7
"I told you, Lieutenant…I told you…didn't I?" said Mrs. Peck, her voice creaking beneath the strain of deranged laughter as she let go of Dog's leash.
However, Columbo looked back at her, appearing very calm suddenly, though his gaze revealed nothing to Mrs. Peck. Not yet, anyway, except perhaps the ghost of a satisfied smile lingering on his lips…
Rustling through the straw that was scattered across the barn floor, was a pair of floppy ears, and a wagging tail.
"Come here, boy. That's it. Come to Daddy." Columbo said as he kneeled down to greet Dog. Reunited at last, Dog planted himself right at the Lieutenant's feet and gave his face some much-needed kisses.
"Okay…okay boy…yeah…I love you too." Columbo chuckled as he accepted the kisses eagerly.
Meanwhile, the hideous grin on Mrs. Peck's face had vanished and was replaced with a dumbfounded look of confusion. For a moment she looked at the gun, and then looked back at the dog…and back at the gun again…
"What?" Was all she could manage to say, and even that was uttered very weakly.
"If you had done your homework on me, ma'am…you would know how much I hate guns. And mine? It's always unloaded." He explained with a faint smile.
"Never been used…and I don't think it ever will be. Oh, it gets me in trouble with the boss on occasion…but this time, I don't think he'll mind." He continued with a soft expression. Not quite a smile, but not quite a frown either.
"You…you dropped it on purpose?"
"That's right, ma'am. I knew the gun wasn't loaded…but you didn't. You tried to kill my dog…so I'll see to it personally that you go behind bars for a very long time."
"You bastard….YOU FILTHY BASTARD!" Mrs. Peck shrieked. She pointed the gun towards him, and pulled the trigger over, and over and over, in a deranged, manic effort…but all to no consequence.
"I'm sorry, ma'am. You can try all you want, but that gun will never fire." The Lieutenant explained sadly, like a parent who has to tell their child the disappointing truth, rather than the comforting lie.
"So that's it, then? You're just going to take your dog and get away again? Just like last time?!"
"Oh no, ma'am. You see, there's just one more thing…"
A Police siren blared distantly and grew louder as the car drove up the long, driveway. The flashing red and blue lights filtered in through the open door of the barn, casting a colourful silhouette around the Lieutenant.
"I am leaving with my dog, but first, we're gonna take a little trip downtown..."
Mrs. Peck stared at Columbo, mouth hanging open, eyes nearly bulging out of her skull. There seemed to be no more words for her. No more explanations.
He had won.