It's been a while since I saw that episode, but I just figured the family lawyer somehow got her the interview for the hiring, maybe wrangled things so she knew there was an opening and applied. After seeing her, Hanlon just hired her maybe?

I guess thats possible.... but I don't think the lawyer had anything to do with Eve, he only hired the PI to bug the phones to get something on Hanlon, he was suspicious of Hanlon so he had the phones bugged, he didn't know what he would find.

Shirley was really frustrated when the lawyer brought all this up and got everyone together to listen to the tapes. I'm sure she was in on the murder plan and this meddling old lawyer guy was messing things up for her.


I don't think there's a good explanation for how Eve got hired to work in Hanlon's office. I think we just have to accept that somehow the PI got her in there. For what it's worth Hanlan knew her by her real name Miss Gerogio, I'm not sure why her two names were brought into to the story.

Yes, you are missing something. You have to remember she was hired to bug the phones, as you say, but to do that she was pretending to be Eric's secretary/receptionist. The scene where Columbo helps the flower delivery people to carry in a wreath, the receptionist is on the phone and says she has just started.

As Hanlon is a family friend as well as Business Manager, he would have spoken to and seen her on several occasions.

Remember, Columbo says something like "Hanlon would have noticed you around the office" (or similar).

I do not think Shirley and Hanlon are having an affair - this is not "obvious". Again, Hanlon is a family friend and does a lot for them. However, I think he has designs to move in on her.

When you think about it, the actual reason why Hanlon kills Eric is never clearly explained.

Walter hired a Private Investigator to spy on Hanlon, the private investigator knew Eve and used her to bug the phones. Dobs told Columbo he put Eve in Hanlon's office and she ran an errand to Wagner's house. Eve worked in Hanlon's office not at Eric's house. It seems like Hanlon would be more in charge of hiring a secretary for his own office. After paying attention to this they don't really explain how Eve got hired to work for Hanlon maybe Walter Cannell was able to get her hired there.

Now as for the affair, whenever we see Shirley she is either hugging Hanlon holding his hand, or never more than a two feet away from him. Also while the police are trying to figure out who killed her husband she throws them out of her house, don't you think she would want the police to catch the person who murdered her husband? They never tell us if they are having an affair or not so this one is up to the viewer to decide, but I see signs of an affair by watching Hanlon and Shirley interact.

When Columbo and Hanlon are talking in the airport, Columbo says something like, "Now I have to find out someone who might have had a motive to kill the kid." At that moment, Shirley shows up and collapses crying into Hanlon's arms. And Columbo is shown reacting. There's the motive.