See Also: 'Payback' Episode Guide

When a wrongfully convicted man is freed and the real criminal ends up dead, Horatio and the gang will have to put this puzzle together in the CSI: Miami episode, "Payback."

According to CSI Files sources, the episode starts with a press conference, where DNA analyst Natalia Boa Vista is having her day in the sun. Six years ago, a young woman named Valerie Naff had just moved into the new house when someone broke in during the night and raped her. Valerie's testimonial, along with two witnesses', put mover Brian Lexington behind bars. For six years Brian paid for a crime he allegedly didn't commit, until Boa Vista took over his case and managed to exonerate Brian of all blame. Boa Vista's "Justice Project" is praised by the media, but Brian's liberty brings up a disconcerting question: who raped Valerie Naff?

Back at the lab, the team begins to re-examine the little evidence they have. Even today, the evidence still points to Brian Lexington as the rapist except one thing: his DNA is conspicuously absent from Valerie's bed. Six years before, the CSIs assumed Brian merely used a condom, and though they'd been able to find a single hair in Valerie's bed, technologically they were still unable to get any DNA from it. But in six years the technology has advanced greatly, and the team manages to extract DNA from that single hair, but without a suspect or a DNA comparison it's unlikely that it'll be of any use to the lab.

Evidence from the first case suggested Brian entered Valerie's bedroom from the window, but taking Brian's innocence into consideration, the CSIs have reason to believe Valerie's rapist entered through the front door, possibly with his own key. Could Valerie know her own rapist? On his way to find out Horatio is intercepted by Brian Lexington: the young man is suing Horatio and the department for malicious prosecution.

Horatio pays a visit to Valerie's house, only to find Brian Lexington at her door. Valerie apologizes to Brian in front of Horatio, and though he leaves without causing a major scene it's clear Brian's grudge may never subside. Valerie tells Horatio Brian is also naming her in his suit, but Horatio is more interested in any kind of information Valerie could provide regarding her rapist. Valerie is incredulous about the CSIs' theory – though she has spare keys of her house in her mantle she's never given any of them away.

Back at the lab, Ryan makes an interesting break in the case. Valerie may not have given any of her keys away, but there was one person who had access to her new home – Valerie's real estate agent. The case slowly starts to make more sense, however, when someone leaks out the identity of Valerie's possible rapist and he winds up dead, Horatio will have to distrust all the players of this game in order to find the killer.

Please note that the above plot details have not been confirmed by CBS, Alliance Atlantis or Bruckheimer Films, and until such time you should treat this information as you would any other rumour. The above information comes from early script drafts and the details and the airing order of the episodes are liable to change before the episodes are shown.

"Payback" will likely air during December of 2005.

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