Caray, Caray!

Tonight, Patricia Navidad, Galilea Montijo, and Ana Brenda Contreras are "Las Garrido, Codiciosas" (the greedy Garrido girls).

Two kids walk along by a river debating what positions to play for baseball. They lose their ball down by the river, where they see a dog holding a severed hand in its mouth. They also see a body all wrapped up in a garbage bag and tape. There's a really twisted Ziploc commercial in there somewhere, I'm sure. Quick, call the ad agency.

Gloria informs me the blood will be flowing tonight. She says so every Thursday. Ah, but tonight we get upgraded--last week was a 2-for-1, this week it's 3-for-1. What have we done to deserve such a delightful buffet of depravity and murderousness? I don't know, but let's get to it!

The cops come to pick up the body. It's a fifty-ish year old guy, he's been there for a while and he's got a lot of bruising. The cop in charge tells the forensics guy to do fingerprints, etc, but the forensics guy complains his lab can't handle it. The head cop calls Sofia Capellan and asks her for a favor.

Patricia Navidad, tonight playing Concha Garrido, walks down a sidewalk and through a gate. "Concha" always makes me think of a breakfast pastry, best dipped in coffee. I also have a Tía Concha. It's short for "Concepción," I believe. Beyond the gate is a large patio. Through a window, we see Marcela Garrido (aka Ana Brenda Contreras) getting her hair did by a woman who's complaining that Marcela always wants her hair done in that flashy color. Marcela says she wants to look like an azalea. I wish they'd either not swear so much on this show or quit muting it out. It makes it even harder to understand what they're saying. And then, sometimes I wonder if the sound is just randomly cutting out and no one's swearing. Very annoying. Plus that's some valuable vocabulary I'm missing out on. Something about someone with a swear-worthy name going to get Marcela's cigarettes, but Lorena (Galilea Montijo) objecting and wishing she'd get them herself. More high-speed mumbly banter that I hope turns out to be inconsequential. Concha finally makes her way in and sadly announces she's been fired. They decided the nurse could answer the phones. She accepts a coffee from her sister. She asks if they've got money for the rent and both have excuses, but basically the answer is "no." Concha is frustrated and can't help them, especially now that she lost her job. Her husband, Juan Antonio, hates giving out money, even to family, and even though she's his wife, she says she's more like a piece of furniture to him.

Concha walks through the courtyard and into the main house. There are paintings missing from the walls and they've left stains.

Juan Antonio walks out of somewhere with a pissed-off face and a skinny guy telling him to just let it go "agua que no has de beber, déjala correr" (if you're not going to drink the water, let it run). He's got his nephew with him. I'm going to bet he just lost money on a dog fight or a race, given that a couple of guys with dogs on leashes are on their way into the place he just left. He's gambling away all his money, perhaps?

Juan Antonio goes home, quietly damning someone. He notices Concha and asks what she's doing home at this hour. She asks him what he's going to take now. There's no more glassware, and no more paintings. She asks how much he lost. "Listen, princess, we've been together for 15 years and you've always known I like to play a little, and that's how you win or lose." She notes he's never gotten around to winning and asks what he's betting on now. Dog fights. He growls in her face. She calls him a pig. He blames it on his nephew, who picked the wrong dog. Juan Antonio finds some candlesticks, but Concha objects, since her mom gave them to her. "Well, thank her for me, and thank your sisters too." He calls them a pair of "mantenidas" (kept, moochers, freeloaders) and accuses her of using some of her pay to help them out. She informs him that's over, since she's been fired. He asks what she's planning to do now, you know, for her expenses. She mentions that he lost the "ferretería" (hardware store) gambling, but he claims he sold it because it was losing money. She yells at him for gambling all their money away and tries to get the candlesticks back. He hits her in the face with one and says the house and everything in it is his. "I'm going to bet you. Maybe I'll get lucky and lose."

Marcela and Lorena notice Concha coming over. She storms in, demanding to know where Lorena's kid Jorge is and Lorena says he's sleeping, he was out working late, etc. Concha wakes him up, drags him out by the ear, and yells at him to tell his mom where he really was last night. He admits it and gets smacked by his mom and his aunt. Concha also informs them that Juan has been paying the kid in marijuana. Now they all start raising their voices to him and he runs for it.

