03x08 - A Friend in Deed

[bunniefuu]

What are you waiting for?
Get an ambulance.

Please leave
the room, darling.

You know I like
to bathe in private.

Mark, I didn't mean
to k*ll her.

Okay?
Okay.

Take it easy! What are you
trying to do, break my head?

Say it.

Yes, darling, completely.

You're wasting your time
and my time

and the department's time.

I left Margaret at home.

Yes?

Margaret?

Is that you, Hugh?

Is, uh, is Mark there?
It's important.

Sorry, Hugh.
It's Tuesday. Club night.

I can always tell.
Comes right after Monday.

Monday, Mark works late.

Oh, right.

Um, well, I'll... I'll get him
at the club.

Mr. Caldwell,
good to see you, sir.

Oh, yes, Charles.
Thank you. I, uh,

I'm looking
for Mr. Halperin.

Over there, sir.

The usual
Tuesday night game, you know?

Mr. Lawrence is having
quite a run with the dice.

Simply amazing.
I've never...

Hugh, how are you?
It's been forever.

Fine, honey.

Play it for $ , , Mark,

unless you want
to resign at $ , .

Hi, Hugh.

Hi, Mark.

Byron, I think your dice
are about to turn cold.

The Army may have
taught you bravery, Mark,

but I'm not so sure
about your judgment.

You still need
doubles to win.

You see, Byron,
sometimes a little boldness

is exactly what's called for.

Uh, Mark, excuse me.

Huh?

Could I talk to you
for a second?

What's the matter?

I just... I'd just like to
see you for a second.

All right.
Be back in a minute.

Don't go away, huh.
What's the matter?

Nothing. I just want to talk
to you for a minute.

Something wrong?

No.

Danny, bring us
a double Scotch, will you?

Yes, sir, Mr. Halperin.
Right away.

Are you sure
she's dead?

Yeah.

It just happened.

We were... we were fighting.

We were screaming
at each other.

I was sure she was gonna
see somebody tonight.

She came at me,

and I must have grabbed her
by the throat.

All right. Take it easy.
Take it easy.

I didn't know
what I was doing.

I just saw her face

looking up at me

and then when I realized
what I was doing,

I let her go.

And she just fell.

Calm down. Calm down.

Mark, you gotta tell me
what to do.

All right.

Now, was there
anyone else in the house

when this happened?
Was the maid there?

No, she, uh,

she left about : ,
when I got home.

Right. Right.

Did you call anyone?

Just your place.

Margaret told me
you were here.

But you didn't say
anything to her?

No.

Or maybe I should call Fred.

He doesn't
handle criminal cases,

but he must know somebody...
No. No.

Or maybe I should go
to the police.

Mark, I didn't mean
to k*ll her.

Hugh, you can't afford
to do that.

Everyone knows the problems
you and Janice were having.

Now, listen to me.

It's almost : .

I want you to go
in the other bar,

there are more people
in there.

At exactly : ,
I want you to call your house.

I'll answer the phone.

You pretend it's Janice.

Make sure the bartender
and anyone else in the bar

overhears your conversation.

Why?

You want me to help you,
don't you?

All right. Do as I say.

All right, Mark. Fine.

Janice, is that you?

Are you in a bar?

Yes, yes, that's right.

Is everything all right?

Everything's just fine.

Now listen to me.

She's gone to bed early,

she's not going to wait up
for you. Do you understand?

Yes, yes, darling. Of course,
you must be exhausted.

Get a good night's sleep,

and I'll see you
in the morning.

All right.

Say it.

All right, you get
a good night's sleep,

and I'll see you
in the morning, huh?

All right. Fine, Hugh.
You're doing just fine.

Now listen to me.

You stay right there
in the bar and don't move

until the police contact you.
Do you understand?

Yes. Yes, dear.
Yes. Perfectly.

Yes, good night, darling.

Ah, she's been out
all day shopping.

She's exhausted.

Yes, sir.

She's gettin' ready
for bed now.

I guess it won't hurt
to have another one.

Mark, is that you?

It's me.

Hi.

Ah.

You're home
early tonight, Mark.

Yeah.

I was a little tired.

What's this?

Another one of your
bleeding-heart friends

get into print?

Did you win tonight, Mark,

or is that
a silly question?

Oddly enough, I did.

Wonderful.
Yeah.

That means I won't have to
write you a check this week.

That will be refreshing.

Won't it be? For both of us.

Did I tell you I'm speaking
at the Holcombe House

tomorrow evening?

They've named me
"Woman of the Year."

Really?

How much is that
going to cost you?

Oh, don't be crude.

My, my, "Woman of the Year,"
that's quite an honor.

Playing queen bee
to a motley assortment

of junkies, pushers,
and losers.

You know, I don't know
how much money you've pumped

into your assorted charities,
Margaret,

but it's a lot more
than any $ trophy

they're going to hand you.

Not tonight, please.

Darling, if you're embarrassed
by all your millions,

why don't you just
sign them over to me?

They wouldn't embarrass me
in the least.

Money is a w*apon, Mark,

a tool to be used for good,
if it's used properly.

Hmm. Properly? I see.

That means
handing it out

like Halloween candy
to a bunch of grifters

who've never done
a day's work in their lives?

'Cause nobody has ever given them a chance.
Come on, Margaret.

Do you know what it's like
to be an ex-convict

trying to find honest work?

Margaret, please.

Please don't lecture me
on ex-cons.

I wrote that book.

Margaret.

What is it?

A man. I just saw a man

running from
the Caldwell house.

What?

Yeah.

All the lights are on
over there.

I don't like
the looks of that.

I don't see anyone.

Uh, do you think the man
could have been Hugh?

No, no, I left Hugh
at the club.

There's no answer.

I think something's wrong.

Police headquarters.
Sgt. De Maio.

Sergeant, this is
Deputy Commissioner Halperin.

Yes, sir.
Yes, Commissioner.

Uh, I just saw a man,

a strange man,
running from a house

on, uh... on Fairfax Drive.

I want you to dispatch a unit
over there immediately.

Will you?

Uh, the number is
Fairfax Drive.

Right.

I dropped my cigar.

Is that it there, Lieutenant?
Where?

Under there.

Wait a minute.

I don't want to burn up
the Commissioner's car.

Oh.

I got it.
I grabbed the wrong end.

Come here, you little rascal.
Okay.

That looks okay.

Officer,
do me a favor, huh?

