Harried by his wife, deferential but financially stressed assistant bookkeeper Sam Wilson goes to his boss, Malcolm Jarvis, to ask for a raise.

Jarvis then offers a strange bargain, revealing he intends to commit suicide to provide for his cosseted wife Edna and son Sydney, but needs somebody to make it look like murder in order for his life insurance policies to pay off.

Webb also uncovers Jarvis’ scheme to bolster his regular $50,000 life insurance policy with $200,000 in supplemental coverage, both of which become voided by a finding of suicide.

Edna then reveals she killed her husband when he didn’t have the guts to go through with it, and is about to shoot Sam in the back when Webb shows up in the nick of time.

In 1987, the television series Murder, She Wrote broadcast an episode that served as a sequel of sorts to Strange Bargain, but discounted the original ending, instead seeing Jessica Fletcher being recruited to attempt to prove Sam Wilson's innocence following his 30-year prison sentence.