"[Cheering]" "Itjust seemed like a funny place to make a funeral arrangement." "Well, I guess she wouldinherit everything he owned." "Why did I have to hear about this on the news?" "." "Don't feel bad." "It could've happened to anybody." "[Man ] He'll make another two million the firstyear." "[ Columbo ] It's also myproblem to findsomebody who might even have a motive to kill Mr. Wagner." "[ Columbo ] You looking for somethin'?" "Col um bo, I 'm gonna throw you out of here on your ear!" " I mean, you'll miss the best part." " [ Kisses ]" "~~ [Marching Band]" "[Man ] Hello, everybody, from Los Angeles." "Thejam-packed Coliseum on a brilliant sunshiny day." "Welcome to professional football, and, oh, what a game this is going to be, ladies and gentlemen." "Both teams have finished their warm-ups." "Both coaches have finalized their game plans." "Andyours truly and an old buddy, that old linebacker Virgil Tower, is here with all the action." "~~ [ Marching Band Continues ]" "[Announcer On Radio ] Yes, the final meeting ofthe season between the local Rockets and the powerful Pioneers." "[ Man ] Good afternoon, Mr. Hanlon." "J i m my, isn't it?" "." "You should have cal led the office." "I won't be having any people this afternoon." "Oh, well, I thought maybe Mr. Wagner might be bringing by some people." "Well, you're new in the organization, kid." "Eric Wagner owns the team, but football's not his game." "Well, would you like a drink, sir?" "." "Well, let's see." "There's tomato juice in the icebox." "Yes, sir." "Okay, why don'tyou getyourselfan empty seat, or takeyour girl to the movies." "I won't need you at all this afternoon." "Thanks, Mr. Hanlon." "There's plenty ofice in there, sir." "Okay." "You scoot, now." "Yes, sir." "[Announcer] Be able to stop lastyear's Pro Bowlsensation, Mike Dobbs." "Uh, lock that one on the way out." "Yes, sir." "Looks like somebody's planning to march right on into that Super Bowl." "Let's listen to some music." "[ Virgil] Say, you mentioned Dobbs." "There's quite a story about that courageous young man." "His right leg's been broken four times." "[ Phone Ringing ]" "[ Ringing Continues ]" "[ Loud Ri ngi ng ]" "[ Clears Throat ] Yeah?" "." "Eric?" "." "Eric, is thatyou?" "U h..." "I 'm not sure." "Oh, what a night." "You're not still in bed?" "." "Of all the" "[ Sighs, Clears Throat ] At leastyou're alone, aren'tyou?" "." "Hmm." "Yeah." "[ Chuckles ]" "Yeah." "Oh, listen, Paul." "I gotta tell you" "That" " That chick thatyou put me on to?" "." "She brought her little sister along." "Well, will you-- Getyourself out ofthere and dunkyourselfin some coffee." "Get out to the pool." "You hear me?" "." "Now, hold it, Hanlon." "I'll do whatever I want." "Kid, this is an emergency." "I stopped by the travel agency and picked up our tickets." "We're on ourway to Montreal at 6:30." "We're what?" "." "Ifwe move fast enough, I can still pin down that hockey franchise foryou." "I've been on the horn to the Canadians" "What am I gonna do with another sports franchise?" "." "Anyway, hockey's for penguins." "You'll make another two million the firstyear, kid." "I guarantee it." "Who needs it?" "." "Look, let's put the money into something constructive." "Now, look." "You just getyourself out ofthere and haul it to the pool." "Get in and get a workout." "I don't wantyou daydreaming when we get to Canada." " I need your signature, kid." " Hey, look." "Hold it, Hanlon." "I'm gonna fireyou one ofthese days." "Next timeyou call me "kid," you've had it." "My son, this isn't for me." "I just work here." "It's foryour dad, remember?" "." "Biggest sports empire in the world." "That's all he ever dreamed of." "Yeah, yeah, yeah, Paul." "I don't need to hear that again." "All right." "6:30." "I'll be ready." "What's all that noise?" "." "Oh, you're at the game." "Sure, kid." "I'm minding your store, as usual." "I'll talk toyou later." "Yeah." "Bye." "[Virgil] First meetingbetween these two teams." "Twenty-nine to 28, Pioneers." "[ Rings ]" "[ Sighs ] Yeah?" "." "[ Hanlon ] I want Rizzo." "This is me." "This is Rizzo, Paul." "Look, the game's just about ready to start." "I've got eyes!" "Rizzo, I want you up here at halftime." "[ On Speaker] Oh, yeah?" "." "Why?" "." "I don't like your game plan." "That's why." "I may make some changes in the second half." "You may make some changes." "Listen, Paul." "Come on." "We settled all this last night." "Last night's last night!" "Todaywe gotta win... this one!" "All right." "But I'm not gonna start Ludden, ifthat's whatyou're getting at." "You know what the docsaid-- his badknees." "I don't care about his knees." "What do you think ofthat?" "." "I'm going with the long game." "Use the long game ifyou have to, as long as it works." "Listen, Paul, who the" "What do you mean, calling me up like this right before kickoff?" "." "Rizzo, I'll call you anytime I feel like it, and get this straight!" "You can't make upyour mind on third down, you call me on the field phone." "I'll makeyour decisions." "[ Sarcastically] Oh, yes, sir, Mr. Hanlon, sir." "Mr. Paul Hanlon." "Yes, sir, ya" "Who-- [ Sighs ]" "Here." "What's this for?" "." "Shove it up the..." "field telephone." "[ Chuckles ]" "~~[Marching Band]" "~~ [Radio:" "Marching Band Continues ] [ Clock Chiming ]" "[Announcer#1 ] There they were, theirbacks against the wall on their own 47-yard line." "[ Virgil] That's what happened." "[ Clock Tolling]" "[Announcer # 1 ] Thankyou, Virgil, for a brilliant analysis, but that was last time." "Today is another Sunday, fans." "Today, all holds are barred." "Today, we 'll find out who 's really the best in this division." "And now, ladies and gentlemen, from the Coliseum in L os Angeles, our national anthem." "[ Crowd] ~ Oh, say can you see ~" "~ By the dawn 's early light ~" "~ What so proudly we hailed~" "~ At the twilight's last gleaming~" "~ Whose broad stripes and bright stars ~" "~ Through the perilous fight ~" "~ O'er the ramparts we watched~" "~ Were so gallantly streaming~" "~ And the rockets'red glare ~" "~ The bom bs bursti ng i n ai r ~" "~ Gave proof through the night ~" "~ That our flag was still there ~" "~ O say, does that ~" "~ Star-spangled banner ~" "~ Yet wave ~" "~ O'erthe landofthe free~ [MotorHumming]" "~ And the home~" "~ Ofthe brave ~~" "[ Crowd Cheering]" "[ Cheering ]" "[ Virgil On Radio ] Two weeks ago he made that beautiful game-saving tackle... during the last five seconds to put these Rockets right where they oughta be." "[Announcer #1 ] And here we go." "Jeffierson approaches the ball." "[ Crowd Cheering ]" "But the Pioneers ride him, and down he goes... under a whole host ofwhite shirts." "It'll be first and 1 0 for the Rockets on their own-- let's make it the 28-yard line." "[ Virgil] You notice how fast old Billy Murphy got down there, Tom?" "[ Tom ] I sure did." "He's one ofthe best on those special