Look under there and make
sure nothing's burning.

All right, Lieutenant.

Uh, everything's okay,
Lieutenant.

You sure?

Positive.
Look again.

Right, Lieutenant.

What's missing?

Just her jewelry.

He never went
near the paintings

nor the silverware.

There's a vase out there worth
a couple of thousand dollars.

He never touched that.

It's the same guy,
all right.

All right, I want you
to pick up

every known burglar
in the morning.

If you talked to them before,
talk to them again.

If you need any extra men, let me know.
Yes, sir.

Columbo, it's about time
you showed up.

Yes sir. I'm sorry.
It was my car.

The battery went dead.

Commissioner,
your car is here now.

Thank you.

Tried to get my wife's car.
She was at my sister-in-law's,

so I called there...
It's a boring story.

Thank you very much for sending your car.
I appreciate it.

It's quite all right.

Duffy will fill you in
on what's happened.

It's the same man
who's been hitting this area

in the past few weeks.

The M.O.'s identical.

I see. Well, maybe
I better look around.

Good looking broad

except for the marks
around her neck.

Certainly is.

What do you figure happened?

Looks like she was getting
ready to hit the sack.

Probably heard the guy
down here,

came down to see
what was goin' on.

Could've just called us,

but she's gotta make
like a hero, right?

How long
has she been dead?

Not too long.

She talked to her husband
on the phone

about an hour ago.
Yeah, an hour ago.

Okay. It's all yours.

Thank you.

Find anything yet?

Just a few smudges
on this jewelry box.

But everything else
looks pretty clean.

Sergeant, did you
dust these handles yet?

Not yet, Lieutenant.

Well, let me know
if you find anything.

I think you're wasting
your time, Lieutenant.

This is the fourth time

I've been in this neighborhood
in two weeks.

Now this guy's good.
Wears gloves.

Never leaves me a print.

Well, let me know
if you find anything.

Right away, sir.

We will provide protection
for all our citizens,

not just those
in the inner city

or in the so-called
problem areas.

Now, the brutal m*rder,
last night, of Janice Caldwell

is a scathing indictment

of the police department's
failure, of our failure,

to cope with crime on
the most fundamental levels.

The taxpayers of this
great city are entitled

to the safety
of their own homes

and I mean to guarantee
that safety.

What's the matter, Artie?

Don't you believe
in law and order?

That guy gives me
a pain.

I'll turn it off.

I thought
we were going shopping.

I told you I have to
wait for somebody here.

Yeah? Well, he'd better
hurry up

because you're not spending
any afternoon in this place.

I hate this place.

And you know
I hate this place.

But I like it.

Did you get the tickets yet?

What tickets?

"What tickets?"
I told you,

we're going
to the roller derby tonight.

Hey, are you crazy?

I'm not going
to any roller derby.

A month... You've been out
a whole month

and you haven't
taken me anyplace.

You think you can
hang around this place

again with your old pals
from prison.

What's left of them.

Guess again, Artie.

Hey!

This is my place
of business.

You don't have
to come in here!

So, don't come in here!

We're goin' out.

That's what you think!

Where have you been?

I've been waiting for you
for over an hour now.

I got hung up.

I got the stuff at my joint
from the other night.

Are you kiddin'?

I wouldn't touch
any of it.

Not after
what happened last night.

Killin' that woman?

Are you crazy?
That wasn't me.

Come on, you've been hittin'
that neighborhood pretty good.

The other joints, sure.

But the one last night,
that wasn't me.

Okay, have it your way.

But I can't
handle your goods.

Not with the kind of heat
I'll be getting.

I should've known better

than to deal with a punk
like you.

Johnny Romano, Carlos Vera,
they were men.

Yeah, but they're dead.

Times change.

It's tougher
on the outside now.

You know, you spent so much
time up in that prison,

you don't know
how it is any more.

You all through? Come on,
let's get those tickets.

I wanna sit real close.

Come on, let's go.
Come on. Come on.

Come on. Come on. Let's go.

Come on. You can walk faster.

Come on.

Will you shut up?

Commissioner, specifically
what steps are you taking

to offset this rash of crime
in the Bel Air area?

Well, I've ordered
a double shift

on all squad cars,

sunset-to-sunrise
helicopter patrol.

As a matter of fact,
I plan

to be in that chopper
myself tonight

to get a firsthand look
at this operation.

We're going to get this man,
and we're gonna get him soon.

Whoever he is,
wherever he is,

he's not going to be able to
escape detection indefinitely.

Now, last night
he made his first mistake.

My wife and I
were in our bedroom

when he ran
from the Caldwell house.

Well, he's gonna make
other mistakes.

When he does,
we'll get him,

and we'll hit him with
a first-degree-m*rder charge

that will stick.

Thank you,
ladies and gentlemen.

Now, If you'll excuse me...

Does that mean your wife
can identify this man

as well as yourself?

Sir, sir, can your wife
identify this man?

Ma'am.

You startled me.

Oh, I'm sorry.

What happened?

I tore my...

On the cactus, I...

Oh, I'm sorry.

It was very clumsy
of me.

No, no, it was my fault, ma'am.
I frightened you.

I'm sorry about that.

I... I know you, don't I?

Yes, ma'am, you do.

I... I was afraid
you'd remember.

It was at the
chief inspector's dinner

last year at the hotel.

I was a little drunk.
Lt. Columbo.

Oh, isn't it perfectly awful?

Janice Caldwell
had so much to give.

I'm sure she'd have
found her way.

Yes, ma'am.

That's what I wanted
to ask you about.

You being close friends
and all.

Several people
have told me

that she
and her husband were, um...

Well, that is,
that she...

Well, they were
having problems.

Was she seeing
other men?

Is that what
you wanted to know?

Uh, yes, ma'am.

Surely that can't
make any difference now.

Probably not,
but I'd appreciate it

if you could
give me a few names.

I'm sorry. I never pried into
Janice's personal affairs.

Once, last year,
I, I did try talking to her.

She became very defensive,
almost violent.

Then she was
seeing other men?

Yes.

Young men, I believe.
Men I didn't know.

Thank you, ma'am.
You've been very helpful.

Uh, Mrs. Halperin,
one other thing.

Last night, the burglar...

Your husband gave us
a description.

He saw him running
from the Caldwell house.

Yes, from our bedroom window.

Now, I understand
you were also in the bedroom.

So, I would like to check
your description with his.

Oh, I... I didn't see him.