Det. Capellan is welcoming the cops from the opening scene. She and Mario are old friends. Gerardo comes in and tells his fellow forensics guy that the body is ready. Mario tells Sofia that so far they don't have any leads.

Concha drinks coffee and tells her sisters that Juan Antonio took the candlesticks. She swears she's going to leave him, but Lorena says she's been with him for fifteen years already. She won't get anything because they were never really married. Well, Concha says, fifteen years of living as his wife means she'll get what's due a wife. Lorena disagrees. She reminds the other two that the house was never given over to Juan Antonio, but is still in his mother's name, so even though the mother's dead, the house isn't even his. He never paid taxes on it. Concha doesn't care about the house. Lorena says they all need the house. Marcela says something about killing him. Concha sounds like she's into it.

Aranda and Moran present their findings--a crapload of gambling slips, lottery tickets, etc. from various places. Mario declares him a compulsive gambler. Capellan tells Moran to get a digital photo of the dead guy and to look and see if there are any missing persons reported who meet his description. Mario supposes they need to check out all the gambling places to see if anyone knows the guy. Capellan tells Aranda to work on that with Mario. Mario guesses that the guy made too many bets, lost too much money, and when he couldn't pay it back, someone killed him.

Juan Antonio plays cards and drinks with a shady-looking guy named Malpica. For once he wins. Malpica doesn't look to happy.

Juan Antonio comes home, yelling for Concha. The sisters see him going into the big house and Concha reluctantly gets up to see what's going on. Juan Antonio goes into the house, still calling for her, and puts two plastic bags down on the table. Concha comes in and JA accuses her of gossiping with her sisters. He says something about her looking angry. When she goes to leave, he asks her to wait. He proudly takes the candlesticks out of one of the plastic bags, announcing that he won for once. He asks if she made dinner and she seems nervous when she says she hadn't yet. Hey, no problem, tonight he and the missus are eating out. He shows her a big wad of cash. Concha says she'd rather he saved the money in the bank. "I'm not saying you shouldn't gamble, but just remember that I lost my job." She agrees she'd like to go out to dinner, but she wants him to promise they won't spend all the money. Well, he can't promise that because he already spent it on some other things. From another plastic bag, he produces a nice-looking pair of hooker heels and a pretty dress, non-hookerish. She's thrilled with the present and thanks him. He insists on answering the phone when it rings, and sends her off to go get dressed. It's Malpica. It sounds like he's offering Juan Antonio the opportunity to bet on something, for the low, low price of 10,000 pesos. Juan Antonio looks at the wad of cash in his hand and says he's in. Dipshit. He puts the phone down and sneaks out of the house, stopping briefly at his altar to pick up some mojo. As he's leaving, he notices Marcela doing the wash and takes a minute to appreciate the charms of his sister-in-law. Marcela gives him a bit of a come-hither, but Juan Antonio's got bigger fish to fry. He leaves and Lorena tells Marcela "I told you so." She calls her sister something bleep-worthy.

Concha comes out of the bedroom looking for Juan Antonio and realizes he's left. I'd hide those candlesticks right now, if I were her. That and everything else left in the house that isn't nailed down. She sits down on the couch and feels sorry for herself.

She's still there when he comes home. He sits down on the couch and basically bitches about his bad luck. The damn animal tripped and he lost. Concha says she's leaving him, but he's not really listening. She says she's leaving the house tomorrow. Still not listening. And bemoaning the loss of the money he just won yesterday. Not getting the sympathy he feels he deserves, he asks her if she's listening to him. "No. And you're not listening to me either." She gets up and leaves.

The forensics guys do their thing. The body's looking pretty gross. Visiting forensics guy says he was killed rather violently. Capellan asks if there were maybe more than one killer. Gerardo says he'd assume so unless there's someone capable of shooting, stabbing, and doing something else to the guy all at one time. Har, har, har.

Mario and Aranda visit some gambling dens.

