All language subtitles for Columbo.1x02.Death.Lends.A.Hand.AC3.DVDRip.XviD.English

This one is as crooked
as a dog's hind leg

Fire it in the vice this afternoon

Are those yesterday's
fleld reports?
Yes, sir

I want them now

[Teletype Clacking]

Three more units
added to security
at Coastal Aircraft

No progress on
the Fairfax Insurance investigation

We're working with their accountants
on the audit

Uh, Brooks and Wilcox
are in court this morning
on the Monzio divorce

Brooks anticipates no problem

james case looking very positive...
no negative signs in sight

All men on surveillance
have checked in except Russell,

but he's in Santa Barbara
and he's undercover

Let me have the afternoon report
at 5:3O
Yes, sir

I assume our guest has arrived
Yes, sir, but Mr Kennicutt
isn't hear yet

Well, he's not due
for another 3O seconds

He's just coming in now

I want you to listen
very carefully, please

My name is Arthur Kennicutt
Mr Brimmer's expecting me

Oh, yes, sir
Would you go right in, please?

Thank you

Oh, Mr Kennicutt

You're right on time

Won't you sit down?
Thank you

Would you care
for something to drink?
Oh Some coffee, black

I was just reading
one of your papers

I see you've taken a stand
on this federal judgeship
that's giving everybody flts

I'd rather not talk politics right now,
Mr Brimmer, if you don't mind

Yes, of course
Thank you, Henry

Well, this is your wife's flle,
Mr Kennicutt,

and the fact sheet
shows flve weeks now
of intensive surveillance

All movement, personal contact,
telephone communications

It's really quite extensive
And?

Mr Kennicutt,
you have nothing to worry about
It's a clean bill of health

- You sure?
- Well, I'm not in the habit
of making mistakes

Yes I'm sorry, of course

But lately it's been like
waiting for a biopsy report...
benign or malignant

Well, in this case, benign

I don't know which I feel most,
relief or anger

Anger?
At myself...

my idiotic suspicions

But I suppose when one marries
a much younger woman,

one tends to become
a little paranoid

[Brimmer]
Well, sometimes there's good cause
In this case, not

Read it at your leisure
There's not a hint of another man

You know, it's funny

I love her
I love her very much

And I think I know her

But lately I could have sworn that...
Well, it doesn't matter now

I feel so guilty, I'm going to
start showering her with gifts

She won't know what hit her

Mr Brimmer,
I owe you a great deal

Well, it's a pleasure
to set your mind at rest, sir
Thank you

And you'll have my check
in the morning

Very kind of you
Thank you again

Thank you

Could you hear everything?
[Woman]
Yes

- Well, you seem confused
- Well, I don't know why
you asked me to come here

- I thought it was obvious
- No, not really

- You...
- What you're trying to say
is that I lied to your husband

Well, that's correct,
Mrs Kennicutt

I even went so far
as to falsify the report

- Would you like a glass of water?
- No Uh, nothing, thank you

In point of fact,

you were having an affair

The man's name was Archer
It's over, Mr Brimmer

But I'm sure you already know that

It was a mistake

[Sighs]
A stupid mistake

But I ended it

And it won't ever happen again

Why didn't you
tell my husband the truth?

[Sighs]
Oddly enough, Mrs Kennicutt,

I am a moralist...

a vanishing species,
so I'm told

A thousand broken marriages
come across my desk...

infldelities,
uh, domestic deceit

In your case,
1 O years of marriage

and one brief indiscretion

So, why not bend the truth
a little bit?

Uh, then you're
not going to tell him?

I haven't and I won't
File's closed

[Exhales Deeply]

[Sighs]
Thank you

Thank you, Mr Brimmer

I am so grateful

How grateful?

Mrs Kennicutt,

a detective agency
runs on information

That's our raw material

Your husband
owns three newspapers,

two on this coast
and one on the East

Whenever anything happens
on the inside of business or politics
or even in the jet-set...

I still don't understand how l...

Information, Mrs Kennicutt

It is our only stock in trade

For example,
at the moment I'm working on case

wherein it would be
very beneflcial to my client

to have certain information
about a federal judge
that your husband is supporting

Are you saying that you want me
to be a pipeline to my husband?

NoJust [Sighs]
a good listener

Is it really asking so much,
Mrs Kennicutt?

I can't do this kind of work alone

I need that kind of help

Why don't you think about it
and we'll talk again

[Ice Cubes Jingling]

Your terrace door was unlocked,
so I trespassed

Well, there's no car in the front

Oh I thought you knew everything,
Mr Brimmer We're neighbors

My husband and I have a weekend house
about three miles from here

Ironic, isn't it?

Why are you here?

Well, why else?
To discuss your...

What shall we call it?
Your proposition

I've been walking on the beach
for hours, thinking

And you've come to a decision

Oh, yes

Tell me something,
Mr Brimmer

How many other rich men's wives
owe you favors?

Do they all capitulate easily?

I'm waiting
for your answer

Oh, indulge me

I should think
the blackmail-ee
has some right

Mrs Kennicutt, I r...
The answer is no

No deal

Is that plain enough for you?
If you want a spy,
you flnd someone else

All right

I'll have to call your husband
in the morning and...

And what?
Tell him I had an affair?

Sorry It won't work

I'm going to tell him myself

I can't believe
that you'd want to do that

Well, what you believe
really doesn't matter, does it?

