The Columbo Collection by William Link

Author:William Link
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Crippen and Landru

On a backlot soundstage at Universal, Cathy was holding her own in a frenetic domestic scene with an actress playing her obstreperous daughter. It was only after the director called "cut" that she saw Columbo watching from the periphery of the set.

"That's a print," the director beamed at her. "We'll set up right away for the next scene."

She was lost for a few moments in the hectic ebb and flow of the crew swirling around her until she saw the cop waving.

"How did you know where to find me?" she asked him when they found a safe haven in a corner.

"The gate guard on Lankershim had all the production schedules and locations for the day. He told me this is the soundstage where they shot Bela Lugosi in Dracula. Is that true?"

"I really wouldn't know. You've caught me at a very busy time, Lieutenant. This is our first day of shooting on the new picture."

"Yeah, I know, but this won't take long. Is there someplace really quiet where we can go?"

"My trailer. Come with me."

Her Winnebago was parked only a hundred yards away down the main studio street. Cathy's makeup woman had followed them, applying some touch-ups while Columbo sat stuffed in a pull-down chair in the cramped confines.

"Well what is it?" Cathy asked. "I have to study my script before the AD calls me back."

"Nothing really important, Miss Cole, just something I have to clear up. I like to clear things up."

She looked at him in the round makeup mirror. He was such an unpretentious sort, almost humble, hesitant, like he was never quite sure of himself. She had played with plenty of movie cops in her pictures, but they were never anything like him. "Well fire away," she said. "What do you want cleared up?"

"Correct me if I'm wrong, but didn't you tell me last night you fired one shot that missed and then one more that hit the target?"

"Yes. I did."

"Well, Miss, the medical examiner found a slug in Mr. Matos' heart. But we couldn't find the pellet from the first shot."

She let that sink in. The makeup woman was putting a little undereye cover on, hiding the damage done from her crying jag the night before. "I told you I fired and I missed. Do you think I'd forget something like that?"

"No, no I don't." He tried to cross his legs, had trouble in the chair, gave up.

"Did you check my gun, Lieutenant? It was fully loaded before I shot — eight bullets. How many were left?"

Columbo looked pained. "Two missing. And we found two cartridge shells on the floor. And that's the mystery: where's that second slug? My men hunted all around and outside the garage. Nothing."

"Who knows, maybe a squirrel went off with it."

She removed the apron of tissue around her neck that protected her blouse. "Are you through, Kitty?"

"All through," the woman said, gathering together her things.

"I never heard of squirrels liking metal," Columbo said. She looked at him again in the mirror: was he playing with her?

"Neither have I.

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