Plot

A popular film composer murders his talented protege, who's been secretly ghostwriting most of his compositions in recent years, after he threatened to expose their secret to the public. Lt. Columbo investigates.

Findlay Crawford, a Hollywood film composer and conductor, murders a talented composer/musician who has been ghostwriting most of Crawford's work in recent years, including the entire score for the last film, which won an Oscar. Crawford is jealous of the young musician whose talent outshines his own. Will Columbo find out who did it? It's just one more thing.—Sally 4th

Findlay Crawford is a composer who has had a brilliant career scoring movies. He's won the Oscar and is greatly admired by everyone in the business. The truth is however that much of his recent work has been composed by his young understudy Gabriel McEnery. After 5 years working under the great maestro, Gabe feels the time has come for him to go out on his own and get the credit he thinks he deserves. Crawford realizes he would be ruined and ridiculed if it ever became known he used someone else's work as his own. His solution is an elaborate plot to kill Gabe making it look like the young man fell off the roof of a studio building. A bit of dried blood and a pair of shoes are all that Lt. Colombo needs to find and arrest the killer.—garykmcd

Columbo matches with brilliant, but selfish and greedy composer Findlay Crawford has been scoring many hit composition pieces. In reality his musical scores have been created by Gabriel McEnery, an understudy who wants credit for his work. Findlay refuses, Gabriel threatens to reveal the truth, Findlay murders him in cold blood.—charmardee-smith