It's what Arthur thinks
that's important

Maybe he'll ask for a divorce
or maybe he'll forgive me

But it's time
I was honest with him

You're being very foolish

Only if I lose

But you can't threaten me
anymore, can you?

You just lost your leverage

Oh, and one other thing

I'm also going to tell him
about the way you run your business

I wouldn't advise that
Oh, I'm sure you wouldn't

Because whether he forgives me or not,
he's gonna despise you for lying to him

And Arthur's not the right man
to have for an enemy

Good night, Mr Brimmer
Mrs Kennicutt,
I want you to reconsider

Your husband
has some very powerful friends

[Chortles]
That's right

Now, if you'll please excuse me

I cannot permit you to do that
Well, you don't understand
It's not your choice

You let go of me!

Let go!
[Glass Shatters]

[Car Horn Blaring]

[Siren Approaching]

[Siren Dies Out]

[Engine Stops]

What's the trouble, Offlcer?
May I see your license
and registration?

Turn signal, right?
The right one

You know, it's the second time
I got stopped today

I tell you,
I'll get those things flxed
as soon as I can

- You'll get 'em flxed now
- I would, but I'm on my way
to a 187 PC

- Say, are you a cop?
- Uh, yeah, a lieutenant... Columbo

Well, I'm sorry, Lieutenant,
I flagged you down

Well, that's all right
You're just doing your job
Listen, I'll get those things flxed

This license expires next week

Oh Oh, well, thanks

Say, I better give you an escort
That way you'll get where you wanna go

Oh Okay Appreciate that
But listen, not too fast

[Police Radio Chatter]

Can't tell for sure,
but I don't think she was killed her
Looks like the body was moved

And the cause of death?
Probably a severe concussion

Print team all wrapped up, Captain
Nothing

There were two blows
Uh, send them on home

Laceration on the cheek
and major contusion
at the base of the skull

How do you read that?
It's hard to say

Maybe somebody hit her
and she struck her head
going down

- Lieutenant, you got that?
- I'll know more about this
after the autopsy

Uh, yeah Got a match?
Plus the approximate time of death

No
No tire tracks we can use

Got a match?
I'm sorry I don't smoke

Oh
No printsJust smudges

Money?
just change No currency

You got a match
No, I don't Sorry

Got a match
Yeah, sure

[Captain]
We're all flnished here
You can load it up

Identiflcation and purse
Mrs Arthur Kennicutt...

the Arthur Kennicutt

How do you know that?
Credit card's made out
to Kennicutt Publications

What's the problem?
Newspapers

If we don't handle this
according to Kennicutt's
satisfaction,

he's got an awful lot of front pages
to beat us over the head with

Thought I told you
to move that out of here

Lieutenant,
what are you looking at?

The bruise, sir
The lady has a bruise
on the left cheek

We know that

I knew
you weren't listening

[Police Radio Chatter Continues]

It's Lenore
I wanna get out of here

Oh Thank you, Lieutenant

Would you like to be alone
for a few moments?

No, no I can feel sorry for myself
some other time,

after you've caught him

Well, should we get down
to business?

Are you sure
there's nothing else you want?

As the husband,
I'm the most likely suspect, correct?

Uh...
You don't have to worry
about my feelings, Lieutenant

She was killed last night
What time?

Between 8:OO and 9:OO

Well, I was in San Francisco
addressing a conference

I didn't fly back
until this morning

Uh, you have
the flight numbers on that?

My secretary can give them to you,

together with my hotel
and my schedule

You'll check them all out, naturally

Yes, sir
And when you do,
you'll dismiss me as a possibility

and then get down to the real business
of flnding the real killer

And I want him found, Lieutenant

Soon
I'll do my best

I'm sure you will

Uh, Mr Kennicutt, it would help
if you could tell us a few things

Did your wife
have any enemies?

Lenore never offended a soul

She was an extraordinary woman

I see This question is a bit awkward,
but I'm afraid I'm gonna have to ask it...

was there ever, uh,
another man in her life?

Naturally More than one

But that was years ago,
before we were married

- No, sir
I meant since you were married
- You're speaking of an affair?

Well, I'm afraid we're gonna
have to consider it

Well, don't bother
Lenore was faithful to me in every way

She had a clean bill of health

All right Clean bill of health

So you don't think
we ought to go in that direction?

No, I don't

All right
Can you tell us about her habits?
What did she do in her spare time?

Nothing unusual

Shopping, charity work

Sports
Sports What kind of sports
did she play?

Oh, tennis She was also
very fond of skin diving

Yes Uh, did she do this with you, sir?
Did she do it with friends?

With friends, Lieutenant

Female friends,
in case you're wondering

Female friends

All right, sir
I think I've got enough to start with

Thank you very much

Lieutenant,

I want you
to understand something

I married a woman
young enough to be my daughter

A lot of people were skeptical,
but it worked for us

We loved each other
We loved each other very much

We even thought of having a child

I want this man caught

And I must warn you,
I don't intend to be patient

Yes, sir

Oh, Lieutenant
Thanks for the coffee

You're welcome, sir

Good morning, Lieutenant
Good morning, sir

Would you like some coffee,
some juice?
Uh, nothing for me

No Thank you very much
Any progress?

