.
Very generous player.
We reserve a table exclusively for him while he's in town.
He still in town?
Yeah.
He's at his table right now.
Player has two.
Bank.
Mr. Kim, we need to speak with you for a moment.
Yes?
Do you recognize this man?
Why?
He's dead.
Just before he died, he was talking to you.
Oh, yes, I remember him.
He was shouting about some girl.
Hey you!
Hey! Guess what?
Heidi, she doesn't need you or your money anymore, man.
That's right. Because she has everything she needs now--
love and respect.
So you go ahead and play your little card game.
All right?
'Cause you the playa.
But I'm the man.
The man.
Crazy boy.
Did you guys see where he went?
Well, we're gonna need to take those shoes.
White paint.
And if I don't permit this?
We'll just hold your men until we get a warrant.
Kamsahamnida.
WILLOWS: The bodyguards dragged Jeff through the service corridor.
Between the drugs and the confidence,
he must've put up quite a fight.
Hey!
Most likely, he was still alive when they left.
They probably thought they just had taught him a lesson.
They did:
Don't confuse fantasy with reality.
SANDERS: Well, hush money or not, you have to admit
that whole fantasy night thing was a pretty cool gift
from a very generous boss.
Greg, don't you have a birthday coming up?
Why, yes, Sara, I do.
I'm thinking ear-shredding rock, a beautiful model,
boatloads of sushi
and latex.
Eh, that was last year.
I think fantasies are best kept private.
STOKES: Hey.
Want to know why Jeff left the girl and went downstairs?
Okay.
This was dropped off at the Palermo.
Manager sent it over.
Nice rocks.
STOKES: Jeff must have spent the ten G's he won playing pool on it.
Gift wrapped, never picked it up.
WILLOWS: Yeah, there was a jewelry store
right across from the service corridor entrance.
Most I ever spent on a girl.
Most I ever held in my hand at one time.
You know, the biggest fantasy in Vegas
is that everything here happens by chance.
Nothing here happens by chance.
The odds are set before you get off the plane.
You know, I'd settle for a birthday breakfast.
Now that is a fantasy.
Captioning sponsored by CBS, C.S.I. PRODUCTIONS
Captioned by Media Access Group at WGBH access.wgbh.org pool on it.