Caray, Caray!

Episode 122

At the sheriff's, Leonarda is startled and worried to learn that the old sheriff and his guard are eager to testify against Rodrigo and her; but Rodrigo isn't concerned. When he pulls out his customary convincing bag of coins, though, the new sheriff threatens to lock him up for bribery unless he puts it back in his pocket.

At Raúl's, Mariela's grandparents walk in on the aftermath of Salma's unsubtle unburdening, where Mariela is once again reduced to a puddle of anxious tears. When she explains Griselda's awful plan, Alberto runs to Salma's bedroom to find her and her things gone; and they all know then Salma is not Mariela's daughter.

Renato flings open Aimee's bedchamber door to find her primping and wonders if she's forgotten she can't go out the rest of her life. Aimee breezily maintains he's just angry at her and that once back at the townhouse, he'll love her again; but Renato thinks she's a stupid child. What's done is done! Done!

Leonarda berates Rodrigo on the walk home for trying to bribe a famously honest official, and Rodrigo is just asking her if perhaps she'd rather they had to come openly before a judge, when they encounter Noel and Gabriel from the opposite direction. Alberto has urgently summoned them, and Noel is anxious at his tone.

When Rodrigo stops them to ask Noel's help, Noel tries to walk on; but Leonarda snips that apparently his wife doesn't concern him. Noel turns to Gabriel and marvels that this lady expects something of him and strides up to Rodrigo's face and insists that he continue worrying about Leonarda's affairs and acting as her lover.

Rodrigo objects and wants an end to the insults; but Noel wants it even more, shouting into his face, whereupon, Rodrigo demands satisfaction and smacks Noel with his gloves, but only hits Noel's upraised hand. To Leonarda's horror, they agree on pistols at dawn at point-blank range, with Gabriel as Noel's second.

As Noel and Gabriel depart, Rodrigo is not gratified to hear Leonarda fret that Noel is sure to kill him: Noel is a good shot, experienced with weapons and taught Renato everything he knows about them from a young age, she says. He's going to kill Rodrigo! Leonarda repeats plaintively, waiving her hand.

That evening, a storm brews; and in her room, Aimee sends Celia with a message for Juan at his cottage -- a message only for him. Celia is worried Renato will catch her, but Aimee is not concerned. She intends to keep him occupied with more of Kuma's potion in his cognac and checks to see if the coast is clear.

It is, and she makes her way to the office. Aimee is pouring more potion into the decanter when she's startled by Renato barging in through the door behind her. It's not his imagination; he saw Aimee fooling with the decanter and grabs her hand that was hiding the vial. Now he understands everything, Renato says.

She's trying to poison him! he says, laughing sardonically. That's all that's left between her and what she wants, he says. Unabashed, Aimee waves her fan and marvels that Renato's criticizing her now after he tried to shoot her! Don't bother getting indignant, because they are both exactly the same, she points out.

Renato doesn't like her comparing them; forgetting his magnificent Regina obsession, he waves an arm and shouts that he never betrayed Aimee! while she smiles sweetly. Everybody on the street will be talking behind his back, so for once, why doesn't she tell him the truth -- out of her own mouth! Renato shouts.

Tell him how she betrayed him, Renato insists. Aimee sarcastically repeats, oh, now he wants the truth! Well, he should prepare himself then! Aimee answers. Because it's the truth: she married him for his money, and she never loved him. The only man she ever loved -- or will ever love -- is Juan del Diablo!

Renato sobers and looks a little sick, swallowing his pride. Slack jawed, he lets her continue. Juan was always the only man for her, Aimee insists. And she would do anything to be in his arms again! she exclaims, tortured. To feel his lips again, running over her skin! she adds, caressing her own neck.

For those consuming caresses that were the fires of passion! My love, she says tauntingly, that is the truth. And now you know. You, she spits out pointedly, mean nothing to me! Laughing cruelly, she continues that this is the reason she wants to leave. She's never been more unhappy than while living with him!

Renato, having heard enough, approaches her menacingly, calling her a traitor; and backing her against the wall, he says she's going to pay right now. At that moment in her hut, Kuma the witch doctor, clears the fog on her cauldron and notes with dismay the events in the office where Aimee taunts Renato with Juan del Diablo.

Aimee tells him that nobody and nothing can erase those moments from her mind, because she loves him! She loves him and desires him! Renato squeezes Aimee's head, shakes her and yells Shut up! Shut up! Aimee manages to get in a shot to his groin and escape the office while Renato's momentarily debilitated.

Noel and Gabriel have made it to Raúl's, where they have learned about Salma's revelation. They repeat their previous suspicions to Raúl and the Villareals and posit their current ones about the real daughter, admitting they are still only suspicions. Noel doesn't want to reveal who it might be until they can confirm it.

At the finca, Aimee has run out into the storm, and Renato follows with his farmhands on horseback, astounding one of them by ordering the dogs let out on her. Back at Raúl's, Noel asks to see Mariela alone; and when he exits, Gabriel confides to Raúl and Alberto about the coming duel and his fear over Noel's safety.

