- A mousy heiress murders her brother, pretending she thought he was a burglar. Lt. Columbo unravels her alibi.
- Beth Chadwick has lived all her life controlled first by her father, then after his death, by her brother Bryce who manages the family business. Now she has fallen for Peter Hamilton, who works for Bryce. But, as usual, Bryce objects to her choice and threatens to fire Peter. So Beth decides to murder her brother and to do it in such a way to let it to appear like an accident. Lt. Columbo realizes at once the truth and starts looking for evidence.—Baldinotto da Pistoia
- Beth Chadwick has a brilliant scheme to murder her overbearing brother. On the night the servants are off, she'll trick him into entering the house through her French windows, then she'll shoot him and tell the police she thought he was a burglar. To make this lie seem credible, she'll leave several deceptive clues, including a burnt-out light bulb and a set of keys thrown in the bushes, but, on the night of the murder, a couple of things go wrong. Her brother does not act according to her plan, and her boyfriend unexpectedly shows up at the door only minutes after she pulls the trigger. These later seem to have been minor obstacles - until our rumpled Lt. Columbo unravels her alibi.—J. Spurlin
- When an hieress to an advertising company learns her elder brother is trying to break up her relationship with her long-time boyfriend, she kills him and tries to make it look like she had killed her brother in the mistaken belief that he was an intruder.
- A mousy heiress called Elizabeth "Beth" Chadwich (Susan Clark) enters her brother's bedroom and manipulates the keys while he's sleeping. She remembers how her brother, called Bryce (Richard Anderson) insisted in that she will break up with her boyfriend Peter Hamilton (Leslie Nielsen), because he disaproves of it. He threatens to fire him if he persists in going out with her. She's had enough: first it was her father who would control her, but now it's her brother. Beth has got a gun. She awaits for Bryce, in the hopes of shooting at him and making believe she thought he was a burglar. She takes her sleeping pills as usual, and knows that the butler and maids will be on their free day.
Bryce can't unlock the front door with his keys. He taps on the window of Beth's bedroom. She's half-dizzy because of the pills. She tells him to come in through the window, as she has disconnected the alarm. When Bryce comes in through the window, the alarm bell starts off, and Beth shoots Bryce. Seh breaks one of the window panels to jutify the alarm bell. She takes off Bryce's fake keys and puts in the real ones, then wakes up the entire home but nobody is there. She knows perfectly well that it's Charles (Joel Fluellen)'s day off. Beth reviews everything on her mind.
When the time arrives, Peter is near the home. Beth's plans look like a success. He runs to the home when he hears all the rackas. Beth has to improvise when Peter ring the bell on the front door. While Peter is checking on Bryce, Beth throws Peter's keys among the plant pots. When Peter finally pronounces Bryce dead, Beth seems to be genuinely terrified about what has happened.
Enter Lt Frank Columbo (Peter Falk). He starts prying around, as usual. Two detectives help him (Richard Bull & Garry Walberg).
Mrs Chadwick (Jessie Royce Landis) arrives with her annoying dog. She bosses Columbo around. Mrs Chadwick slaps Beth, but she says that it was all an accident. Columbo says that he comes from a big family, while Mrs Chadwick says that Bryce used to protect Beth. Mrs Chadwich says that she doesn't want anybody from outside the family to take charge of the advertising agency and other businesses of the family, which her late husband and later Bryce had taken care of. Now Beth wants to take the lead, arguing she has never given the opportunity to take responsibilities before.
Columbo wonders about the newspaper. Why didn't Beth take Bryce's newspaper and attaché case at the same time. Mrs Chadwich says it must have been due to Beth's confusion at the time.
Some time afterwards, the jury gives the verdict: it was an accident, so Beth can go free. Beth tells Peter that she has some appointments: she wants to re-organize the company. Columbo is present at the court, and he talks to Beth's lawyer. Columbo takes him to a drive-in fast food restaurant. The Waitress (Susan Barrister) tells him not to leave with the tray attached to the driver's car window. Peter asks Columbo whether he believes in a conspiracy. Columbo knows that Peter didn't have anything to do with it. Peter insists that he loves her with or without money. Columbo plants on Peter's brain the idea of Beth being free for the first time on her life... and leaves with the tray.
Columbo interrogates Charles and the maid (Barbara Rhoades) about Beth's new fancy car. Columbo talks to Beth on her beauty parlour. Columbo wonders about Beth ordering the car before the "accident". Columbo sets an appointment with Beth. He goes with her and asks for a ladder to be brought. He also wonders about the lack of grass remains on the soles of Bryce. He also wondered about the spare key kept hidden by a flower pot. But Beth says she got second thoughts about that. Columbo is dismissed by Beth, who says that the verdict has proclaimed her innocence.
Beth goes shopping. Her attire is less demure. Peter watches the shopping spree in amazement. He goes back to the office, wondering whether she really likes this new Elizabeth. She is also speaking on the main meeting board, taking charge of the presidency and promoting Peter Hamilton. Not even Mrs Chadwick dares to speak out. Beth wants the company to take new clients. One of them, Fred (Frank Baxter), insists that the company has all the clients it can handle, but Beth threatens to dismiss him, so Fred will have to accept the changes. Beth also anounces her engagement to Peter Hamilton quite bluntly. Beth threatens her mother to sue her if she doesn't allow her to take control of the company. Peter hears all this.
Columbo appears and Mrs Chadwick leaves. Peter wants to leave, but Beth tells him to stay. Columbo asks about the lack of dust on the lightbulbs. Beth says that the service must have cleaned it, and insists that she won't answer more questions. Beth gets so frantic that she breaks a vase. Peter tells her to calm down. Beth doesn't want to argue with him. Peter is annoyed because he didn't know anything about his own promotion or his engagement. He wonders if he really knows her. Beth, on her part, also starts thinking that Beth is a completely different person now.
Hamilton sees Columbo on the bar. He says he doesn't feel really engaged. Columbo says that he believes that Beth killed her brother on purpose. Hamilton defends her: he was there, after all. Columbo mentions one of the saying of his wife: to put the cart before the horse.
Somebody fumbles at Beth's bedroom window lock. She picks up her gun and first tries to phone the operator, but then she goes to watch who it was, thinking it was annoying Columbo. Columbo says that the clue was given to him by Peter Hamilton himself. He had heard the two shots, and then the alarm bell. That's why Columbo is going to arrest Beth: Hamilton won't like it, but he will testify agains her. Beth thinks of shooting Columbo, but he knows it's not her style. He tells Beth to take off her nightgown and dress up.
--written by KrystelClaire
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