"Key Witness"

"Key Witness: is the last (8th) episode of the first season of Nash Bridges.

Plot summary*
Lisa Bridges returns to Dr. Linus Mills' house to get her cooking utensils after a successful catering party, and walks in on the doctor killing a young girl with a silenced gun. Lisa flees the scene, and returns with her ex-husband Nash and the police. After a thorough search of Dr. Mills' home, a body is nowhere to be found. The prominent Dr. Mills is released, much to the outrage of Lisa.

Using the pretext to get her cooking utensils once again, Lisa gains entry to Dr. Mills' home to search for clues. She finds a photograph of the girl and learns her name from the housekeeper. Lisa also finds the dead girl's jewelry hidden in the refrigerator ice maker. The doctor shows up and threatens Lisa, but she manages to get away.

A concerned Nash decides to put Lisa and daughter Cassidy into protective custody at his apartment. Nash discovers the dead girl's real name is Elke Hanson. Nash and Lisa go to search Elke Hanson's apartment. While there, two hitmen wait for Lisa and try to kill her. Nash kills one of them, and Lisa, trying to help, accidentally whacks Nash over the head, allowing the other hitman to get away. A search of the dead hitman's wallet reveals an electronic entry card for a laboratory located at San Francisco University. Nash and Lisa go to the lab and find Elke Hanson's body hidden there.

Meanwhile, Joe Dominguez laments about having accidentally bought a bar from the last episode. Joe goes to the wake of his dead business partner and tries to sell his half of the bar back to the widow. The widow (played by Valerie Perrine) is outraged. Joe looks in on his bar, the Paradise Lounge during the day and things look rundown and bad.

Nash discovers that Dr. Mills is part of a rogue DEA splinter group codenamed "Black Man." An autopsy on Elke Hanson's body reveals an electronic part hidden in her body to be smuggled out of the country. Harvey Leek discovers the part to be a prototype super conductor chip that Dr. Mills is selling abroad to foreign competitors.

With Nash closing in, a desperate Dr. Mills arranges to have Lisa kidnapped in trade for the super conductor chip. Nash tries to bring Harvey Leek as back-up, but Dr. Mills foils Nash's back-up. As Dr. Mills is about to inject Lisa with a lethal substance, Nash arrives in time to stop him. As Nash and the doctor struggle, Dr. Mills accidentally falls on his own deadly syringe.

Joe and Nash return to his bar at night and discover a line to get into the bar. The place is busy and the Paradise Lounge turns out to be a gay bar, with Joe delighted with the business potential of the place. Lisa and Cassidy leave Nash's apartment, but not before the icy and now grateful Lisa at last melts in Nash's arms.

Appearances

 * Nash Bridges
 * Joe Dominguez

Notes & trivia

 * If anyone has any trivia for this episode, be a friend and insert it here!
 * * All credit for the aforementioned Plot Summary goes directly to lowtek.com, an excellent resource for TV summaries and commentaries.