I will kill him like in the old days
with you assisting me
That is crazy
That sounds like blackmail
Lieutenant, would I do such a thing to a fellow police officer?
You're in no condition to fight a bull
Maybe it was homicide
No man could have ripped Rangel open in such a way
No, the bull was the murder weapon, sir
Like a gun
Curro! Curro!
(SPEAKING SPANISH)
(PHONE RINGING)
Hello Dr Leon
Dr Leon, this is Luis Montoya
Fine, thank you Tell me, how is Curro doing?
That's good news I'll tell his father
Then the bull did get him It's a minor wound?
Well, that's a relief When he reawakens,
will you tell him that I called?
And tell him that I'm going to San Diego this evening with his father,
but in the morning, on the way back, I'll stop by
Thank you, Doctor Goodbye
(BANGING ON DOOR)
Enter
Matador?
Excuse me, but do you wish the convertible washed and waxed?
No, I'll be using the hardtop
Have Carlos get it ready
The men were asking me about Curro How is he?
Oh, he regained consciousness I just talked to the doctor
(SPEAKING SPANISH)
Yes, he'll be all right
Hector told us what you did, Matador It was a brave thing
Yes?
These young ones, so foolish to try to cape a bull like Marinaro
When Carlos is finished, give him the rest of the day off
Tell all the men to take the rest of the day off
But Yes, I know, I know it's Friday and it's early
But yesterday, we nearly had a tragedy
and tomorrow, the bulls must be sent off early to the bullring
and I think everyone could use a little time off
Matador, who do you want to stay behind?
Let them all go Miguel can play caretaker for the evening
(SPEAKING SPANISH)
(PEOPLE CHATTERING IN SPANISH)
(WHINNIES)
Miguel!
I saw some cows roaming outside the south pasture
There must be a fence down
I will take a ride, senor, and find out
Good
Miguel!
To keep you company
Good mescal, senor
You touched the heart of an old vaquero
(BIRDS CHIRPING)
(SPEAKS SPANISH)
(KNOCKING ON DOOR)
I was hoping you'd change your mind about leaving
No You were right
Everything is different now
I must leave
What do you want me to tell the men?
Tell them whatever you want to
You know, I can't send Marinaro to the ring with the other bulls
He has seen your son's cape He has sentido now
I know He is spoiled He knows too much
I'm going to kill him
But why?
He will make a very good seed bull
When Curro leaves the hospital,
you know he'll want to face Marinaro again
How do you know that?
Dr Leon told me that
Curro is determined to do it
Perhaps, but I don't think my son is that crazy
I won't take that chance That bull would kill Curro this time
Luis, I do appreciate your concern
I know it is not easy to destroy such a valuable bull
But you don't have to There are no "buts"
I'm going to kill Marinaro today
in the ring, face to face
Luis, you don't have to do that
I will kill him like in the old days
with you assisting me
That is crazy
And you know it!
Look, we're both out of shape
That bull would take at least five picks
Besides, your leg,
it has been giving you a lot of trouble lately
If you won't help me, my friend,
I'll have to do it alone
Curro is a son to me also
(HECTOR GRUNTING)
Oh, my God!
Luis!
Luis, I don't Help me, Luis
Luis,
help me
I don't I don't know what's wrong
I Something's wrong
Luis, I was stung
No, Luis
(SPEAKING SPANISH)
Luis,
what are you doing?
Help me I can't see straight
Luis, please
(SPEAKING SPANISH)
(BULL GRUNTING)
Luis, no
(SPEAKING SPANISH)
(MAN SHOUTING IN SPANISH)
(SPEAKING SPANISH)
I have insurance, I have insurance that'll pay for everything
Wait a minute Wait a minute
COLUMBO: Does anybody speak English?
Speak English? You speak English?
Do you speak English? Just a minute now
(SPEAKING SPANISH)
(ALL SPEAKING SPANISH)
What did she say? What is he saying?
Broken neck Broke the neck
He broke the neck? How'd he broke the neck?
We were going 10 miles an hour
(SPEAKING SPANISH)
Tell him, tell him, we were going five miles an hour
Five
(SPEAKING SPANISH)
Sir, your identification, please
My identification Here
MAN: She said all your fault, you hit her car
Insurance, insurance
Where is the man who speaks English?
COLUMBO: Come over here Come over here
Just a minute Where's that man that speaks
Just a minute, darling
(WOMAN CHATTERING IN SPANISH)
COLUMBO: Senor, I have insurance
(ENGINE STARTING)
(SPEAKING SPANISH)
You don't have to take the car
There is nothing wrong with the car
Senor, there is just a dent in the fender
(SPEAKING SPANISH)
All right One minute One minute
(POLICE SIREN WAILING)
I have to get back to Los Angeles
I need my car My wife is here
(POLICE SIREN BLARING)
(MAN CHATTERING IN SPANISH)
Yes, but what am I gonna do, walk?
