Plot

The formula for a miraculous wrinkle cream leads the founder of a cosmetics company to murder; Columbo is soon on the case.

Viveca Scott runs Beauty Mark, the cosmetics company whose products are in every woman's home. With sales dropping, she's counting on the miraculous new beauty cream created by her chief chemist to boost sales and overtake her rival, David Lang, but the chemist's assistant steals the formula. Scott attempts to negotiate with him but, in a rage, knocks him over the head with a heavy microscope, killing him. Her rival's secretary finds out and attempts to blackmail her, but the cosmetics queen's worst news is that the rumpled, redoubtable Lt. Columbo is on the case.—J. Spurlin

A cosmetics company founder kills one of her chemists in a fit of rage after learning he has stolen the formula of her latest product..an anti-wrinkle cream that does exactly what it says on the jar and one she is relying on to revive her decreasing profits..and plans to sell it at a high price to her arch rival. But when her rival's secretary attempts to blackmail her in exchange for spying on her boss's activities, she kills the secretary by lacing her cigarettes with a potent sedative.

Cosmetics queen Viveca Scott's struggling to keep her company alive in competition from rival, David Lang. That'll be all but impossible if Karl Lessing, her employee and ex-lover, gets his way. He's stolen the formula of a revolutionary beauty cream and is about to sell it to Lang. When Viveca kills Karl, only Lieutenant Columbo has the ability to see the truth.—Leaper