Campaign manager Harry Stone (Ken Swofford) manufactures a story that senatorial candidate Nelson Hayward (Jackie Cooper) is the target of a murder plot. Hayward siezes the opportunity to carry out his own murder plan – the cold-blooded killing of stone – making it look as though he himself was the intended victim.

Det. Lt. Columbo (Peter Falk) hits the campaign trail with the candidate only to learn that behind the smiles and the political rhetoric, Hayward is the prize in a love triangle involving his wife Victoria’s (Joanne Linville) secretary Linda Johnson (Tisha Sterling).

Robert Karnes portrays Sgt. Verson, Vitto Scotti is Chadwick, Jack Riley is the television director, Jay Varela is Sgt. Rojas and Clete Roberts is the TV anchorman.

Portions of this episode were filmed on location in the Toluca Lake, Burbank and Malibu communities of Southern California. (1973)