Columbo watched from a distance as Morgan shot Drake, his business partner. Drake was an annoying man who kept ringing up the local PD to complain about any number of petty, pointless things in his neighbourhood. None of the locals liked him so the team sent to investigate would have a hell of a job sorting out motives and alibis. Too bad the lieutenant was going on vacation to Europe for 5 weeks and would miss most of it.
Talking Morgan into shooting Drake had been simple. The man was smug, arrogant, cocky and easily talked into thinking it was all his own idea. Eventually the trail of subtle clues and hints that Columbo had worked into his plan would lead the investigation team to Drake's door and he would go down for 20 to life, thus removing a toxic self-important leech from the community and improving everyone's existance.
He'd been told in many a team-building meeting to take a proactive stance, and this was his way of doing that.
He was really going to enjoy this vacation.