Caray, Caray!

Harry Geithner debuts as Leonardo Faidella

Insomniacs Club

At the scene of the accident, Alejandra painfully limps from the taxi to the microbus. Someone lays Piedad with a head injury out on the ground, and Alejandra is in so much pain she sinks down next to the microbus. Amid smoke and blood, they wait for the ambulances; Doña Piedad isn't moving.

In Adolfo's luxury condo, Yolanda tells Félix that at the Sagittarius restaurant, she saw a waitress looking exactly like Márta. Her family details fit, too, she says. Yolanda pointed this out to Adolfo at the time, but he didn't care, she says.

Thinking back, she says he never should have done "that" -- much less blamed Santiago. When Félix points out that Márta unfortunately found out about their smuggling, Yolanda insists she could have convinced Márta not to turn Adolfo in. They were friends, she says.

But Félix is tired of this complaint: if Yolanda had cared so much about Márta, she should have turned Adolfo in and saved her. But Yolanda liked the money too much, didn't she, Félix prods. Yolanda doesn't answer; but then pointedly comments that he can't bother Gabriela, because he himself well knows Santiago is innocent.

Medics place Alejandra on the rescue squad bay to triage her, while she listens to a medic describe the grandmotherly woman's injuries, amid a din and moaning. Finally someone pulls a blood-stained sheet completely over the lady's face, and they wheel her gurney into a waiting ambulance.

At the Genovés's mansion, Berthe is going out carousing and begs a house key from David. She'll be returning late, she says. David tells her with a knowing look to take care of herself; and before exiting she gleefully pecks him on the lips, regretting there are so few good-looking keepers like him -- to which he looks perplexed.

A phone call he receives alarms David, and he runs straight out. While in her apartment, Elsa phones around worriedly trying to locate Piedad. She finally gives up and calls the authorities, where she learns to her frantic dismay that there has been a microbus accident with serious injuries.

Back at the Genovés mansion, Abelardo tries to comfort a tearful Mario, who learned earlier that day he has an inoperable, terminal brain tumor. At the hospital, David visits Alejandra in bed with a neck brace, who is embarrassed to be transferred to such luxurious digs.

David wants to make sure next time she uses the family cars; with a sweet smile he tells her their house and everything in it is hers, including him. She marvels at this; and as he moves to her side, Alejandra repeats, "including him?" Of course, he says, grinning. He's her cousin, her friend, her admirer -- and he's going to be her driver until she's better.

She grins and thanks him gratefully, and they both agree it's a shame they haven't been close -- but will be from now on. Alejandra offers her hand and says she cares very much about him, and he also says so in return. As he's leaving, she reveals she hurts all over and wonders how bad she looks; and she chuckles when he says terrible.

At a city morgue, Elsa breaks up pitifully when she has to identify the body of Piedad. At Gabriela's, she explodes in frustration when she and Julieta encounter Fausto finishing up the packing. They changed cities every six months as kids, she exclaims. It makes no sense; they can't finish their education!

How are they ever going to be anything but waitresses? Gabriela demands. He never gives any good reason for moving, either. She grills him on details of his decision; and when his answers sound lame, Gabriela digs her heels in. If he wants to leave, fine! she exclaims. She and Julieta are not!

At the mansion, David questions Abelardo about Mario's health, but Abelardo denies any problem. David explains about Alejandra's accident but doesn't want Mario worried about it. Later in his home office, when Abelardo urges Mario to get a second opinion, Mario definitely wants to. He can't die now! he says.

If he does, he explains, David and Gabriela will both be left with nothing! No one must know he's sick, Mario insists -- especially Adolfo. With Abelardo looking perplexed, Mario reveals the conditions of their business contract: if either partner dies before the 20 years is up, everything goes to the survivor!

Mario must stick around for at least six months until the deal is up; and when Abelardo can't fathom why Mario would have put up with such an absurd stipulation, Mario reveals to a shocked Abelardo that Adolfo has him under his thumb, accusing him of the murder of Márta -- the mother of his daughter.

In a warehouse district, a team of AFI agents (i.e., FBI: "Agencia Federal de Investigación) pour out of an SUV and, armed to the teeth, silently stalk smugglers moving merchandise into a warehouse. One crook spies them, but is overcome; and the team, led by detective Leonardo Faidella (Harry Geithner), swarms into the warehouse to capture the others, except for one -- who escapes.

At Gabriela's, it seems Fausto has reluctantly agreed to stay put; he begins to unpack. At the luxury condo, Carlos is just leaving when Félix enters with a determined air and braces Adolfo at the breakfast table with the news their new warehouse has been breached! The cops took everything and everyone -- except for one guy who told the story! he reports.

This puts Adolfo on his feet, exclaiming he had five million pesos tied up in that merchandise! Who in hell knew about it, he wonders. He's been losing too much money lately! Up in Elsa's apartment, she sobs inconsolably over Piedad when the doorbell rings; and it's Carlos, just come from breakfast with his dad.

She's in no shape for company and asks him to leave, but he insists on feigning to comfort her. He pretends interest as she explains the reason for her sorrow -- and offers to help her in various ways. Finally, when she turns him down the last time, he just leaves his card and promises to help if she needs anything.

At the prison, Elsa has come to meet with Juan Jose; but she's crying so hard she can't tell him his mother is dead. Juan Jose mistakenly thinks the sharp lawyer must be giving her a hard time, so is completely shocked to hear there was a fatal accident. He rejects that Piedad could be dead, sobbing and asking repeatedly where his mother could be.

At the Sagittarius restaurant, at Roberto's urging, Carlos asks Adolfo on the phone if he might have a job for Roberto; but Adolfo ignores him. Yolanda enters the restaurant and snags Gabriela to have a private talk; she commandeers Carlos's office and boots the boyz out. She learns to her surprise that Fausto is a night watchman but doesn't learn much else new.

Out in the bar, Carlos explains to Roberto that Yolanda is a former dancer who is just good friends with Adolfo and that Carlos is very fond of her even if she's kind of crazy. Carlos admits he went by the "naca's" place earlier; and together with Gabriela, Roberto points out Carlos has a thing for slumming with working-class girls.

About then David arrives to sit at their table. He asks Roberto whether he's seen Alejandra lately; and Roberto lies that he saw her just that day at the office to talk about the wedding date. When David points out facetiously then that Roberto must know she's been in the hospital since the other day, Carlos sniggers at Roberto -- and happily jabs David for being future relatives with Roberto.

David is just asking after the new waitress when Yolanda and Gabriela emerge from the office, and he calls to Gabriela who comes over and greets him agreeably. From back in the office, Roberto and Carlos can see on the closed-circuit TV that David is flirting with Gabriela; and Roberto digs at Carlos about it until he's in a jealous snit. Out in the bar, Carlos orders Gabriela back to work and David to leave the help alone. After both leave, Carlos swears to Roberto that idiot annoys him more and more every day.

A little later, up in the hotel penthouse, David sits working at his desk when the door buzzes; and it's Gabriela with a serving cart. David has ordered a champagne supper for two. When he tries to invite her to share it with him, he keeps touching her; and Gabriela gets the apparently wrong idea and becomes furious.

Gabriela accuses him of being a spoiled rich guy, feeling free to insult others -- and gives him another smack on the face. After she leaves, he leisurely pours a glass of champagne and ruefully admits to himself that he deserved that.

At the luxury condo, Adolfo tells Félix it's about time they got rid of Mario; he explains that if one of the partners expires before the next six months when their contract is up, the survivor receives everything -- and that survivor should be himself, Adolfo thinks.

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