Fire on Maple Street

Meet Clifford, his wife, and his enemy, Howard.

Cathleen meets her lover, Patrick, in a motel, and they come up with an evil plan.

Cathleen and Patrick set in motion their plan to kill Howard and incriminate Clifford.

Poor Howard finds himself on the wrong end of Patrick’s gun.

Cathleen plants evidence from the crime scene on her husband’s coat, and Columbo arrives at the crime scene. Guess who he finds there?

Columbo starts investigating the crime scene, and Patrick is, let’s say, puzzled when he sees the empty ashtray.

Columbo talks to Clifford to verify his alibi. When asked if he has a gun, Clifford opens the drawer confidently to show his registered gun to the detective, but he is in for an unpleasant surprise.

Columbo goes to the bride’s parents’ home, to verify Clifford’s whereabouts on the night of the murder. Meanwhile, Cathleen calls Patrick, and is not very pleased to learn he can’t find the cigar end. Find that cigar end, Patrick! Find it now!

Columbo goes to the murder scene, and happens on Patrick there, too. They find the missing cat, AND the missing cigar end.

Columbo searches Clifford’s home and finds the coat with fibers on it.

Columbo tells Patrick he went to check the minimart where Clifford claims he bought cough drops. What he discovered there leaves him completely stumped.

Columbo tells Patrick they need to check out the wife, because evidence is pointing away from Clifford. Patrick and his lover meet to talk, and things get a little stormy between them.

Columbo and Patrick arrange a meeting with Cathleen at Barney’s Bar. What Columbo sees there is a real eye-opener.

The District Attorney tells Clifford she is ready to indict him for murder. Columbo visits Clifford one more time, and the mystery of the cigar is finally cleared up.

Patrick is in a hurry to see the grand jury indict Clifford so he and his lover can be home scot-free. But Columbo has some very troubling news for him.

Columbo turns the lovers against each other, and Cathleen gets a head start to make a deal with the DA.

How did you break the case, Columbo?