I like this episode a little more than other reviewers. Leslie Fielding (Rosemary Forsyth) shoots an intruder and then realizes it is the man who has been blackmailing her. Her husband Glen (Guy Stockwell) comes into the room, takes her gun, and sends her to bed while saying he will take care of it. Next day Leslie's mother, Mildred Oliver (Josephine Hutchinson), visits Joe to ask him for help with Leslie's alcoholism. Joe wants to help his old friend. While visiting with Leslie at a party, Joe meets the husband and a corporate lawyer John Ogilvy (Sam Melville) and then Lt Adam Tobias comes in with news of finding the body of the intruder who had a check for $1000 signed by Leslie on his body. The husband says the check was stolen from his briefcase a month prior so there is no connection between the dead guy and his wife. This story soon falls apart as the murder weapon is found in a playground and it comes to light the dead guy is Leslie's first husband who didn't get a divorce although he said he did. So Leslie is a bigamist and Leslie also had a daughter who she left at an orphanage. Leslie is a piece of work. After some red herrings and spending time getting a handle on Leslie's life, Joe gets to the solution. Husband Glen arrives at a settlement with the blackmailer. The plan is the blackmailer will come in the house, Leslie shoots him with blanks, the husband gets him out of the house and pays him off and he goes away. Leslie will now think she committed murder and the husband gets the upper hand. The hitch in the plan is the husband shoots the guy with Leslie's gun and dumps the body in the ocean. A murder plan is better with a body. It did strike me as odd that the husband would dump the gun in a playground - not a great hiding place. Now we know why. He wants his wife convicted. Joe tells the corporate lawyer of his plan to trap the husband. Always a bad move as corporate lawyers are always bad guys in TV land. Joe confronts the husband and the lawyer in a chase and gunfight around a power plant. For once the police show up in a timely manner and save Joe. Well done guys! Leslie meets her daughter for a happy ending.
Two nice touches here. Mildred refers to using another detective agency before coming to Joe. She says it is an international outfit with lots of computers. An obvious reference to Intertect. The other is at the end of the episode where Joe chides Adam that he cut the rescue close, and he might be late the next time. Adam replies "I'm trying." Cute joke between friends.
Acting is fine throughout. The principles had long careers and these roles are not a stretch. Joe probably didn't charge the mother a fee so he is working for free again but he saved two old friends so that will have to do. Not a great episode but it passes the time.
Two nice touches here. Mildred refers to using another detective agency before coming to Joe. She says it is an international outfit with lots of computers. An obvious reference to Intertect. The other is at the end of the episode where Joe chides Adam that he cut the rescue close, and he might be late the next time. Adam replies "I'm trying." Cute joke between friends.
Acting is fine throughout. The principles had long careers and these roles are not a stretch. Joe probably didn't charge the mother a fee so he is working for free again but he saved two old friends so that will have to do. Not a great episode but it passes the time.