CSI: Miami s05e22 Episode Script

Burned

Brett, what is that ? Brett, wake up.
What is that ? Wait here.
I'll check it out.
Brett ! Brett ! Brett, get up ! Brett ! Get up ! Come on.
Help ! Help ! Help ! Somebody help us ! Horatio.
Fire Rescue's getting the fire under control.
We got one male victim.
His name is, uh, Brett Morrison.
Any survivors ? Yeah.
Claire Gibbs.
They fished her out of the pool.
Okay, Frank.
Clear it out ! Clear it out ! Hey ! Chief ! We've got a problem here ! We got a hot spot ! Everybody clear out ! Let's go ! Let's go ! Everybody out.
The water heater's going to blow.
Ma'am, come with me, please.
Come with me.
Frank ! Everybody, back up and calm down.
Stay away from the vehicle.
We've got the situation under control.
I just bought that car.
You all right ? Yeah.
First, it's a damn land mine.
Now it's a flying water heater.
What next ? Next, we catch a killer.
Ah, so does the water heater come standard or is that custom ? Just got her a week ago.
How the hell could something like this happen ? Well, the fire heats the tank, the pressure builds, and, uh You stop up the kettle Yeah, the kettle will blow.
I wish I could have seen it.
Yeah.
Thank you.
Ms.
Gibbs.
My fianc ? He didn't he's still in there.
Ms.
Gibbs, we're aware of that.
Look, there's no glass out here.
There's no broken glass on the ground.
It must all be inside, covered by debris, which we can't get to.
Someone broke into the house.
Could be the arsonist's point of entry.
Fire Department says we can't get in there until it's safe.
Well, hopefully, this print will tell us who it is.
Ms.
Gibbs, we believe that someone may have deliberately set the fire.
Deliberately ? Now, can you think of anyone who might want to hurt you or your family ? Ms.
Gibbs.
I got a restraining order on someone last year.
You want to tell me what happened ? An ex-boyfriend was harassing me.
When I left him, he became obsessed.
He'd come to my work, call me, send me e-mails.
I moved.
And he followed.
All the way from Key West.
When Brett and I got engaged, it, it just sent him over the edge.
Brett, it's me.
He's here again.
What should I do ? What's his name ? I don't want to say.
Every time I reported him to the police, it just made him angrier.
Ms.
Gibbs, I need you to trust me.
We don't want him to do this to anyone else.
So what's his name ? Anthony.
Anthony Bryant.
I'll find him.
Okay ? Attention, suspect vehicle spotted, corner of Collins and Eighth.
Anthony Bryant, show yourself.
Yelina.
What are you doing here ? Working.
I'm a private investigator now.
I thought Ray Jr.
would have told you.
Well, he didn't.
This is Anthony Bryant's car, Yelina.
How did you know ? Anthony Bryant is a suspect in a murder that occurred around dawn.
No, that's impossible.
I was hired to watch him.
I've been following him for the past 12 hours and he's done nothing wrong.
Hired by who ? Anthony's lawyer.
Said he may be in some trouble.
I planted a GPS monitor.
I was just removing it.
My services were only required through this morning.
Of course.
And I was his alibi.
Where is he now ? Anthony, on the day that someone tries to kill your ex-girlfriend, you hire a private investigator to follow you around.
Why is that ? Let's just say that, uh, when you get to know someone, you got to go with your hunches.
In addition, we have burglary, stalking, and arson.
They're all arrests.
No convictions.
I think that's going to change.
Look, the "burglary" came a week after Claire and I broke up, when I went back to her place to get my stuff.
I even had a key.
What about the stalking ? She wouldn't call me back when I tried to tell her our dog died.
I mean look, this is all Claire making something out of nothing.
And the arson ? You mean the one last year ? We were actually still together then.
We decided to burn stuff our exes gave us.
It was some stupid bonding thing.
I guess a neighbor freaked and called the cops.
You have an excuse for everything, Anthony.
And an airtight alibi.
Yes, and that's going to change, too.
Well, I'm assuming he died from his burns.
No.
Actually, our boy ate fire.
Is that his lung ? What's left of it.
Brett Morrison took a gasp of superheated air.
Right,'cause air can heat up to almost a thousand degrees in a matter of minutes and that would instantly cook your bronchial tubes.
That's right.
And the heat ruptured his alveoli.
He was suffocated.
The fire cooked the rest of him.
