Francine was the owner of Grant Galleries in Playback.
Francine was a friend of Harold Van Wick who invited he and his wife, Elizabeth, to a party at her art gallery, Grant Galleries, to see some new pieces she had attained. Elizabeth didn't wish to attend, allowing Harold the opportunity to use the party in combination with the playback of a tape recording to fashion himself an alibi for the time that he murdered his mother in-law, Margaret Meadis. Later, Francine is visited by Lieutenant Columbo, who is investigating the Meadis murder case. The lieutenant is baffled by the various art pieces she has in the gallery, even managing to mistake the ventilation cover for a piece of modern art. Francine allows Columbo to have Harold's invitation to the party, which ends up being the crucial piece of evidence that damns Mr Van Wick beyond a shadow of a doubt to having been the murderer due to it being visible in the recording of Margaret being shot.
Francine was played by Patricia Barry.