CSI: Crime Scene Investigation

PLOT
On protagonist Nick’s birthday, the CSI team gets a 419 call from the Park Pines Motel on Freemont. When Nick arrives at the scene, he is surprised to discover that the victim is 16-year-old Haley Jones, whose father Mark is the manager of the motel.

Nick flashes back to when he first met Haley on his birthday last year after a man, Harry Steadwell was found dead in his hotel room from a fatal fall. Haley showed interest in Nick before her mother, Nicole called her away. Mark took over the position as the motel’s new manager after the old manager, Dale Durney failed to arrive at work. Greg later discovers Dale’s body in the crawl space above the room with a wad of cash in his pocket.

Doc Robbins determines that Dale died from cardiac arrest due to electrocution. The CSI team is able to determine that seedy clients would often hide money into the crawl spaces above the motel rooms. Dale rigged them with a magnetic-locking mechanism that only he could control. Dale discovered Harry hiding his money which triggered the lock. Before he could get his money, Harry was arrested. When Dale went to get the money, he ended up electrocuting himself on exposed wires. A week later, Harry was released from jail and he went back to the motel to get the money, but his gun got caught on the magnet which caused it to fire and Harry fell from the chair that he was standing on, fatally hitting his head.

Later that year, Nick was called to the crime scene of Haley’s friend Bree Lindale, who claimed that she woke up in the Jones’ apartment of the motel after she was at a bonfire for her birthday, found her pants on the floor and Mark standing over her.

Bree reveals to Nick that when Haley started imitating her, she stopped being friends with her. Nick also learns that Nicole went to the bonfire after she told Haley she couldn’t go. Nicole took photographs of the bonfire with her camera to show Haley what was going on. When Nick shows the photos to Bree, she identifies a boy named Zack Fenish who wasn’t supposed to be at the bonfire. When questioned, Zack admits that he was at the bonfire, but he wasn’t interested in Bree: he was interested in Haley.

Archie discovers deleted photos on Nicole’s camera and Nicole admits that she had another daughter named Melissa who died when she was an infant before Haley was born and she deleted the photos so Haley wouldn’t find out.

Henry discovers GHB in Bree’s system and Hodges finds a substance used to condition baseball gloves on Bree’s body. Bree’s boyfriend, Dave Henkel is now considered a suspect. Dave admitted to drugging Bree after thinking that she was cheating on him with one of his teammates. He attempted to have sex with her, but Bree fought him off and she got out of the car. When Catherine talks to Bree, Bree admits that she wandered from the street to the motel and had a key to the Jones’ apartment and used it to get inside. She confesses that Mark didn’t do anything to her.

Before Haley’s murder, Nick was called again to the Park Pines Motel after Haley (who is now a goth) discovered the body of Tanya Carrow, who apparently suffered from an overdose. It is revealed that Tanya had a criminal record and was released from prison. Tanya’s father Frank identifies her body and leaves a memorial with flowers and a photo of Tanya holding a baby while incarcerated at the motel.

Back to the present time, David discovers a photo of Tanya inside Haley’s pocket. When Zack is brought in for questioning, he says that he dumped Haley the day before she died. He claimed that he loved Haley and even though the two of them dealt crystal meth, he would’ve stopped for Haley if it would’ve meant that she wouldn’t have broken up with him.

Langston is able to identify where the photo was taken which was at the White Sands Penitentiary and identifies the woman as Tanya. Nick comes to the conclusion that Haley was Tanya’s child. Mark reveals that Tanya was babysitting Melissa when she left her unattended in the bathtub and Melissa drowned. When Tanya discovered that she was pregnant again, she offered the Jones their baby in return.

Several months ago, Tanya showed up at the motel, asking to see Haley. Nicole went into her room and fought with her. A resident at the motel recalls seeing Nicole leaving Tanya’s room, carrying two coffee cups and could smell the meth coming from one of them.

A search of the Jones’ apartment reveals a shirt soaked in blood and Nick brings Nicole in for questioning. Nicole admitted that she argued with Haley after she cut her hair like Tanya’s. She brought out a pair of scissors and tried to insist that Haley changed her hair. During the argument, Haley ran into the scissors which killed her. When Nick asks Nicole why she didn’t call for help, Nicole says that she was in shock and was worn down by Haley’s rebellious behavior. After Nick tells Nicole that he knows she killed Tanya, Nicole admits that she never wanted Haley, saying it was like living with the ghost of Melissa’s murderer.

At the end of the case, Ray comforts Nick, who is crying in the locker room over Haley. Ray tells him, “Everyone keeps telling me what this job isn’t. How you’re feeling right now is what it is.”

CRITICAL RECEPTION
The New York Times noted that the character allowed Taylor to be “a little bit naughty, and credibly so”. Rolling Stone felt she “held her own” and “does a good job with the script” while the Chicago Tribune said she “acquits herself well”.

MUSIC
Taylor remixed her song 2008 “You’re Not Sorry” for her episode on CSI.