teams." "[ Virgil] Yeah, we'll be watching him a lot this afternoon, along with Sanduski-- 1 4 tackles, 1 0 assists last week for the pair of'em." "[ Tom ] All right." "They're out ofthe huddle." "Sedovich is wide." "First play ofthe game, fans." "Thirty-eight-yard line." "Rockets 'ball." "[ Crowd Cheering ]" "Down he goes to the 33-yard line." "[ Virgil] You know it." "He didn 't even look like he was looking for a receiver." "[ Tom ] Loss offive yards." "Second down, 1 5." "Jones over the ball." "Dunkel barks 'em out." "Snapped to old number 1 1." "This one 's going to be a pass." "Intercepted by number 33." "Oh, he 's long gone!" "Down the right sideline!" "Twenty-five, 20, 1 5, 1 0, five!" "Touchdown!" "[ Busy Si gnal ] [ T om On Radio ] Mason has hi m and sacks him." "They bury him." "Four Pioneers all over him this time." "So back" "Listen, I placed the order for that juice 20 minutes ago." "I, uh" " I need reviving, man." "All right." "All right." "Hey!" "Stick in a couple oflittle half-pints, will you?" "." "Travel-size, all right?" "." "[Tom] Drops back." "Rockets need to get on the scoreboard." "It's in the air" " To the 35." "[ Crowd Cheering]" "And he's to the 38." "[ Tom ] Sanders at quarterback now." "Drops back." "Rockets need to get on the scoreboard." "It's in the air." "And they wrestle for it, and neither one gets it." "Ball bounces off out into the end zone." "Might be interference." "And it is!" "On the two-yard line!" "[ Rings ]" "Hello." "Yeah, Eric." "It's Paul again." "What's the matter?" "." "You afraid I'd fall back asleep?" "." "[ Tom Continues ] No!" "Hey, kid, I'm sorry." "I was real hard on you." "No, LaVelle has it!" "Just calling to see ifyou want me to pickyou up." "There's no sense in taking two cars to the airport." "Well, you're our leader." "What areyou doing now, playing right tackle?" "." "Uh, I got the radio on here in the box." "I guess it's a little loud." "Yeah." "So how are my gladiators doing?" "." "They're getting murdered." " Listen, is your head clearyet?" "." " Mmm." "Clear as mud." "I'm out by the pool now." " But areyou in it yet?" "." " Will 20 more laps satisfyyou?" "." "I told you I'd be ready, didn't I?" "." "Now get off my back, Hanlon." "Pick me up at 5:30." "You got that?" "." "[ Hangs Up ]" "Hey, mister." "Stop!" "I want an ice cream!" "Please stop!" "Mister, stop!" "Paul." "How'dyou get here?" "What are you doing, wearing that" "[ Tom ] Pioneers'ball." "Hands offito number 44." "There's a big 63 coming up, and they're both down in the bottom ofa pile." "[ Virgil] There's not too much time left in this half." "There may be time for a few more plays." "[ Tom ] And here they come." "Pioneers break out ofthe huddle." "Second and seven." "Defense is deep." "They're looking for the pass." "Here 's the count." "Ball handed offito number 20." "Hold on!" "There 's a fumble!" "Time for the Rockets to make one more attempt to get on that scoreboard before halftime." "It'd be a great psychological boost." "Sanders again at quarterback." "The ball is snapped." "Play action fake, straight up the middle." "Not enough." "A great play, a great call, but itjust didn 't work." "This first halfat the Coliseum in Los Angeles is over." "Well, as suspected today, it's a great first halfoffootball." "As usual, a spectacle down on that playing field here at halftime." "The bands, all the great colors, these youngsters marching." "Al I ri ght." "Mr. Hanlon?" "." "This large group at the Coliseum certainly enjoying themselves, and they're positive about that first half." "Paul?" "." "[ Virgil] Take a look at that little girl down there." "Ifwe can get a camera on her." "Uh, take a look at that." "Boy, she 's a pretty one." "Huh?" "[ Tom ] Listen, Virg, you've got an eye for the ladies." "We all know that." "[Announcers Continue ]" "Coach." "Yeah?" "." "There's nobody answering your field phone." "I 've been trying to reach you." "Yes, I know." "So they're trailing by a few points." "I'm still not gonna take a chance, put Ludden in there with his bad knees." "Okay, Rizzo." "Let's skip the whole thing." "I had a couple of plays would have worked better than yours." "Oh, yeah." "But I can't do everybody's job, and I know it." "I'll stick to what we agreed on last night." "You run your team." "Good." "I got bigger fish to fry." "[Tom ] Obviouslythese men are smelling that pot ofgoldat the end ofthe rainbow." "They're hittin' as ifthere's no tomorrow." "[ T om ] Rockets' bal l." "Break huddle." "New ball game, fans." "This half the Rockets are moving again." "Here's the count." "Snapped to Ransky." "Takes the handoff." "Over here, Lieutenant." "Twists around." "Down at the 45-yard line." "In fact, I don't think he quite made it for that first down." "Did he, Virg?" "." "[ Virgil ] Well, it was a pretty fast whistle." "[Offiicer] They've been waiting foryou bythe pool." "[Tom ] All right." "Here's the play." "Second down, Rockets." "Three yards to go." "Rockets break huddle." "Handoffito Phelps." "Drives straight ahead." "Wait a minute." "Fumbles!" "[ Cheering ]" "U h, I just wanted to hear the end of that play." "I just got here, Sergeant." "[ Tom ] The Rocketsjust can't affiord." "Sir, the deputy coroner's all ready to leave." "He needsyour okay to remove the body." "[ Radio Off]" "[ Grunts ] Sunday afternoon." "This shouldn't take you long, Lieutenant." "I hope not." "What happened here anyway?" "." "The decedent's name is Wagner." "Owns this place." "A delivery boy from the liquor store found him floating in the pool at 2:50 p.m." "Fished him out, yelled to a neighbor for help." "They couldn't revive him." "Calledthepolice in a bigpanic." "Lieutenant." "I've gotsome guests waiting forme at home." "Oh, sorry, Doc." "I got here as fast as I could." " Where were you?" "." "On the golf course?" "." " No." "My wife went bowling, and I was sort of testing out this new hammock, listening to the game." "Then I ran into this Sunday-- Yeah." "Well, uh, you want to take a look?" "." " You said somebodywas in a big panic?" "." " The neighbor." "What'd you say?" "." "The neighbor?" "." "The neighbor." "[ Tom On Radio ] Another one ofthose crucial plays." "Third down, twoyards to go." "Loss ofblood." "He has severe concussion." "You see that?" "." "They make it?" "." "Yeah." "What timeyou think this thing happened, Doc?" "." "He's been deadabout an hournow." "Let's, uh, put it around2:30." "Okay." "We go now?" "Listen, Doc, I'd kind oflike to" "Ball's snapped." "He still drives for it." "One, two." "They're untangling now." "Pretty good game." "[ Crowd Cheering ]" "Uh, I'd kind oflike to know a little bit more about what happened here." "Why?" "." "It's a false alarm, Lieutenant." " How doyou know that?" "." " Well, look over there." "From the water that splashed on the decking, he must have been diving." "He slippedon the board, [Radio:" "Announcer