(OFFICER SPEAKING SPANISH)
Is your name Columbo? Yes
Lieutenant Columbo?
That's right
Los Angeles Police Department?
That's right
I'm Comandante Emilio Sanchez
Pleased to meet you, Lieutenant I'm at your service
Listen, nothing happened That fellow wasn't hurt
I mean, the bumpers just touched
They took my car I gotta get back
I'm sorry, Lieutenant You may go But the car has to stay
It's a matter of insurance
Oh, I got plenty of insurance
I'm afraid it's not valid here in Mexico
You should have bought the coverage when you drove over the border
Listen, my wife and I, we gotta get back to LA I'm sorry, Lieutenant I'm sorry
I would like to extend to you a professional courtesy,
as a police officer to a police officer,
but the law is very specific about it
Maybe you can go in a bus to Los Angeles and come back on Monday
Oh, I couldn't do that I need the car It's very special
You are very special
What do you mean?
We had it in all the newspapers here in Mexico
That murder on the cruise ship
By the time you landed in Mexico, you had unmasked the killer
Oh, you heard about that Yeah
Oh, that was a hell of a thing Gee That was a
You know the first night out the fellow murdered the girl,
an entertainer?
She went down to change her clothes and she never came back
It was a cruise My wife bought a raffle ticket,
we won a cruise for nothing and got on, and I was seasick
Oh, I'll never forget that
Yeah, I would like to hear more about it
Now that you're gonna remain in the city for the weekend, maybe we could get together
I would be honored if you could join my wife and me for dinner tonight
I thought I was gonna be arrested
(POLICE RADIO CHATTERING)
Just a moment
(SPEAKING SPANISH)
(WOMAN SPEAKING SPANISH ON RADIO)
(SPEAKING SPANISH)
I must go, Lieutenant
There's been a terrible accident at the Montoya ranch
Maybe you'd like to accompany me
We could talk on the way over
My wife is waiting at the hotel
All right I understand
You know, I was thinking that maybe
we could speed up the paperwork on your accident
But of course, you have to go to your wife That's it
That sounds like blackmail
Lieutenant, would I do such a thing to a fellow police officer?
(SANCHEZ CHUCKLING)
(SANCHEZ SPEAKING SPANISH)
(SPEAKING SPANISH)
My house is your house, Lieutenant
Thank you very much
I can't tell you what a relief it is that you speak English
Don Luis is the owner of the ranch He is a ganadero
Ganadero?
At one time, I was paid handsomely to fight bulls
Now I pay handsomely to raise them
An expensive hobby, my friend
The dead man worked for Don Luis for many years at the ranch
and before that, as his assistant
A true friend, loyal, faithful,
forgotten virtues these days
Just be a moment
SANCHEZ: Now Luis, tell me what happened
The shipping box broke
and Marinaro bolted into the ring
and then Curro Rangel, with muleta and sword, jumped in
That was Thursday, right?
Thursday
As soon as the boy eyed the bull,
I know the feeling from my own youth,
he could not resist
He did surprisingly well for a novice
but then he comes from good stock He's a brave boy
But the bull got him
Yes A momentary lapse of concentration,
a sudden gust of wind that caught the muleta, who can say?
Hector managed to drag Curro to safety
while I held the bull at bay, momentarily, of course
With this leg of mine, I would not like to take on that brute in earnest
You're too modest, Don Luis Yeah
Anyway, I could not guess that Hector would climb into the ring alone yesterday
after everyone was gone
Well, why would he do a thing like that, sir?
For his son, Lieutenant
Hector knew that Curro would leave the hospital to fight the bull again
Now, you gave all the men the day off, right?
Mmmhmm
All but Miguel
I myself had to leave for a speaking engagement
in San Diego at the Aficionado Club
And Hector was supposed to come along with me,
but at the last minute, he asked permission
to stay behind to work on the books
It appears now he had a
He had other plans in mind
Excuse me, sir
Is that Senor Hector driving your car?
Hector Rangel
So, Hector Rangel must have gotten into the ring right after you left at
LUIS: 4:30 4:30
He would have waited until I was well on my way,
walked to the ring,
I'd say he faced the bull at 5:00,
perhaps 5:30 5:00, 5:30
All right
I would like to take a look at the body Would you care to join me?
As you wish
SANCHEZ: Lieutenant?
Comandante, how much is a bull like that worth?
Fighting bull? How much is it worth?
I don't know But they're expensive
How much?
It all depends on the bull Ask him
Who, Luis? Yes
Don Luis,
a bull like Marinaro, how much he worth?
$8,000 More with inflation
Seems like a valuable piece of property to destroy without permission
I'm sorry I don't follow you
No, it just occurred to me that
Is there something I can help you with?
