In 2 episodes Columbo seems to have a sixth sense about key evidence, and almost is attracted to it without really knowing it.

In Strange Bedfellows, he meanders around McVeigh's backyard and seems attratced to the bird feeder, leaning up against it as he gazes across the field.

In Sex/Married Detective, the scene at the fireplace with Allenby's handbag and again at the music center. It's almost as if he knows, yet he doesn't know, that key evidence lies within.

Any other episodes where Columbo is attracted to something of great importance, but doesn't really know it yet?

In an episode I otherwise love, the way Columbo becomes obsessed with the positioning of the whiskey bottle in The Conspirators is totally contrived even by the mac daddy's eccentric standards.

He seems to spend hours in that hotel room rolling about on the floor. The only reason for it is so that he has an excuse to notice the tiny scratch on the bottle.

A fair example was in "Trouble Waters" when he first catches sight of the feather.

an example of him NOT originally gravitating to key evidence is in etude in black....how the heck did he miss that flower under the piano???

He was just in awe, like you Cassa, in the presence of the Maestro.

Speaking of which, that was a very effective use of the zooming image in the sunglasses effect.

you're probably right abe..

and yes frank it was. however when i saw it the first few times i thought it was a bit cheesy...but it is effective.
a side note..the 90minute canadian version of etude doesn't use this effect.

My theory has always been that he DID see the flower under the piano but left it there as bait. When the Maestro picked it up he implicated himself, which explains Columbos' subsequent focus on him as the prime suspect. Cass, do you agree??

wow! steve that is very interesting. i had not thought of that before. i went back and looked at the scene again, keeping close attention to where columbo is situated during the scene. he checks the birdcage and sees that chopin is dead, and he is standing right by the piano and bench...there is no way he could have missed seeing the flower.
and then when alex benedict arrives and spots the flower, columbo is all the way across the room with his back turned. but then columbo turns around, as alex is pinning the flower on and he asks, "find something?"
columbo couldn't have seen him pick it up because he wasn't facing alex at that point, so there is a strong possibility that he knew the flower was there all along and trapped alex into picking it up.

terrific conception, steve! i like that idea a lot!