Uh, no, sir
I hate to admit this,
but, uh, nothing

Not a single lead?
No, sir Nothing

Well, uh... Well,
some of my associates think

that, uh, your wife was mugged
and the fella ran away with the money

But, um, you see,
they can't really explain
how the body was moved

And, uh, now, me, I don't know

I, uh... I think
she knew the murderer

Why? Excuse me
[Ringing]

Yes

Yes?

All right Be right in

Why?
Well, her behavior seems
a little strange, sir

Uh, she went out to the beach house
in the middle of the week,
which is unusual

And, uh, she said to the caretaker
she had some thinking to do

and then she went for a walk

And then the next morning her body
was found on the other side of town

What are you getting at?

I wish I knew
I don't know

It's just that it sounds to me
like a woman that has a problem

Now, did your wife
have any personal problems?
My wife was a very happy woman

Uh-huh Yeah, well,

it's just that
if she did have a problem,

I thought that maybe it would be
connected with the murder

But you've no proof of that
Oh, no, sir No

Lieutenant, I call the City Room
every half hour to flnd out
what you people are doing

So far, not a word

No arrest...
not even a promise of one

Now you tell me
you haven't a lead

Well, I'm sorry, Mr Kennicutt
Uh, looks like it's gonna be slow

It doesn't have to be

Lieutenant

Lieutenant Columbo,
this is Mr Brimmer

How do you do?
Lieutenant

You've heard of
Brimmer Associates?
Uh, no, I haven't

Well, it's security
and investigations,
Lieutenant

You might say you and I
are in the same business

Oh, really?
Matter of fact,
I was talking about you just last night

I ran into the commissioner
at a party

He speaks
very highly of you

Naturally, you're wondering
why Mr Brimmer's here

Now, please don't take this
as a reflection on you,

but I've engaged his flrm
to work on the case

Well, now, Arthur,
I'm here in an advisory capacity...
a supplemental capacity only

I don't want
the lieutenant to get the idea
that I'm competing with him

Uh, but there's no reason
why a private agency
and a public one

can't cooperate,
is there?
No

You see,
I want as much coverage
in this case as possible

And when Mr Brimmer called
and offered his services,

I thought it was an excellent idea

Sure, uh,
I can understand that

Uh, you two know
each other?

Well, Mr Brimmer's done
some work for me

I see I see
[Clears Throat]

Some kind of security work?
Guards for the paper?

Oh, it was a personal matter
The point is, Lieutenant,

I told Arthur on the phone
I couldn't imagine you wouldn't
accept a helping hand

considering the manpower shortage
in your department

You see, Mr Brimmer
used to be a police offlcer himself

[Brimmer]
Well, it was a long time ago

But at least I can understand
your problems, Lieutenant

Well, now, listen,
I said to Mr Kennicutt I'm grateful
for all the help I can get

I'm just not sure
how my superior's gonna take this

That's already been taken care of

It's just that Mr Kennicutt is anxious
for a quick resolution to the case
You can understand that

Well, naturally
[Brimmer]
Well, good

I hope the association
will be beneflcial to you

Oh, I'm sure it will Yeah

You know, I suddenly feel
very much more optimistic
about this whole thing

Uh, it's not based on anything,
no facts, but,

you know,
I'm a superstitious guy

You know, I believe in signs
I believe in palmistry and astrology
and all that kinda thing

You don't, I know that
Oh, deflnitely not

Let me see your hand

You see, Mr Kennicutt,
that's your fate line
and it breaks there

That was your bad fortune

But it picks up again,
and that's interesting

That's a very good omen

May I?

Mmm

Deep line of Apollo

That's a man devoted to his work

Your Apollo line
crosses the mound of the Moon
You know, that's very rare

And very impressive

That's the sign of a man
who's destined to attain
a very particular kind of distinction

That's a very good sign

I know you think it's silly,

but I'm gonna make a believer
out of you before I'm done

It was very nice meeting you
Nice to have met you

Bye-bye

Oh, Mr Brimmer
Large thumb, low mound of Venus

That means ambition,
purposefulness

That's a closet, Lieutenant

[Chuckles]
Oh, gee I'm sorry

A lot of people
make the same mistake

Say, that's a terriflc-looking
set of clubs Do you mind?

Go ahead

These seem light
Are these ladies' clubs?

- They were Lenore's
- You didn't say she played golf,
did you?

You mentioned tennis
and skin diving

- That's because she just started
- Ahh I see Where'd she play?

At the country club
I see At the club

Well, I was just wondering
why shejust didn't keep her clubs
in the locker room?

She did
That's an extra set
she used to take lessons with

Oh, I see
Well, that explains it Right

Uh, you mean
she didn't take lessons at her own club?
She took them someplace else?

Sky Lane
Why, is it important?

It's not important It's just I like to
get that background information
very precise if I can

Bye

- Is this the right door?
- [Chuckles] Yes

Well, what was that
all about?

Well, I think, uh, police techniques
have changed a little over the years

Here, try it again

And remember, keep the back
of your left hand straight

None of this
just stroke it easy, all right?

Oh, that was good
You're getting better

Well, I still don't think
I'm ever gonna learn this game

Oh, you just have to
keep your eye on the ball,
watch your concentration

You're coming along flne

Do we have time
for another bucket?

Sorry, Jenny Time's up
Tomorrow, 3:OO

Tomorrow then

You a member of the club?

Uh, no No, I'm,
uh, Lieutenant Columbo
I'm from the police

[Mumbles]

What's the problem?
I'd like to ask you a few questions
about a Lenore Kennicutt

Uh, you knew her?