No, we were just commenting on the fact
that the man that was killed, Hector Rangel,
that he was planning to destroy
a valuable piece of your property without permission
He's dead
How can you judge the behavior of a man
who almost lost his only son?
Shall we, Luis? Lieutenant?
No, gracias I see enough bodies when I'm working
Thank you I'll just look around
Okay
(SPEAKING SPANISH)
Oh, no I speak English, senor
I am Jaime Delgado, the foreman What can I do for you?
I was wondering Could you answer a question for me?
I already told the Comandante all I know, senor
I was in town when Rangel was killed
It was a very sad thing that happened
Oh, yes, it was
Oh, no, no This is about bullfighting
I was wondering, could you tell me,
do you think it's kind of late in the afternoon
to be fighting a bull at 5:00, 5:30?
I mean, because of the sun, it's already down
No, senor
It is the time that all bullfights take place
You see, it's to the bullfighter's advantage
And there's more than enough light at this time of year
It shows you
I don't know much about bullfighting
Yes
Is that all, senor?
You know, I think my wife is right
Something wrong with me
Supposed to be on vacation and right away, I'm thinking like a cop
It's called occupational hazard
"Occupational hazard? " What is that?
That's when wherever you go,
you take your work with you
Oh, I see We call that loco Excuse me
(CLEARING THROAT)
Good afternoon, sir
This is a wonderful car
I always wanted a car like this for myself
How long has Senor Montoya had this car?
Oh, for many years
I take the best care of it
Could I sit in? Sure Go ahead
(SIGHING)
Oh, boy
This is a workout driving this car
No power gadgets on that one, sir
If you want power, you gotta do it yourself
You know, it must be difficult for Senor Montoya,
I mean, with his bad leg
He'll never drive it
Hector will always do it for him
Hector
Yes I remember the pictures on the wall
Yeah, now that Hector's not here,
probably he'll ask me to drive it for him
So I guess Senor Montoya used this car to go to San Diego in?
Pretty smart, mister
That one is clean, this one is dirty, huh?
Me, I like a motorcycle,
except that I crashed it up last Monday,
now they want to fix it, 2,500 pesos
They must be crazy
They must think I own the place
When was the last time this car was waxed?
Oh
That must have been
Yeah, it was yesterday
The foreman of the ranch asked me to wash it and wax it for him
He said that the patrón was gonna drive it up to San Diego
But I thought the workers, they were let off early yesterday
What time was that?
It must have been around 12:00
What are you asking me all these questions for?
Oh, I'm a policeman, always ask questions
Thank you very much
Yeah
COLUMBO: Wait a minute!
(COLUMBO SPEAKING SPANISH)
Comandante Sanchez? May I see the body?
Go ahead
(SPEAKING SPANISH)
I didn't expect that
It's not a pretty sight, Lieutenant
But as you say, you have seen many bodies
You don't realize what a bull can do
(SPEAKING SPANISH)
The doctor said that the wound inside his thigh
must have been the fatal one
It severed the femoral artery
Well, that would kill a man pretty quick, wouldn't it?
Oh, yes
That's the one the bullfighter fears the most
(THUDDING)
(BULL SNORTING)
Is that the one?
Hmm?
Yes Marinaro
I don't know how you fight those things to make a living
It's more than a living, Lieutenant It's a way of life
I'll tell you the truth, sir
I don't think I would enjoy watching a man
kill an animal like that, as big and as mean as he is
Perhaps you do enjoy the spectacle of two men in the prize ring
beating each other senseless
Or murdering an innocent deer with a rifle
Or catching a fish with another one which is still alive
Our culture is different than yours, Lieutenant
No better or worse, perhaps,
but different
Excuse me
(SANCHEZ SPEAKING SPANISH)
Senor Montoya,
this doesn't look like it's been used
I mean, it should be ripped or something
Not if Marinaro got him quickly
(SPEAKING SPANISH)
He would start with this
to test the bull's tendencies
and then he would cut him short to break him down
Then
You see, Lieutenant, a few little passes like those leave no tears
or crease marks on the muleta, as you can see
I see you are a thorough man, Lieutenant
But the bull did kill Rangel
Yes, I can see that
But it's important to be thorough,
especially when a man dies alone
Excuse me, I wanna go look at the bull
Go ahead
Excuse me
Mr Rangel himself would have to open the gate, wouldn't he?
Obviously
Well, when he opened the gate, the bull would charge out, wouldn't he?
Then Rangel closed the gate and challenged the bull
But after he closed the gate, he would be standing right over here, wouldn't he?
Wouldn't the bull then turn around and attack him?
LUIS: As soon as he moved, yes
But the body was found over at the other side of the ring
Lieutenant Columbo, a bull that weighs 2,000 pounds
is capable of throwing a man and a horse all over this place
That explains it
COLUMBO: Why is he tied up?
