CSI: Miami s02e19 Episode Script

Deadline

Are you sure this is safe? Good all the time, man! Chill, let's go.
All right Hey Mike, Mike, Mike I don't know about this, man I'm going out on a limb here man.
If you don't have a stone for this,then you definitely don't have them for the rest of your story Ok All right.
Yeah, let's, let's do it.
Hold on, Hold on, See man? Everything's cool / Yeah Alex? / Horatio? Yeah! Who let the press in? The kid's our witness.
And the witness is taking a note, huh, interesting Alex, what do we have here? The boy took two rounds through the wood.
Through the wood? You mean the door was closed.
That's interesting.
Excuse me Could I have a word with you? Yeah, Josh Dalton, Miami Sun.
Yes, formerly of the Miami Ledger.
- You're a fan.
- Let me put it this way.
I am familiar with some of the pieces that you've written about my department.
Oh, right.
The story on the false positives at the CSI lab a few years back.
Hit below the belt.
I was green.
- Weren't we all? - Well, I learned a lot since then.
So you have any idea what caliber was used? Josh, how this works is I ask you the questions and you provide me with the information.
So let's start with what you were doing here.
Keeping my finger on the drug fueled pulse of Miami Sounds like a by-line Mike was hooking me up for an expos?.
He works for District Councilman.
People love stories of urban blight.
Makes'em feel human.
But not you though, huh? I just saw my friend murdered, and I never felt more human in my life.
What you find? I believe this is your pen cap, isn't it? When did you have time to take notes? After I called the police.
Ah, really.
Was Mike still alive? Of course not.
What do you think I am? I think that you're a man in search of story Well, it's not often that shooter doesn't get to see his own victim.
With .
38, you don't have to.
Cuts through your typical single panel door with practically no resistance.
Left the gun.
M 11.
That's smart.
If we can't find any prints on it, we can't tie him to it.
What is this place anyway? Some sort of inner city drug store? Well, they don't keep the dope on the premises, but a.
.
it's all kinds of evidence of use.
If we find out what's in this baggage, narrow down our dealer.
You looking for me? / Yeah, do you have the want to ones from the crime scene door? Wide, medium and close.
The spray pattern is right to left.
Two hit our victim, and three hit the back wall So they hit the back wall, but not the journalist.
So Josh, why were you there? I told you, a story Is it possible that you took Mike there to set him up to be killed? I covered it, I didn't create it.
No, that doesn't explain why you weren't shot, does it? I guess it was just a luck Ah, yes.
Luck.
This, Josh, is a crime scene photograph.
Now, you claim that you were to Mike's immediate right as he knocked on the door, right? Yeah, immediately to his right, yes.
Okay, here's why it doesn't fly.
This is called a bullet spray.
Now that technically makes it impossible for you to be on Mike's right.
I think you were standing behind him shielding yourself.
Yeah, let's do it.
See man? Everything's cool.
Ok, I heard him rock around, and instinctively I just, moved behind Mike.
You seem pretty familiar with weapons.
Yeah, I did a whole story couple of years ago on gunrunners between here and Caribbean.
How they use cruise ships to transfer major weapons to Al-Quaeda sleepers in the Miami area.
I remember the story.
I went to a gun range, just to, you know get comfortable with weapons.
And you learn pretty quickly.
The distinctive sound of action of gun.
- Hold on.
- See man? Everything's cool.
It was second nature.
There was no set-up.
I give subjects the face I think they're lying.
But I'm not.
I don't know how else to convince you.
You know what Josh? I wouldn't worry about it.
I have many ways to get the truth.
Calleigh, check this out.
See these paint chips on top of the newspaper? Yeah.
The killer probably went out this way, but he wasn't counting on the window being painted shut.
Someone tried to force that open.
The handles are too narrow for prints, what about underneath? Exactly.
Take a look.
What are the chances of drug dealer from the golden triangle being on AFIS? Good.
It's great.
There it is.
Bobby Jeter.
He's been in and out of stock since he was of age.
Most possession and dealing.
No murder.
/ Might just have broken a new ground.
Not too hard to track you down, Bobby.
Drinking Tequilla in your driveway.
Got no reason to hide.
We think you do.
Know this man? Nope.
He was killed today in 660 Ruthland Ave.
So? / So, we found your print on the window used as an escape.