Lorena and Marcela play cards for money. Juan Antonio comes in demanding to know what they said to Concha. Lorena has no idea what he's talking about. "She says she's leaving me." Lorena tells him not to listen to her, and Marcela calls her menopausal. JA doesn't care, but if she leaves, the other two are out on their asses too. They get it. JA compliments Marcela's hair color. She offers to let him play, but he's out of money. "There's a lot of things you can bet." Nephew comes up asking if JA is ready for, you know, and JA sends him to bleep land. JA leaves and Jorge asks his mom if there's any food. She, likewise, sends him to bleep land.

Moran tells Capellan that only one person matches the fingerprints--Jorge Lopez Garrido. He's a juvenile delinquent. Moran is going to pass on the info to inspector Mondragon.

Lorena and Marcela bitch that Concha's just so damn selfish, thinking of leaving Juan Antonio without caring what's going to happen to them. Yeah, and Juan Antonio coming to throw it in their faces that they're just a couple of moochers, what's that about? Concha walks up and quietly says they are moochers, but they've never cared about it before. She laughs at them for following Juan Antonio's example and betting on cards. Lorena says they've all at least got a roof over their heads here. Concha replies "I'm suffocating." Lorena advises her that sometimes you've got to make sacrifices. "Oh, look who's talking, the one who left her husband without even telling him." Lorena says he hit her in front of the kid and said the kid wasn't his, "What was I supposed to do? It was a case of life or death!" Concha says her situation is too, "I'm dying in there." She goes back into the big house. Marcela holds up the deck of cards and suggests they play again. Lorena agrees. Bee-yotches!

The guy that Aranda and Mario picked up at the gambling den is in interrogation. Someone asks him if he recognizes "this guy." It's a partial reconstruction of the dead guy's face. The guy says it's "Juanito Orduña" and he's known him for several years. Mario asks if he used to bet a lot. The guy doesn't know, but he does know that sometimes the guy played with Justino Malpica and they got into an argument about Orduña's wife. The guy has a vague idea of where Orduña lived. Moran interrupts the interrogation with some information for Mario.

Mario and crew show up at the house asking for Jorge. Concha opens the gate for them. She says Jorge isn't there, but he says he needs to ask him some questions. Concha lets them into the house and angrily tells them that she's already told them that Jorge isn't there. Mario picks up a picture of her with Jorge and asks if it's her son. "No, my nephew." Mario asks about her husband, but Concha says he's not home and she doesn't know when he's getting home. Aranda calls for Mario and Mario indicates they should both follow Aranda.

Lorena looks nervously at the cops coming in and tells Jorge to go hide. She opens the door and Mario asks if she's Jorge's mom. "We need to talk to him." Dumbass Jorge kind of darts around the hallway just as Lorena's saying he's not in. Aranda notices him and goes after him, gun out. Smart kid stops trying to climb over the wall and lets Aranda take him in. Lorena cries piteously and is held back by another two of the DIEM crew.

Gerardo fingerprints Concha in his lab.

Jorge is interrogated by Mario. "If you didn't kill him, then who did?" Jorge says he only put the body in the river."

Lorena wipes the fingerprint ink off her fingers in Capellan's office. She asks where they found the body. Capellan asks her why, if he was gone for more than 24 hours, no one called the police. Lorena claims he used to be gone for weeks at a time. "That's how he was. My sister was the only one who could put up with him." Lorena says he used to humiliate her and one day he even bet her.

Juan Antonio and Malpica walk into the house, startling Concha, who is only wearing a housedress. She covers up with a shawl. JA laughs, telling Malpica what he's losing out on for not believing him. "And you, what luck you have, woman! I was going to bet you." Apparently Malpica didn't care to take her in exchange. JA offers him a silver teapot instead. Concha looks on in horror.

Capellan shows Lorena the condition of the body. Stab wounds in the chest, a bullet in the shoulder, and a destroyed cranium. She asks who did what. Lorena claims he was gone and none of them knew where he was. Aranda comes in with a folder and whispers something to Capellan about the accused. Capellan smiles at Lorena and says she does know who did what. She shows her the report that all three of their fingerprints were on the body. Lorena says it was his fault for wanting to leave them all out on the street.