By the time I got
to the terrace, he had gone.

You weren't at the window?

No.

Where were you?

Well, I was in bed,
and then I went to the window.

Oh.

Thank you, ma'am.

Uh, one other thing,
Mrs. Halperin.

The Caldwell house?
It's on the next block, is it?

Yes. Right across the street.
Number .

Yeah, I know the address.
I was there this morning.

I, I was just trying
to visualize the proximity.

Thank you.

Excuse me, sir.
A police officer to see you.

The same one
who was here this morning

when you were out.

Yes. Uh, would you ask him
to come in, please?

Excuse me, sir.
I hate to trouble you

at this time. Lt. Columbo.

Yes, Lieutenant.

My maid said
you were here earlier.

I... I'm sorry,
I had to make arrangements...

I hate to bother you
like this.

Like a cup of coffee,
Lieutenant?

No.

I'm afraid I've been drinking
too much coffee today,

but I didn't sleep
very well last night.

Thank you very much.

Is there, uh...

Something wrong,
Lieutenant?

Wrong? No, sir.
Not at all.

Couple of things
I want to clear up

just to satisfy myself.

Satisfy yourself, how?

The way your wife d*ed,
Mr. Caldwell.

Couple of small things.
Probably don't mean anything.

I spoke to your maid,
Mrs. um...

Fernandez.

She's a nice lady.

I guess she worked
very long hours yesterday.

It must have been
a big cleaning day.

Well, I really
wouldn't know.

Apparently, your wife
was out shopping all day.

Mrs. Fernandez left here
at, uh...

Oh, it was after : ,
Lieutenant.

And my wife and I arrived home
about the same time.

Your wife was downstairs?

Right. In the living room,
having a drink.

Mrs. Fernandez says
she was wearing a red dress.

Yes, I believe it was.

I see.

And then you went out? : .

Yes.

Was your wife still
wearing the red dress?

Yes, Lieutenant.

Look, we had
a couple of drinks. I left.

Now, she didn't get ready
for bed

until I called her
around : .

At the club?

They found you
at the bar

when the police
finally located you.

That's right, Lieutenant.

Look, Janice apparently
went upstairs to change.

She put on her nightgown,
heard a noise,

came down,
and surprised this burglar.

I mean,

I should think the facts
would speak for themselves.

It's very strange.

See, there's one thing

that's very strange.

And what's that, Lieutenant?

Mrs. Fernandez
dusted the whole house.

Wax, polish, everything.

Including the bedroom.

Now, the fingerprint people,
they checked the handle

on the closet door.

Your wife's prints
weren't on it.

What I can't figure out
is how did she open the door

and take out the nightgown

without leaving any prints?

That's very simple,
Lieutenant.

You see, my wife was in the
habit of folding her nightgown

every morning when she got up

and putting it
under her pillow.

Don't you see? She had
no reason to go to the closet.

Yes. Yes. I see. Yes.

That would explain it.
Yes, it certainly would.

Well, thank you.

No, not at all, Lieutenant.

Excuse me, sir? Sir?

Ma'am? Excuse me, ma'am!

You got some jumpers
for a battery?

No.

Listen, there's
a gas station up ahead.

Would you drive me
over there?

Thank you.

Columbo?

Excuse me, sir.
I didn't mean to barge in.

I looked for your secretary.

I guess she's powdering
her nose or something.

May I, uh...

I would've been here earlier,
but my car broke down again.

I had some more trouble.
They're telling me it's the generator...

If you don't mind, Lieutenant,
I'm in something of a hurry.

I'm making real progress.
So, I thought...

Finish your report?

No, I haven't.

Well, finish the report
and I'll read it.

Right now, I've gotta get home
and get something to eat.

I'm on that
chopper patrol tonight.

I understand, sir.

Just take a minute.
I know you're in a hurry.

Before I actually
fill out the report,

if I could

just double-check that
description that you had...

It was hardly a description.

I barely got a glimpse of him.

Right.

You did say, uh,

dark sweater.

That's right.

Dark pants.

And some kind of cap.

And a dark cap.

Dark cap.

Dark...

That's it, then. Just dark?

It was night, Lieutenant.

And I was a long way away.

Uh, that's too bad.

That's what your wife said.

You spoke to my wife,
did you?

I thought you left.

What was that you said?

I say, you spoke
to my wife.

Yes, there's nothing wrong?

No. Certainly not.

No, you know, you see,

it was just that

on the basis of the
news conference this morning,

I thought that
she also saw the burglar.

That's ridiculous.
He was gone

by the time
she got to the terrace.

Yes, sir.
That's what she said.

But you certainly gave that
impression, so I thought...

Look, Lieutenant,
if you don't mind,

I've got to go now,
my limousine is waiting.

There are a couple
of other things...

Give my secretary a call
in the morning,

I'll try to find
some time for you.

Oh, Mark,
you frightened me.

What are you
doing home so early?

Oh, I thought I'd get
an early supper.

Please leave the room,
darling.

You know I like
to bathe in private.

Come on, Margaret.
Don't be so coy.

You know, you wear those
bubbles like a suit of armor.

Come on, Mark.
I'll only be a minute.

Have I told you recently,
darling,

that our marriage has been
a constant joy to me?

Huh? Have I?

No, you haven't.

Well, it has.

I think the first thing
that appealed to me

about you, Margaret,

was your... your generosity,

that sweet
open-handed quality of yours.

Although sometimes your...
your judgment's not so good.

You know that,
don't you?

What are you saying?

Well, $ . million

and you're willing
to hand it out to anybody

who has a sad story
and a rumpled suit.

It's my money, Mark.
My inheritance.

Wrong, darling.

My inheritance.

Dd

Thanks for coming.

Where's Margaret?

She's at home.

A closed casket, huh?

Couldn't bear to look her
in the face.

Mark, I don't know
how to thank you.

If it hadn't been
for you last night...

You'd be facing
a m*rder charge.

If there's anything
I can ever do for you...

There is, my friend.

Tonight.

If you gentlemen
want to finish

paying your respects
to the loved one,

we will be closing up
until : .

I left Margaret at home.

She's lying on the tile floor
near the front door.

She's dead.

Good Lord, Mark.

Quiet.

How?

She drowned in the bathtub.

Only, the police are
never gonna know that.

They're gonna think

the notorious Bel Air Burglar
k*lled her.

And you must see to that.

What are you talking about?
I can't get involved.

