Synopsis  

A high stakes game of Texas No-Limit Hold’em at the Four Kings Casino ends with a heist, when a motorcyclist, Clint Tyree, steals over a million in cash and kills the guard, Paul Branston. He doesn’t make out alive, however, as a security guard shoots at him causing him to crash on Fremont street. The shots don’t kill him, or even hit him, but the thief collapses anyway, dead. When the CSIs arrive, they learn the money and chips are fake, and the thief’s face is grotesquely swollen.

Clint, a stunt rider for the Four Kings, died of an allergic reaction, however it was caused by an injection that punctured him through his motorcycle leathers. Back at the casino, none of the witnesses are sure what happened, being confused from the power outage and flash-bang grenades. The CSIs suspect Robert Gentry, the loser in the poker game, who bumped into Clint during the heist, and subsequently vanished before the cops arrived. While looking for Genty, they question Ryan Archer as to how the lights were turned off, and he reveals there’s an app for that, but the user would need a code.

Gentry is found at another casino, betting with the chips stolen from the Four Kings. He cops to stealing the chips, but claims innocence to the major theft and murder. Also he claims to have seen Clint running the opposite way from where he was killed. This gives the CSIs a lead, and they realize Clint was part of a pair, and played the decoy. Someone else has the money, and probably is the same person who poisoned Clint with snake venom.

Julian Reese, a valet parker for the Four Kings, happens to have a license for the venomous Russell snake. Of course, Julian skipped work, but he’s quickly found … shot in the head in his car, with his snake in the back seat. A set of motorcycle leathers, and the syringe used to kill Clint, are found in the trunk of Julian’s car, and trace of mechanic’s soap on his shirt. The same soap used by the Ryan Archer. And it was Chad’s code that turned the lights off.

When he’s hauled in, Ryan looses it, shouting that he can’t be there, but he won’t tell them why. At his house, the CSIs learn his wife died recently of cancer, but also that his 10 month old son was kidnapped by the people behind the heist. Ryan divulges that Julian approached him about a plan, but Ryan declined, only to have his son kidnapped.

Evidence at Ryan’s house points the CSIs back to Paul Branston, the guard, who had served four turns in Afghanistan and been discharged with for bad conduct after trying to smuggle out artifacts. Paul also wasn’t due to work that day in that room, he traded for the shift. Evidence also shows that Paul kidnapped Ryan’s son.

As the CSI’s interrogate Paul’s wife, Ryan manages to ditch his cop bodyguard and makes a break to the employee parking lot, where the kidnappers ask to meet him. The CSIs are close behind, but too late. Ryan, scared out of his mind, accidentally shoots the dealer from the poker game. Audrey was also in on the crime, and had Ryan’s son in her car. It was also her gun used to kill Julian in his car the day before.

Trace on the baby’s clothes comes back positive for Rifampin, a drug used to treat meningitis, and also one that Ryan was taking. Ryan was the mastermind, killing the other four in order to get the money to take care of his son.

Review  

Sara arrives on the scene with Nick and David Phillips, just as surprised as they are to learn about the fake loot and the thief’s condition.

She and Morgan Brody go to the maintenance room to meet with Ryan, and learn about the app for the lights, as well as the soap Ryan uses. This is beneficial later when David Hodges and Henry both try to one-up each other, explaining the trace found on Julian’s shirt. It’s Sara who puts it together as mechanic’s soap, and she and Jim Brass interrogate Ryan.

Later, Sara and Finn go over Paul’s history, learning about his less than honorable service, when Hodges brings them news about the baby-trace in Paul’s car.

Notes  

• Sara’s sympathy is overridden by her hatred of social injustice. Murder is never okay.

Quotes  

Archer I didn’t do it for me.
Sara: Oh let me guess. This is the part where you argue for father of the year?