CSI: Miami

Season 4 - Episode 20 - Free Fall

Written by Mark Dube
Directed by Scott Lautanen

While rummaging through an old hotel slated for demolition, a pair of “urban explorers” discover the bodies of two men slumped in a bathtub, both shot through the back of the head, execution-style.  Garcia Vargas is dead and his brother, Mariano, holds onto life by a thread.  Nicholas Suero, the hotel owner, meets with Tripp and Horatio, explaining why he had no security watching the place.  Erica Sikes visits the crime scene, badgering Ryan Wolfe for information that can help her career.  At the home of one of the victims, Delko discovers lots and lots of hidden cash, odd savings for a part time janitor.

 Calleigh calls Peter Elliott from the U.S. Treasury Department to assist on the case, and her resentment at him is palpable.  Rat bites on the hidden money indicate it had been stored for a long time, often the habit of drug cartels waiting for opportunity to “launder” the cash.  When a red Corvette is stolen outside a local bank branch, the team suspects Leo and Sienna, the pair who made a name for themselves by driving the stolen car, then threw thousands of dollars off a bridge when stopped by the police.  Once again, Leo and Sienna become local “heroes,” commanding Erica Sikes’ attention in her ongoing attempts to become a star broadcaster.

 Calleigh locates the bullet that killed Garcia at the Delgado hotel.  Danny Harper, the owner of the Corvette, reveals that he set up his car for theft, leaving the keys in the ignition while at the ATM.  Leo and Siena came along and completed the transfer.  What wasn’t part of the plan is that Leo snatched a large bag of money from the back of a van idling in front of the back.  It turns out that the Vargas brothers were withdrawing drug cartel money from the bank when Leo swiped nearly $1 million of the booty.  Needless to say, the cartel is not pleased when the two money runners show up short.

Jason Adams admits to helping hotel owner Suero out by laundering his ill-gotten gains, but fears for his family now.  Horatio promises protection and sets out to bring Suero down.  But when Delko discovers a stain on Mariano Vargas’ shirt that is consistent with markers used by bankers to identify counterfeit bills, the team shifts their investigation back to Jason Adams, who finally admits to shooting the brothers.  When the money delivery came up $1 million short, Adams was blamed for the shortfall and goes after the brothers who he assumes took part of the haul.  But when he sees Leo and Siena on the news, Adams realizes who the real thieves were and targets them.  When the police catch up with Leo and Siena, however, the pair make a very dramatic exit, leaving the dead body of Nicolas Suero in the trunk of yet another stolen car.