The oxen that are needed to keep him calm
are being used somewhere else in the ranch
So until they can get them here, he has to be left tied up
Otherwise, he would destroy that gate
He's a big fellow, isn't he?
LUIS: Mmmhmm
Thank you, sir
I hope you understand, Luis,
that the Lieutenant here is merely as my guest He has no official status
So inquisitive I find him amusing
Have you seen this?
Some kind of a skid mark
with a hole at the end
That looks like a pick mark
You see, this ring is used to test the cows for bravery
When is the last time that you tested cows in this ring, sir?
A couple of weeks ago I don't remember
Because this looks very fresh to me
Well, maybe it was made yesterday,
or the day before yesterday when you saved Curro's life
What's this?
LUIS: Let me see
Yes, this is part of the pick
Probably splintered by one of the cows
You see, my cows are very aggressive, Lieutenant
That's why they breed such brave bulls
Gee, this looks awfully fresh to me
Yeah, and if Rangel used it yesterday to fight Marinaro,
there must be more around it
If you'll excuse me, gentlemen
My daughter is arriving tomorrow
and there's much to prepare for
She's driving down from Arizona to attend Hector's funeral
With your permission
(SPEAKS SPANISH)
(PEOPLE CHATTERING)
(SPEAKING SPANISH)
I'm sorry we couldn't get the car released today, Lieutenant
And I'm sorry your wife couldn't have stayed
Well, she's sorry, too, ma'am
It's my cousin Vito's anniversary tomorrow,
so I put her on a bus to Los Angeles
Eleven years
She's very sentimental about these things
Well, home, church, that's what counts these days
Well, I can't argue with you there
(BOY SPEAKING SPANISH)
(SPEAKING SPANISH)
They're bored! But I'll take care of them
(SPEAKING SPANISH)
Well, now that we're alone,
I would like to hear more about that murder on the cruise ship
I'd like to talk about the death of Hector Rangel
If that's the way you investigate an accident,
you must be a bull when it comes to homicide
I know this is none of my business
and I'm sticking my nose in where it doesn't belong,
and you certainly know much more about these things than I do
Is it possible that there was something wrong with Hector Rangel?
Perhaps he knew he was gonna die
and he wanted to bring it to an end before
Well, you know, in some kind of a machismo way
Machismo No, no, no, that's impossible
Rangel would not finish his life in such a way,
especially not in a practice ring
Maybe it was homicide
Lieutenant, you saw the body
No man could have ripped Rangel open in such a way
No, the bull was the murder weapon, sir
Like a gun
Somebody could've turned the bull on Rangel
Who would do a thing like that?
Montoya, maybe
Montoya?
That's ridiculous It's unbelievable, Lieutenant
It's like saying that the Pope did it
Anything's possible
Lieutenant,
you're too good a policeman to suggest such a thing without proof
Certain things don't fit
Why does a faithful assistant, an obedient man,
somebody who's used to taking orders,
suddenly take it upon himself
to destroy a valuable piece of property without permission?
You heard Montoya's answer
I didn't believe it
Well, what happens is that you don't understand the temperament of a matador
You see, they must be proud, brave, they must have honor
It's called puro honor Without it, you're nothing
Sí I understand puro honor
Hector knew that his son might climb off the bed in the hospital
to fight the bull himself, mano a mano That's one against one
Hector could not accept that, regardless the risk
The value of the bull had nothing to do with it
Is Montoya a vain man?
Oh, yes
Is he concerned with his public image?
Absolutely
Is it important to him to be seen
in a chauffeurdriven 1931 Cadillac convertible?
Well, that's the way he drives around
On the day that Hector died, when he was a guest speaker in a foreign country,
why did he decide to drive himself in an ordinary hardtop?
Lieutenant, he didn't choose it
Hector asked him to stay behind
so he could work on the books
What time was that?
4:30
I'm going to give you a statement of a man who takes care of Montoya's cars
The ranch foreman told him to wash and wax the hardtop
The patrón was gonna drive it to San Diego
"I finished the job at 12:00"
The question is,
how did Montoya know in the morning
that at 4:30 pm Hector was going to say,
"I can't go with you I have to stay behind and work on the books"?
(MURMURING)
Is that your answer?
There is no answer
I wouldn't close off this case
I don't wanna be presumptuous I realize I have no position here
No, I understand
If there is a crime here, I want to get to the bottom of it
Better yet, I would like you to get to the bottom of it
Me?
You see, you're a foreigner
But I live here
I don't know if you realize what will happen to me
if I was to start an investigation that would lead to nothing
Montoya is that important?