Luckily for you, hot air wasn't the only thing he ate.
Oh, there's something in his teeth ? - What is that ? - Now, honey, I can't do all your work for you.
Thank you.
Hey, Valera, what's my trace sample doing here in DNA ? It was biological.
He had meat in his teeth.
Oh.
Chicken, steak ? Human, actually.
Really ? Brett Morrison must have got in a fight and bit someone.
Sure did, and he didn't brush afterwards.
I wonder what that was about.
Why don't you ask Michael Lipton ? Sure doesn't look like somebody you should be biting.
Oh, definitely not.
Okay, thanks.
Sure.
Frank.
You got a new car yet ? 'Cause I've got someone I would love for you to pick up.
Hey, Frank, I got your message.
What's the emergency ? I got a, uh, suspect that's giving me the silent treatment.
Oh, yeah ? You need my, uh, superior interrogation skills to work him over ? Keep dreaming, bud.
This guy asked for you.
Oh, yeah ? What's his name ? Michael Lipton.
Said he's not gonna talk to anybody but you.
You know him ? Ryan.
You know this guy ? No, I've never seen this guy before in my life.
Our dead man took a bite out of him recently.
You want me to go in with you ? No, I can handle it.
Thanks, man.
You've got five seconds to tell me why you brought my name into this.
Tell you why, Wolfe.
Your buddy Tex says I'm a prime suspect in some murder case.
Oh, yeah ? What the hell do you want me to do about that ? Cut me loose.
I didn't do squat.
Except for get in a fight with the victim.
I'm sorry, Lipton.
But you sink or swim around here on the evidence.
You're on your own.
Okay ? Hey, I don't need that heat.
You forgetting, Wolfe ? You owe me.
Ten grand.
Let me tell you something.
That has nothing to do with this.
I didn't put those cards in your hand, kid.
You wanted to play poker with the big boys.
I don't have that kind of money.
You make this go away, your debt goes with it.
We're done having this conversation.
Hey.
How'd it go in there ? You know, I got interrupted.
Something about an old case.
It can't wait ? No, actually, it can't.
Do me a favor.
Will you go in there and take over for me ? Yeah, sure.
I'd be happy to.
Thanks.
I appreciate it.
Roll up your sleeves, Mr.
Lipton.
Why ? What for ? Because Brett Morrison bit you, and now he's dead.
So go ahead.
Do it.
We had a little disagreement.
I hired his company to throw my sister's wedding.
Put up a hundred grand for a deposit.
And what happened ? He stiffed me.
That's what happened.
Backed out at the last minute.
Took my money and broke my sister's heart.
So you confronted him.
Damn right I did.
I paid you that money in good faith.
Cough it up.
My company's going under, okay ? The bank they seized our assets, they froze our accounts.
There's nothing I can do about it.
Nothing you can do, huh ?! I'll kill you.
So he bit me.
Couldn't fight like a man.
What's that prove ? Proves to me that you had all the motive in the world to kill him.
And who are you ? I'm the person who's gonna take you down for murder.
Tough girl, hiding behind that badge.
No one talks to me that way.
Oh, really ? Sit down.
Now, if I were you, I'd let her go.
It's okay, Horatio.
I've got it.
We were just having a discussion.
She's trying to lay a bum rap on me.
If you don't sit down, what's could be the least of yours problems.
Horatio.
Hey.
I have to say, twice in one day ? That's more than I've seen you in months.
And I apologize for that.
No, I understand completely.
Let's just say it's been a rough year for both of us.
Why did you want to see me ? Yelina, Michael Lipton.
Michael Lipton just made bail.
And you don't think he should have.
Not by a long shot.
Could you shadow him for me ? No problem.
I'll see where he hangs out, who he knows.
Every step he takes.
Hey.
Is that the glass from outside the crime scene ? Yeah.
It's the only piece of viable evidence that we've gotten so far.
Yeah, and I am so hoping it puts Michael Lipton at the scene.
Guy thinks he's Tony Soprano, and I just want to put this guy away.
Yeah, I heard about that.
You okay ? So, um So Calleigh seems to be taking an interest in you since you got back.
Yeah, she she's been great, really helpful.
Everyone has.
Yeah.
Not really what I meant, though.
What ? I Well, never mind, never mind.
What, you think me and Calleigh? I saw her kiss you.
Only on the cheek.
I'm just, you know, saying Damn it.
