Watched this one today for the first time in a long time. I'd always remembered it as interesting (and, given the times, rather brave) but it's really excellent.
One scene I didn't quite get the relevance of - Kate O'Connell's drive-by visit to Columbo at Pier 213.
Why did she do that? At first, I thought she was being ultra-pragmatic and, having decided that Devlin was a loose cannon, and that Columbo would get him, was attempting to distance her family from the investigation.
But no, that's not it.
Was she "rubbing his nose in it"? Essentially saying, "you'll not stop us, Lieutenant"?