He's a legend in Mexico
He's known throughout the country as the bravest of the brave,
and this man likes the glory that surrounds him
And you want me to take the blame
Exactly
But there's one thing
Montoya must have a motive
Yes, every man has a motive
I don't know what the motive is
Hector was keeping his books Maybe Hector was stealing from him
Maybe it had something to do with his daughter and Curro
They were attracted to one another I don't know
Let's start with small things
Let's finish our coffee
(BIRDS CHIRPING)
(SPEAKING SPANISH)
Maria
Papa!
I don't understand How could this happen?
Hector was always so quiet, so careful Why?
He was a father, sweetheart
And Curro, how is he taking it?
I don't know
He's still in the hospital recovering from the goring I don't know
I must go to him Oh, of course
But first, you must freshen up and have something to eat, huh?
Come on, sweetheart Come on
What is it?
Nothing, nothing Just a visitor
Come
(ROOSTER CROWING)
(SPEAKING SPANISH)
(MOOING)
That scared the hell out of me
He is just a little baby, senor
That's some baby
I'm Lieutenant Columbo I'm from Los Angeles
I understand you're here because of Senor Rangel's unfortunate death, no?
I'm assisting Comandante Sanchez Asking questions
Oh, I see
Have some It will help you
Oh, thank you I am thirsty Thank you very much
I thought that was water I am sorry, senor
What is that stuff?
Mescal, senor
Mescal Yes, sir
I understand, sir, that
you were the only one on the ranch at the time of the murder
Yes, sir You're right
But I was not near the ring where he fight the bull
Otherwise, he would have never died
You know, my name is Miguel Hernandez
Very well known to everybody Even to the bulls
But the patrón said, "Go to the south pasture," and that's what happened
What time was that?
I have no watch, senor
It was afternoon, early
The men had just gone into town
Now where is the south pasture?
South pasture? That way, senor
Now, that's in the opposite direction from the bullring
That's right
When you got back, did you see anybody around?
No, senor
It was almost 6:00 It was getting dark
And the patrón, he had gone across to your country
I thought Senor Rangel had gone with him
And you were down there the whole time?
Yes, sir No one was around
But the patrón was kind enough to give me a bottle of mescal
And I had a very pleasant afternoon But today,
I have a headache, senor
Now, you must excuse me I must go to the tack room
I have to gather things that belonged to Senor Rangel
They must go to his son now
Would you mind if I came along?
Why should I mind?
I'm sorry I just couldn't eat
Of course, darling Of course
I understand
Tell Curro our prayers are with him, hmm?
And drive carefully
Drive carefully
You should've seen it come down in town Friday
I thought the place was gonna wash away
MIGUEL: You know, it is funny, senor, in a desert like this, sometimes you see the rain
But only over there in the mountains It never gets here
What's this?
That's Senor Rangel's luggage
They told me to clean out his locker
Then I have to go to his room and get his clothes out
It's already packed
Well, who packed it? I don't know
Well, who brought the luggage down here?
I don't know Maybe the housekeeper
Do these belong to a bull or an ox?
From a bull, senor
And these are picks?
Yes
This is the inside of the wood?
And this is the outside of the wood?
(SPEAKING SPANISH)
This is lighter in color than this Yes
And this is heavier in weight
(SPEAKING SPANISH)
That is not from a pick, senor That is from a lance
Well, what's the difference?
The picks they used in the ring,
they have metal tips to wound the bull, lower his head
And the lance?
They are used in the fields by the vaqueros for herding
They are made of pine, not so strong
Well, now I'm puzzled
Senor Montoya said that this came from a pick
LUIS: Perhaps I was mistaken
(SPEAKING SPANISH)
No, Jaime is right It looked the same to me at a glance
Well, what difference does it make?
Oh, none, I guess
But if this is from a lance, then it wasn't used to test the cows for bravery,
so what was it doing in the ring?
Lieutenant Columbo, a lance on a bull ranch is the same as
as a rope on a cattle ranch
The vaquero, the cowboy,
must carry it with him at all times
so he can herd and round up the bulls when he has to
And I assume Hector would have a lance
Of course
A fascinating world
And this is Hector's pick?
Yes
And those are the lances?
Those are the lances
I notice that Hector's lance is missing
No, he probably misplaced it or broke it out in the fields somewhere
Well, as you said, it probably doesn't make any difference
May I ask you a personal question, sir?
Oh, by all means
Did you injure your leg in the bullring?
In the Plaza de Toros, Mexico
It was the wound that ended my career
And, ironically, it wasn't even the bull I was supposed to fight
You see, I was appearing mano a mano with a young matador who froze,
and the bull gored him
I jumped to his rescue and I, too, was gored
Badly Here
They tried to take me to the infirmary, along with the young matador,
but I refused to go
Despite the blood flowing from my wound, I stayed in the ring,
and I did one of the best faenas of my career
I killed the bull with one thrust
The people loved it
They stood up and gave me an electrifying ovation
Two ears and a tail
That was my last fight
Well, that must've taken a lot of courage, sir
Well, it would be a difficult thing to do now, with this leg
Well, thank you very much for the time
I have to get back to the city
Oh, and then, on home, to the United States?