I was there looking for a friend.
The door slammed behind me.
Got locked in.
Okay.
Well, got your prints, Bobby, and they are fresh.
Unless you got a witness, you got nothing.
Anything else? Yeah.
Put your hand out like you're holding a gun.
Is this a joke? Do it.
Revelations on Mike Griffith, Alex? Yeah, human body wasn't made to withstand bullets.
Here is his tox report.
/ Ok.
These his effects? The tin of mints? It's empty.
Nothing.
You know Alex? There is nothing, and then there's nothing.
I'm gonna get the trace.
Speed.
These mints were curiously strong.
However same chemical make up as the residue from the bag at the scene.
opioid analgesic.
Painkillers.
What about a brand name? Oxy cone, Hill Billy Heroines? Griffith is probably addicted to this stuff No, he couldn't have been.
He's got a negative tox screen.
Didn't Mike work for Coucilman Putnam? Then we just got a candidate.
Good of you to Good of you to see me Councilman.
Excuse me for not getting up.
I'm nursing a back injury.
You taking something for that? Steam rooms, hot shower.
I assume you're here about Mike Griffith.
Such a shame.
He was an exceptional young man.
Yes, that's what I understand.
I truly believed that he would be sitting behind this desk one day.
Yes, except for the fact that somebody sent him into Golden Triangle to buy Oxy and he got killed for it.
Are you aware that I ran on a platform of zero-tolerance? I am, and I'm also aware of your three months prescription last year, but the same drug.
The State keeps records, Councilman.
Water skiing accident.
The prescription ran out.
My doctor told me about refills.
Shot of Brandy does the trick for me now.
I don't do drugs.
Are you familiar with the journalist, named Josh Dalton? Of course.
I read the paper.
/ He was with Mike when Mike got killed buying your Oxy.
So, how long did that go on? Couple of months.
You know the dealer's name? Robby, Bobby something? I never saw him.
I can't understand why he would do this to Mike.
Did you ever send Mike in short? I'm not a man who likes debt.
Okay, So he didn't get wacked dealing with your tab.
Let me restate this.
I always send Mike to the Triangle with cash Maybe, you can mention that as eulogy.
You wouldn't be outing for tax evasion.
No, you would merely be collaborating information I've gathered in background.
It's like confirming the sun shining.
We already know it.
Sir, I got a lieutenant from Miami Dade PD on the other line.
May I call you right back? Josh, why didn't you tell me that the Councilman was addicted to Oxy? - Is this on the record? - Whatever you like.
Mike was his press guy.
He said he give me access to Oxy culture if I kept his boss's name out of the paper.
So I couldn't tell you.
Jim Leonard, Editor.
- Is there a problem here? - Josh, Jim, is obstructing a murder investigation, and I need his note from his Golden Triangle story.
Murder of Mike Griffith, you mean? Jim, Mike gave me names and sources in strict confidence.
Once of those sources might be his killer.
I am willing to go to jail to protect my first amendment rights, and I would hope that paper would back me.
The fact is paper does, we don't give up sources.
I'm sorry lieutenant.
No apology is necessary Jim, but here's the bad news, gentlemen.
I have a warrant for the notes.
Jim? Judge Trump's a journalist.
For the record, lieutenant, this is the last thing Mike would've wanted.
Not if we find his killer.
I've been working on your journalist's notes, and they're not penman shorthand or Gregg's but not entirely.
Got a little of both maybe.
But take a look at this.
Internet lingo.
Means later.
So it appears that Dalton created his own language.
Can you read it? Okay.
It's an interview with an operative of Las Sambras.
- That Pro-Castro group? - His shadows.
I thought that was a myth.
A way for politicians to explain all the violence they can't control in Miami.
The Golden Triangle.
Something is weird with this shorthand, though.
Wait a second.
Ok, I think I know what's going on here.
It's reversed.
What do you mean? The words are arranged from right to left.
Your reporter is a lefty.
No he's not.
He's right handed.
Then these aren't his notes.
Tyler, I need articles on Las Sambras.
Okay.
Sambras, landed revolutionaries, and secret.
Keywords should get something.
Here we go.
How they terrorize Miami area.
Mostly Cuban Americans.
Okay, who wrote these? Amy James.
Miami Sun.
Amy James.
Is she a contributor? Senior writer.
City desk.
City desk.