That's not my guy.
Print on the glass is Ron Cramer.
Penny-ante rap sheet.
Yeah, well, it looks like he's playing for higher stakes now.
Ron Cramer ? I'm Calleigh Duquesne.
I'm with Miami-Dade Police Department.
I need to ask you a few questions.
About what ? An arson that happened this morning.
Could you tell me why your prints are on broken glass at the crime scene ? What ? I don't know.
Maybe I did a job there in the past.
In fact, I'm late for one now, so excuse me.
Get your hands up, Mr.
Cramer.
You carry a concealed weapon ? I have a permit for that.
You never know whose house you're walking into.
Oh, I think you did.
There's glass on this gun.
I'm willing to bet it matches the glass from our crime scene.
Okay, fine, listen.
I was on my way to an emergency call near there, and I saw smoke coming out of the house.
Hey ! Anybody in there ?! Hello ?! Things got crazy.
There was no way I could help, so I got out of there.
Why didn't you tell me that ? Who's gonna believe a Good Samaritan with a gun ? Probably no one.
Hey.
Hey.
So you get anything on Ron Cramer ? He copped to being outside the house, but claimed he never went in.
All right, well, now we can prove it.
Fire Rescue just released the scene; we can go back in.
Great.
I'll grab my kit.
You want to ride together ? Yeah.
Life changes that fast.
How's the MiniRAE coming ? It's picking up octane at five parts per million all over the room.
There's no doubt about it : this was arson.
Yeah, that explains the pour pattern on the floor.
The arsonist poured gasoline everywhere.
It's going to take a while to get through the debris.
Yeah, Fire Rescue's working that from their angle.
Got an arson investigator looking for the point of origin.
Maybe we beat him to it.
Fire did a number on this, but check it out.
Is that a spark wheel ? It's a lighter.
Melted plastic around it.
Could be our source of ignition.
You know what ? You tell the arson investigator where you found it.
I'm gonna take this to the lab.
Calleigh, have you seen Ryan ? No.
Why ? Well, he said he got a call about an old case.
An old case ? Which one ? Didn't say.
Sounded important.
Well, then I'm sure it was.
What you got there ? It's a cigarette lighter.
Eric found it at the crime scene.
So it might have started the fire.
Maybe.
But get this; this is sort of interesting.
The fire compromised evidence on one side, but then the plastic melted, and it acted like sort of a cocoon, protecting the other side.
And protecting the evidence.
Including a fingerprint.
Nice.
I'm running it against our elimination samples.
Mmm.
Doesn't match up with anyone.
Oh, whoa, whoa.
Wait a minute.
Claire Gibbs ? Isn't that the fiance ? What is it ? It's Anthony, isn't it ? You weren't able to catch him.
I knew he would get away with this.
He always does.
Our evidence has led us in a different direction : yours.
Me ? You think that I had something to do with this ? We found a lighter on the living room floor with your fingerprint on it.
On a lighter ? I don't even smoke.
Exactly.
Well, I have no idea.
I swear.
Wait, I did find a lighter at my house yesterday, but it wasn't mine.
Do you have any idea who it belongs to ? Brett's business partner.
He dropped it and I gave it back to him.
What was he doing at the house ? They own a big event planning company.
They do club openings, upscale parties.
Do you have any idea what they talked about ? No.
But they argued, and it got pretty heated.
This, uh, business partner what's his name ? Jeff.
Jeff Zader.
Is this about Brett ? I heard what happened.
It's it's horrible.
The world keeps turning, right ? Yes, it does.
We found your lighter at Brett's house.
What ? Do you think I burned up his place ? No way.
I got nothing to do with that.
Then why was your lighter get there ? I don't know.
I must have dropped it.
I also heard you had an argument with him.
I'm not going to lie to you.
Brett was bringing his personal problems to work.
What kind of problems ? His fiance's ex-boyfriend, for one.
Guy was crazy.
He'd show up at our events.
Slash the guests'tires.
He'd put dead animals in the air vents.
Plug up the toilets.
It was a PR nightmare.
So, his problems were affecting your bottom line.
Yeah.
I've been scrambling to make things right.
I was going was going to buy Brett out.
Cut him loose.
Yes, and his death would have been a convenience for you.
Where were you last night ? I was at home.
Trying to think of a way to save my company.
Can anyone verify that ? No.
I was alone.
Look, I didn't do this.
