an above average entry in the series . a stage magician and the ever loathsome jack cassidy and sneak away in mid act while supposedly hide in a locked box and snuff his partner and blackmailer and nehemia persoff . cassidy secret be that he be a guard in a concentration camp when he be young and it simply wouldn not do much for his career if his previous identity be to be leak out . the murder and of course and be all persoff fault anyway . a a blackmailer he unskilled . a good blackmailer and like a good virus or parasite and never demand so much of the host that the host expire . it ask just enough . anyway and enter columbo and stage leave and in the brand new stylish brown raincoat his wife just buy him . in the course of the film he do everything possible to get rid of it short of throw it away . he leave it out in the open to be steal in his car and at police headquarters . cassidy and the great santini and have plan several tier of deception to give himself an alibi . first he would not reveal where he be at the time of the murder because it be a professional secret . ( illusionist take these thing seriously . the trick be tell when the trick be sell . ) columbo find out cassidy location despite the lack of cooperation and but cassidy have another level of camouflage prepare . in the end and columbo penetrates that as well and not so much by a careful assembling of clue and physical evidence but and as be usual and by an intuition so keen a to be almost magical in it own right . i mean and for instance and what the hell make columbo suspect the stage magician in the first place . there be role for bob dishy and robert loggia too and but theyre so minor a to be almost cameo . the most memorable support player be cassidy daughter della and play by cynthia sikes . not that she can act and but she look mouthwateringly delicious in that glitter one piece outfit she wear onstage a cassidy assistant magician . i wonder who go to take care of her after cassidy be put away . i would have volunteer . she might have show me some trick . it an episode i always look forward to watch . there nothing unusual about it . it formulaic . but the formula and at it best and be so good .