Not very well

I gave her a few lessons

I see Uh, well, this is
your appointment book, isn't it?

Well, you should know
You've been looking at it

Well, no offense
I was just killing time

But, uh, you know,
now that you mention it,

I see that you gave her
a lot of lessons

She liked the game
I see

Well, look here's the thing
Um, since you spent a lot of time
with her,

I was wondering if you could
give me some help

How?
Was she the type of woman...

now this is just between
you and me...

was she the type of woman
who was on the lookout?

I mean, did you ever notice her
give her eye to any of the men
around here?

Uh, look, Lieutenant
We better get one thing straight

I teach them golf
and I play in their tournaments,

but I don't get involved
in their personal lives

If they wanna pair off,
that's none of my business

Okay All right
Uh, well, thanks a lot

It's quite all right
Take it easy

Uh, say, uh,

what kind of club is this?

Oh, that's a number one wood

Number one wood

Listen, uh, could you
give me a lesson?

What?

No, I'm serious
You know what my trouble is?

I work too hard
Never out of the offlce

I flgure this.
if I could take up a sport,

get out in the fresh air
and get some exercise,

that'd do me some good

- What do you say?
- Well, l...

Just for a few minutes
Just to, you know, start to swing
Come on

Say, you know what was a funny thing
about your appointments
with Mrs Kennicutt?

Uh, the flrst two
were in the morning

and all the rest,
and I counted 13 of them,

uh, they were always in the middle
or the late afternoon

So?
Uh, well,
I guess it's not important

I guess it's nothing
Uh, wait a minute
I'll take off my coat

Except that, uh,

now, every time
you had an appointment
with Mrs Kennicutt,

it was always
the last lesson of the day

I like to flnish
at a reasonable hour
Doesn't everyone?

Oh, I see
So those days, you left the club

I thought maybe you'd hang around to
see if you could pick up an odd lesson

Well, I didn't always go home

Oh, who said anything
about going home?

Oh What I mean is I didn't always
leave the club Sometimes...

Hey, listen
Can I help you out?

Don't say anything else
You don't have an attorney

Wait until you get an attorney
This way you can hurt your case

Believe me,
I know something about my business

I don't know nothing about golf,
you know See that's your business

I know something about my business

And believe me, you know,
down through the years, uh,

you get so that you develop
a nose for things, you see?

And, uh...

After a while, the old nose
just tells you when someone's
not giving you the truth

Now, uh,
I'm gonna forget about the lesson,
'cause I could never learn this game,

but I'll be back to talk to you

Ground covered by the police
is not our concern

One thing to bear in mind,
money was taken

Granted, it could have
been a smoke screen,

but sometimes the obvious answer
is the correct one

Now, Brooks...
Yes, sir?

Check into her banking account
with particular attention to withdrawals

See if you can flnd out how much cash
she was carrying that day
Mr Kennicutt will be glad to cooperate

Now, my theory, gentlemen,
and you will gear your efforts
in this direction,

Mrs Kennicutt was walking
along the Paciflc Coast Highway

She was forced into a car

by someone

The motive was robbery

She probably fought back
In any case, she was killed

The murderer drove around
in a panic

and flnally all the way out to here,
where he got rid of the body

[Intercom Buzzer]
Yes?

[Woman]
Lieutenant Columbo to see you
Who?

Oh, yes
Yes, send him in

Gentlemen, we'll flnish this later
I'll call you Thank you

Lieutenant!

Come in

Whew! Boy
This is quite a building

This all yours?
'Fraid so

Must be a lot of business
for your kinda company these days
Well, we can't handle it all

Sit down
Uh, listen, your secretary called

She said you wanted to see the flles
on the case, so I thought it'd be a lot
safer if I brought 'em over myself

Oh That's very nice of you
It wasn't necessary,
but I appreciate it very much

Uh, want some coffee?
No No, thanks

Thank you
Uh, those are the duplicates

Okay

Yes, this will help

A lot of it I wonder if you can
give me a little rundown

Well, it's just what I told
Mr Kennicutt

No leads Except, you know,
I was looking through that stuff
last night

Mm-hmm

And, uh, drives my wife crazy,
you know

Because we have the lamp
right next to the bed,
and the poor thing, she can't sleep

Did you flnd anything?

No, not really Well, uh,

take the autopsy report

Yes Here it is

You see now,
that jibed with something
that I noticed about the body

the flrst time I saw it,
and that bothered me

Mrs Kennicutt
was struck on the left cheek,
and she had a bruise

And she had a weird kinda cut

Um...

Do you see what I mean?

Um, no I don't think so

Well, let's start with the cut,
because that's what bothered me

I said to myself,
"Now what in the world
could have caused that kind of cut? "

Uh, does this lighter work?

Yeah, I think so

Uh...

Uh, wh... where was I?
About the cut

Oh, yes
What could have caused the cut?

I said to myself, "lt could be a ring"

A ring of... You mean a flnger ring
This kind of ring

Yeah, something like that
Now here's the way I flgured it

Suppose you were gonna
strike somebody

Suppose it was a woman

Now, do you punch her?
Well, maybe

But more than likely,
you hit with your open hand

Either this way or this way
Mm-hmm

Now, if you hit this way,
then the ring is not gonna
cause any cut

So I flgured it was
a backhand blow like this
All right?