Yes, sir
Actually, I thought if I got the chance,
I'd like to come out here one more time before I left
I'm fascinated by everything out here,
but I don't want to be a pest
Oh, not at all, Lieutenant You're welcome here any time
Well, thank you very much, sir
I've been fascinated by everything I've seen out here
and I still think there's a lot to learn
(BAND PLAYING LIVELY MUSIC)
COLUMBO: I don't understand this medical report
SANCHEZ: What don't you understand?
Well
This is Hector Rangel's name
Right
Well, I don't understand anything after his name
Well, it says what we already know
Hector Rangel died of shock and severe loss of blood
due to wounds inflicted on him by a bull
Dorso is the back?
Yes Yes
What is this pinchazo in the glodio?
Glúteo, that's a puncture in the buttocks
Well, did the bull get him there, too?
Let me see
No It's a
It's a small needle mark that the doctor found
Probably from a previous inoculation
Well, was Hector Rangel under treatment for anything with a doctor?
No, according to his doctor, he was in perfect health
I hope you don't mind my saying so, Comandante,
but I think you ought to order an autopsy on Rangel's body
An autopsy
because of a needle mark?
I can see the newspapers "Don Luis Montoya,
"the idol of Mexico, a murder suspect? "
That's your problem I'm just a tourist here
Yeah, that's my problem
You know,
a policeman who jeopardizes his pension,
he must be loco, right?
(SPEAKING SPANISH)
I think I'm gonna speak to Curro Rangel
SANCHEZ: For a man who's on a holiday, you're certainly keeping busy
Well, I have the feeling if I wasn't, you wouldn't let me leave the country
Oh, that's right, my friend I got your picture posted in all the border stations
There's one other thing
You remember how hard it rained in town the day that Rangel got killed?
Yes, it rained cats and dogs, as you say
Now, according to Miguel, it did not rain at the Montoya ranch
An old bullfighter like Hector Rangel would never fight a bull in the rain
Yeah However, old Miguel, he could be so bombed on that mascara
Mescal, mescal
Mescal
Right that he wouldn't know whether it was raining
or whether it wasn't raining
Yeah
I'll check the weather bureau,
I'll check the other ranches in the area
That's a good idea
Here, Lieutenant
Thank you
(SPEAKING SPANISH)
Here's to your pension
That's my problem
The air will do you good
Nothing will do me good
Oh, Curro, please You cannot blame yourself for your father's death
Yes, I can
If I'd killed that bull, my father'd be alive right now
Curro
There he is, sir Right over there
Thank you Gracias
Curro Rangel?
Yes
I'm sorry to intrude like this
No, it's all right I'm leaving
Keep your spirits up
I'll be out of here tomorrow, Nina
Good I'll see you at home
Oh, that's a pretty girl
Who are you?
My name is Columbo I'm a policeman from the United States
What do you want?
Your father's death hasn't been officially certified as an accident
Not yet, anyhow
So, I'm just getting a few facts for the local police
Well, I'm sorry I don't think I can help you
I was asleep on that bed when it happened
No I want to know about your fight with the bull
The day before Would you tell me about that?
Well, there's nothing to tell
The bull broke out of a shipping box, got into the ring
I went in, tried to cape him, he caught me on the leg
Not seriously
But you were knocked unconscious
Yes And my father and Senor Montoya dragged me from the ring
Well now, actually, Senor Montoya diverted the bull
and your father dragged you from the ring
Yes, that's right
Did you use a lance when you fought the bull?
A what?
I found this in the practice ring It's part of a lance
No No one uses a lance in the ring
Did your father have his lance with him the day you fought the bull?
Yes I think so
He and Senor Montoya were riding out to the range to check on the herd
He would always have his lance with him
I'll tell you why it's funny Because in the tack room now, his lance is missing
Well, maybe, when he came to drag me,
in his desperation, he brought the lance into the ring
But when he went to drag you out while Montoya was diverting the bull,
why would he bring his lance?
I don't know
Where's the rest of the lance?
I haven't been able to find it
Where was your father going?
What do you mean?
His bags were packed
That doesn't make any sense He never went anywhere
Was he due to go on vacation?
No He didn't take vacations
Then who packed his bags and why was he leaving?
If he quit or was fired,
but neither one of those things would ever happen
Thank you very much You've been very helpful
(MAN SPEAKING SPANISH)
(PHONE RINGING)
Lieutenant, I have good news for you
My car?
(SPEAKING SPANISH)
It's parked outside, no charge
Oh, what a relief Thank you very much
It's all right Learning anything?
Oh, I have to learn something, since I didn't know anything to start with
Did you know that these bulls are very nearsighted?