Continues ] and that contusion would have knocked him unconscious." "A five-yard penalty." "All right, boys." "How do you know it happened on the board?" "." "I mean, there's water up around the steps too." "The board, the steps, the bottom of the pool." "What difference does it make?" "." "He was knocked out, and he was drowned." "That's all." "I've seen it a dozen times." "[ Virgil] That's another big third coming up though." "You're gonna do an autopsy, aren't you?" "." "[Announcer] The Rockets need that big play." "We have to, Lieutenant." "It's routine, remember?" "Or maybe you've forgotten." "I think he may be right, Lieutenant." "Detective there in the house says the same thing." "Well, as long as I'm here, I better see anybodywho was in there." "There isn't anybody, Lieutenant, except maybe the delivery boy and the neighbor." "You mean a house like this, there are no servants?" "." "Couldn't find any." "Send the detective out." "Yes, sir." "[ Sniffs ]" "Officer, is there a gardener?" "." "[Man ] Wagnerhada party last night, Lieutenant." " I'm Sergeant Clemens, sir." " What was that?" "." "A party?" "." "Pretty good one too, I guess." "See, the neighbor said Wagner's wife is out of town someplace, so maybe Wagnerlet the servants go fora while, and, uh" "You know what I mean?" "." " You've read about Eric Wagner, haven't you?" "." " Eric" "You mean, the one whose father used to own the football-- That's who this was?" "." "Kid still owned it, I think." "Paul Hanlon." "You must have heard ofhim." "He's the general manager orsomething." "Yeah." "I was just listening to the game." "Sir, I'd like to release the delivery boy, you know, and the neighbor." "No." "I mean, yes, as soon as you get their statements." "But I want a full team out here." "I want prints and pictures-- the whole inside ofthe house." "Oh, and the diving board and the pool coping all around." "Your name is Clemens?" "." "I'll leaveyou in charge ofthat." "I'll be in touch." "Uh, yes, sir." "But where areyou going, sir?" "." "To the football game." "[Tom] Wide left this time." "The handoffito Ranskyagain." "Blockers in front ofhim." "Fiveyards across the 40, the 35!" "And he's down at the 3 1-yard line." "[ Virgil] With that hold on Pensky, ofcourse, they're still way short ofthe first down." "[ Tom ] But here comes that talented toe from Sweden." "Yes, here comes Swenson." "The fans love him." "Fourth down." "His club needs three points, three points to tie." "It's all up to the Swede now." "[ Knocking ]" "A 38-yard field goal." "[ Knocking Continues ] [ Virgil] He missed the first try." "[ Tom ] Yeah, he missed it, but, by golly, he hasn 't missed many this year." " I t's a private box, m ister." " Wel l, I knocked." "You are Mr. Paul Hanlon, aren't you?" "." "I 've seen your pictures in the newspaper." " I'm busy now." " [Announcer] It's good!" "The score is tied!" "Tied it up." "Who are you?" "." "What do you want?" "." "Uh, Lieutenant Columbo, sir." "L.A.P.D." "Police?" "." "I'm afraid I have some bad news foryou, Mr. Hanlon." "And since we can't locate Mrs. Wagner" "Well, Eric Wagnerwas found dead a little while ago in his swimming pool." "[Volume Down ] Eric?" "." "Sorry, sir." "Oh, no, no." "[Groans ] Ijust talkedto him." "You did?" "." "Yeah." "A couple ofhours ago, I guess." "I called him from here before the game." "I calledhim again a little time later." "We're supposed to fly to Montreal tonight, 6:30." "Wait a minute." "I don't get this." "Eric was by the pool." "He was alone, as far as I could tell." "Andhe's a terrific swimmer." "This looked like a typical accident, sir." "There was this bump on his head." "Anyway, we're trying to locate his wife, and there were no servants in the house." " There weren't?" "." " No, sir." "It's my understanding, at least from the newspapers, thatyou're like one ofthe family." "Yeah." "Yeah." "Yeah." "Okay, Lieutenant." "I'll-I'll come right over." "Shirley's in Acapulco." "She went down about a week ago." "Some kindofcharityfunction." "Whew." "I'll contact her." "I'll talk to her myself." "Thankyou." "And don't worry, sir." "I won't bother herwith any questions just yet." " Oryou either, for that matter." " What questions?" "." "Oh, well." "It looked like Mr. Wagner had some kind of a party out there last night." "I don't think that's any concern ofyours, Lieutenant, any more than it is mine." "Now,you've doneyour duty." "That's enough, isn't it?" "I did wonder about the pool service." "Byany chance,you don't happen to know whether they come to the Wagner house on Sundays." "I don't know of any pool service that works on Sunday at all." "Why?" "." "Oh, there was just this water around the pool decking." "Well, that's normal for there to be water around a pool, isn't it?" "." "Yes, sir." "But not fresh water, no chlorine in it." "[ Clock Chiming]" "[Radio Offi]" "So his death was an accident." "There must be some simple explanation." "Well, that's why I said it looked like an accident, sir." "Because if someone had used a hose around there, like to maybe hide something... ormake it look like Mr. Wagnerwas diving" "Well, that's my problem, sir." "I sure don't want to botheryou with that now." "[Door Closes ]" "Coach Rizzo?" "." "Coach Rizzo?" "." "Excuse me." "I'm looking for Mr. Rizzo." "I'm, uh, Coach Rizzo." "Yeah." "Who are you?" "." "Uh" "Got a minute?" "." "Yeah." "Sure." "What can I do foryou?" "." "My name is Lieutenant Columbo." "I've got some bad news foryou, sir." "Eric Wagner drowned this afternoon in his pool by the house." "Eric" " Huh?" "." "Yeah." "Oh." "Oh, no, the" "Oh, the poor boy." "Sorry to bring you such bad news, sir." "Huh?" "." "Like everybody that reads the sports page, I was aware that you were very close to Eric's fatherwhen the man was alive, so I figured you'd want to know." "Yes, Lieutenant, what-- [ Chuckles ]" "That poor boy." "Never did anything right, of course, you know, according to his father's standards." "The old man always wanted him to be a big-time quarterback." "Professional." "Touchdown." "Rah, rah." "So what happens?" "." "Poor kid winds up as a would-be, half-baked swinger type." "Maybeyou could fill me in there, sir." "I couldn't help noticing his name pop up in some ofthese scandal columns." "Was there anything to that?" "." "Oh, come on, Lieutenant." "The kid sowed a couple ofwild oats," "like anybody." "Why areyou asking me all these questions?" "." "Well, uh-- [ Clears Throat ] I happen to be from Homicide." "Homicide?" "." "You just said the boy drowned in the pool." "An accident." "Oh,just routine, sir." "We investigate everything." "Actually, I would have asked Mr. Hanlon some ofthese questions, but he's a very busy man and excitable." "Yeah." "Yeah, busy." "Excitable." "This was one ofhis days." "Dive for the bomb shelters." "What'd you say, sir?" "." "I'm sorry, Lieutenant." "That's a bad joke." "I