What can I do to prove that I wasn't involved ? that is my job.
So, why are we out here ? I tracked Michael Lipton to four locations, all of them secluded.
Possible drug dealing ? No, I don't think so.
From what I could tell, he's just a bookie.
But I found something else.
Something you're not going to like.
I shot this video in North Bay Village.
What am I looking at ? There is money in this envelope, Horatio.
Maybe he had a good reason for it.
What if he doesn't ? H, you wanted to see me ? Have a seat, Mr.
Wolfe.
Michael Lipton.
Yeah, Michael Lipton is a, uh he's a friend of mine.
Why do you ask ? You interrogated him this morning.
Actually, I recused myself from interrogating him because I, um well, I thought it'd be looked on as a conflict of interest.
I have a piece of videotape that says otherwise.
I don't know what you saw on that videotape.
Mr.
Wolfe, I need to know what's going on.
Michael's a friend of mine.
Who's having some sort of financial problems.
And I'm just helping him out.
So this has nothing to do with gambling.
No, this has nothing to do with gambling.
If there's something I should know, this is your opportunity.
No, there's nothing you need to know.
And this is my personal business.
I'd like to keep it that way.
If you don't level with me right now, you're not going to have a choice, you understand ? Yeah, I understand.
Are we done ? We're done.
Okay.
Hey, you called ? Yeah.
Guess what ? Our arson investigator discovered that the point of origin is in this room.
The lighter didn't start the fire.
No.
Okay, what did ? There's no evidence of low burn on the floor.
No, there's no gasoline poured in here, which means that the fire was started from the vapors.
It was poured somewhere else in the house and then it just sat there.
Yeah, as time went on, the vapors crept across the floor, making their way to the water heater.
So the pilot light was our heat source.
Yeah.
But if the arsonist wanted to kill Claire and her fiance, why would he pour gasoline everywhere else, and then let the pilot light ignite the fire ? I don't know.
you're right.
A pro wouldn't chance it.
They would just pour and light.
Yeah.
Well, our arsonist is an amateur.
Never anticipated this.
Maybe they were surprised.
Got interrupted.
An amateur pouring gasoline probably splashed himself.
Let's get the clothes from all our suspects.
Yeah.
If he made this mistake, he probably made others.
Let's sift through the rest of the debris.
All right, this is where Ron Cramer broke the glass.
Ow ! Damn it.
What happened ? It's a piece of glass.
Hold on a second.
Let me see.
Mmm.
That'll teach me to leap before I look.
Got it.
Eric Look, the glass is clean.
Yeah, there's no smoke stain on it.
No.
You know, your accident might have just turned into our biggest lead.
So, you want to tell me why I'm here ? You didn't go over to the Morrison house to help.
You went over to set it on fire.
Please.
What's that supposed to be ? It's glass.
From the window you broke.
Now, you said the fire was already raging when you got there, right ? Yeah, it was.
That's impossible.
Glass shards from the point of entry show no heat damage, no smoke debris, which means that you broke the window before the fire started.
Heat.
Fuel.
Air.
Until you broke the window, the ratio was off.
Once you introduced oxygen to the house, there was no turning back.
You could say whatever you want, but I didn't start that fire.
No, you didn't, but you went over there with your gun.
That's right.
You went over there to kill them, but the fire beat you to it.
It wasn't my idea.
Whose was it ? It was a guy I know.
Anthony Bryant.
He sent me over to shoot her boyfriend.
He paid me.
But I ain't pull the trigger.
So, I can go, right ? Not even close.
Anthony Bryant ? Yeah ? Miami-Dade PD.
Again ? You know what ? I'd hate to see the way you treat actual criminals.
Somehow you forgot to tell us you and Ron Cramer know each other.
What are you talking about ? Save it.
You hired your buddy Ron to kill Claire Gibbs's fiance.
This is a search warrant for your vehicle and your home.
Give me your keys.
Give me your keys ! I got a nickel's worth of advice for you, pal.
When a woman says, "Get lost," get lost.
Find another one.
End of story.
No.
I usually keep a mapbook in my glovebox.
If I had to guess, you stole these from the woman you've been stalking.
I've never seen those in my life.
Oh, really ? You can sit outside her house all night long; you can't steal her panties ? You know what I call this, Anthony ? No.
An inciting incident.
You catch my drift ? You know what ? I didn't burn her house, okay.
I didn't hire my friend to go over and do it.
