06E08 - Permanent Vacation

Brian Partney (18), son of Canadian tourists Roger and Denise, is murdered by a shot in the face in the luxury hotel elevator while the family was leaving to catch their flight home. The bullet is missing, a black Cobra Familia gang shirt was left behind, with the key-card of Mitch Pena's room, facing the elevator. Father Partney has no idea why Brian took that elevator, nor how he or the kid's adoring younger brother Shane could have anything to do with a gang. New Yorkers Mitch Pena and his younger girl-friend Amy Hobbs claim they were on the beach, but earlier Amy had given the cutie her key; when the boy came over for frisky fun, Mitch barged in and just threw startled Brian out. The permanent web-cam in the elevator recorded only the killer's arm reaching near surprised Brian's head just before the shot, the green-lined sleeve is of a bloody uniform found in hotel laundry: that of bellman Luis Mendoza, on duty and living in Cobra territory, who has a day-job in construction and claims it was stolen from his locker. When Shane, still near tears, can only testify he was in the parking lot and only heard a motorcycle race out, without recognizing the driver, dad Roger, who nearly went 'make Luis suffer', hisses the boy lets him and Brian down, Horatio has Roger followed. The burned rubber tire marks and vegetable oil on one indicate to Eric and Ryan an Angel 56 motorbike, used by a stunt-rider. It belonged to motor shop owner Vasco Torres, who just torched it and claims he and his 'neighbours' use the bike at will, he ignores who did. Brian's luggage is standard, except a card cutting shape, indicating Luis went trough it. Next Luis is found on the construction site, knocked down on the head with a wooden beam; Horatio arrests Roger but the finger print is that of Shane, who risks up to 25 years for attempted murder. The elevator shaft contains the missing bullet, the decisive clue after fancy forensics to a horrible plot, with a last bloody twist...