suppose it's his privilege sometimes to" "You mean Mr. Hanlon was sort of upset today?" "." "Yeah." "Yeah, you could say he was sort of upset." "He called me up on the field from the owner's box up at the top ofthe stadium, just before the game was about to start." "Chewed me out something awful." "So, halftime, I scooted up there, was gonna give him a piece of my mind." "I get up there, and, well, you know, he was all right." "Everything seemed to be just fine." "Hmm." "Gee, I didn't thinkwe did that good during the first half." "No offense." "Oh." "Uh, I wanted to askyou a question about Mr. Hanlon." "I've read some ofthe publicity." "Now, he's very new here with the Rockets, isn't he?" "." "No, not that new, really." "He was a P.R. man first when he came here." "You know, public relations." "Then about twoyears ago, when Mr. Wagner died, well, Eric didn't know anything about running a ball club, so he got Hanlon to come in and take over, run the business for him." "So Hanlon just stepped in?" "." "No." "No, he didn't just step in." "Don't go getting any bright ideas, Lieutenant, will you?" "." "Look, maybe I'm not the biggest fan of Paul Hanlon, but let me tell you this" "He's one ofthe sharpest, shrewdest general managers in this business." "Put this club on its feet." "He got another basketball franchise, built a couple ofstadiums." "He made the kid a couple ofmillion dollars, and theywere the best offriends." "Really?" "." "Yeah." "Really." "And that goes for just about everybody else around here too." "What doyou mean by that, sir?" "." "What I mean is, you're wasting your time." "Look, I grantyou, I don't say Eric was the greatest in many things, but he was a-- he was an all right kid." "I don't know anybody in the whole world... who would want to see him dead." "[Woman ] He's been so busy." "No, he hasn't talked to anyone all day." "No, sir, the funeral arrangements aren't being announcedjustyet." "Yes, Mr. Hanlon will make an announcement when it's appropriate." "Thank you, si r." "Pardon." "Excuse me." "Oh, just a minute." "J ust leave it right there." "That's fine." "~~ [ Classical ]" "Oh, do I have to sign?" "." "[Phone Rings ]" "Wagner residence." "Hold a moment, please." "I was looking for the housekeeper." "Oh, I'm afraid she's been with Mr. Hanlon." "She just got here herself and she's quite upset, so I don't think" "I'm Walter Cannell." "I was Eric Wagner's lawyer." "I was his father's attorney and best friend for about 40 years." "Oh, please, sir." "I am sorry." "You see, I'm new in the office, and, well, I replaced Miss Babcock." "She was only there a couple of days, so I really haven't gotten everybody's names straight yet." "Oh, that's nothing to worry about." "That's all right." "Oh, that's fine." "Right over there." "But, uh, whose office" "Pardon?" "." "The office that you were new in-- whose office was that?" "." "Oh, Mr. Hanlon's." "Mr. Hanlon." "Oh." "You can go now." "Thankyou." "Oh, no." "I just helped him carry it in, ma'am." " I'm from the police." "Lieutenant Columbo." " Oh, uh" "Wagner residence." "Hold, please." "Well, Mr. Hanlon said he just wouldn't be able to seeyou for a while, sir." "No problem." "I don't mind waiting." "Lieutenant, uh, what areyou doing here?" "." "Well, actually, sir, we've had a little trouble locating Mrs. Wagner." "We've checked all the hotels in Acapulco." "That so?" "." "Of course, Shirley is a bit of a whirling dervish, on every committee there is." "Very social." "Uh, sir?" "." "Yes?" "." "You don't mind ifl askyou a personal question, doyou?" "." "No." "What'd you pay for those shoes?" "." "I think about, uh, $60." "I stepped into some wateryesterday." "I ruined mine." "You don't know where I could get a pair that looks like that for around 1 6 or 1 7?" "." "Sixteen or 1 7?" "." "Sorry." "I-I-I don't really, Lieutenant." "Thankyou." "Walter, I didn't knowyou were here." "You should have come on into the study." "I didn't want to disturbyou." "I thoughtyou might be negotiating something." "Uh, this doesn't seem to be the time orthe place... to air bad grievances between you and me, Walter." "Why didn'tyou call me this afternoon?" "." "Why did I have to hear about this on the news?" "." " I reallywasn't sure you were back from Washington." " Wagner residence." "[ Stereo:" "Feedback] What?" "Oh, it'syou again, Miss Rokoczy." "Well, wait a minute." "Walter, you shouldn't get yourself into an uproar." "You know that's bad foryour ulcer." "Where's Shirley?" "." "She's on herway." "I've spoken to her." "Uh, look, I know this must be very unpleasant foryou, so" "Sir, it's a Miss Rokoczy-- She's called four times." "I can't take any calls now." "She says it's quite urgent." "I told you no calls today." "I don't have time, not till tomorrow." "Got it?" "." "[Secretary] Miss Rokoczy, he says hejust can't talk toyou till tomorrow." "[Hanlon ] You're gonna have to excuse me." "That's all there is to it." "There's nothing left to be done that needs to be done." "Shirley will be back tomorrow, and that's it." "[ Secretary] Lieutenant, it's foryou." "I left the num ber." "Excuse me." "Lieutenant Columbo." "Not a thing, huh?" "." "Well, what about the autopsy?" "." "I see." "Thankyou very much." "Lieutenant, ifyou need me, I'll be back in my apartment in about two hours." "[ Feedback Stops ]" "I've got to finish the funeral arrangements." "I did want to askyou, sir." "You don't mindifl bring anotherlab crewin here first thing in the morning?" " Kind of recheck everything." " Whateveryou want." "So long, Walter." "Sure knows how to take charge, doesn't he?" "." "Lieutenant." "What is all this?" "." "Autopsy, lab crews." "Well,just part of a routine murder investigation, sir." "Excuse me." "Murder?" "." "[Woman On P.A. System ] Will Mr. David North please report to the TransGlobal ticket counter." "Will Mr. David North please report to the TransGlobal ticket counter." "Miss Renee Winnell, please go to the nearest red courtesy telephone." "Miss Renee Winnell, please go to the nearest red courtesy telephone." "[ Whisperi ng ]" "Can't tal k to you now." "Have to cal I you back." "Columbo!" "What are you doing?" "You following me?" "Well, sir, it just seemed like a funny place to make a funeral arrangement." "[Woman On P.A. ] Mr. Charles Bentley." "Mr. Charles Bentley." "You know, you sorta caught me by surprise back there." "I mean, making that telephone call right afteryou told the girl back at the house you didn't have time to talk to anybody." "That's why I was on the phone." "I was calling off a meeting in Montreal for tomorrow." "I forgot about it earlier." "I don't know why." "Well, you have to be terribly upset by everything that's happened." "I can understand that." "Anyway, when you turned off at the airport, naturally I was curious." "All right, Lieutenant." "I am meeting Mrs. Wagner's plane... in just a few