Caray, Caray!

We plunge back into the Elizalde's hell. Fer's crying on her little brother's shoulder as he sagely advises they shouldn't jump to conclusions.

At Las Animas, Fr/Ed admits he loves Fer but what to do about it? He's not keen on Esteve's suggestion that he woo her as Franco Santoro. Meanwhile, he has to come up with $3 million dollars pretty fast. We'll hear that figure many times over the course of this episode... His goals: to put the Elizaldes in their place, to get Lily out of the manicomio and get her wits back about her, to make Barbara pay for her crimes, and to find out who was responsible for his mother's misery.

But first, $3 million... Steve says he doesn't have that much in ready cash, but he can ask his dad for it. Fr/Ed wants to manage the problem himself - he can probably distract the family for another day or two but that's it. Fr/Ed asks Gardenia (looking all perky in her sundress) to show Esteve to his room. Surely Esteve is going to fall for her? She calls him Don Gringuito which I think is quite cute.

Camilo and Anibal are loudly blaming Fer for the Milk Group predicament. She claims things are worse for her and promises to do what she can to get the money back. Barbara starts insincerely consoling her, later I felt "blegh" when she stroked Fer's hair in sympathy...

Camilo snidely suggests Fr/Ed may be in need of a wife and Fer now being free... Santi bounds down the stairs and accuses Camilo of selling his sister for $3 million. Camilo snidely mocks him for losing Aurora - "she realized what a disaster you are."

Three guys I don't know are discussing their attempt to find some dirt about Fr/Ed - the investigation has to be finished in two days. They say Gardenia can be used to solve the problem "Tomorrow you'll get what you need." Somebody else fill me in here?

Dominga pulls cash out of her garderobe and stuffs it in her ample bosom, cackling - then goes off to bet it on the game cocks I think - after spurning the dinner Aurora brought her. Aurora cries about Santi, "the best thing that ever happened to me," then sees a piece of paper sticking out of the garderobe. She jimmies the door and sees it's some telegram or something (we don't see what it says).

Later, when Dominga is snoring, Aurora sneaks in, cuts the key off the string around that fat neck, and tiptoes out the front door with her suitcase.

Lily shakes and sobs in her sleep while Martina catches a few winks. Lily dreams about that day, years before, when she got framed for killing her mother. She knows it was Barbara, she heard the phone call... They both wake up and Lily finally tells Martina that in those few moments she was alone with Barbara recently, the Hyena threated to kill her dad if she spilled the beans.

Franco sternly tells Obregon: "I can't trust such a double-crosser." Obregon weakly explains he wanted his dough from Barbara, that's why he called her. "Well, Lily is not leaving here, so kiss your reward goodbye! I'll give you one more chance, Obregon - if Barbara calls say everything is fine - I have eyes and ears everywhere so don't think you can jerk me around...

"... here, read this out loud!" Franco hands him a piece of paper and turns on a little tape recorder. "I, Plutarco Obregon, director of Happy Acres, arbitrarily administered medication to Liliana Elizalde, who arrived her perfectly sane, and I did it on the orders of Barbara Greco."

Damian has taken over Vladimir's apartment and is explaining to him that Pris will call soon, when she realizes it's true that Anibal took her money. "She'll ask where you got the information, but you can't tell her! Leave her in suspense - say you can only tell her in person."

Vlad is like a puppy and says he'd like to give her flowers and take her to a nice restaurant and show her his love. "You're not in love, you're the biggest imbecile in the world! I won't help you! You won't get anywhere by being nice!"

Prisila harangues Anibal about her money but he says he's got no head for missing papers when the company and the family are going down in flames.

After being bleghily consoled by Barbara, Fer admits to herself she doesn't love Damian.

Damian lies in bed brooding about the $3 mil and about Barbara telling him he'll be hunted down so he'd better go to ground (madriguera = a lair). He curses her.

The phone rings, it's Prisila calling Vladimir! Vlad is all happy, and wants to see her immediately (using his info as the pretext) but Damian makes him cool his jets. No, the morning will not be convenient, he has a boxing lesson; no, the afternoon's no good either, he's tied up... "I'll call when I have time."

They hang up and Vlad crows "you were right! She's desperate to see me!" "That proves I am NEVER WRONG." "But I hate to make her suffer!" "You must be firm - say only what I tell you to say - she'll deny you nothing!"

Pops Elizalde drinks alone. Barb (without makeup!) comes in and is infuriated when Pops tells her he promised Fer he wouldn't send Lily out of the country, at least for three months. Barbara goes into her dressing room and brushes her hair very, very fast to work off her frustrated malevolence.

Fr/Ed tries to communicate with Lily. "I believe you, you're innocent, but we need proofs. Barbara said what she said to scare you. We must keep your secret, you can't tell anybody, not even Fer, we can't alert anyone, understand?"

Prisila asks Anibal what's going on with the company, he asks why she's interested all of a sudden. "My child will have a stake so now I care." "Damian fled with $3 mil. Now, without Franco's help, our family has no future." Prisila asks what Fern's doing. "She's in her room, crying, then she'll get ready to fall in love with some other cretin."

"I pray," says Pris, "my baby does not inherit the stupidity of her mother."

Fer broods: could somebody else have stolen the $3 mil? Who? "I'm full of doubt," she soliloquizes. She picks up Eddie's picture, under the moon. "Ah, Eduardo, you are in my thoughts at the happiest and the saddest times."

Fr/Ed plays the Obregon tape for Esteve. Esteve thinks this should be all that's needed; Fr/Ed says no, it would get thrown out in court, but it will serve to "neutralize" Obregon and possibly have some weight against Barbara herself.

In the morning, while Aurora is sneaking out of Dominga's house, Santi is painting her picture, and Barbara is visiting Artemio Bravo, aka Cigarman. They are discussing the desfalco (embezzlement) and the police hunting Damian. "Now, just make sure the Milk Group doesn't get that $3 mil and they'll be broken -" "and my contract with you will be over - my liberty!" "After so many years, what will you do, Rebeca?" "That's not your concern." "You know, evil becomes an addiction." "My destiny could have been different." "That's a past that's dead." "People don't forget their pasts." "But in the meantime you're still mine, so do what I tell you!"

Fr/Ed is under observation, I guess by that trio of guys from earlier in the show. Esteve wakes up after a fine sleep. They mull over the $3 mil. Esteve sees the headless chessman, and they look at Palafox's note about the lion, fox, and Isaac Newton. Esteve gets the idea to look in the phone book and they find, there, a 'Newton, Barrera Isaac.' Gooooaalllllllllll!

Tomorrow: Gardenia gets grabbed.

Labels: manana