I still don't follow you too well,
because that would, uh,
that would put it over on...

But I used my right hand,
you see?
Yeah

And if the ring was on the right hand,
then the bruise would be
on the right cheek

But it was on the left cheek,
so the murderer was left-handed

Struck her like this

Which means
the murderer is left-handed
Well, that's interesting

That's provided, of course,
all these, uh, speculations are valid

Yeah, I would say that
we have a left-handed murderer,

and, uh,
and an unpremeditated crime

We have?
Oh, I think so, yes

I mean, I don't think
a man kills with his hands
unless he's angry

As a matter of fact, you know,
maybe he didn't mean to do it

Could be

You know,
maybe it was an accident

You know, I got a feeling
that when we flnd our friend,

it's gonna turn out
that he has a terrible temper

Hmm
[Chuckles]

Well, maybe you're right

I certainly wish I had your crystal ball,
Lieutenant

Why don't you let me
digest this material,
and then we'll talk again

Okay All right Fine

Sure Listen
I want to thank you
for the time

Listen Thank you
Right

Oh, listen,
before I forget, uh...

Gee whiz

I didn't wanna forget that

But, uh, let's see

I had a receipt here
that I wanted you to sign

Well, listen,
let's just make one up

It's a receipt
for the fl/es

Isn't that weird?

- What a coincidence
- What's that?

Here, a moment ago, we were
talking about left-handed people,
and you're left-handed

And right-handed

I'm ambidextrous

That means I don't favor
either hand particularly

It's a character trait shared
by about 1 O%o of the world's population

Ten percent?
No kidding?

Anything else?
Uh, no

No, I don't think so Uh, oh, listen
This is a little bit off the subject

My sister-in-law, she wants to
buy a place out at the beach
How do you like it out there?

Who told you I was living
out at the beach?
Well, no one

l... I noticed your car
out in front of Mr Kennicutt's

You know, you parked it there
in the driveway

As I was walking by,
I saw the chrome was tarnished

You know what the salt air does to it
It just eats the life out of it

Yeah, that part's a problem, all right

Uh, you're a very observant man,
Lieutenant

That's not what my wife says
[Laughs]

Well, you tell your sister-in-law
that she will love it at the beach

if she doesn't mind that problem
with the salt air on the chrome

I'll give her that message
And thanks again

Thank you

Oh, uh, say

Have you ever been
in Mr Kennicutt's house?

Yes, I met you there

No, I didn't mean the big house
I meant out at the beach

I was just wondering, because
your beach house and his beach house,
they're fairly close, aren't they?

No It's a couple miles

That close?
Tsk Isn't that a coincidence?

[Chuckles]

I'll tell you,
this case is just full of'em

[Door Closes]

[Sighs]
Why don't you and I take a walk?

When you showed up today,
l... I kinda panicked

Then you did have
an affair with her?

Turning on the ladies
is about the only thing
I do well

I'm not a very good golfer
Yeah, go on

Well, it was pretty good
for a while...

at least for me

She got the guilts

Funny thing, I think
she really loved her husband

One day she said,
"Ken, this is bad for both of us
Let's call it off" So we did

Must have shook you up
when we found her dead

I couldn't believe it

Then I got to thinking,
sooner or later, you guys
would flnd out about me

Maybe even think
I killed her

The night she died, I was...
I was home watching the tube

No calls No company

No alibi That's...
That's why I started to run

Uh-huh
I can understand that

You didn't kill her

No, no
I know that, but this afternoon,
you gave me the impression...

No You're in the clear
You got nothing to worry about

You see, whoever did this,
he had to wear a ring

Now, you don't wear a ring

Well, I could have taken it off

No, not with that tan,
because that would show

Now listen
Tell me something

Mrs Kennicutt...

Did Mrs Kennicutt
ever indicate to you

that she was concerned
that her husband knew
about you two?

No

That's funny that you
mention it though,

because, well,
I was concerned

Why?

Well, Lenore never saw anyone,
but I'm sure we were being followed

By who?

Well, there was
this one guy in particular

Sharp, well-dressed
I only caught him in flashes, but...

Well, he... he had a crew cut
Kind of an ex-marine type

[Telephone Ringing]

- Yes?
- Wilcox, Mr Brimmer

The subject is meeting with Archer,
and they've engaged in conversation

Did you overhear anything?

No, sir But Archer seems to
be doing most of the talking

Maintain the surveillance
and report to me in the morning

Yes, sir

[Phone Ringing]
Why, you little bum, you

Hello?

Oh, yes, he is Leo

Mr Brimmer

- Yes, sir?
- I'm sorry to trouble you at home, Leo

No sweat
just playing with Teddy

Well, I've got a little something
I want you to do for me It may
complicate your life a little bit

- When?
- Immediately

- Set it up through my secretary
- Yes, sir I'll be in touch

Every one of our operatives
is a skilled marksman

Actually, our policy
is to avoid the use of the weapon

This is our memory bank,
Lieutenant

Millions ofbits
of information,

all cross-flled and on tape,
immediately available

There are more electrical impulses
in this room than in your brain

Hard to believe
[Chuckles]

We here at Brimmer Associates
use the most up-to-date equipment

Years ahead of what you use
at police headquarters

Company cars...
custom designed for us

Most of them with telephonic
or radio communication

Phew! It's very impressive

Oh, uh, just one moment,
Lieutenant

One other thing
that might interest you

If you'll just move
past this gate

- It's not working
- Well, it has to be

You're carrying a gun,
aren't you, Lieutenant?

