RAINES stars Jeff Goldblum as the titular Los Angeles homicide detective with some unique investigation methods that include discussing the case with the apparition of the murder victim. Though he sometimes believes he's on the verge of losing his sanity, the process of working through his theories with the victim's ghost proves enormously helpful in solving the crime. In one episode, for example, after a young woman is murdered, the clues initially point to a boyfriend or abusive father. But as Raines puts the case together, his image of the woman changes -- literally. When he finds out she was involved in a shady enterprise, her ghost appears with a cigarette and cocktail in hand; her clothes shift from innocent cotton dresses to risqué costumes and back again as clues to her personality and lifestyle emerge. The ghost never offers information that Raines doesn't already have -- instead, she serves as devil's advocate, pushing the detective to test his assumptions and interrogate his evidence.