You are involved, my friend.

This is the quid pro quo.

You k*lled your wife
and I protected you.

Now you protect me

or I'll see to it
that you go to jail

for the rest of your life.
Is that clear?

Yes, perfectly.

All right.

Now, I left some clothes
in a pile by the front door.

Here's what I want you to do.

This is Chopper One.
This is Chopper One.

Baker Seven, do you read me?
Over.

This is Baker Seven.

We see you, Chopper One.

Okay, we're heading east.

- .

A little early in the evening for
this burglar, isn't it, Commissioner?

You never know, Pete.

Clocks don't mean a thing
in an empty house, you know.

Yeah, except last night
the house wasn't empty.

That's funny.

What is it?

That's my house down there.

And I saw someone
lurking near my wife's car.

He' s disappeared.

Circle around here, Pete,
will you?

Yes, sir.

My God, Margaret.
Hover over the pool.

I'm gonna try to get out.

Yes, sir.

Help me! Quick!
Please, for God's sake!

What are you waiting for?

Get an ambulance
for God's sake.

Margaret. Margaret.

My God, Margaret.

She's gone, sir.

What do you mean?
You're crazy.

She's gonna be all right.
Get an ambulance!

Margaret.

Lieutenant, I just heard.
Terrible.

The Commissioner,
how's he holding up?

They got him
in the kitchen.

They're putting some
dry clothes on him now.

It's not too bad,
I tell you.

The burglar, huh?

Yeah. It's funny, though.
Very funny.

What?

There's no sign
that he forced his way

into the house.

As near as
we can figure it,

he was laying for her,
out in the back by the car.

Lieutenant!

Excuse me, Columbo.

Lt. Duffy, sir.
Yes, sir.

Just keep circling around.

He's got to be
around here somewhere.

Yeah, well, keep looking.
That's right.

What happened, Doc?

See for yourself, Columbo.
She drowned.

In a pool?

Guy tossed her
in a pool?

That's it.

Wonder why
she didn't swim?

Probably couldn't swim.

Well, maybe
she passed out, Lieutenant.

What are we gonna do?

He didn't hit her first?
No marks? No struggle?

There might've been a struggle.
She gotta tear on her sleeve.

Hey, Doyle?

Yeah. Yeah.

No, that happened
this afternoon.

She tore it on a cactus bush.
I was there when it happened.

This guy just pulled up
out front.

I've come to see Ms. Halperin.

What about?

Well, she was supposed to come
to our meeting tonight

and get an award,
that's all.

The way things
look around here,

I'd like to get out of here.

What did you say?
A meeting?

She was supposed
to get an award?

Yeah, Holcombe House.

Gonna have dinner
at : .

And she was gonna
make a little speech

and pick up her trophy.

I called her house
when she didn't show.

Line was always busy,
so I came over.

She was supposed to have
dinner with you at :

and make a speech?

That's where she was going
when the guy jumped her.

Where were you
at :: ?

I was at the place,
settin' up.

Relax, huh.
You're making me nervous.

You can prove it,
right?

Prove it?
Yeah. I can prove it.

I'll bet you can.

All right, Doyle.

Take this gentleman's name
and let him go.

Don't talk to me
about manpower allocations!

Now, this man k*lled my wife
and I want him!

Now, you get three units
over here

and get them over fast.

You're gonna answer to me
in the morning.

Excuse me, Commissioner,

I just want to tell you
how badly I feel.

And if there's anything
that I can do...

No, no, thank you.

Mark, I want you
to take those pills...

What?

I want you to take
the pills that I gave you...

All right,
I'll take the pills.

I'm shocked.

Terribly shocking.

The man is obviously insane.

I mean, to come back here
and do this...

Particularly after
the news broadcast

when you told them
about the increased patrols...

Don't you see? It was the news
broadcast that k*lled her.

It was my fault.

I don't follow, sir.

You mentioned it
this afternoon,

that stupid slip of the tongue
that I made when I said

that Margaret and I
were in our bedroom

when the man ran
from the Caldwell house.

He must have thought
she could identify him.

That's the reason
he came back.

Not to steal anything
but to silence her.

Yes, that is a possibility.

The tragedy is,
she never saw him.

She couldn't identify him.

You mustn't
blame yourself, sir.

He threw her
in the pool.

She drowned
before I could reach her.

He threw her in the pool?

Are you sure of that, sir?

Of course, I'm sure of it.
I was a witness.

Pete Hayley and I were
in the helicopter

and we saw
the whole thing.

Then you had
the light on?

I... I thought
I saw something.

It was kind of a gut feeling,
I suppose.

I told him to go back

and to hover
over the patio area.

I switched on the lights,
and there he was.

The same man
holding Margaret in his arms.

Are you sure
it was the same man?

Well, assumedly...

Yes, he was
wearing the same clothes.

I see.

You must have a lot of those.

What?

Gut feelings.

What are you talking about?

Well, you had a gut feeling
last night.

I don't know what you're talking about.
What do you mean?

When you asked for me
to report

to the Caldwell house.

Yes.

I found out you asked for me
when you first called in.

I did.

What I mean, sir, is that

the burglar had never harmed
anybody before,

yet from your bedroom window

when you called in,
you asked for me.

I was just trying
to figure out how you knew

that the woman
was already dead.

I didn't.
Didn't know, obviously.

Well, I... I did have
some kind of a feeling.

I sensed something was wrong.

Well, the lights were on,
for one thing.

The man running
from the house,

the fact that Janice
was there alone, I...

You're a policeman, I don't
have to explain these things.

Yes, I know exactly
what you feel.

I've had that feeling
many times.

You know something is wrong,

you just can't
get a handle on it.

All right, sir.

I'm going to look
around the house

if it's all right with you.
Maybe the man got careless.

Columbo.

Yeah, go ahead.

What's the matter, Columbo?

You think he's hiding
in the tub there?

Just checkin'.

Yeah? What did you find?

Clean and dry.

Clean and dry.

Let me ask you somethin'.

How do you
figure this guy?

I mean, to me,

a burglar is like
a hungry alley cat.

He sneaks around
after dark,

but if he hears somethin',
he runs.

Haven't you ever heard
of future shock?

The world's going
to hell with itself.

Believe me, Columbo.
Times have changed.

Yeah.

Maybe.

But still.

But still,
you know what bothers me

about the m*rder last night?

You mean
the Caldwell woman?

Yeah.

I, uh, I looked
at her body.