Yes, I know that
That's why the matador uses the cape
to attract the bull toward him
Actually, what happens is that the bull goes towards the movement of the cape
That's right I made a note on that
Is that the autopsy?
That's the weather report
It's in Spanish
Yes, I know that
The people at the weather bureau speak it very well
It says there was no rain in the area of the Montoya ranch
the day Rangel died
It was cloudy, overcast, high winds
So, old Miguel was right
Rangel must have fought the bull between 5:00 and 5:30
as Montoya said
Well It was worth a try
I was wrong, that's all But that's all right
I've been wrong before
Don't shake my confidence in you, Lieutenant
The newspapers know about the autopsy already,
so I hope you found out something
I'll tell you the truth,
I got a crazy notion I know why Rangel was killed
What?
Trouble is, I don't think anybody's gonna believe me
(BELL RINGING)
(SPEAKING SPANISH)
Senor Montoya, could I see him?
(SPEAKING SPANISH)
(LUIS SPEAKING SPANISH)
(SPEAKING SPANISH)
Lieutenant Columbo
I came back
So I see
Just a few things to clear up, sir I hope you don't think I'm
Do I understand
that Comandante Sanchez has obtained a court order
and an autopsy is going to be performed on my good friend,
Hector Rangel, God rest his soul?
Yes, sir, that is right, sir
You see, there was a mark on the body that we couldn't quite understand
What kind of mark?
A pin hole, senor
Maybe a needle mark
What can that possibly have to do with Hector Rangel being killed by a bull?
Well, sir, you see, we think, that is, Comandante Sanchez and I, believe
that Hector might have been drugged, then killed by the bull
You are calling Hector's death a murder
No, sir, not yet
But we are interested in whether or not you keep any drugs here on the ranch,
especially tranquilizers
Well, yes
We keep such drugs on the ranch
All ranches must have these drugs
to tranquilize and treat sick animals Yes
Well, there you are, sir
You see, I'm not as dumb about these things as I thought
I had an idea you might have those drugs
Do you think I could see them?
And any records you might keep as to their purchase and use?
(CLEARS THROAT)
Chloral hydrate
I'll tell you, I don't know much about drugs,
but that's the stuff they put in a Mickey Finn
I'm sorry
Oh, of course That's an American expression Knockout drops
They're used and they work about the same way
as a tranquilizer does on a bull
They knock a man out,
or they make him real dizzy, if you give him a small enough shot
May I take this, sir, just to get a small analysis down at the lab?
Take all you want
You know I just thought of something,
something I saw on a television show
How do you get close enough to those bulls to make an injection?
On this show they had an
An air gun with hypodermic darts
Yes, we have one just for that purpose
I thought you might have
The gun A dart
Is there anything else, Lieutenant?
Yes, sir I'd like to see your books What for?
We don't keep any records on the use of these drugs
But you do keep a record of their purchase?
Yes
If you don't mind, sir
Help yourself
You won't find the drug purchases there
They're in a separate section, in the front
Yes, sir, I noticed that
Just a moment, Lieutenant
My financial records are a private matter
If you wish them examined, you'll have to get a court order
No, sir, that won't be necessary
No, I just had a thought
Those entries that I just saw, they were made by Hector That is his handwriting
That is correct
May I see something? Would you open the book?
Then this is your signature, made after each month's entry
That's right
January, February, March, April, May, June, July
Just turn the page for a moment
So this is the last entry
This is the one that Hector said he was working on
the day he said he had to stay behind while you went to San Diego
That's funny
The date is funny, sir
What about it?
He finished the books three days before he was killed
So?
Well, you signed and dated it, sir
Just what are you trying to establish, Lieutenant?
Well, sir, you must see what I'm driving at
If Hector finished the books three days before he was killed,
then why didn't you question him when he said
he wanted to stay behind to work on the books?
You must have known he had no intention of working on the books
I don't appreciate this little war of nerves you are conducting, Columbo
I am Luis Montoya And you are in my country!
Sir, I'm just trying to put together the pieces
(SPEAKING SPANISH)
If you understood the first thing about bullfighting,
you would not question Hector's death!
He walked into the ring to spare his son further injury,
and he lost his life
Now that's all there was to it!
Who packed his bags?
That's right, sir It was packed
Miguel didn't do it He thought the housekeeper did,
but I asked her and she said no
I don't know anything about that
Well, but the fact is, sir, it was packed
Where was he going?
Ah, yes, yes, yes He talked about moving into the main house
Maybe that's what he was doing
Gee, it's curious that no one had any previous information about that,
neither the housekeeper, nor the servants
I'm sorry, Lieutenant
I have tried to be gracious I have answered all your questions
My courtesy has been rewarded with accusation
I must ask you to leave my house and not return
I can find my way out
I probably won't be back, sir
I got to be in Los Angeles on Monday
But someday, somebody's gonna come to your door
Comandante Sanchez, maybe somebody else, but somebody
(PEOPLE CHATTERING IN SPANISH)
SANCHEZ: Bullfighting, baseball
What else do children have to think about?