minutes." "[ Columbo Sighs ]" "You know, I kinda thought that's what it might be." "Uh, I just couldn't figure out how she could've gotten here so soon." "I mean, all the way from Acapulco." "You see, we checked the airline flights" "I chartered a special flight for her." "Boy, you really know how to get things done, sir." "I'm sorry, Lieutenant." "I couldn't tell you about it back at the house, not with all those" "The last thing in the world that Shirley needs now... is any ofthat bleeding-heart sympathy from Walter Cannell." "I can appreciate that, sir." "And I don't want any ofthose newspaper people after her either, not till she's had a good night's sleep." "I understand, sir." "You could be a big help to me, sir, ifyou'll just fill me in with certain details." "You thinkyou could do that?" "." "Well, ifyou can be brief, Lieutenant." "I'll certainlytry, sir." "I want to be delicate about this, but, uh, I have wondered... about the kind of marriage that the Wagners had." "I mean, in light ofthe kind of party that Eric threw there last night." "Mr. Columbo, that boy was like a kid brother to me." "But I couldn't straighten him out." "He was a baby." "He just never grew up." "Shirley..." "understood about that... for the better part of a year, I guess." "She was way out ofhis class." "They both knew it." "They knew it." "Both of them." "But unfortunately, she could never bring herselfto break offwith him." "Sounds like quite a woman." "She is." "You don't happen to know-- Well, I guess she would inherit everything he owned, wouldn't she?" "." "What the hellis this about, exactly?" "Why follow me?" "." "It's just that things are happening so fast, sir, and I thought maybe you'd wanna be brought up to date." "Like that autopsy report." "I just got it on the phone." "Incidentally, you never asked me about that." "I thoughtyou would." "I guess it slipped your mind." "No, it didn't slip my mind." "Therewas nothing to ask about because therewas nothing new." "Was there?" "." "No, sir." "There wasn't." "Lieutenant, you're gonna find this was an accidental death." "And if, God forbid, it's anything else, then it was one of those crazy hippie girls he was mixed up with." "You see, that's another thing I wanted to tell you about, sir." "We located every girl that was at that party." "There are no leads there at all." "Nothing." "So it looks to me like, uh, we're just gonna have to look to someone else." "What does that mean?" "." "Well, we turned up a neighbor's kid who reported seeing a Ding-A-Ling ice cream truck in the area... around 2:30." "That's just about when Mr. Wagnerwould have died." "I don't" " So... what?" "." "So, I have to thank mywife, for one." "'Cause she's mad at everybody." "She's even mad at the ice cream man." ""Why does the ice cream truck have to come just before lunch, and just before dinner, ruin the child's appetite?"" "I have to listen to that." "I hear that three times a week." "You know, that's 12 times a month." "Well, anyway, listen, I called the Ding-A-Ling ice cream company." "Turns out they don't have a route before lunch." "They don't have one before di nner." "They don't have one at 2:3 0." "They don't even work in that area." "So that's what I call a loose end, and it's somethin' I gotta tie up." "Well, I wish you luck." "And the other thing, sir-- I hopeyou're not offended by this." "I have to find somebody who will substantiateyour story... thatyou were in your box at the football game." "No, Lieutenant, I'm not offended." "That's yourjob." "Everybody is a suspect." "Isn't that true?" "." "Thankyou very much." "I'm very happy to hearyou say that." "Uh, gee, I thought Mr. Rizzo could do it for us." "You know?" "." "But it turns out that he says he didn't speak toyou even once on the field phone... during that whole awful first half." "And then you weren't even angry" "Columbo, I told you, I called Eric from the box just before the game." "I called him again from the box about the end ofthe first quarter." "Unfortunately, the telephone company's records can't prove that." "That's not my problem, is it?" "." "No, sir." "That's my problem." "It's also my problem to find somebodywho might even have a motive to kill Mr. Wagner." " [ Whispers ] Paul." " Yes?" "." "[ Sobbing ] Paul!" "No!" "It's all right." "Oh, Paul!" "[Hanlon ] It's allright." "[ Continues Sobbing ]" "Okay." "Okay." "I'm sorry." "I've just been holding it in." "Lieutenant, she's going to be at home." "You won't bother her, will you?" "." "You lookin' for somethin'?" "." "Holdit right there." "Just raiseyourhands up." "Wait a minute, Officer." "This isn't what it looks like." "It's all right." "He won't have a gun." "Just get his wallet." "Thankyou, sir." "Don't thank me." "Thank that radio overthere." "Huh?" "." "Well, what doyou know?" "." "License and everything." "Course I got a license." "My name is Ralph Dobbs." "What doyou mean, radio?" "." "Well, let me showyou." "Don't feel bad." "Could happen to anybody." "You see, some ofthese bugs have frequency leakage." "You don't put 'em in right, if affects the other electrical systems." "That's what happened to you." "Hey, take it easy, will ya." "Those things are expensive." "Sorry." "Won't happen again." "Anyway, you put it in wrong, that's all." "When they used the telephone, it affected the radio." "I noticed the static." "Don't feel bad-- I didn't know anything about this myself... till I had trouble with myTV when mywife used the hair dryer." "So the electrician, he explained this to me." "Doyou find this boring?" "." "Then tell me who told you to take out those bugs." "Aw, come on, will ya." "Business is bad enough without" "Answer the lieutenant." "That's what we caughtyou in the act of doing." "It's all right, Sergeant." "I got a pretty good idea who might have wanted Eric Wagner spied on." "And I also remember who I told about coming in here with a lab crew." "Paul Hanlon." "Right?" "." "Come on, Lieutenant." "You know my client's name is privileged information." "I have aperfect right to keep his identitya secret." "I've got a perfect right to arrest you for breaking and entering, not to mention illegal wiretapping." "So, for the sake of that license ofyours, Mr. Dobbs, who hired you?" "." "You know, you're puttin' me on the spot." "I can't giveyou his name without his permission." "Well, I'm not worried, since I can call you an accessory to a murder." "I knowyou're gonna help me out." "You're gonna get me that information." "[Man ] Myball." "Myball." "[Players Chattering]" "Throw it!" "Up, up!" "All right." "Open up." "Six seasons?" "." "Where'd you spend most of the tour?" "." "[Man ] Midwest and the east." "And during the summer we went to Europe." "[ Hanlon ] Europe?" "[ Man ] I spent a number ofyears in" "Where'd you get those shoes?" "." "Miller's on Wilshire." "[Man ] Mr. Hanlon!" "[Hanlon ] What's caused" "[Man ] Mr. Hanlon!" "[Hanlon ] What?" "[Man ] Telephone." "[Hanlon ] Oh, all right." "Cut it from here, guys." "[ Hanlon ] Yes?" "Yeah." "They did what?" "." "Who let 'em in?" "No, I want that watchman fired!" "You get in touch with my attorneys and get 'em to meet me over here." "I wanna see 'em at, uh" "Uh, no, cancel that." "I 'll have to call you back." "What is this?" "." "My office tells me somebody came in there this morning before dawn with a search warrant." "We didn't touch anything." "Honestly." "I promise." "Mr. Hanlon!" "What?" "." "You want some more shots with the both ofyou?" "." "Uh, no." "No, not now." "Finish the interview with Mark, and then wrap it up." "I didn't expect to find you here." "I had some trouble locating you because I didn't know you were at a basketball game, you know, the day after Mr. Wagner's death." "It's not a game." "It's just some pros that live around here, like to work out together, that's all." "Oh, these are professionals?" "." "Yes, these are professionals." "[Hanlon ] That's LeRoyEllis, Pat Riley," "HappyHairston,Jim McMillan, and that's Keith Ericson... and Flynn Robinson." "I n two weeks they're all gonna be working for me." "Mark was the first one to sign." "I had to come here to get his signature because he's gonna be gone this afternoon!" "What areyou up to?" "." "That's what I came down here to explain, sir." "I came down here to getyou because I made a real wrong guess last night." "I thinkyou made a few." "No, I'm talking about the phones in Mr. Wagner's house." "What about 'em?" "." "Mr. Hanlon, those phones were bugged." "Bugged?" "." "Yes, sir." "And I'll admit that for a while I thoughtyou had something to dowith it." "Sowe checked your office, and you know what?" "." "Your phones are bugged too." "By the same equipment and by the same man." "My phones?" "." "Yes, sir." "Bugged." "So honestly, that's the only reason we went in there." "[ Gasping Sigh ]" "The other thing, sir, is I came down here to getyou... because I thought you would like to meet the man who hired the detective." "Yes, I'd like to meet him." "Apparently, they've got tapes of all your conversations for the past two weeks." "Isn't that something?" "." "[ Exhales ] Go ahead." " My ball, my ball." " Take it up!" "Not bad!" "Well, Walter, you actually hired a private detective, huh?" "." "I'm sorry, Hanlon." "That's all I can say." "You're sorry?" "." "I think maybeyou will be when I reportyou to the bar association... for spying on your own client." "Lieutenant, your man there is mywitness." "I'm voluntarily disclosing everything that I paid Dobbs to do." "And when I personally sueyou for invasion of privacy" "Gentlemen, please, I know it's kind ofirregular, but Mrs. Wagner is waiting inside." "I told you to stay away from Mrs. Wagner!" "I'm the one who was insistent." "I haven't the slightest idea what Dobbs has on those tapes, but I want everyone to hear everything." "Columbo!" "Areyou in charge ofthis mess or not?" "." "Sir, I'm only trying to solve a murder." "This gentleman was Mr. Wagner's lawyer and it did seem all rightwith me." "Why don'twe proceed." "Uh, Mr. Hanlon." "One moment before we go in?" "." "What is it?" "." "Bad news." "What?" "." "You remember I definitely told you about the Ding-A-Ling ice cream truck?" "." "The Ding-A-Ling ice cre-- Yes, you did." "Uh..." "I checked the main office, and, uh-- I've got it right here." "They told me when I originally called what areas they serviced, and, uh" "I've got all these papers here-- Oh, here we are." "And, uh, it turns out that they're in, uh..." "Westwood, Hollywood, Downtown L.A." "Shows you how stupid I am." "It never occurred to me that Downtown L.A. included the concession at the stadium." "I don't understand." "Well, I'm sorry to say this, sir, but this makes it even more important that we find some way... to substantiateyour story thatyou were at the stadium at the time ofthe crime." "[ Laughs ]" "Well, Lieutenant, you may be right." "Let's go inside, shall we?" "." "[Tape:" "GameAnnouncer, Indistinct] [Tape:" "Hanlon ] Oh,you're not still in bed." "[Hanlon Continues ] Ofall the" "At leastyou're alone, aren'tyou?" "[ Wagner] Yeah." "Yeah." "[ Wagner Continues ] Oh, listen, Paul, I gotta tellyou-- [ Laughs ]" "That" " That chick thatyou put me on to, she brought her little sister-- Stop it!" "Stop it ri ght there." "Shi rley, that's the very sort of thing that I suspected." "Paul Hanlon was egging Eric on." "He wasjust trying to make trouble between the two ofyou." "Walter, we have been listening to this for nearly three hours, and that's the very first time there's been the slightest suggestion of anything." "But he said, "That little chick thatyou put me on to, Paul!" Didn'tyou hear him?" "." "Shirley, that's why I came back from Washington." "That's the whole reason that I hired Dobbs here." "I wantedevidence to prove toyou and Eric how Hanlon had been using him, usingyou both." "Wait a minute." "J ust hold it a second." "I think I've got it." "It took me a minute to connect with the word "chick!"" "Eric said that you wanted a new maid." "Doyou recall anything about that?" "." "Well, he was trying to find you one... as a surprise beforeyou got back." "I "put him on to" the best employment agency that I could find, and that's all." "I f he found some girl through that, I " "Yes." "Of course." "Will you please get this over with." "Certainly, ma'am." "[Tape Machine Clicks On ]" "[ Tape:" "Wagner] Well, you're our leader." "What areyou doing now, playing right tackle?" "." "[ Tape:" "Game Announcer, Indistinct ] [ Hanlon ] I got the radio on here in the box." "I guess it's a little loud." "[Wagner] So howare mygladiators doing?" "[Hanlon ] They're getting murdered." "[Hanlon ] Listen, isyourhead clearyet?" "[ Wagner] Clear as mud." "[ Tape:" "Water Sloshing] [ Wagner] I'm out by the pool now." "[ Hanlon ] Well, are you i n it yet?" "[ Wagner] Will 20 more laps satisfyyou?" "I toldyou I'd be ready, didn't I?" "Now get offimy back, Hanlon." "Pick me up at 5:30." "You got that?" "[ Tape:" "Phone Receiver Slams Down ]" "[ Tape:" "Game Announcer] Back they go." "[ Tape Machine Clicks Offi]" "That's al I there is of that, si r." "There's sti I I a big pile of tapes from Mr. Hanlon's office phone." "Uh, Sergeant, do you happen to have the time that I made that call?" "." "Uh" "The log on my pickup..." "has it at, uh, 2:29." "[Dobbs ] Ifyou wanna check with the radio station, theykeep a record ofthose football broadcasts." "And Eric died at 2:30, you said." "Approximately." "Well, Walter, maybe I oughta thankyou." "At leastyou've managed to prove where I was." "And I guess that's another loose end, as you call it, tied up." "You see, Shirley, the lieutenant thinks, I imagine with Walter's help, that I might have killed Eric." "I really don't know what to say toyou, Walter, that wouldtellyou