Elementary
The Art of Sleights and Deception

Original Air Date: Apr 23, 2017

Caitlin – Senior Staff Writer
caitlin@thetwocentscorp.com

When Detective Bell last tangled with the ex-husband of his new girlfriend, Chanel, he came out on top. But now he finds himself facing potential charges after being falsely accused of pulling his gun on someone. And then there’s Joan, who comes home to a woman firing a gun at Sherlock’s head. Well, not really. It’s all a trick- and it’s going to help him figure out how a magician was killed after being poisoned by a bullet he pretended to catch in his teeth.

While Sherlock and Marcus investigate a break-in at Claude’s apartment, Joan meets with Chantel to try and help her friend. The guy accusing Bell know way more than he should about his own story. Claude’s ex- girlfriend was angry at him for stealing tricks, and though she is innocent, it might be a motive for someone else. So might the illegal card game ring he was a part of. He was targeting just one man, who racked up quite a debt and paid it back in information- information worth a lot of money. But he’s not our killer, wither. The files containing that data were stolen by someone else.

This episode’s title is also that of a book owned by magicians across the world. Its author is unknown, and that was the information Claude was trying to track down. Sherlock gets a flash drive from a contact through an impressive bit of magic, and finds another person search for this mysterious identity. But she gave up the fight and is also not a killer. At some point we must track down the actual culprit- and so Sherlock decides he’s going to solve this puzzle himself, using the book’s illustrations. But when it’s revealed that records involved were burned, he thinks the killer might be trying to prevent anyone doing just that.

The next place to look for possible suspects is the book’s publisher, who may have had to pay royalties if the author was revealed. Only the author was the current CEO’s grandfather- and he just tells them that– and he wouldn’t kill to keep the secret, either. So that entire idea is scrapped, and our new one involves Nazis. Claude bought a book from the era at auction. And the man who lost? Is also innocent. This is getting frustrating. But at least we aren’t stuck in Bell’s position, being targeted by an woman’s angry ex. Because it was indeed Roy who sent up his current situation.

To confirm the book buyer’s alibi, Sherlock must read that Nazi-era book. It’s an unpleasant experience, but it gives him the real killer at last. It was the publisher, after all. The illustrator of that book also authored “The Art of Sleights and Deception”. Yes, the Bible of magic was written by a Nazi. At least we manage to find evidence against Marcus’s accuser and turn him against Roy. But Bell’s good day ends abruptly when he goes to tell Chantel the news and finds her brutally attacked in her apartment. Is anyone’s significant other safe on this show?

Next Episode: Fly Into a Rage, Make a Bad Landing