Columbo

Chapter 3

"Lieutenant Columbo." They shook hands. "It's very nice to meet you, sir. I mean, it's a pleasure."
They let go.
"I've been looking forward to meeting you, Columbo. I hear you've done some great work in L.A."
"Oh, well, thank you, but, that's not what my wife thinks, she thinks I'm second best on the force."
"Is that what you think?"
He looked around the body.
"I try hard to be the best. I try to look harder and try to find all the little details that I can find."
"Sounds like you'rea good man, lieutenant."
"Thank you."
He found a bullet shell near her feet. He put the cigar back in his mouth, grabbed a tissue out of his pocket and grabbed out a small orange envelope.
"What did you find, Lieutenant?"
Columbo picked up the bullet, with the tissue, and showed him.
"It's a bullet shell."
He put it into the inside of the envelope, then, putting it into his pocket.
Then he got up and tried to portray the sceen. He made his hand into the shape of a gun, then pretended to shoot. Then, he waved his hand up then down, to where Jane was.
He grabbed the cigar out of his mouth and said, "There were two guys and one of them shot her, once, and she fell, dead."
He looked around some more and found a piece of mud on the carpet.
His cigar was back in his mouth and he took a little mud from it, using a tissue and put it in a plastic bag. He looked at the sargent.
"What I don't under stand is why they left her." He looked at the door, "Unless, they saw my wife, chased after her, and had no time to hide the body. Now, maybe, they heard the maid and ran away, afraid they might be caught. I wonder why Jane was here."
"Jane was probably, doing business with them and it didn't work out."
"Yeah, yeah, that could of happened, just what kind of business?"

Back where Kate was, it was 5:32 A.M. She was asleep and was woken up by the sound of the door knob turning. She was frightened by what they would do with her. She could hear voices outside the door, but, she couldn't make out what they were saying.
Suddenly, the door opened and Hoffman, the youngest, stepped in with a plate of food, he was holding in his right and a cup of water in his left.
"Here." He set them down in front of her. "Well, go on, eat." The plate had scrabled eggs and toast in the corner and a clear glass of water.
She hesitated, then picked up the fork and started to eat.
"You like it?" He asked
"Why are you being so nice to me?"
"What, you don't want us to be nice to you? Because, I can make that happen."
She just stared at him.
"Alright, so, I like you, so, what?"
"I'm married!"
She showed him the ring.
"I don't care, I've dated a married women, before, besides, you don't have any say in this."
He leaned in on her.
"The last woman I dated, I didn't like and you know what I did?"
She shook her head, scared to find out the answer.
He leaned in close to her ear and whispered, "I killed her,"
He leaned back and smiled.
"And if you don't cooperate, I will kill you, too."
He got up and gave a little laugh and left, shutting the door.

It's 7:54 A.M. Columbo was downstairs making a phone call, down on the front desk, "Do the names Harrison and Hoffman sound familiar? Uh, one's younger, ones older," He looked at the the clerk. "and they both brown hair, you said?"
"Yeah."
"Yeah, they did. Hmm, O.K., I'll wait."
"Well?" asked the Clerk
"They're looking the names up."
The clerk nodded, not smiling.
"Huh? Oh, wow. Really? Oh, I see. Well thanks for letting me talk to you, O.K., bye."
"Well, what is it?"
"They're not sure who they are, so they'll be sending me pictures, that are close to the descriptions you guys gave me, so we can, maybe, get this thing cleared up."
"Oh."
"Yeah, well, anyways, I better get going, I'm going to need some sleep, if I'm going to try to find my wife. Oh, I'm beat."
He started walking towards the door, when the clerk stopped him by saying, "I hope you find her, soon, good luck."
"Thanks, I hope so, too."
Then he left.

It was 8:34 A.M. back at where Kate was. The two men were talking, sitting at a table.
"So, what do you think of her?" Asked Hoffman
"How many times have I told you not to flirt with our hostages!"
"She's very pretty, you know, besides, can't I just have this one?"
"Ugh, fine, date her, see if I care." Hoffman gave a small chuckle.
"What?"
"You caved in."
"What?"
"Yeah, I got you right where I want you and when we get the money, I'll take it all."
Harrison had his gun close to him on the table, he quickly grabbed a hold of it and pointed it at Hoffman.
"You'll get nothing if you keep talking."
Hoffman smiled, he raised his hands.
"Alright, alright, I was just joking."
"Sure you were." He said, sarcastically, still pointing the gun at him.
"I promise, I was only joking. Although, I wasn't joking that I liked her."
His gun was still pointed at Hoffman. "You better be joking, because, you know how I am about money and you know that I'd do anything for it."
"O.K., O.K., I get it, just, please, lower the gun."
He lowered the gun and set it down, on the table and as he did Hoffman lowers his arms.