how contemptible I thinkyou are." "Shirley, you've got to believe me." "I had these tapes made foryour sake." "Look, don't worry, Walter." "I already knew how jealous you were of Mr. Hanlon's influence." "Now just get out." "All ofyou, please leave!" "Mrs. Wagner, um, there's still a lot ofinvestigating we have to do." "Just go away." "Hello." "Yeah, Eric." "It's Paul again." "[ Wagner] What's the matter?" "." "You afraid I'd fall back asleep?" "." "Lieutenant-- [Tape:" "GameAnnouncer] Sanders back." "Blitz is on." "Won't get awaythis time." "Scrambling." "Scrambling-- You wanted to see me?" "." "[ Game Announcer Continues ] J ust a minute." "[ Wagner ] Pick me up at 5:30." "Got that?" "." "Been listening to that thing-- that's the last phone call-- a hundred times-- nothin'." "Well, in the last three days I've called your office at least a hundred times." "Listen, about my license-- I can't operate without it." "Didn't I giveyou that back?" "." "No." "Gee, I'm sorry." "Must have forgotten." "Doesn't it strikeyou funny?" "." "A man's watching a football game, makes a telephone call just when they call pass interference against his own team." "On the two-yard line." "Yeah, I suppose so." "Maybe it can prove he wasn't really there." "In the meantime, I gotta have my equipment." "You see, that's my problem." "I can't prove where Hanlon was." "That's why I'm listening to this." "Trying to hear a sound-- something that doesn't belong there." "Maybe he made the phone call from someplace else." "You ever think ofthat?" "." "Someplace where there was a radio broadcasting." "Backgroundnoises-- boat whistles, dogs barking, things like that." "J ust can't see" " Will you go find yourself another suspect" "Can't get a-- Aw, come on, Lieutenant!" "Cut it out!" "I gotta have my equipment back." "Listen, by the way, how did you manage to plant those phone bugs in the first place?" "." "I didn't." "Well, who did?" "." "Come on, Lieutenant." "That would be betraying a trust." "You'd ruin me." "I don't wanna get anybody else in trouble." "All I can tell ya, it wasn't by breaking and entering." "Okay?" "." "It wasn't?" "." "No." "Then how was it?" "." "That's all I can tell you." "I understand." "Listen, about the equipment, I'm sorry to hold you up on that." "It's just I been preoccupied by this case." "What's it worth?" "." "Six hundred bucks." "[ Whistles ] A lot of money." "All right." "I put a girl into Hanlon's office." "She ran an errand to Wagner's house." "It's as simple as that." "A girl?" "." "Yeah." "Part-time operator." "I use her all the time." "She likes it for a change." "She have a name?" "." "Eve Babcock." "That's all she did." "She's not there anymore." "Why?" "." "How do I know why?" "." "Hanlon fired her after three days." "Oh." "His secretary." "Babcock?" "." "A secretary?" "." "Well, that's not her usual line ofwork." "Lieutenant, my equipment." "~~ [SoftJazz]" "[Doorbell Rings ]" "Coming!" "Hi, darling." "Miss Babcock?" "." "[ Chuckles ]" "Don't be so Cincinnati." "My name is Eve." "And don't be embarrassed." "I've been expecting you." "You have?" "." "Sure." "Our mutual friend called and told me all aboutyou." "He did?" "." "Mm-hmm." "Well, I didn't expect that." "I betyou're starving." "Areyou starving?" "." "We'll go to dinner at Chasen's." "Apartment 2B?" "." "Yes." "Eve Babcock." "Now, will you relax, please?" "." "We'll go to the Luau for drinks." "That'll be fun." "Then to Chasen's for dinner." "No, there's a mistake, ma'am." "I hadn't planned on dinner." "Oh." "You hadn't." "All right." "No dinner." "[ Chuckles ]" "It's all right." "Itjustwould've been nice to know." "You know?" "." "[ Sighs ] I mean, I planned thewhole evening." "Ihadno idea you werepressedfortime." "Harryshouldhave toldme." " Who is Harry?" "." " Harry Stevenson." "[Doorbell Rings ] No, I got your name from, uh" "Uh, from a Mr. Dobbs." "Ralph?" "." "Oh!" "[ Giggles ] Wouldn't you know." "Well, this is really silly." "Look, honey,youshould've called beforeyou came up." "I'm busy." "Now, um, what about tomorrow?" "." "No, no." "No, not tomorrow." "Thursday." "I'm free Thursday." "Will that do it?" "." "[Doorbell Rings ]" "Thursday." "Hello, darling." "Miss Babcock?" "." "Eve!" "Andyou're Cincinnati, aren'tyou?" "The brokers'convention, right?" "Uh, my name's Smith." "[ Chuckles ] Okay, Smitty." "Uh, Smitty, this is my cousin." "He was just leaving." "Weren't you, honey?" "." "Yeah." "How are you?" "." "Fine." "I know a lot of people in Cincinnati." "Incidentally, my name is Lieutenant Columbo." "I'm from the Los Angeles Police Department." "Uh, Miss Babcock, about those stocks, I'll call you." "Nice to have metyou, Lieutenant." "[DoorOpens ]" "[DoorSlams Shut]" "Don't ask me any questions." "I'm calling my attorney." "Wait a minute." "No, wait" "Instead of doing that, doyourself a favor-- [RotaryDialing]" "Take this appointment book and put it someplace where I can't see it." "Don't call your attorney, 'cause I'm not here to hurtyou." "Now put that away." "I'm investigating the death of Eric Wagner, and I just wanted to askyou a couple of questions." "Whywould you want to ask me-- I already knowyou planted the phone bugs for Mr. Dobbs." "I'm not worried about that." "This is what bothers me" "Whywereyou fired from that job after only three days?" "." "Because, ifyou don't mind my noticing, you'd be an ornament in any office." "Thankyou, Lieutenant." "Perhaps my typing was not good enough." "Who knows?" "." "Oh." "Oh." "I thought maybe you got offered a betterjob." "I really thinkyou should go." "Or maybe somebody offered you more money than Dobbs could." "I mean, Mr. Hanlon, he doesn't miss much." "And he sure wouldn't miss you." "And I thought that maybe he noticed you planting those phone bugs... and he boughtyou off." "Hey, wait." "Look,just stop this." "Eric Wagner's death was an accident." "Right?" "." "Was it not?" "." "[ Slightly Accented ] That's what all the newspapers have said." "You have absolutely no right to come in here and start upsetting me, asking me questions, insinuating things" "Miss Babcock, you're perfectly right." "I was getting way ahead of myself." "But I knowyou wanna get something to eat, so I'm gonna run along." "Good night." "Good night." "You know, it just struck me" "You know when you got upset there?" "." "Well, the tiniest little accent came out, and, you know, I got a nephew who married a girl, she's got the same kind of accent." "She's also very pretty." "But she's Hungarian." "Doyou have another name besides Babcock?" "." "Something more Hungarian?" "." "Like Rokoczy?" "." "Miss Rokoczy?" "." "Well, just a thought." "Enjoyyour meal." "~~ [Marching Band] [ Crowd Chattering, Shouting]" "~~ [ Continues ] [ Crowd Continues Chattering, Shouting]" "[ Loud Slam On Door]" "Wel l, good afternoon, si r." "And where would you like to go today?" "." "Home." "What?" "." "To