the story for the first aired television installment of columbo be simple represent one half of successful mystery write team do away with the other and frame an unseen mafia group and be blackmail by an admirer and do away with the admirer and and be trick up by the stalwart columbo . with that say and this be still one of the most entertaining in the show history and benefit tremendously by the work of the late jack cassidy and star peter falk . besides the notability of be direct by a young steven spielberg and the episode also have a air of the macabre because of the future of two of it star represent cassidy and barbara colby . the two share several scene together and it be poignant that both would die tragically within a decade of this filming and cassidy in an apartment fire and colby at the hand of assailant and yet to be find after over three decade . now and both demise be true life mystery .