No
No? Oh

Well, that explains
the malfunction

Look here A special system
is built into the gate

Now, if you had a gun,
it would have registered

It's just like out at the airport

It's a security precaution

Not that we expect our clients
to be carrying concealed weapons,
but, uh,

well, there have been
a few exceptions

Really?
Well, a guy came in here
just about a month ago

Harmless looking
An accountant
for Mid-Century Oil

We were doing
a company audit
[Brimmer] Mr Denning?

I asked you to show
the lieutenant around

I did not suggest that you discuss
our confldential matters

with anyone at anytime

Our clients pay us to be discreet

Yes, sir

Won't you come in, Lieutenant?

Sorry about the outburst,
but my people have got to learn

This is a business of trust
I can't have them gossiping
about the clients

Thank you, Henry

Hope you'll have lunch with me
Like quenelle of sole?

Uh, well, if it's flsh,
I like flsh I love flsh

Yeah, it's flsh
Drop your coat and dig in

On the Kennicutt case,
my men have come up
with an interesting lead

There were two derelicts
seen in the area

I have their description
I sent them over to your offlce,
copies

Right
Uh, I'll have that checked out

Anything new on your end?

Uh, oh, yeah
Yeah, we got a couple of things

It seems as though Mrs Kennicutt
was having an affair, you see?

Uh...

Boy, this is delicious
How do you make this stuff?

I'll have a recipe sent over to you
You were saying?

Oh, yeah
Uh, it seems as though

Mrs Kennicutt, uh,
she was having an affair

And, uh...
Oh?

And, uh...
Oh, listen, when you send the recipe,
would you send it to the house?

- Don't send it to the offlce
- Yes, I'll send it to your house

Yeah, she was having an affair
with some golf pro at some country club

And, uh, here's
the interesting thing

Not only
were they having an affair,

but it seems as though
they were being watched

Now I got this nutty notion

Suppose Mr Kennicutt, uh...

I'll tell you, it's too far-fetched

Sometimes it helps to test it out
Try me

It's really crazy Well, listen
It doesn't cost anything

Suppose...
Suppose Mr Kennicutt

hired somebody
to check up on his wife

And this somebody
lied to him

He said to Mr Kennicutt, "Look

Your wife,
she's got a clean bill of health"

Now this somebody,
whoever it is,

he's in a perfect position
to blackmail Mrs Kennicutt

Now suppose she refuses

See? She says,
"No, I'm gonna go tell my husband"

Hmm
I think it's a terriflc motive,
don't you?

Lieutenant, you have
a marvelously convoluted mind

I do?
I like it

The trouble with your theory is,
not only is it very tenuous,

but it's impossible to prove,
isn't it?

I, uh... Oh
Got a little tomato on that there

Well, I said it was nutty

What do you think?
You think I oughta drop it, hmm?

[Clears Throat]
If you believe in it, stick to it

Run it on down

One other thing
you should keep in mind

Nothing at all to do with the case

- What's that?
- Your future

I'd like you to work
for Brimmer Associates

Me?
That's why I had you taken
on a VIP tour

We're a growing organization
You can see that

You'll be a valuable piece
of manpower for us

Oh, boy You really know
how to toss a curve

No, no, I don't mean it that way
I'm quite serious

You're a good man, Columbo...
up here

It's time you were thinking
about advancement

What does
a lieutenant make?

If you come with us,

I'm almost positive
I can triple your yearly income

Whew! Boy
I'll tell you, it's all so sudden

Uh, let me talk it over with my wife

Of course talk it over with your wife
Think about it carefully

But remember,
we want you here

Listen I'm very flattered
I mean that

just let me mull it over a little bit

Well, while you're mulling,

consider my career

If I'd stayed with the force,

by now,
probably with luck,

I could have been
a captain of detectives

Hmm?
With one eye on the promotion list,
and the other eye on my car payments

No house by the ocean

No freedom to travel
No... what would you say?

Power or sense of accomplishment

Have I succeeded
in getting through...

[Clears Throat]
in stimulating you?

Deflnitely Yes, sir

Yes, I'm gonna give it all
a lot of thought

That's as much as I can ask

Uh, one thing
Hmm?

If I came with you, would I still
be working on the Kennicutt case?

Well, let's see

I have men who are perfectly capable
of handling the Kennicutt case

No I have several other matters
that are far more important than that
I'd like to put you on right away

Lieutenant,
to the knock of opportunity

Hey
Hi

Dry throat for some reason
Oh, help yourself

Yeah Hey, I hope I didn't
get you into trouble before

I mean, I'm sorry
about what happened
I'm used to it

Why? Does he blow off
a lot of steam?

Well, let's just say
our founding father
has quite a temper

No kidding
That's funny, because he...

he looks to me like he's a guy
that's always under control

Uh, correction
He's under control
most of the time

And when people
like that let go,
stand back

Oh I'll tell you
why I'm interested
He offered me a job

Oh?
Yeah

Well, welcome to the family
Yeah, here's my problem

I don't know
how much to ask for
Whatever you can get

Top man can pull down about 3O, OOO

No kidding? [Whistles]
That's a lot of money

Gee, listen
Does anybody else here
make more than that?

I mean,
besides Mr Brimmer?

