by Hal Erickson
synopsis
Sergeants Friday (Jack Webb) and Jacobs (Barney Phillips) investigate when an elderly couple, Mr. and Mrs. Guthrie, are found dead in a rooming house--along with their pet parrot. Evidence indicates that the killer set fire to the Guthries' room to cover his tracks, using a homemade timing device connected with the heater (ironically, all this occurs during Fire Prevention Week). The final interrogation sequence with the chief suspect is all the more powerful thanks to Jack Webb's unusually subtle direction. This episode was adapted from a Dragnet radio play originally heard on November 16, 1950.