Right away I saw
on her finger

the biggest diamond ring
I ever saw in my life.

Now, I gotta ask
myself this question.

What kind of a burglar
robs a house

and leaves a ring like that
on the victim's finger?

So that's what's
been buggin' you?

You're something else.

Don't you think
we thought of that?

It's a phony.

The ring was phony?

Solid glass.
A piece of garbage.

A pro would have
spotted it a mile away,

and this guy's a pro.

Excuse me, one moment,
will you?

Yeah, I guess
that explains it.

See, here I am,

I've been
batting my brains out

trying to figure out
about that ring

and you guys had it
all the time.

Glass.

How do you like that?

Listen, Doc, do me a favor.
Would you?

When you perform
the autopsy,

would you check
something for me?

This woman apparently drowned
in the swimming pool,

so when you
check her lungs,

see if there's any evidence
of chlorine.

There won't be.

Chorine dissipates almost
immediately in the human body.

Anyway, the fluids
would be masked

by the effects
of pulmonary edema.

So, uh, does that mean that you couldn't
tell if this woman drowned, say,

in a bathtub...

Sure, if the bathtub
were full of gin.

Well, check it anyway,
would you?

It's part of the job.

Yes?

Lt. Columbo, sir.

All right, send him in.

I hope I'm not
disturbing you, sir.

No, it's all right.
Come in.

This is none of my business.
Stop me if I'm out of line,

but nobody expected you to be
at your desk today.

I want to be here,
Lieutenant.

I want to keep working,
keep my mind off...

All right, let's see.

Uh, here's, ahem,

here's
Lieutenant Duffy's report.

There's no question,

it's the Bel Air Burglar,
all right.

It's too bad he got away
last night without a trace.

Oh, and speaking of reports...

That's what I wanted
to talk to you about.

I'm making terrific progress,

but, you see, I don't think

we should be
looking for a burglar.

What?

No, sir.

I think we should be
looking for someone

who made it seem
like a burglary.

What are you
talking about, Columbo?

Here, read Duffy's report.

It shows very clearly

it's the same man
we've been looking for.

I'm sure this is
a very good report, sir,

but there are a couple
of things that don't add up.

Like what?

Oh, for one thing,
the fingerprints.

Come on, come on, Columbo,
there were no fingerprints.

That's what I mean, sir.

You see, Mr. Caldwell
left the house around : .

He called his wife at :
from the bar at the club.

This is what bothers me, sir.

If Mrs. Caldwell spoke
to her husband on the phone,

why didn't she leave
any fingerprints on the phone?

Now that's strange,
isn't it?

The maid spent
the whole day cleaning,

she dusted everything.

Including the phones.

The phone
in the upstairs bedroom,

that's absolutely clean.

The one downstairs has
Mr. Caldwell's prints on it,

but it doesn't have
Mrs. Caldwell's prints.

All right,
what are you implying?

That Caldwell never actually
talked to his wife?

Did it ever occur to you

that maybe the burglar
used the phone after she did

and then wiped it clean?

Occur to me that the burglar used
the phone after and wiped it clean?

Yeah.

No, sir.

Why not?

Well, because the burglar
had to wear gloves.

You see, sir,

There were no prints of his
anywhere in the house.

Now there's another thing
that's very strange.

Is this bothering you?

No.

Um...

Excuse me.

There's something else.

The way this woman's body
was dressed in that nightgown.

She didn't do that.

Somebody else dressed her
in that nightgown.

Is that a fact, Lieutenant?

Or just some more
of your fancy guesswork?

Well, you see, sir,

she was wearing
a pale blue nightgown

which she got
from her closet.

And you know something?

There were no prints
on the handle

of the closet door either.

I don't see what
you're getting at.

Unless you're trying
to tell me

that Caldwell k*lled his wife
and then faked the whole thing?

Oh, no, sir. No. I don't mean
that at all. No, no.

No. You see,

Mrs. Caldwell, she had a habit

whereby she would
put her nightgown

under the pillow
every morning.

I saw a pink nightgown
under the pillow.

So, of course,
we know that Mrs. Caldwell

would not have put on
the blue nightgown.

Now,
here's what's interesting.

Mr. Caldwell,

he knew about the nightgown
under the pillow.

So if he had dressed
his wife's body,

that would be the first place
that he would have looked.

No, sir,

we're looking
for somebody else.

We're looking for somebody...

somebody who tried to make
a m*rder look like a burglary.

Like who, for instance?

Well, sir,

I don't like to speak badly
of the dead,

but,

yesterday,
your wife confirmed to me

that Mrs. Caldwell
was seeing other men.

And you think
it was one of them?

Yes, sir.
I think that's a possibility.

All right,
now listen to me, Lieutenant,

you're wasting your time
and my time

and the department's time
and it's gonna stop. Now,

look, Columbo,

you must understand
that no one,

no one wants this man caught
any more than I do.

Especially now.

But we are looking
for a burglar,

a man who k*lled
one woman out of fear,

who k*lled another
to silence her.

You go on that basis

and we're going to solve
this case. Is that clear?

You don't think that

I have anything here?

Lieutenant, nobody can
be right all the time.

Look for your burglar.
There's the k*ller.

Dd

Excuse me, uh,

Mr. Wexler?

He's inside with a customer
for the moment.

Oh, thank you.

We can smoke here?

Yes.

May I help you, sir?

No, thank you very much.

No, I am waiting
for Mr. Wexler.

Mr. Wexler is servicing
a client at the moment.

If there's anything
I can do...

No, thank you.

Oh, excuse me, ma'am.
Do you happen to...

Do you sell watchbands?

Of course.

I broke this
a couple of weeks ago.

I've been
carrying it with me.

This is a very good watch,
only five years old.

Waterproof and shockproof.

Do you have something
for that?

Oh.

Seven jewels.

We have a large selection,
sir, starting at $ .

No, I don't want a watch,
just the band.

That is for just the band.

No kidding.

I think I'll do it
some other time,

thanks a lot.

Oh, uh,
Mr. Wexler is free now,

if you'd care to see him.

Thank you.

Mr. Wexler?

I'm Bruno Wexler, yes.

Lieutenant Columbo.
If you can spare a moment,

it's about Mrs. Caldwell.

I believe she shopped here
in your store.

Mrs. Caldwell was
a valued client, yes.

Yes. That's what
I understood, sir,

from going
through her papers.

Mostly receipts for jewelry
that she bought here.

