Episode 4 of Season 2 of "Elsbeth" kicks off with a tense scenario, where Roselyn and Celeste, two close companions, find themselves faced with a demand for proof of funds from Vivienne's, an exclusive jewelry club. This demand arises on the eve of Valentina, the incoming creative director, taking the reins, while Judith, a seasoned associate of the store, is unceremoniously forced into retirement. Amidst their dwindling finances and concerns about their social standing, the friends hatch a daring plan to pull off a heist.
Roselyn cleverly enlists the aid of Judith, exploiting her bitterness over her forced retirement. The meticulously crafted scheme involves swapping the genuine jewels with impeccable fakes during the grand gala at the store, echoing the audacious tactics of the legendary Ocean's Eleven crew.
With bold resolve, Roselyn sets her sights on Claude, the individual tasked with verifying the authenticity of the jewels. However, her calculations soon take a drastic turn as she realizes Claude is firmly aligned with Valentina. In a moment of desperation, she slips silver polish into his tea, which sits conveniently on his desk.
The scene shifts to Elsbeth, Blanke, and the captain arriving at the crime scene. Elsbeth's sharp instincts kick in as she notices Roselyn's tea cup, its interior marked by a lipstick stain, suggesting a setup. Just when the tension reaches its peak, Roselyn collapses, fainting, and the police uncover cyanide in her bloodstream—the same lethal substance that claimed Claude's life. Amidst the chaos, everyone mistakenly concludes that Claude's demise was a tragic accident.
Elsbeth and Blanke, upon visiting Roselyn and Celeste, stumbled upon apple pulp in the trash, an odd discovery that piqued their curiosity. Delving deeper, they uncovered Roselyn's fraudulent proof of funds and Celeste's impending business collapse, leading them to suspect that the duo might be orchestrating a daring heist. The suspicion deepened when they learned of Claude's untimely demise, the individual responsible for authenticating the jewels.
With casual demeanor, Elsbeth dropped by Roselyn and Celeste's place during a group meeting attended by Judith and their accomplice, who specialized in crafting fake jewels. During her visit, Elsbeth noticed a spoon missing from Roselyn's prized cutlery collection and recognized Judith's jacket from a previous encounter, piecing together the puzzle further.
Convinced that a heist was indeed in the making, they presented their findings to Wagner, arming him with sufficient evidence to summon Judith for questioning. Under pressure, Judith admitted to the elaborate plot, prompting the officers to devise a strategy to catch the entire crew red-handed.
On the gala night, as Roselyn subtly swapped the genuine jewels with the fakes, Elsbeth and her fellow officers swooped in to confront her. Judith, too, made an appearance at the scene, only to witness the culprits being apprehended.
The episode concludes with Celeste filing a complaint about a robbery, revealing a twist: it was Judith who had chanced upon the displayed jewels at their home and had since embarked on a new life in a foreign country, enjoying the fruits of her ill-gotten gains.