Right next to Josh's cubicle.
Thank you.
Yo, Speedle, I don't get it.
Guy Jeter didn't have any GSR in his hands, but I know he went out that window for some reason.
He probably washed it off with tequila, or he wore gloves.
Did you find any gloves at that place? Nah, just a plastic bag with traces of Oxy.
I guess this could be used as a glove.
Now look at that.
Gun shot residue.
What do we got? A twofer.
A GSR on the outside and the fingerprints on the inside.
Bobby, you remember when we said we were gonna need witness? We got one.
Your fingerprints.
You used that plastic bag as a glove, and you shot Mike Griffith.
I've been on a jag, speed, coke.
Makes me extra paranoid.
I looked through that peephole, saw two guys with suits on and I thought it was a bust.
You didn't recognize Mike? Yeah, but the other guy looked like a fed.
He was a reporter.
I guess I'm not so paranoid after all.
No, if I were you, I would return to paranoia, my friend.
You're about to be charged with murder.
I gotta ask.
How did I miss the other guy? The reporter? You missed the other guy because he's good at deceiving people.
Josh.
Hey! How could you let the Ledger scoop me? Their in-office email says you caught Mike's killer.
I hacked in.
It's Amy's desk over there, isn't it? Yeah.
Does she know that you stole her story, Josh? The story on Las Sambras? Amy and I share notes.
Does she know you're sharing notes? Look, we work together all the time.
She's senior to me.
/ Okay.
- I'd like to talk to Amy.
- Well, so would I.
I tried to call her all morning.
Off the record? Probably Too much merlot.
Try her again.
Now? / Right now.
Is there a problem? / No.
She has three numbers.
We all do.
The paper, sources, and personal.
Josh! Amy? - Is that you? - Amy, are you ok? Please! / Amy, try to stay on the line, Amy.
Tyler, listen.
I'm gonna need to track a number.
Use the GPS.
Hang on a second You can get that? I will be in the car.
You stay put.
Where is she? Traveling west on Flagler.
Cross street! / 11th.
Wait.
She's turning on the 12th.
Right or left? Left.
/ Okay, hang on.
I see her.
I got it.
Thank you.
Get out of the vehicle! Get your hands in the air right now! Get out of the car.
Let me see your hands.
- Let me see your hands.
- Let me see it.
let's go.
Move around the car! Let's go.
Let's go.
Open the trunk! Open the trunk! - I don't know how .
- Where's the key? - I said open the trunk! - This ain't our car! This ain't our car! - What are you saying? - We stole it.
You stole a car? - Okay, get down on your knees.
- There is no trunk release in this car.
- You need a key to open it up.
- Eric, get that trunk open.
Where'd you steal the car, friend? - Where? - Enportade and the 7th Street.
Okay.
/ Enportade and Hey, what about this blood? Do you notice that? - You sure? - I swear to God, I sweat to God.
Okay, I'm sorry Amy.
I'm sorry.
Take'm in.
I'm sorry, Amy.
Miss James was shot three times.
Once to the back of the head, two to the back.
Organs bled out slowly.
The bullet didn't pierce the brain.
Entered her scalp, followed her hairline, then lodged near her ear.
So is was the body hit that did the damage.
Yeah.
She bled out on the inside.
Took hours to expire.
Explains why she was able to take a call in the trunk.
What do you mean? What do I mean? You went as white as a ghost when you heard Amy's voice on the speakerphone.
That's what I mean.
And that's because she was supposed to dead already.
Josh.
- I don't even own a gun.
- This was never about Mike.
The reality is that you shot Amy hours before Mike was killed.
You don't have all your facts.
If I thought you did, you would've arrested me by now.
- Is that a fair statement? - Are you talking ethics to me, Josh? Look, I was UPI's youngest reporter ever to fly Air Force One.
And I had broken major stories for the Miami Suns.
Gunrunnimg, dorm porn, you name it.
At what cost? That's Amy's parking space.
Looks like there's blood on this column.
So our vic took one shot even before she got to her car.
Second shot was through and through, right? Third shot was to the head.
Why do you have that look on your face? The splatter's only on the lower half of the BMW's window.
So either the shooter was really tall Or shot at a high angle like from a SUV or a truck.
The clearance for this garage is 7 feet.
It says Ekka.
That's a brand for running light.
Lucky for us, the garage got it.