Of course,
that was some time ago.

The most recent receipt
that I found

was dated six months ago,
September.

Well, I would have
to check back.

Um, of course, she came
in here quite a few times

since then, didn't she?

I mean, even though
she didn't buy anything.

I've talked to a few people,

friends, the maid...

Lieutenant, could you
get to the point?

May I sit down?

Of course.

This is the point, sir.

Yes?

It's glass.

I can see that it's glass.

But this appraisal
for $ ,

for a . -carat,
pear-shaped diamond ring

with tapered baguettes
in a four-prong setting.

This appraisal
is for that ring, isn't it?

Well, I never would have
charged Mrs. Caldwell $ ,

for a piece of glass.

But that is your work,
isn't it?

Yes, Lieutenant.

I arranged with a friend
to have this copied

for Mrs. Caldwell

so that her husband
wouldn't realize

that she had sold
the original back to me.

As a matter of fact, she sold
a lot of jewelry back to you.

The woman needed money.

Her husband had
cut off her funds.

Then all the jewelry
in her house was phony.

Almost all of it. Yes.

Why did she need the money?

Really, Lieutenant...

I understood she had
a lot of boyfriends.

Well, Mrs. Caldwell
was beautiful and charming

for a woman of .

But she fancied that she was
growing old very slowly.

In fact, hardly at all

to judge by the young men

from whom
she found companionship.

Yes, indeed.

That's a real honey.

You know, we don't get to see
many of these around anymore.

Especially in this condition.

Well, I try to take
good care of it.

I'm looking
for a Mr. Shoup.

I'm Mr. Shoup.

Charlie Shoup.

My name is Columbo.

How many miles
you got on it, Mr. Columbo?

, ? , tops.

Oh, I got over , miles
on this car.

, ?

That's pretty hard
to believe.

Well, look, I don't care
what the speedometer says,

I'm gonna make you an offer
on a trade-in

that you just won't be able
to turn down.

Police?
Look, I just work here.

The stuff they pull up
in the business office

is none of my doing.

You got a beef?
Go see the boss.

Good-lookin' watch.

Thanks.

I'm here to talk about
a Janice Caldwell.

Did she give you
that watch?

Janice Caldwell was a friend
of mine, Lieutenant.

Where were you
Tuesday evening, Mr. Shoup,

between : and midnight?

That was the night
Janice was k*lled?

Tuesday evening.

I was right here until : ,
that's when we close up.

As a matter of fact,
Janice was supposed

to pick me up.

When she didn't show up,

I gave her a call at her place,
but there was no answer.

Figured I'd been stood up.
So I...

There was no answer?

No, sir.

What time?

Around : .

Go on.

Well, like I said, I figured
I'd been stood up.

So I went out with a little
bookkeeper we got here,

had a couple of drinks
across the street,

went back to my place.

You can substantiate that?

She's right inside,
Lieutenant.

Ask for Shirley.

That won't be necessary.
Thank you very much.

You've been very helpful.

Lieutenant?

I'll give you $
for it in a trade.

Excuse me, Commissioner.
I'm sorry to bother you at home...

It's all right.
Come in, Lieutenant.

Thank you, sir.

I know I was supposed
to have the report at : .

Let me tell you
what happened.

My car
let me down again.

They let me
use another one.

Well?

Well, what?

Where is it,
the report?

That's the problem.

I sat down in front
of the typewriter

and nothing happened.
Absolutely nothing.

Look, Columbo,
I'm a little bit tired.

If you've come in here
to bombard me

with more
of your screwball ideas...

May I explain the problem,
sir?

Just give me a moment.

You've had
a lot of experience.

You happen
to know this woman

Mrs. Caldwell.
She was your neighbor.

I thought maybe you could
help me out with this thing.

I'm trying
to figure it out.

If you could just
give me a moment.

All right. Come on.

Thank you, sir.

You want a cognac?

No, thank you very much, sir.
I want to keep my head clear.

This is complicated.

See whether or not
you can help me with this.

Janice Caldwell d*ed
between : and : .

Sometime after her husband
spoke to her at :

and sometime before you saw
the burglar run out at : .

Right?

That's correct.

That's why
I can't start the report.

Why?

I get stuck in the beginning,
the time of death.

What are you
talking about, Columbo?

Janice Caldwell
had a boyfriend.

She was supposed
to meet him at : .

That's an hour before
she was supposed to have d*ed.

She never showed up.

So she stood him up.
So what?

Yeah, but the guy called her
around : , too,

and there was no answer
on the telephone.

I have to ask myself
the question,

why couldn't
she answer the phone?

You know what I wrote down?

"Maybe she was dead already."

You follow my thinking?

Maybe she just didn't
want to talk to the man.

Did that occur to you?

But she answered
the phone later,

when her husband called.

You see the contradiction.

If she didn't want to speak
to her boyfriend at : ,

why did she pick up
the phone at : ?

But did she pick up
the phone at : ?

Because her fingerprints
were not on the telephone.

You see how confusing it gets.

That's why I keep
going back to this.

"Maybe she was dead already."

'Cause if she's dead already,
that explains everything.

That explains why she doesn't
pick up her boyfriend.

That explains why
she doesn't answer the phone.

And it explains
why her fingerprints

aren't on the phone.

Because if she was dead,

her husband
never spoke to her.

It was a fake call.

I specifically asked you
this afternoon

if you thought Caldwell
had k*lled his wife.

And you said no,
for what I thought

was a very good reason.

Because he knew
about the folded nightgown

under the pillow.

I did say that, sir.

But in the light of these
new developments,

it occurred to me

maybe he had an accomplice.

Listen, why couldn't he go out
and hire somebody to run out

of the house at : ,
pretend to be a burglar.

Provide him with an alibi.

I see. I get it.

The next thing, I suppose,

that you're gonna
ask me to believe

is this phantom accomplice,

who never k*lled anybody
in the first place, of course,

comes back the next night
to k*ll my wife.

Is that right?
Is that the next step?

You know, Columbo, I really...

I really do admire
your enthusiasm.

The force could use
a like you.

But this theory is a crock.

You think so, sir?

We are looking for a m*rder*r

who was a burglar,

who panicked
and k*lled two women.

Now, that's the theory
we're gonna go on.

Is that clear?
That's an order.

Yes, sir.

All right.

Tomorrow morning,
I want you

to report to Lt. Duffy
in the Robbery Division.

