CSI: Crime Scene Investigation

Ecklie's been on me to finish the monthly stats,

so I need a list of all the Lab call-outs

from Dispatch as soon as you can.

You'll have it by the end of shift tomorrow.

Thanks.

So, you've been pulling a lot of doubles this week.

Yeah, it's about all I do.

Have you been in touch with Sara?

We've talked a little.

So where's she at?

San Francisco. Visiting her mother.

No, I mean-- that's nice.

No, but I meant where's she at emotionally?

You know, with respect to the two of you.

I can't speak for her.

So speak for yourself.

I can't talk, I'm really busy.

So Archie's in the Garage,

he's documenting evidence from a drug bust,

he picks up a thing of coke,

and then it blows up in his face?

No. He picks up a cellophane

and duct-tape-wrapped kilo of coke,

and the third one from the top of the stack

blows up in his face.

It's important to be specific.

Okay, well,

this game is not as much fun as I thought

- it was going to be. - It's not a game,

it's a thought experiment.

If you want to be a good criminalist...

I am a good criminalist.

If you want to be a better criminalist,

then you have to learn to train to...

Learn to think like a criminal.

I know.

Look, I'm sure Grissom's told you... well,

maybe not you, but he's told me many times:

that we speak for the dead.

Think of this exercise as a way for

the dead to speak for themselves.

But that's not actually what this is...

It's a chance for you to be a CSI.

The only thing you need to do is answer two simple questions.

Whodunit and how?

After HazMat cleans up the scene...

the coroner does his thing...

No sign of sexual trauma.

What?

I believe he's legally required to check.

What the CSIs realize is...

I can't believe Archie's gone.

He was too good for this world.

What?

They would be very upset.

Can we at least stipulate

that they heroically contain their bereavement?

Yes, I suppose Archie could live with that.

So to speak.

Thank you.

What the CSIs realize is...

It's gotta be the dealer.

Yeah, he booby-trapped the stash

so if the cops got the drugs...

Then they would get the boom along with it?

Right?

- Am I right? - You're wrong.

Just let me finish the setup, okay?

Sorry.

What the CSIs finally realize is...

They sorted everything already? That was quick.

Can you just let me finish!

According to this, 20 bricks of coke were logged

into evidence just past midnight.

The explosion occurred about a half an hour later.

But there are 21 wrappers here.

And since no one entered

or exited the Lab during that time frame,

it means the explosive was planted in the suitcase here.

Which means...

The killer is someone in the Lab.

Well, if the killer is someone who works in the Lab,

then he could just tamper with the evidence.

Which means that there's really no way for me

to solve this thing, this a trick question.

No, no, no, that's not what I want...

My shoelace is untied.

-Excuse me. - Okay.

Okay, um...

wouldn't, how about this.

Since it would be pretty risky

for the killer to tamper with evidence during a full-on

investigation in the Lab...

Let's just say,

for the purposes of this exercise,

that can't happen.

Okay.

Now what?

That's up to you.

You have the setup.

You run the investigation from here.

Simple Q & A. You ask, I answer.

Truthfully?

Absolutely.

No lying-- call that a rule.

Well, what if I get close to actually figuring it out,

you're not just gonna change who did it or something like that?

No revisionism-- also a rule.

For something that's not a game

it sure does have a lot of rules.

You want to do this or not?

All right.

Okay.

I guess the first thing that I would do

would be to examine the actual bomb mechanism

to see if there's any clue as to who might have built it.

Good idea.

Because there are a lot of clues.

Chemicals have been sent to Trace for I.D.,

but the bomb appears to be a binary explosive.

Killer hides the loaded brick amongst the others...

A little pressure arms it...

Liquid "A" in ampoule mixes solid "B",

creating an unstable chemical explosive...

All you need to do is move it.

Ooh, I have an idea.

What?

What about the blasting cap?

Ah, well, what do you know?

The leg wires are color coded.

Good, 'cause the color

coding is manufacturer specific.

So now we can track down the source.

Indeed we could.

Hey, people. What's going on?

Nothing.

You look... better.

Let's say you learn

that LVPD recently seized one dozen

commercial grade blasting caps

in an arson-explosives raid,

and that the Lab was processing the case evidence.

Well, then, I know exactly where I'd go next.

'Course I know where those blasting caps are.

They're right in here.

No, no, no, no, no.

Not so fast, cowboy.

Give me those keys.

Looks like you're one blasting cap shy, Bob.

That's not possible.

Wait...

Y'all don't think I had something to do with...

Are there any prints on the lock?

Excuse me, we're--

Playing a murder game.

I know, I get it.

I wanna play.

He says it's not a game.

Well, I wanna play anyway.

No.

Why not?

You're the dead guy.

Well, then I'd have a vested interest

in the outcome then, wouldn't I?

Oh, come on, I'll fill him in as we go along.

Fine.

Yup.

So.

Are there any prints on the lock?

No, no prints.

Just metal shavings.

Looks like this lock's been slipped.

So somebody stole the blasting cap from Ballistics

to make it look like Bobby did it.

Nefarious, don't you think?

What about the chemicals that were used

to make the explosive?

Did we get anything back from Trace?

You always get something from Trace.

The explosive was liquid nitro-acetate

and solid ammonium nitrate packed in baking soda.

To blend in with the rest of the cocaine bricks.

Cute.

Explosive liquids are generally pretty volatile.

Did you ask Hodges

if nitro-acetate has any special storage requirements?

It needs to be refrigerated.

Yeah, he said it needed to be refrigerated.

There's only so many refrigerators in the Lab.

Maybe "where" can get us to "who".

What are you guys looking for?

I'm sorry, we can't tell you that, Henry.

Nitrogen tetra-hydride...

Sodium nitrate.

Wait, what happens when you mix those two compounds?

They produce nitro-acetate.

That's a high explosive binary, Henry.

Really?

I didn't know that.

Look, just 'cause I have those compounds