soak my feet." "They're killin' me." "New pair of shoes." "[ Clears Throat ] Just exactlywhat is it you wish, sir?" "." "Mr. Paul Hanlon-- Did he make a reservation for Sunday for Montreal?" "." "Why doyou ask?" "." "I'm from the police." "My name is Lieutenant Columbo." "Does Mr. Hanlon usually use this office to make all his travel arrangements?" "." "Yes, he does." "Well, would you check on it?" "." "The Sunday reservation?" "." "I'll have to consult my files." "[ Radio:" "Man ] Speaking ofankles" " You were speaking ofankles, weren'tyou?" "." "How 'bout those drum majorettes?" "." "Is that the game at the Coliseum?" "." "Yeah." "[ Radio:" "Crowd Cheering ]" "[ Announcer] The Badgers have the football-- second down, seven, on their own 24-yard line." "How long's it been on?" "." "Just started." "I had tickets for the game." "Didn't even use 'em." "Couldn't enjoy it." "[Radio:" "AnnouncerContinues ]" "Till I find the answer, I can't think of anything else." "Boy, the number oftimes I've heard these guys' voices, over and over and over." "Still can't find it." "Yeah, well, sometimes things are difficult to find." "You know what it's like?" "." "Likeyou have hold ofhalf ofsomethin', and you can't get ahold ofthe other half." "Yeah, right." "[ Announcer] Cinnelli breaks the huddle." "He's going to bewide right." "[Announcer] Here's the count and the snap." "Takes the handoffi, fades back to pass." "[ Cuckooing ]" "He goes to Cinnelli, open in the flat." "He's complete to the 34-yard line!" "[ Crowd Cheering, Shouting ]" "[Announcer] Sanders at quarterback." "He takes the snap, hands offi." "It's that same play again." "Kelly over, right tackle." "It works again!" "Good for five solid-- No, six yards to the 4 1 -yard line!" "[ Crowd Cheering ]" "[ Color Commentator] Well, it's sure diffierent than last week, Brother Tom." "These Rockets are movin ' today!" "[Announcers Continue ] U h, Mr. Hanlon?" "." "Col um bo." "What is it?" "." "Sure goin' great guns today, aren't we?" "." "[Announcer] The crowd, theylove it!" "I'll tell the coach." "Kind words from a loyal fan are very rare." "This Ding-A-Ling ice cream concession?" "." "That's the best in town." "Don't ever change that." "[Announcer Continues ]" "[ Clears Throat ] All right, Columbo." "Now, what do you want?" "." "Uh, I've got something to show you, sir." "Won't take long." "Oh, those shoes feel better." "Oy." " Theywere giving me a lot oftrouble earlier." " [ Turns Radio Volume Down ]" "Columbo, I'm trying to watch this game!" "What is it?" "." "You know, you did the same thing the first time I came in here." "Last Sunday." "I guess that's what started me wondering." " I did what?" "." " You turned the radio down, but not quite off." "When I told you that Eric Wagnerwas dead." "It's all right." "I do the same thing." "When I'm listening to the game and mywife interrupts, I can't help myself." "I wanna hearthat game, and I don't care how important the interruption." "Yourwife has my sympathy." "However... when I told you about the fresh water on the decking, when I told you that Eric Wagner might have been murdered, you know what you did?" "." "You turned the radio completely offi." "Well, I thought I struck a chord orsomething." "No, Columbo, you struck out." "Now, will you please go find somebody else to pester?" "." "I won't take long, sir." "Actually, I just came here to talk about Miss Rokoczy." "[ Sighs ] Who?" "." "You know, Miss Babcock." "That was the lady that kept trying to call you at the house." "Then later on you phoned her from the airport." "What are you talking about?" "." "You did try to call her, didn'tyou?" "." "I mean, you wanted to tell her to be quiet about something." "I don't even know anybody named Rog" " Rek" " Whatever it is." "Well, I spoke to her last night." "You see, when I saw the type ofwoman that she was, it suddenly occurred to me... whyyou were in such a hurry to rush out ofthat house and get to an outside phone." "And the only reason that could have been was because... you alreadyknew that the phones in that house were bugged." " You did know, didn't you?" "." " Wait a minute." "Wait, wait." "You don't seriously expect me to tell you anything now?" "." "I don't expect you to admit anything, sir." ""Admit!"" "Butyousee, when Isaw the type ofladythat she was... and that she liked to have her bread buttered on both sides, well, she practically admitted it." "[ Laughs ] I don't believe you." "You're really somethin'." "And I'm sure Miss Rokoczy's gonna do a lot more talking when she knows that this is really a murder." " Andit reallyis, sir." "This is a murder case." "There is no question about it." " [ Radio Off]" "Oh." "Look." "He did it again." "I guess you just can't help yourself." "Columbo, I'm gonna throw you out of here on your ear!" "I wouldn't do that, sir." "I mean, you'll miss the best part." "You see, I'm not finished." "The point is this." "Uh" "[ Clears Throat ] Yeah." "You see, the point is this" "Ifyou knew that house was bugged, thenyou also knewthat you could use those phones to set upyourperfect alibi." "Mmm." "What you want to call an alibi is the truth." "Jesus, why can't you get that?" "." "I knew I had to break that alibi." "They're on the 1 0, sir." "Yeah, I knew until I'd broken that alibi none ofthese other things would mean much." "But now" "Look." "They scored a touchdown." ""But now" what?" "." "You don't mind listening to last week's game again, doyou, sir?" "." "Why?" "." "Well,just by coincidence, happens to be exactly the same time thatyou made that second phone call to Eric." "[Tape:" "Announcer] Number 45." "Here we go." "[Announcer] Pioneers back in theirhuddle." "Exactly 2:" "29.J ust a minute or two before he was murdered." "[ Tape:" "Announcer Continues ]" "You know, I listened to this thing over and over again, figuring maybe I'd hear something that shouldn't be there, some sound that shouldn't be there-- an ambulance or a fire truck, like ifyou were in a phone booth, something." "Butyou didn't because it isn't there." "I made the call from this booth, from that phone." "[Tape:" "Announcer] Hey, kid, I'm sorry." "I was a little hard onyou." "Then it suddenly occurred to me." "Whap!" "I had it backwards." "[ Tape:" "Wagner] What areyou doing now, playing right tackle?" "Maybe it was a sound that should be there and wasn't." "[ Wagner] So how are my gladiators doing?" "[ Sighs ] Like what?" "." "Something right in front of us." "[ Tape:" "Hanlon ] Isyourhead clearyet?" "What kind of sound?" "." "Oh" " Shh." "[ Tape:" "Water Sloshing ]" "[Tape:" "Wagner] I'm out bythe pool." "[ Tape:" "Hanlon ] But areyou in it yet?" "[ Clock Chiming] [ Tape:" "Wagner] Will 20 more laps satisfyyou?" "I toldyou I'd be ready, didn't I?" "Now, get offimy back, Hanlon." "Pick me up at 5:30." "You got that?" "[ Tape Machine Clicks Offi, Rewinding ]"