Well, this is blood.
Are you gonna process Amy's next? Horatio's up there now.
Look at these.
These are all bomb site history from Las Sambras.
Yeah, they target law abiding Cuban-Americans who have guts to speak against Castro.
Read all these articles, but I didn't read Amy's by-line till now.
No doubt Las Sambras has this place been searched.
- And it's hot in here, too.
- Yeah, and here's why.
Look at this.
Take ripped thermostat off the wall.
And the smoke detector.
Battery's missing.
Yeah, I'm not surprised.
Ok, here's what we need to do.
Let's look in the bedroom to see if the alarm clock is missing.
It's definitely not ticking.
Battery is the power source.
Thermostat is the action switch.
And the clock is the timer ingredients for a homemade bomb.
Las Sambras, they used Amy's thing to make their next bomb.
Maybe warning her to shut up.
Some kind of mark on her hand.
She was in rigor, that's why I didn't see it That looks like ink.
- I'm gonna get that QDed.
- No can't do, Horatio.
Body stays intact, the QD is going to have to find me.
No problem.
Anything? Nothing I can read.
You know what? Let's use the night scope.
Maybe we can enhance the writing.
Read my mind.
/ Good.
I was just hoping that photons created enough light in the image intensifier tube to define the image.
Still blurry.
/ All right.
Here's what we do.
Let's leave the lens open, the longer the exposure, the greater chance we have some light in the image.
And the blank space surrounding the print line will burn the image onto the film.
That's exactly right.
- How long should I give it? - As long as it takes.
- What did we get? - It worked.
What is it, a license plate? No, it's.
.
- This is an address.
- How do you know? You see the CO? That's Calle Ocho.
Little Havana.
What about the 11122? That is the location of the bomb.
Sir! Step away from the table right now.
Put your hands behind your back.
These are the missing components from Amy's apartment.
Could've come from anywhere.
Yes, they could've, but this, this couldn't have.
That's a perfect fit.
And that means that you were in Amy's apartment, weren't you? Amy, the one writes those lies about Las Sambras.
Yeah, and I supposed the bombings in Little Havana didn't take place either, right? Your forefathers were revolutionaries.
We're no different.
/ What I'm interested in is whether you were there by yourself or you were with your brethren and which one? - Don't I get a lawyer? - After you tell me who you are with.
Las Sambras don't even exist.
Luis wants to make a deal.
That is breaking into Amy's apartment and manufacturing a bomb.
And what do we get out of it? Address of the next place Las Sambras are going to bomb.
- And names of two of his partners.
- From a revolutionary to a rat in record time.
- But there's a glitch.
- What is that? - He won't coop to his murder.
- I don't need him to.
What do you think it's still the reporter? / I do.
All right.
You got any evidence to support that? On the way.
You've got any messages? No, nothing.
But it's an old-school answering machine,the kind with the tape.
So, a little effort, we mightbe able to get something.
So what are you doing? Just ignore the obvious stuff now? What we've got? There always a cigar here.
I mean she had a visitor, it's been chewed It probably got DNA on it.
Could be the killer.
The journals.
/ I've de-enncrypted Josh's and Amy's notebooks.
And I found what seems to be notes from her new story.
New story, About what? Can't quite tell, she writes in nicknames and codes - But I'll give you what I have.
- Okay, sounds like a plan.
Hey / Hey, what's up? Valera's processing the cigar.
Yeah.
/ Where's Tyler? I don't know.
It's alright, I can handle this.
Okay.
You think we're gonna get anything? Most answering machines aren't perfectly aligned.
The audio is written either too high or too low on the tape stream.
Right, so when the eraser head wipes the tape, it could miss some of the audio.
Exactly.
Amy, I didn't mean to fly off the handle but you're gonna hurt a lot of people if you write that story.
Call me, 555-0140 Extension 27.
The newspaper.
And whose extension is that? I called Amy.
I'm her editor.
There's nothing suspicious about that.
It's funny that you didn't mention homicide, that recently flew off the handle with Amy.
Matter of fact, I have the transcript here.
Transcript evinces a pejorative.
That's some vocabulary, sir.
I like you, too.
Bring an attitude to your craft.
It's not a craft, it's murder investigation And you had a fight with Amy.
You wanna come down to homicide and talk about it? No, I don't.
