While out at the zoo with his young daughter, newspaper reporter Lou Reynolds is killed with a sniper rifle. Lou's boss assigns Mannix to the case, one that gets additionally complicated when Lou's daughter believes she killed her father, as he was prepared to bail on a day with just the two of them when he was murdered.
This episode was later given a sequel on Diagnosis: Murder several years later known as "Hard-Boiled Murder".
This episode of Mannix contains the following tropes:
- Alliterative Name: Andrew Alfaro.
- Briefcase Full of Money: George Fallon hands over his payment to Stella in one of these, paying $200,000 for it.note
- Cement Shoes: Leon Haynes' body is found nearby water where Andrew's car crashed, weighed down with rocks.
- Cold Sniper: Lou is murdered with a sniper rifle, and the unnamed killer takes a shot at Mannix later on.
- Deal with the Devil: George started his newspaper by getting the money from The Syndicate, who own everything about it down to the ink. As such, he is forced to keep them out of the stories.
- Disney Villain Death: Bill winds up getting thrown off a balcony by the hitman.
- Gilligan Cut: When Mannix bumps into George on his way to Bill at Lou's apartment, he figures Bill is leaving town because he's learned of Leon's death. Cut back to the apartment, where Bill is fighting with the hitman before being thrown to his death.
- Intrepid Reporter: Lou, who really wanted to take the Syndicate down for their killing of Alfaro.
- It's All My Fault; Tina is under the belief that she killed her father, as she wished he was dead shortly before he was shot.
- Madness Mantra: Tina sometimes repeats the phrase "they cover themselves too good", which is something she heard J.B. Kelly tell her father in regards to the Syndicate.
- No Name Given: The goon who snipes Lou is never given a name.
- Only Known by Initials: The episode never explains what the "J.B." in "J.B. Kelly" stands for.
