by Hal Erickson
synopsis
Grissom (William L. Petersen) receives a grisly special-delivery package: a severed head, found in the woods near the remote Nevada village of Jackpot. Arriving in the town to find the rest of the body -- and, hopefully, the killer -- Grissom runs up against an impenetrable wall of silence. Back in Vegas, Catherine (Marg Helgenberger) is far from happy when she is given a huge check by her father, casino owner Sam Braun (Scott Wilson), presumably for her "help" in getting his murder charge dropped. She doesn't want the money -- and she certainly does not welcome a subsequent visit from Sam.