This Recap page contains unmarked SPOILERS per policy. You Have Been Warned.
Roman Rybakov, a diamond dealer with connections to the Russian Mafiya, is killed. $250,000 worth of valuable diamonds are missing and were most likely with him when he died. Assistant US Attorney Mike Warner, who is leading an investigation into Mafiya smuggling of blood diamonds, has previously received specific anonymous reports of Rybakov's involvement in the scheme.The apparent reason for the murder is that Rybakov planned to co-operate with the investigation, so Mafiya boss Andropov had him killed.
Forensics confirm that there were two shooters. Van Buren finds out that one of them is Stefano Granados, and the detectives catch him before he can leave the US. The discovery that Rybakov's wife (Mercedes Ruehl) was planning to divorce him leads Southerlyn to suspect Mrs. Rybakov is the one who reported him. This indicates she stole the missing diamonds since she had no assets of her own. Granados hands over the other shooter, who confirms Andropov hired him to kill Rybakov. Andropov takes a plea and says Mrs. Rybakov paid his gang for the murder.
Mrs. Rybakov denies this and says she simply thought that if Andropov knew the authorities were involved, he'd leave Rybakov alone and the family would be safe. But McCoy and Southerlyn learn that Rybakov refused to give his wife a get divorce under Jewish law. Without it, she would be shunned by her community and couldn't gain custody of her children—unless she became a widow. She is charged with murder. At trial, she confesses she needed the divorce but insists she wouldn't have her children's father killed.
McCoy confirms her story that the money from the stolen diamonds was actually donated to her rabbi, which creates grounds for plausible denial. Branch instructs McCoy to withdraw the charges. The prosecutors all know that Mrs. Rybakov will be celebrated within her community for protecting them from the Russian Mafiya, and will set an example for other women in her position who unfairly can't get a religious divorce.
This episode contains examples of:
- Divorce Requires Death: Not for the husband, but yes for the wife as long as he refuses.
- Double-Meaning Title: Refers both to Rybakov's family, and the Mafiya crime "family" Andropov presided over.
- Foot-Dragging Divorcee: In a variation, it's not a divorce, but a get (a religious divorce) what Rybakov was refusing.
- Karma Houdini: Mrs. Rybakov gets away with everything and will be hailed as a hero by her community.
- The Mafiya: Rybakov was working with them and his wife ultimately hired them to kill him.
- Professional Killer: Granados and Clemente are hired contract killers.
- Ripped from the Headlines: The Mazoltuv Borukhova case
. Borukhova was found guilty of hiring her cousin's husband, Mikhail Mallayev to kill him. She was sentenced to life. - Sympathetic Murderer: Mrs. Rybakov. Her husband got involved with The Mafia, endangering her and their children. Then, when she wanted a divorce, he refused.
- Till Murder Do Us Part: The plot to murder Mr. Rybakov originated from his wife.