Well, maybe Leo

Who's Leo?
Leo Gentry

He's the boy who gets
the cream of the cases
Hey, I think I know him

Crew cut, ex-marine type?

Yeah, that's Leo

Teacher's pet,
at least this month

Hey, listen
Where can I talk to him?

Maybe he can give me
a few pointers

Oh I haven't seen him
around yet today, but, uh...

I'll get his address
from Personnel

Uh, don't mention it
to Brimmer

Who me? No
That's the last thing I'd do

[Children Chattering]

Higher
Higher? Listen
If you go any higher,

you're gonna go
right over the top

Hey, what's going on?

Mrs Gentry? I wanna tell you,
you got a terriflc kid here

Nothing frightens him
You can't scare this boy

I said higher!
Higher?

All right, listen You go higher,
and I'll eat your ice cream, all right?

No, I wanna eat it
You wanna eat it

All right Here you go
You're coming down

Down to earth There you are
Get your ice cream

Do we know each other?
Uh, no
Uh, my name is Columbo

I'm a lieutenant
I'm from the police

My daddy's a private eye
I know that, Teddy

And he's a very good one
Listen Do you mind
if I ask you a few questions?

- Well, is it about Leo's work?
- Well, not exactly

I'm working on a case, and I thought
maybe he could help me out

- But I can't seem to locate him
- He went away

That's right, Lieutenant
His boss called last night

and sent him
on a special assignment

Oh, I see
Uh, do you know where he went?

Or, uh, how long
he's gonna be away?

Sorry That's the way
it is with Leo

He took his passport,
so I guess he's overseas
somewhere

I see
Is there
something wrong?

No, no, no No, not really
Listen Maybe you could help me out

Was Leo recently on a case
where he was following a woman?
A married woman?

Well, it's... it's possible,
but I don't really know

No? You never discuss Leo's work?

No It's a household rule

I mean,
I'm not very much
at keeping secrets

If Leo were to tell me anything,
it'd be all over the Laundromat

If you have any questions,
you better ask Leo

It's kinda hard to ask him,
because I can't locate him

He went away

But why don't you talk
to his boss, Mr Brimmer?

He can tell you
what Leo's working on

Uh, oh, yeah
I, uh... Thanks

I have the feeling
he won't be too much help

But, uh, at any rate,
uh, I'm sorry I bothered you

Bye-bye, Teddy

F- E-L-O-P-

Z-D

All right Now try
the next to the bottom line

F-D-P-

T-C-E-O?

Perfect vision
Well, it should be
This is a new prescription

Here's your temporary
You should have your license
in a few weeks

Thank you very much
Keep this too

Next

Now, while I mark your test,
please read from the eye chart,
third line down

Did that lady say that
she just got a new pair of glasses?

- What?
- [Slams Counter]

- She wasn't wearing glasses
- Of course she was

Excuse me
Uh, wait
What about the eye chart?

And all of a sudden,
I remembered this picture
See? She's wearing glasses

But there were no glasses
on the body

Now, could she have
dropped them somewhere?

I'm sorry, Lieutenant,
but you're on the wrong track

Why?
Well, shortly after
that picture was taken,

Lenore gave up
wearing glasses

She switched
to contact lenses

Ah, contact lenses

just a matter of vanity
She thought she looked better

Uh-huh
Did she wear 'em often?

All the time
She was extremely nearsighted

Mr Kennicutt,
where's your wife's
personal effects?

The funeral director
sent them over

I've avoided
going through them

Do you mind?
No, go ahead

This her lens case?

Yes

It's empty

Well, she was probably
wearing them when she died

Well, then maybe, uh...

Maybe what?

Mr Kennicutt,
I'm gonna ask your permission
for something

This is the world's
biggest long shot

And it's gonna be
painful for you

But I think it's worth a try

Would it help?
There are no guarantees

All right, Lieutenant
You have a blank check

Mobile Operator,
the number I want
is 476-73O1

[Line Ringing]
They just arrived,
and they're entering the vault

The medical examiner's
with them
Why? What's the reason?

Haven't been able to flnd out, sir,
but I did learn one thing

Kennicutt signed
an exhumation order

All right, stay there
I'll be right over

Get my car ready

He says it won't take long

[Car Ignition Grinding]

[Ignition Continues Grinding]

What's the trouble?
I don't know, sir

The battery's okay,
but the car won't start

[Ignition Grinding]
I'm in a hurry
Get me another car

Yes, sir

Have this one serviced
Tell them I want it tomorrow
Yes, sir

[Tires Squealing]

[Police Radio Chatter]

[Police Radio Chatter Continues]

Arthur
I should have phoned you,
but there wasn't time

Well, it's all right
One of my men told me
you were here

Something break?
I don't know yet
They're exhuming Lenore's body

Tell me why

Well, the lieutenant's
working on a long shot

Apparently, she was wearing
her contact lenses when she was killed

How's that signiflcant?

Well, there's a chance that
she might have lost one of them...

maybe both of them
at the scene of the crime

Well, Arthur,
I don't like to be critical,

but that's more
than a long shot

You might as well buy
a lottery ticket

Maybe not
Listen to me

My nephew wears those things,
and half of the time they're falling out

Now, the other morning at breakfast,
one of them ended up in the cereal

[Brimmer] Mrs Kennicutt
is not your nephew, Lieutenant

Listen Mrs Kennicutt was struck forcibly
Now let's bear that in mind

Why isn't it possible
that they were knocked loose?

