A chance glance at a balcony across the street while Dennis Weaver and Terry Carter are apprehending a burglary suspect and Marshal McCloud sees a dead woman's body across on the terrace. But when Chief Clifford and the rest get there, the body is gone. Not only that there are a whole lot of VIPs in the apartment where its owner US Senator Simon Scott is throwing a little shindig.
There are a few beautiful women there and turns out they are work for Joanna Barnes escort service, a very high end service that currently has curtailed operations somewhat as Barnes is on trial. She's also got a bulldog police sergeant from the DA's squad in Neville Brand who doesn't like Sam McCloud on the premises or anywhere near.
But that body that Weaver saw turns up in Central Park as part of a string of strangulations. They all work for Barnes, only Joanna Pettet manages to elude strangulation. Doing all the killing is Ross Martin who then goes back to the suburbs with his wife and kiddies.
It all ties together in a strange way and there is a method and a reason behind the killings. Also in this are Steve Allen as a talk show host and Denny Miller as a pro football player.
J.D. Cannon as Chief Clifford gets his usual case of ulcers with McCloud maybe a few more than usual. Things got a little too loose in the story line of this episode. But any excuse to see Joanna Pettet whom I consider one of the most beautiful women ever to grace the big and small screen should be taken.