Concha goes over to the little house, crying and banging on the door. She tells Lorena that Jorge bet her. Lorena immediately goes for a knife and says she'll kill him this time. Marcela holds her back. Lorena calms down a little and hugs her sister. Marcela hugs them both.

Lorena says this is her fault for telling Concha to put up with him. Concha tells her that yesterday he won 20 thousand pesos and lost them again. Now they all agree they need to do something. Marcela shows Concha the papers for the house. They actually are in Juan Antonio's name, even though he had once claimed the house wasn't in his name so he couldn't lose it to Malpica. Marcela found it with his little gambling altar. Concha says it doesn't matter, there's nothing she can do. Lorena points out that if something happens the house is hers. Concha doesn't want to go to jail. Marcela says they won't end up in jail, as long as they do it right. Lorena says they'll think of something.

In interrogation, Marcela tells Mario that Lorena had the idea. "She knew he liked me, so we invited him to a party." Lorena and Marcela dance around Juan Antonio while he sits in a chair. They're both all dressed up and drinking beer. Marcela starts making bets with JA. "I bet you my shoes you won't dance with me. I bet you my skirt you won't dance with me. I bet you your ring if I take off my blouse." JA bets his gold necklace if Lorena gets undressed too. Concha looks on, concerned. Lorena takes off her dress and takes the necklace. Lorena sits in his lap and asks what he'll give for…she whispers in his ear. He points at the other sister instead. Marcela kneels down at his feet and asks him what he'll bet for it. Concha says "the house."

Concha is in interrogation with Capellan. She says she's not surprised he's dead. After years of him betting everything, coming home covered in blood because he was at the dog fights or the cock fights or because someone beat the crap out of him for not paying his debts, sooner or later he was bound to end up in the river with his head bashed in and a bullet in him, right? Capellan wonders what's stranger, that Concha never sought help for herself or her husband, or that she seems to know exactly how he died, without Capellan telling her anything. "We have evidence that you and your sisters participated in the murder of Mr. Orduña."

Concha says "the house." JA looks around at the other two sisters. Marcela gives him an encouraging nod. He repeats, "the house?" They all look back and forth at each other. Lorena goes to join Marcela. Thankfully, we are spared the details of what exactly he traded for the house, but I'm sure we can all imagine and are now going to need a thorough brain scrubbing. Concha seethes.

Capellan tells Concha she supposes now she'll claim it was done in self-defense. Concha says "after what we did, I can say anything, can't I."

Lorena and Marcela get up and Lorena says "we beat you." JA takes a minute to get up, adjust, and zip his fly. Marcela hugs Concha. All three sisters toast with beer bottles. They laugh over the ring. JA comes back into the room with a gun. He tells them that for a good gambler, like he is (I'm not even going to touch that one) you have to give him a chance to win back what he lost. He puts one bullet in the gun and says they wanted the house, fine, it's theirs, but now he wants his chance for revenge. "If I die, the house is yours, but if one of you gets the bullet instead the house is mine again." He calls them bitches and says that even so, he'll be a gentleman and start first. He puts the gun in his mouth and pulls the trigger. No bullet. He asks who's next. He tells Marcela to get on her knees. He puts the gun to her temple and pulls the trigger, still no bullet. He tells Lorena to lean over the chair and pulls the trigger with the gun pointed at her head. No bullet. He calls Concha the most useless one and says a number of other uncomplimentary things, all while pointing the gun at her, and eventually pulls the trigger.

Capellan says "there was only you left." Concha says she hates to bet, but he bet her life, and he had to pay with his.

Marcela hits Juan Antonio on the back of the head and he drops the gun. Concha picks up the gun and shoots him in the shoulder with it. JA calls her stupid and Concha loses it and shouts to her sisters to kill him. Lorena stabs him, Marcela keeps hitting him with, maybe, the candlestick, and Concha beats on him with the gun. Jorge walks in and sees them all covered in blood.

"Concha, Lorena, and Marcela Garrido were condemned immediately for conspiracy to commit murder, to 28, 25, and 20 years. Jorge received a sentence of 8 years for complicity."

Labels: asesinas