Synopsis

An 18-year-old girl bolts from her suburban Las Vegas house screaming for help. Shortly thereafter, Grissom arrives at the home and discovers an especially gruesome scene: four family members – the father, mother and two teenage boys – are dead, butchered with a kitchen knife. The family’s two daughters, the teen who ran for help and her 4-year-old sister, are traumatized but otherwise unhurt. What initially looks like a bizarre cult murder becomes more disturbing when they discover the motive behind the massacre.

Note: This episode originally aired with the title ‘If This Walls Could Talk’

Review

Sara arrives at the scene and relieves the about-to-be-sick rookie cop who was taking Grissom’s notes; she heard the call on her scanner and decided to come in. Sara is a little disquieted by the blood dripping from the mother’s corpse, mentions that she feels the soul still in the room. At Grissom’s orders, Sara returns to the lab to get the photos processed. When the entire team arrives, Grissom details Sara to escort the little girl to police headquarters despite Sara’s protests that she should be at the scene. Brass tells Sara to escort the little girl to the hospital, though Sara protests that she’s not good with kids.

At the hospital, Sara refuses to leave the little girl alone while they wait for her psych evaluation, despite the social worker telling her she can leave. Everybody is in the break room at the lab, reviewing the case – Sara reports on the kid’s psych evaluation and makes a few jokes (with a completely straight face) at Grissom’s expense about leaving the kid in the car with the windows cracked. Sara takes UV photos of the little girl and discovers signs of abuse, which doesn’t make her happy. Sara remains at the hospital with the little girl, keeping her company.

Notes

• Sara listens to a police scanner at home.
• Sara comes in to work on her days off if she hears about a good case.
• Sara feels a little uneasy about messy murder scenes, or at least this particular murder scene. She also gets a little imaginative, ‘feeling the soul still in the room’.
• Despite her protests about ‘I am not good with kids’, Sara does well with the little girl and seems to bond with her.
• Sara stands her ground against people when it comes to forensics and victims.
• Sara gets a little angry when she discovers signs of child abuse (possibly related to her past).
• Sara wears several rings on her right hand, which is not typical.

Quotes

Sara: Heard it on the scanner. Quadruple. Thought you might need some help.
Grissom: You don’t sleep, do you?
Sara: Eh (shrugs)

Grissom: Sara, those photos – blown up times ten. Tell the lab that we need every forensics tool available to us here right away. This is the only crime scene in Las Vegas tonight.
Sara: Yes, sir.

Sara: You want me inside?
Grissom: I want you to transport the little girl to the police department. Brass is waiting.
Sara: You’ve got to be kidding me? I’m playing taxi service on the biggest case of the year!?
Grissom: Sara, I need one of us with that little girl.

Sara: The shrink says she’s in a catatonic state from the trauma. I could have told you that. But she did respond to the word ‘buffalo.’
Grissom: Respond how?
Sara: She freaked out.
Grissom: And what are you doing about it now?
Sara: Going back to the girl. deadpan I left her in the car. (Grissom and Willows gape) The windows are cracked. (Grissom looks worried) Give me some credit; she’s at the hospital (Sidle leaves to get the girl while Stokes and Brown crack up_