Beth Chadwick (Columbo)

**Beth Chadwick** (Susan Clark) is the main villainess from "Lady In Waiting," episode 1.05 of *Columbo* (airdate December 15, 1971).

## Events

Beth Chadwick is the sister of Bryce Chadwick, who is the head of their family's company, and she is also engaged to Peter Hamilton, one of Bryce's employees. The family disapproved of the relationship due to the belief that Peter was only involved with Beth for her wealth, and it was early in the episode that Bryce voiced his disapproval and informed Beth that he sent a letter to Peter with an ultimatum: either terminate the relationship or he would be fired. Beth lashed out at her brother, accusing both her and their late father of running her life, with Bryce's actions being the final straw.

Beth planned to kill Bryce, though her plan actually began in the beginning of the episode when she took her brother's house key. She set up the scene to make it appear that a burglar was trying to enter the house, and as she laid in her bed with her gun in hand, she dreamt about her plan going through flawlessly. In her dream, Bryce calls out to Beth as he is outside, and told her to turn off the burglar alarm as he makes an alternate entrance. The alarm went off as Bryce entered through the bedroom window, after which Beth shot her brother to death and phoned police about a break-in.

In actuality, Beth's evil plan had a snag: Bryce had a spare key, and he used it to get inside the house and later entered Beth's room through the door. The villainess expressed shock over Bryce's entrance, as well as Bryce informing his sister that he had a spare key. At that moment, the evil Beth shot and killed her brother and then activated the alarm. Peter had heard the noise from the house as he was driving, but Beth claimed that she shot Bryce thinking he was a burglar, and later gave the same story to Columbo on the following morning.

## Climax and Arrest

    In the time following the shooting, Beth's demeanor changed immensely, as she became more bold and arrogant during the investigation into her brother's death, while also making threats to Columbo during their encounters. The villainess also ended up taking over her family's company as well, threatening to take her mother to court over full control before Columbo entered with his discovery: the blown light bulb that Beth placed in the outside lamp as part of her plan. Beth smashed the bulb in anger and vented over Columbo's appearances, and later in the climax, Beth laid in waiting again with her gun in hand, doing so figuring that Columbo would visit her again.

After hearing Columbo's voice, Beth urged him to enter as part of her plan to kill him, as she figured that he would enter though the bedroom window. However, Columbo entered through the door, and stated that Bryce did the same right before Beth killed him in cold blood. The villainess arrogantly denied the claims, only for Columbo to reveal that Peter gave the true details of the night in question: stating that he heard the gunshots *before* the alarm. Beth continued to clutch her gun before pointing it at Columbo, maintaining her intentions on killing him before Columbo informed the villainess that several policemen were outside. Now defeated, Beth lowered her gun and was arrested by Columbo.

## Trivia

* Susan Clark later appeared as the evil Meredith Hellman on *Murder, She Wrote*.