I want you to concentrate
on his leads.

A little legwork and
we'll have this man in a week,

I promise you.

The burglar?

Sir, in that connection,

I, uh, I spoke
to a Mr. Wexler today...

Well, you're tired...

Not important.
Good night, sir.

Good night.

. .

Come in, .

.

This is .

Lieutenant, we have a message
for you

from the Medical
Examiner's office.

Can you patch me through?

Stand by. Go ahead.

Doc, you wanted
to talk to me?

Columbo, I've got
some bad news for you.

I checked
Mrs. Halperin's lungs

for traces of chlorine.

Uh-huh.

Just as I thought,
no trace at all.

Yeah?

But I did find something
that might interest you.

Trihydric alcohol glycerol
and palmitic acid.

Say that again, Doc.

Soap, Lieutenant. Soap.

Find out what happened to Frankie Vale.
Yes, sir.

Tell that probation guy

I want to see him by this afternoon.
Yes, sir.

Lieutenant Duffy.

Oh, Columbo.

I'm having some problems.

Thought you would.

I spoke to the Commissioner
last night.

He suggested
that I report to you

and maybe
we could work together.

Well, it's nice to hear

you have a little faith
in us.

Come on inside, Columbo.

I thought maybe
you could give me a line

on some of the guys
that you spoke to.

You know,
the most likely suspects.

Take your pick.

But I'll tell you something,
you won't find him in there.

You sure?

Columbo, these guys
are like old friends.

Very placid
and predictable types.

Now,

what we're looking for
is a younger guy,

a guy with a violent temper.

Let me ask you something.

Leave out
the last two murders.

Just concentrate
on the first three robberies.

If you had your choice,

which of these guys
would you pick?

That's easy.
The guy on top. Artie Jessup.

Artie's always
my first choice

when he's out
on the streets,

which isn't too often.

Take a look for yourself.

In and out of the joint
since he was years old.

That's almost years
of state hospitality,

give or take a few vacations
on the outside.

You know, I think
old Artie prefers prison life.

He's very nervous out here
with us civilians.

What about the M.O.?

Fits a lot of guys,
including Artie.

We've already talked to him.
We can't hold him.

Why not?

Columbo, you said forget
about the murders, right?

Artie has an alibi
for both nights.

Mr. Jessup?

Do I know you?

I stopped by your place.

Your wife told me
you were here.

My what?

My wife.

You got Scotch?

Yes, sir.

You like Scotch?

She wishes.

Give him some Scotch.

Thought maybe
you could help me.

Suppose I wanted
a few dollars for that.

Where did you find it,
in a box of cr*cker Jacks?

It's not real.

Come on, pal, what is this,
some kind of hustle?

A cop.

I must be getting old.

I'm not from Robbery.

I'm from Homicide.

I'm investigating the k*lling
of those two women in Bel Air.

Oh, no.

Oh, no.

You're not going to hang
that one on me.

No way! No way!

Where's my jacket?

You wanna book me,
go ahead, book me!

Where's my jacket?

You had nothin'
to do with it.

Then what are you here for?

I had nothing
to do with it.

You wanna know what I am here for?
Yeah.

Gimme this.

Sit down.

I don't
wanna sit down.

May I sit down?

Go ahead.

You had nothing
to do with it.

Now, the guys down
at the Robbery detail

they can't
identify the burglar

that committed
those two murders.

That's what
I'm here for.

I can't help you.

You haven't heard anything?

Nothing.

You're sure?

Do you know I'm afraid
of Siamese cats?

One meow
and I'm out of the door

with my pockets empty.

Oh, look, Lieutenant,

that guy who k*lled
those women,

he scares me.

I mean,
he really scares me.

Look, I'm a professional,

we both know that, right?

Otherwise you wouldn't
be down here.

That guy
what k*lled those women,

he gives guys like me
a bad name.

Right.

Look, Lieutenant,
if I knew who that guy was,

you think I wouldn't have called
you guys a long time ago?

Right.

Would you rob a thing
like this?

Are you kidding?

They'd laugh me
off the cellblock.

All right,
listen to me, Artie.

I got a problem.
You can help me.

Me?

I think I know
who k*lled those two women.

But I can't prove it.

Hey, Artie,
it's your old lady.

She says, get your tail home,
you're taking her shoppin'.

Tell that bag to go...

Tell her I'll be home
in a little while.

You know
who k*lled those women?

Come on, Hugh, make sense.
Who wants money?

The man. The burglar.

The one who's been robbing
all the houses around here.

That's ridiculous.

Mark, he's dead serious.

He's ready to go to the police
if I don't pay him.

But how does he know
you k*lled Janice?

I don't know. I don't know.

The point is that he knows.

I should've called the police
the moment it happened.

You did call the police,
my friend.

How much does he want?

I don't know. I don't know.

Said he'd tell me later today.

When are you
supposed to meet him?

Uh, : .

A bar at Fifth and Wall.

All right, meet him.

I'll be waiting nearby.

Find out what he wants,

and we'll decide how to...

how to deal with him.

All right, no v*olence.

Why, Hugh,

I'm no more violent
than you are.

The cops are trying
to pin those robberies on me.

But, you see, I didn't pull
that job in your joint.

But I figure you know
that already, don't you?

I don't know
what you're talking about.

Don't hand me that.

I figure you k*lled
your old lady

and tried to pin it on me.

Well, I got news
for you, pal,

nobody makes Artie Jessup
a patsy, you got it?

It's gonna cost you.

You still haven't
given me proof.

I don't need any proof.

All I gotta do is go
to cops and confess

to those first three robberies

and, you know what,
all of a sudden,

they look into the other two

where the women were k*lled.

Now, what do you think?

I think they got you.

Hey, I don't mind
one way or the other.

Bein' on the outside
isn't all that great.

All my buddies
are back there,

so going back
on a burglary rap,

I won't mind that a bit.
Now, come on.

What's it going to be, pal?

Do I go to the cops,
or do we work something out?

All right.

How much?

Good.

Well?

He wants $ ,
in small bills. Old money.

Nothing larger than a $ .

$ , , is that all?

The man has no imagination.

When do you meet him?

Tomorrow afternoon, here.

Same time?

Right. Now, Mark,
he's dead serious.

He says he knows
your department

has him under suspicion
for those other robberies,

but that they can't
prove anything.

He's not a stupid man.

All right, now, I want you to
get the money from the bank.

I want you to be here tomorrow
at the same time.

