Because Warrick naively assumed simple uniformed cop Hal Watson would have arranged a search warrant, the crucial weapon in the rape and murder trial on a neighbor against Michael Fife is dismissed as evidence in court. A.D.A. Jeffrey Sinclair can only get a 24 hours delay to present new evidence to build the case again. Nick brilliantly smooths emotional waywardness from Sarah and Warrick. New clues expected to reconstruct the case against Fife actually indicate he's probably innocent. An alternative culprit must be found, starting from Fife's car where the bloody knife was planted.

Julie Waters, a dancer, has been missing for 6 days. A suspect, Howard Delhomme, calls the police and turns himself in. He refuses to talk to anyone but Catherine. Sarah and Nick want to work on this case because they see it as a career-making step. Grissom, to their anger and disappointment, hands the rein over to Catherine. Despite their initial antagonism, they all worked together to find the young girl.

Sheriff Rory Atwater is leaving the Orpheus hotel and witness a car bombing, where the driver, the valet and the bellhop die. Grissom and Catherine arrive to investigate the crime scene and gunshots start. Grissom finds that the bullets are in the trunk in bag. Nick and Capt. Brass help the investigation. Soon they learn that the driver is Air Marshall Adam Watson, and the car was rented in an agency. Nick puts together the pieces of the bomb, which was a pipe bomb connected to the car clock. Soon they conclude that the victim might have been the previous user of the rented car since the timer was not accurate. Meanwhile, Sara, Warrick and Det. Louis Vartann investigate the death of Amelia Reuben, who is the wife of the successful singer Myles Reuben. They conclude that Myles, his manager Sam Hopkins and a hotel waiter were the last persons to see Amelia alive, and the autopsy and Greg's investigation concluded that she was poisoned.

A strong and tall man follows another man in the casino to the parking lot. Soon the CSI team comes to the casino to investigate the murder of the man, Tony Sciarra, who was brutally beaten. They watch the tape of the surveillance cameras and see a shorter man stealing Tony's chips and being followed by him. When they identify the killer, Walter Darian, they arrest him; however, the guy attacks Grissom first in the interrogation room and then the guards that try to subdue him. Out of the blue, Walter is dead. Now, they investigate his belongings since he was an accumulator and find evidence that may lead them to another murder case.

While in a dinner party to celebrate the retirement of Director of Robert Cavallo and the promotion of Conrad Ecklie, Grissom is summoned by Capt. Brass to investigation a homicide in the Olympia Hotel. He stumbles upon Ecklie's right hand Sofia Curtis in the elevator and they go with Brass to the suite where they see the body of the teenage Nicole Jensen next to vomit. Soon they learn that the suite was reserved by the hotel's owner Charlie Macklin for his daughter Janelle. The McKinley High School is giving a homecoming party in the ballroom, but Janelle is giving a private party in the suite. Catherine, Nick and Warrick join the investigation and interview the guests. They note that Janelle is missing and they learn that two masked kidnappers have abducted Janelle. When Catherien and Sheriff Atwater interview Charlie, he tells them that he knows his daughter and that was a prank to get his attention. The CSI team proceeds the investigation and find the truth of what happened during the night.