Lightning flashing and thunder crashing all around, Aimee runs helter skelter through the jungle, tripping over roots, ripping her clothing, with the dogs and horses on her trail. Crying and terrified, Aimee desperately makes for Kuma's hut, where the witch doctor is feeling an end to things coming on, she says.

Mariela sits alone in her bedroom when Noel enters; he remains quietly behind her, standing like an oak for her to lean on, listening to her story. Salma lied to them for the money; for the filthy money, she says. Mariela protected her; she opened her heart. And it was all a lie; a great lie.

How could someone play with her feelings that way? Noel wants to point out that Mariela's own mother's heart told her that Salma wasn't her daughter and that she shouldn't lose hope that very soon she'll find the real one. But Mariela lost hope and faith when Salma admitted she lied, she says, weeping fresh tears.

She'll never find her daughter, Mariela insists; how evil people can be -- he'll never know the pain Salma's words caused her. Once again there's the anxiety and feeling of loss; they're destroying her. Sometimes she thinks life makes no sense and might not be worth living.

Out in the wilds, Aimee races into Kuma's hut, screaming for the witch doctor to save her. Renato wants to kill her! Please help her! But Kuma can tell the hunters are very close -- and with dogs! Where could she possibly hide her, she asks. They'll kill them both! Aimee has to leave right away, Kuma tells her.

Aimee frantically insists that Kuma has powers! But Kuma has discovered she can't do anything against Renato; that he has a strong talisman working for him, she says. He was good, noble; and look what you have turned him into now! Kuma can't save Aimee, she claims. But Aimee is desperate, running hysterically in circles.

The only thing Kuma can offer her is a horse; it's outside -- take it and get out, she tells Aimee. If she rides through the river she can disorient the dogs' scent; but make sure she takes the lower trail and not the upper trail. There's no exit to the upper trail. Aimee rushes out; the dogs are near.

In Mariela's bedroom, Noel is sorry to hear Mariela so down on life. Kneeling beside her with his hand on the back of her chair, he earnestly tells her he'd do anything to see her happy. She, too, is a tormented soul, he whispers huskily. They have their broken hearts in common.

And they're eternal optimists; please, he asks, never lose hope or faith. Taking her hand, Noel says if she lets him, he'll do anything to help her find happiness, which makes Mariela smile. She tells Noel that a man like him could make any woman happy.

And a woman like her, Noel says, would be the dream of any man. When we dream, we're just ready to awaken, he says. At this Mariela looks up at him suddenly, marveling. As a woman, you've a certain excitement, a curious stillness, he tells her.

Out on the trail, the storm rages as Aimee rides on into the dark. Renato and the dogs have arrived at Kuma's hut, and at first when he questions the witch doctor about Aimee, she pretends ignorance. But when he threatens to set the mastiffs on her place, she remains stone faced, revealing nothing.

Aimee recalls the words of the witch doctor and soon becomes despondent, realizing she's lost. But the dogs and Renato are catching up, and he spies her and yells to watch out for the water. She's come to the edge of a beach cliff, and Renato cries out in horror as he sees her heading for it.

Halted at the precipice, time nearly stops for Renato, as he can do nothing but watch his wife tumble over and over, down and down. Soon the farmhands arrive, and he blankly tells them she's fallen to the bottom. One man excitedly begins a rescue effort, but Renato insists on going down himself and calls for a rope.

In Mariela's room, Noel tells her he realizes it's not the best time, but he confesses she's awakened a great excitement in the depths of his soul, a profound feeling; he feels very good with her. Mariela begins to speak, but he just wants her to listen.

Noel says the only thing he asks is to not lose her; her company makes him very happy. As Mariela tells him she feels the same way, he kisses her hand and gazes into her eyes. She wouldn't want to lose him either, especially at the saddest time in her life, Mariela says.

Out in the parlor, Raúl and the Villareals wonder at such ambitious evil and decide heaven will deal with Salma. Raúl asks Gabriel to help him find Jimena to beg her to come and help his daughter. Gabriel finds Jimena standing on the quay, feeling an uneasy premonition. She's afraid something awful has happened.

At the bottom of the beach cliff, a dry-eyed Renato finds and cradles Aimee's broken body and tells the men he will take his wife home. With her body tucked into the curve of his left arm, Renato slowly walks his white horse -- a blue shadow in the moonlight -- through the scrub toward the finca, one deliberate hoof beat at a time.

When Renato carries the body up to the staircase landing, his mother meets him and faints when Renato almost inaudibly says "she's dead" and continues up the stairs. The farmhands tend to Leonarda as Renato reaches the twins' old room and lays Aimee's body out on a bed, gently touching her face, her blood staining most of his left sleeve.

He leans on the foot board, staring at her, remembering the horrible words she spoke to him in the argument just before the chase; how she never loved him and always loved Juan. Loosing the scarf around his neck, he wipes his face and throws the scarf to the floor, spitting out "Juan del Diablo" in disgust.

Later in the office, Renato slides open the desk drawer, pulls out a revolver, and gives the chamber a clattering spin, while staring down the barrel.

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