Da Vinci’s Inquest - Season 3 Episode 5

A human skeleton is found in the Grandview Cut, just below an overpass. The body is determined to be that of Elaine Walker, a woman that has been missing for a year. The authorities suspect her husband, Robert Walker, as her killer as he has a $1 million double indemnity life insurance policy on her, a policy on which he was trying to collect even before conclusive evidence that she was dead. He also admits he was in an extramarital affair with a woman by the name of Melanie Stone at the time Elaine went missing, Melanie who currently lives with him. Leary and Kosmo go undercover as a couple who are looking after the house next door to Walker's house. They want to discover conclusive evidence of his guilt through surveillance. When they find out Walker has purchased a single one-way ticket to Jamaica, they inform Melanie that her life may be in danger. Melanie says she believed in Walker's innocence up to this point, but decides to provide whatever information she knows against Walker. Once the authorities discover the murder weapon in the Cut based on Melanie's testimony, the information provided by Melanie as a whole becomes more useful to them in solving the case than Melanie could have ever imagined. Da Vinci holds an inquest into a vehicle crash between a propane truck and a minivan. The minivan driver, Herbert Carlyle, died at the scene of a heart attack. The resulting explosion from the accident also caused the disfigurement of John Cray, a bystander coming to the aid of Carlyle and his wife, Gladys, the minivan's passenger. The inquest not only will try to prove what caused the accident, but also put the spotlight on the lack of safety of hazardous materials trucks operating on residential streets. The problem Da Vinci is having is that the key impartial witness, Cray, refuses to testify as his disfigurement has caused him to become a recluse. Da Vinci requires the assistance of sheriffs to bring Cray to the inquest; Cray testifies but obviously against his wishes. Back at the Coroner's Office, Kelly starts his new job as Chief Coroner, burying his staff under mounds of paperwork. And Gabriella starts piano lessons.