Peter Falk walks into the restaurant and seeing him alone in a booth, slides, without comment, into the seat opposite Robert Vaughn.

"Bobby!" he says. "Glad you could make it."

"Columbo!"

"It's Peter, Bob." Falk corrects him. "I heard you wanted to talk."

"Jackie said you could help me with a..." Vaughn says, in a soft voice, looking around, "a problem."

"Cooper," says Falk, with a chuckle. "He had a bit of a problem himself."

"So he said," says Vaughn. "And he said you are the man to go to."

"Well Bobby, what's the problem?"

"There this... little Italian piece... she doesn't understand that its over."

"I get it Bobby."

"Robert..."

"Is she an actress?"

"Yeah, kind of." says Vaughn, dismissively. "She's been on Ironside, and did Banacek last year."

"Small time." says Falk. "Seems perfect. We have one on a cruise ship coming up in April. You'll have to clear two weeks for filming."

"Filming?"

"This isn't for free Bobby, you're going to have to do the work."

"Wait, Jackie said you could take care of it. He didn't say anything about..."

"That's how it works Bobby." Falk says grabbing Vaughn's tie and pulling his face close. "You kill her. We film it. Columbo catches you. And the whole world thinks it's make-believe."

"And that works?" Vaughn says, in a bare whisper. "How many times have you done it?"

"Works so far. Twenty-six times so far."

"I don't think I'm comfortable with this."

"Bobby. Your going to be on the show now one way or the other. How it happens is your choice. " says Falk, sticking his finger in Vaughn's face. "I suggest you grow some balls and have a little fun. Conrad did it twice. And he didn't even have a problem. He just wanted a piece of the action."

"But Columbo..."

"Two weeks, Bobby." says Falk, getting up and walking out.