Steven J. Grabinski is a counterfeiter who is being chased by the Federal Treasury Department, specifically Special Agent Lars Ewing and his psychic sidekick Lindsay Leikin. After they almost catch him in Wilmette, IL, Grabinski comes to Santa Barbara, where the SBPD get involved.
Grabinski is travelling from city to city and state to state to launder his ill-begotten money, which is what he is caught doing at the Santa Barbara Home Depot. He was captured on camera, but since he never shows his face no positive ID can be made. However, Leikin divines that Grabinski has a three-inch scar on his jaw line and a single stud diamond in his left ear, which the cashier excitedly confirms. Gus knows from Ewing's files that Grabinski spends around six to eight days in every town, and he and Shawn start reasoning that he must be switching cars on the daily in order to stay under the radar. Based on this information, they believe he must have gone to the Saladin Motorworks dealership.
Ewing, Leikin and the SBPD visit the dealership and discover that Grabinski had paid $47,000 in counterfeit bills for a used Lamborghini, which was seen driving just out of town near Goleta, and then returned it the next day for $26,000 in real money. However, Shawn notices that one of the bills was actually real and presents this information at the station. Ewing admits it's the best lead they have and goes with Shawn's theory that the reason one real bill was included is because Grabinski is running out of counterfeit bills. The logical conclusion is therefore that Grabinski is currently at a remote spot in Santa Barbara where he can print out as many counterfeit bills as he wants without the noise raising suspicion.
Gus knows of a hotel on his pharmaceutical route that would suit this requirement, so that's the gang's next stop. Hotel clerk Norman directs them to a room that is occupied by a single gentleman, was all paid for in cash, is in a corner facing the alley, and whose door has never been without the "do not disturb" sign. They barge in, only to find the room empty. However, it's clear Grabinski used a lot of paper. Lindsay says that Grabinski printed around $50,000 worth of bills and calls Shawn's later guess of $500,000 impossible, although he turns out to be right. A passport seal indicates Grabinski is about to flee the country, so Lassiter notifies the railway stations, the airport security and any interstate agencies based on a description given by Leikin.
When Grabinski is unexpectedly found dead the next day, the case looks wrapped up. However, Shawn puts together that Grabinski had a partner: Leikin. The two first met in Wilmette, which is why Leikin knew so much about his appearance. Instead of alerting Ewing, Leikin joined Grabinski in his scheme and also became his lover. They met up again in Goleta to speak their escape over, and when Lindsay found out in Grabinski's hotel room that he had printed much more than the $50,000 they agreed on, she figured he was going to betray her and killed him with his own gun. Shawn confronts Leikin at the airport, and she is arrested for the murder.
Trivia[]
- His only priors are a couple counts of petty theft, and small-time fraud in Washington, D.C.