You don't? Were you at Amy's the night she choose to go? No.
No? / Nope.
She worked for me I've never been to her place.
That was found at Amy's.
Now the DNA on that is male.
We're looking for matches pretty interesting that you smoke the same brand.
I'd like to call my lawyer.
You should probably do that.
I heard there's been a developement.
Well, QD notes that Amy began gathering information on new story, but none of the codes make any sense It says here I went to Luceabout Captain Burtler concerning "Ghost Ship" Ghost Ships.
You mean like mirage possibly? I don't know.
That's weird.
I did whole story a couple of years ago, gunrunner.
Yeah, how they used crew ships to transfer major weapons.
Okay, we need everything that Miami Sun put out last year about gunrunners masquerading as crew ships, Right? Jim Rennart? Editor in chief.
I didn't kill Amy.
Well, that didn't take you long, Jim.
I went to her place, we had words.
That's all.
I understand that Josh's article about the Miami gunrunners using cruise ships boosted your circulation by 20, 000 The story all elevated our journalistic profile.
Ghost Ships don't exist, right? That's very, very difficult to verify sources Gunrunners are outlaws.
Cruise ships stonewall.
Squeaky clean image.
In other words, Josh made whole thing up.
- I did suspect that.
.
- And Amy was onto him, right? She told me her suspicions.
I begged her to let it go.
He's good for the paper circulation.
He's a liar, Jim So your writing will offset that.
He brings readers to you You mean he gets you promotions Well, I guess she didn't, did she? kid is a star.
I,I moved up two slots since he started working at the paper, and the offers are just pouring in.
From New York.
Big papers, magzines, I'm in a whole new stratosphere.
All with Amy out of the way.
No, no, no, I didn't kill her, I didn't.
Jim, you need to give me something right now.
When Dalton was covering, creating gunrunner story.
He went to shooting range.
The owner gave me free run of the place.
Got called me next day, said one of his guns was missing, he suspected Josh'd stolen it, - But he never had any proof.
- What kind of gun is it? .
22 caliber Kemper.
Okay, did Josh ever discuss killing Amy with you? - No, of course not.
- But you suspected, didn't you? Right? And just like Josh's stories.
you aren't interested in the truth, were you? the Kemper .
22, chrome six shot.
A two-inch barrel.
It was first on my list So the bullets in Amy definitely could have come from the kemper.
Okay, here's what we do we get a warrant for Josh's home, office, and car, Right now.
Okay.
We have searched his entire condo, his office, and his jim locker.
And there's no gun.
Yeah, same deal here.
But we know from the running lights that this is the vehicle from the scene, right? I don't know, maybe he tossed the gun.
No I'm positive it's here.
Why? Because Josh swears that it isn't.
Alright.
You know something? I wanna put the spare tires back Why don't you siphon the gas, I've got an idea.
Okay.
Go ahead.
Now got a little room.
Little bit, easy.
Thanks guys.
/ No problem Get 4,760, What do the specs say? The specs say 4,747.
- 13 pounds over.
- Kemper's only a couple of pounds.
What do you think causing the extra weight? Is the gas removed? / Yeah.
All of it? / Yeah.
- About 9 or 10 gallons? - Give or take.
Gas tank said there was almost full.
There's no way a truck of that size has a gas tank that small.
You know what? I should have thought this sooner.
Modified metal box.
People put in the smaller gas tank.
The extra space.
Put in electronics, wiring Or Here's a little .
22 caliber Kemper.
You found a gun, In my car.
Yeah.
I found this gun, Josh.
This is the gun which you killed Amy James with.
Ah, it's, it's just not possible.
I mean, I, I must be getting set up here No, I mean .
.
Jim Rennart, our editor I think that I, you know, he and Amy had an affair and Josh.
It's over.
But lieutenant, why would I wanna kill Amy? Because Amy knew your story was fraud and she was going to Rennart to expose you that's why.
These are from Amy's notebook.
And should seem familiar to you.
Because you looked in her note, didn't you? Captain Burtler, gunrunner from Gone with the wind, J.
R.
, your editor And Luce is Henry R.
Luce, the most prolific publisher of the 20th century.
You killed Amy.
Josh.
Not to steal the story, but to prevent one from happening.
No.
Josh.
Sit down.
You know, Josh The truth has this funny, mysterious way of finding daylight.
Book him.

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