Mark, we can't start
paying him.

He's just gonna want more.

Just leave him to me.

You keep your mouth shut
and don't admit to anything.

We're gonna be just fine.

Both of us.

Oh, Columbo.
What are you doing here?

Oh, good morning, sir.

Good morning.

Lt. Duffy is out on call.
I'm using his office.

What's the matter
with your office?

Well, I was going
through these file folders.

These are the prime suspects
in the robberies

and Duffy didn't want
the folders out of his office.

I wanna tell you something.

I'm doing it just exactly
the way you suggested.

I'm concentrating my efforts
on the robbery aspects

of this crime,
and you're right.

I think the answer lies
right in here somewhere.

Good.

Good. Okay, well,
maybe I'll

take a glance
at these myself again.

I didn't get a very
good look at that man

the night he ran
from the Caldwell house.

Still you never know,
do you?

That's a good thought.

Sometimes something
just clicks into place.

Well, on the other hand,

I've been through these
a dozen times.

I don't think
they can help me any.

That's a good thought,
too, sir.

No sense wasting your time
on a dead end.

You keep at it, though, huh?

If you come up with anything,
let me know.

Do you, uh...

Do you mind?

Be my guest.

Easy. Easy.
Under the table.

Gonna count it?

I trust you.

If it's short,
you can always make it up

in the next payment.

The next payment?

You said...

I said a lot of things,
Mr. Caldwell.

One thing I forgot
to tell you was that...

I'm a chronic liar.

Sure they're in there, sir?

Positive.
Caldwell is meeting him

on my instructions.

Catch this man Jessup with the
money, we'll have our k*ller.

Okay?

Okay.

All right. Move.

Take it easy.

You want it the hard way?

Take it easy!

What are you trying to do,
break my head? What is this?

It's called blackmail, Jessup.

First you rob
this man's house,

you k*ll two women,

then you've got the gall
to try blackmail.

Get out!
You don't have any proof.

We'll have it. As soon as
we search your apartment.

Which we'll do right now.

Columbo, Duffy, come with me.
We'll need one squad car.

Commissioner,
we need a warrant

before we can
search that apartment.

We already got one.
You want to check it?

Yes, sir, that's fine.

I think
you're making a mistake.

I'll prove to you,
I'm not.

All right, take this man down
and book him.

Mr. Caldwell will give you
his statement.

Let's go.

Commissioner, I believe

you are making
a mistake here, sir. Sir.

I don't believe
Jessup k*lled either

of these women,
particularly your wife.

Don't be ridiculous.

I saw it,
he threw her in the pool.

There were other witnesses.

Could you bring
the keys up, please?

Right away, huh?

Sir.

He's on his way up,
Commissioner.

Thank you.

Sir, I realize
that your wife

appeared to die
in the pool.

Actually she d*ed
in the bathtub.

What are you
talking about?

Right this way, please.
Right this way.

Room .

It was the water
in her lungs.

Commissioner.

The water in her lungs.
There were traces of soap.

Duffy, check that bathroom.
You, get the kitchen.

You see, sir, as soon
as I saw the body,

I knew right away
something was wrong.

You did, huh?

Check behind that stove,
get under the sink there.

I knew something was wrong
because of her outfit.

What she was wearing,
the tear in her dress.

You see, I had asked
myself the question.

Why does a woman go to an
important testimonial dinner

knowing that her sleeve
is torn?

Got a whole closet
full of nice clothes.

The one thing that I knew,

she was not on her way
to the dinner

when she was drowned.

So, now it follows, she must
have been drowned earlier.

Now I find out
about the soap.

That places it
in the bathtub.

You see, a couple of hours
before her body

was dropped into the pool,

somebody drowned her
and somebody dressed her.

The Medical Examiner's report set the
time of death at :: , Columbo.

Yes, sir.

But that was based
on your eyewitness testimony.

Now, I spoke to him.

He said it could
just as easily have happened

a couple of hours earlier.

All right. Suppose she did die
in the bathtub.

Jessup surprised
and k*lled her.

He dressed the body and threw it in
the pool to make it look accidental.

No, sir,
that's not possible.

You know why?

You see, the bathroom,
the bathtub,

the faucet itself,
everything was bone dry.

Including the towels,
not even slightly moist.

That was the first thing
I checked, sir.

Now, she had to have drowned
before :

maybe even before : ,

otherwise it wouldn't
have been that dry.

Long before Jessup got there.

As a matter of fact,

just about the time
that you came home for supper.

Commissioner.

I believe
you k*lled your wife.

And I believe you either
k*lled Janice Caldwell

or you're covering up for it.

You just lost your badge,
my friend.

Come on, come on,
keep digging.

Yes, sir.

At first, I thought
Mr. Caldwell was responsible,

but that didn't work out

because of
the nightgown business.

And then the next night
when your wife was k*lled,

and you had
that terrific alibi,

it suddenly hit me.

You were in it together

and you tried
to blame Artie Jessup.

And the truth is
that Jessup was nowhere

near either house
either night.

Commissioner.

He wasn't, huh?

All right, how do you
explain these?

Janice Caldwell's jewels.

I can explain it.

You took them
from the Caldwell house,

you hid 'em,

and today
you planted 'em here

to incriminate Mr. Jessup.

You're crazy, you can't prove
anything like that.

Sgt. Randall?

Here, sir.

You.

Commissioner Halperin says

he found these jewels
under your mattress.

That's crazy.

You're a liar.

Hey, I don't even live here.

What?

I can verify that, sir.

He doesn't live here.
I live here.

These are my shirts.
That's my underwear.

My brother-in-law.

That's my nephew, my niece.

I haven't lived here long.
Just moved in.

You see, the apartment
was vacant for three weeks.

I just signed the lease.

You looked in the closet.

Those were my pajamas
and my bathrobe.

The file folder,
the... the report on the desk.

Yes, sir, I'll have to
take responsibility for that.

You see, I persuaded Mr.
Jessup to telephone Mr. Caldwell,

knowing that Caldwell
would contact you.

I was sure that once
you knew the true identity

of the burglar,

you'd try
and incriminate him.

So this morning, very early,
just after I signed the lease,

I made up a new file folder
on Mr. Jessup.

Everything was the same

except this address.

Only one person,
beside myself,

knew this address.

That was you, sir.

That's all.

I think once your friend,
Mr. Caldwell,

understands the situation,

he'll fill in
some missing pieces.