I guess I'll be headed back to the United States
Leaving me to finish your unfinished business, huh?
I gotta be home Tuesday morning Listen, I'd like to stay
Montoya's your man You can nail him if you keep after him
There is something I don't know what, a key I can't find it
Well, if it means anything, I will continue the investigation
If it goes badly and I can't find the key,
you'll have to get me a job with the Los Angeles Police Department
What're they doing with that jug of water?
Well, it's the wind It's strong
Pepe's imitating the professional matadors at the Plaza
What are you talking about?
Well, in the high wind, the muleta will blow unpredictably
Since the bull goes toward the movement of the muleta,
if it were to blow towards the matador, well, that's it
Oh, so if the cape is wet, it won't blow in the wind
That's right
You Chinese are very clever
(CHUCKLING)
Is that in this book?
I don't know Oh, well, that's your book
(CHILDREN CHATTERING IN SPANISH)
Where you going?
I don't think I'll be leaving just yet
I want to check something out I'll call you later
Curro!
Where you going in such a hurry?
To Senor Montoya's ranch
You're in no condition to fight a bull
Nothing wrong with my condition I'm fine
You think you have to prove how brave you are?
The longer a matador delays facing the bulls after a goring,
the harder it becomes
Senor Montoya killed your father
What?
Senor Montoya killed your father, Curro
He set it up to look like an accident
as if your father had gone in the ring to kill a bull, but it was murder all the way
You don't know what you're saying
I think I do I have a lot of evidence
all of which I'll show you
Senor Montoya was on his way to San Diego when my father was killed
No, he was in the bullring with him, he tricked him there,
and then he shot him with a tranquilizer gun
You can see the needle mark on the body
Why would he do such a thing?
That's what I'm not certain of
That's where I'm gonna need your help
Will you trust me?
LUIS: That man is no longer welcome here
SANCHEZ: We're here on official business, Don Luis
Both of us Your investigation has gone too far already!
The autopsy of Hector Rangel has cast a shadow on my name
And yet, I am told you found nothing!
That's true There were no discernible traces
LUIS: And yet you persist?
I will call the Governor I'll have your job for this
Well, actually, sir, we didn't expect to find any chloral hydrate
In fact, we would have been surprised
if Hector had been given enough drugs to show up on a test
Either the man was drugged or he wasn't drugged
Well, I've been doing a little checking,
just the rudiments of bullfighting
and the fact is, a bull reacts to movement
If Hector had been totally unconscious,
if he had been immobile,
the bull might never have charged
So, he was only given a little bit
Enough to make him woozy, an easy, moving target
This is slander, Columbo
You have no proof
No proof whatsoever
Matador! Matador!
Curro Rangel is out at the practice ring
He means to kill Marinaro
Father, you must stop him
First, I will attend to this young fool
And then I will talk to my lawyer in regard to the two of you
(GATE BANGING)
Curro!
(SPEAKING SPANISH)
Stop!
I said stop!
Come here!
Come here
You didn't learn anything
You want to go back to the hospital? Is that it?
Huh?
(SPEAKS SPANISH)
(SPEAKING SPANISH)
Curro! Curro!
Montoya's frozen
Papa!
(SHOUTING IN SPANISH)
(ALL YELLING IN SPANISH)
(SPEAKING SPANISH)
NINA: Papa!
(CAR DOOR SHUTS)
I'm sorry It was the only way
But the way Montoya froze just now,
that's exactly the way he froze the other day
when he and Hector entered the ring
in order to save Curro from the bull
He froze that day, too, and Hector saw the fear
That's why Montoya had to kill Hector
You see,
he didn't save Curro from the bull Hector did
That's how Hector's lance got broken
Holding off the bull
Don Luis Montoya,
unable to live with the knowledge
that another man had seen his fear
Incredible
Your kids
They solved the crime
My kids?
Your kids
Only after watching them play,
one pretending to be a matador
and the other pretending to be a bull,
only then did I know without qualification
that Montoya was lying
This is the official weather report
for the day that Hector was killed
Heavy winds came up in this area between 5:00 and 6:00
Now, that was the time that Montoya said
that Hector was preparing to kill the bull
Heavy winds
30 kilometers an hour
Now, do you remember the first day?
Do you remember how closely we looked at this muleta to see that it wasn't ripped?
Yes
Well, it wasn't something else
Water stains
No water stains on the muleta
And no water jug in the ring
Now, the winds died down after 6:00,
but by then, it was too late
So, Hector entered the ring earlier
before the winds came up
and when Senor Montoya was still with him