Anything's possible

The autopsy report
said nothing about
any of this at all

Listen Forget about
the autopsy report I checked with
the medical examiner about that

They snuffed it off
They didn't even bother to look

All they were concerned about
was the cause of death

[Man]
Lieutenant

Well, I hope it's not a waste

What else can I do?

I've got to pursue
every possibility

Arthur, it's almost
a criminal breach

to disappoint you now
after what you've been through

Move over

Listen We're in luck
The right contact lens is missing,
and it's not in the coffln

Well, it might have fallen out
in the morgue, I guess

Or in the ambulance Or in the street

She might have lost it
before she was killed

Could be a hundred places
That's true, but maybe...

and this is what
we gotta hope for...

maybe it's at the place
where she was murdered

[Kennicutt]
But we don't know
where that place is

[Columbo]
No, sir, we don't
We don't know for sure

But I've got a few hunches

Unless you can be speciflc,
I can't help

I think the lieutenant
deserves some room
Don't you?

As you wish
You go your own way,
Lieutenant

Thank you, sir I will
But keep us posted

Yes, sir I will
I'll keep you posted

[Sighs]

I only wish one thing

I wish the murderer
knew about this
Why?

There'd be a piece of conclusive evidence
that might be lying around in his premises,

and he'd have to flnd it
before we did

I'll keep you posted, sir

[Doorbell Rings]

Oh, uh, Mr Brimmer
Lieutenant

Listen I'm sorry
to bother you at this hour,
but, uh... May I come in?

Yes, sure Come on in
There's something
I wanted to talk to you about

Okay Fine,
if you can make it a little brief
It's been a late day

Oh, sure Say, this is
some terriflc place you got here

And you got the sound
of the ocean all the time, huh?
Yeah

Well, me, I love the beach
I love it

Except when the water gets cold,
then I don't like to go in
Then I like a pool

Lieutenant, did you say you
had something on your mind?

Oh, yeah
It's about that job you offered me

I've been giving it a lot of thought

Uh, as a matter of fact,
uh, I haven't been able to sleep

And, uh...

Boy, this is a fantastic rug
My wife would love this rug

We gotta get a new rug,
and this is just the kind she wants

Fantastic piling, huh?

Very soft

Bet you could lose a shoe in here
for a week, you wouldn't flnd it
It's late

I still got a lot of work to do
You were talking about my job offer

I really don't think I'd be very happy
making a change, you know

I like it where I am
It's not a bad life

Mm-hmm Okay
Uh, is that flnal?

I think so, yes
No hard feelings?

No, no, certainly not
I just, uh...

Well, I think you're
making a mistake
That's all

You're probably right
You know, my wife,

she's always said
I don't have enough ambition

You know what it was
that really made up my mind?

What was that?
The Kennicutt case

I don't wanna give up
working on it just now

Not when I'm so close
to a solution

Well, uh, are you gonna
let me in on it?

Oh, certainly
Don't worry

You'll be the flrst to know
Good night

Good night

[Car Door Closes]
[Engine Starts]

[Vehicle Departs]

- Hello?
- Yes, this is Mr Brimmer

You took my car in
to be repaired, didn't you?

Yes, sirJust like you said
They'll try to have it for you
as soon as they can

All right then
Good night

[Footsteps]

[Keys Jingling]

[Car Door Opens, Closes]

You mind telling us
what you're doing?

I'd say that was none of
your business, Lieutenant

Well, if you say so,
but, uh, it's gonna be kinda
hard to explain, isn't it?

I mean, breaking and entering?
That's against the law

Checking the trunk of your car
What in the world
were you looking for?

Papers for a case

I thought they were here
It's an emergency

Why don't you admit it?
You were searching the trunk,
'cause that's where you hid the body

All right
What's the next step?

Why don't we go downtown
and talk it over?
Am I under arrest?

I guess you could say so
On what evidence?

I think it's gotta be
more comfortable downtown
All right

Let's get this farce
over with

Grab his arm!

It was an accident, Arthur

It wasn't premeditated

I hardly knew your wife

I didn't want to hurt
either one of you

It happened

How'd you get it?

I got it from
the cut on her cheek
and your ring

You never should have
let me read your palm

'Cause then I felt the ring
and I felt the two diamonds
sticking out

and that raised
rectangular border

That matched up
with the cut on her cheek

You should have
taken that job

You know,
we're lucky Lenore lost this

Uh, she didn't lose it
What?

When I spoke
to the medical examiner
at the cemetery,

he told me
that both contact lenses
were on the body

But that's impossible
If it isn't hers, whose was it?

Who knows?
Anyway, it doesn't make any difference

The fact that it's not
the real contact lens,
that doesn't count

What does count
is Mr Brimmer's actions...

coming here tonight,
trying to get rid of that thing

and doing it all
in front of witnesses

What would you have done
if the car hadn't broken down?

You couldn't set up
this trap

Well, I guess we would have
found some other way

You know what this place
reminds me of?

just seeing all these cars...

You know, in our neighborhood,
we had a bunch ofjokers

I mean, we were
a real wild bunch of guys

And we flgured out a perfect way
to put a car out of commission

You take a potato,
you stick it in the exhaust pipe

It doesn't cause any damage,
but the car won't start

It was a terrible thing to do
And I got a feeling

that the reason I became a cop
was to make up for all those jokes
I played when I was a kid