Yeah.
Yeah.
You're under arrest.
Hook him up.
Thank you for the call, Captain.
So you find anything else ? We were finally able to get upstairs.
Something in here you should see.
Thank you, gentlemen.
Two more victims.
Victims of something, but not this fire.
Look at the chest; there are staples here.
These people have already been through an autopsy.
These bodies were probably moved here.
This fire is starting to look more like a cover-up.
I think it's time we ask our lone survivor a few more questions.
Two more bodies at my house ? I don't understand.
They didn't die in the fire, Claire.
In fact, they were dead already.
They'd been autopsied, in fact.
Do you want to explain to me what happened ? Okay, I didn't think so.
So I'm going to tell you what I know.
For starters, you had gasoline on your clothes this morning.
Our trace lab just finished processing them.
That's what the person used to start the fire, right ? I'm sure I got it on my clothes when I was trying to escape.
That is not possible.
When gasoline burns, it becomes carbon dioxide.
There was no carbon dioxide on your clothing; therefore, it hadn't been burned.
Now what I think, is that you got gasoline on your clothes when you doused the floors.
Do you want to tell me what happened ? It's Anthony's fault.
He wouldn't leave me alone.
He wouldn't leave us alone.
He did it again, Claire.
He did it again.
Today at my event, he tripped the sprinklers.
Ruined the entire thing ! - Did you call the police ? - And what ? File for another restraining order ? I don't think I can take this anymore, Claire.
This guy is not going to stop until he kills us both.
You're right.
Maybe he should.
So you decided to fake your own deaths ? We were willing to give up everything to start over just to be together without him.
And you figured, if you could burn down your house, you'd frame Anthony for your murders.
I put the lingerie in his car hoping that the cops would find it.
What about the cadavers ? Brett took care of that.
He got them from the science department at Dade University.
Okay.
You know, what I can't figure out is what were the two of you doing in bed when the fire started ? Anthony would park outside of our house every night.
So I poured the gasoline and we waited.
You sure he's going to show ? Don't worry.
He'll be here.
He's more predictable than a sunrise.
So you were going to start the fire when Anthony showed up hoping that a witness would place him there.
But he didn't show.
The one night he needed to, and he didn't.
And Brett and I fell asleep.
And you didn't realize that the vapors from the gas had filled the house, and the flame from the water heater ignited it.
Brett, wake up.
What is that ?! I should have been the one that died.
And now Brett's gone.
He did it.
He won.
Anthony won.
I'm sorry, Claire.
I really am.
But Anthony didn't win, and we're going to make sure of that.
Have a seat, Anthony.
She did it, didn't she ? Is Claire going to jail ? No thanks to you, my friend.
Should've never left me.
Think she'll get visitation rights ? I want you to understand something : you're never going to see her again.
And you lied to me.
About what ? The lingerie ? Partly I never took it.
But I did know it was there.
It was too weird.
I knew she was up to something.
Which is why you hired a private investigator, isn't it ? Yeah, a good-looking one, too.
You got her number ? I saw you with her by my car.
The way she looks at you think she could look at me like that ? You were so sure I killed that guy.
You did hire Ron Cramer to go over to the house.
What ? Try proving that.
I already have.
We cut a deal with Ron.
I have the check you used to pay him.
So I paid him.
You said it yourself.
Claire caused the fire.
Yes, but Ron broke the window, Anthony, which made the place an inferno.
And in my world, they call that conspiracy to commit murder.
No way.
I have something new for you to obsess about.
It's called row of steel bars.
Officer I can't let you on this floor, Wolfe.
What ? Well, you're fired.
Your gun and your badge, please.
You know, I wouldn't expect someone like you to understand.
What I did I did to protect all the people in this lab.
You understand that ? You don't get it.
Because of your actions, cases are being reopened.
Criminals are going to be out on the streets.
Your personal belongings will be sent to you.
I need your gun and I need your badge now.
What am I supposed to do now ? Get out of the building.
I heard you got Anthony.
I appreciate your help on this.
It's part of the job.
Speaking of which, Yelina, PI work can be very dangerous.
Ray was killed while breaking the law.
I was denied his pension.
I have to work Yelina I was a cop.
I can take care of myself.
I'm concerned about people like Anthony Bryant.
I understand.
Really, but I have Ray Junior to think about.
My point exactly.
Always looking after me, huh ? I always will.
I'll be more selective next time.

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