 Hugh Caldwell kills his wife during a heated argument. In a panic, he asks for help from his neighbor and best friend Mark Halperin, the Deputy Police Commissioner of the LAPD. Mark is glad to help out, making the murder look like a robbery gone wrong, but the price of his assistance is more than Hugh bargained for. Wanting access to his own wife s millions, Mark kills her, and forces Hugh to help him frame "the Bel Air Bandit" once more. Columbo must tread carefully, if he hopes to arrest his superior for murder without losing his badge.