Caray, Caray!

Greetings, amigos on the Patio. This is my last recap for Caer. It's been a fabulous run and have enjoyed exploring all the nooks and crannies of this well-crafted story. Tonight the chickens are coming home to roost. We only have a few more episodes to go and I'll be keeping my eyes on all the developments from here on out.

Some scenes combined so it's not so choppy.
En el Presente
Azucena is still talking to Damian. The subject is cash. With difficulty, Dam says the cash for Vicente wasn't there. Azu says she personally put the cash in a satchel and put it in Dam's car, as he instructed. She's offended that he might think she took it. After some back and forth, it's clear that Andres knew about the large sum of money withdrawn from Dam's account. She shares that he's obsessively followed every movement of money in the company.

Andres pays a surprise visit to Alina. She's not interested in whatever it is he wants. He ask her to hear him out. It's just a little business affair. He can arrange for her to get everything she wants and he can have the same. What does he mean by that, she asks. Don't be stupid, he replies. Raquel and Santiago.

Cintia gets home and is immediately accosted by Mia. She extracts the little nugget (too easily, I might say) of information that Raquel ended her relationship with Santiago. For sure? Yes, for sure. As Cin leaves, a half-smile appears on Mia's face, but otherwise her evil façade in untouched.

Nando is getting chewed out--again--by Antonio. This time it's for not answering his cell phone in a timely manner. He promises to end it all soon. Ant tells him they are going to let Vicente go in hopes he'll lead them to Garrido. He's to follow him and not lose sight of him. He doesn't want Nando to mess it up this time because the judge is very close to closing the case on them. This time it's Ant's phone that rings and he gets up to answer it in a timely manner. It's Santiago with a plan. The Alvarado clan hatch a plot sitting around the dining room table.

And here comes Andres, scuttling in to the catering office like the cockroach he is. He makes Raquel an offer she should refuse. He tells her he has one of the most important banquet clients interesting in purchasing the whole business. He plays with Raq's emotional state suggesting she'd be better off getting rid of all her bad memories with the stroke of a pen. Raq says she can't speak for Santi's family because half still belongs to Carolina. Andres says that's not a problem. Either he or Raq can negotiate a settlement after the deal is sealed. He leaves her to think about it. (She should have gotten herself a lawyer not named Alina.)

Rueda and Vic, sittin' in a car, K-I-S-S-I-N-G NOT. Rueda says he should be happy he's free. Vic is pissed he didn't get anything out of anybody. Rueda says to forgetaboutit and disappear. Rueda is sympathetic to his "economic" situation, but isn't disposed to help. He orders Vic out of the car. Nando, watching from his own car, is at the ready.

[ed. note: Must I really be forced to report in detail how they caught Juan? Would it be sufficient for me to say, how easily Juan fell for his mother's earnest words? How they used poor Lola as bait? For goodness sakes, he could have had that gun, the one he had before, and shot her as she stood there, the cheese waiting for the rat. The trap snaps as Juan sees Santi approaching Lola. Juan looks around. He's trapped, but, like any self-respecting rat who didn't grab the cheese, he makes a run for it. Fortunately, the whole Alvarado household, plus some police extras are on the scene, guns drawn. All eyes are on Antonio who gets the honor to yell, cuff him. Juan swears he will kill them all. Hopefully this is the last we see of Juan.]

Raquel tells Cin she's decided to sell the business. With the money they get, Cin suggests, they can start another business. Raq says, that's the plan. She reflects that this place only brings her bad memories, memories of Dam and Caro using this as a perfect meeting place. She imagines they probably made love here. Cin reminds her that Raq also shares memories with Santi. That's the problem. He also lied to her. She calls Santi. When he hears her voice, he's still at the capture Juan location, but he is pleased she called him. He calls her mi amor and wants the opportunity to explain the misunderstanding...she cuts him off and as cold as ice tells him she's selling the business to rid herself of all the things that do her ill.

En el Pasado
Damian and Carolina, sittin' in a car  K-I-S-S-I-N-G NOT YET. Dam announces he's going to tell Raquel the truth, the whole truth. He's going to tell Raq he wants to be with Caro. After all the lies and how much he's hurt her, it's the least he can do. (You go, fella, I say, dripping with sarcasm.) Caro has a moment of reflection but agrees to talk to Santi. They exchange "te amos" and a couple of very meaningful--to them--kisses. She gets out of the car and leaves.

Fede is still in the stands trying to breathe and trying to tell Nico what was on his mind. All he can get out is that it has to do with his father. He ends up in the hospital.

Dam shows up at the catering office. He's about to divulge his naughty extra-curricular activities, but Raq can't stop to talk. She's flying around getting two big events launched. He really wants to talk to her. It's about the two of them. At that moment she gets the call from Nico telling her what happened to Fede. They will leave for the hospital immediately.

Santi gets a different story from Auggie that Carolina gave him earlier on why Flo left so suddenly. Auggie says, well money talks and she was offered a better-paying job. He leaves for work. Caro gets home. She prepares herself for the most painful confession of her life, to someone not a priest. Caro begins, "I have to talk to you." Santi says, if it's about Flo, Auggie already filled him in. She claims it's about the two of them. Things haven't been good between them for some time now, she says. Santi assumes it's about Vic. (Remember, folks, he doesn't know the extent of the Vic, Caro, Dam, and Santi's dad's gun.) He's sorry about that and won't interfere again in her relationship with Vic. Just then he gets a call from Nico. He tells them about Fede's asthma attack. Caro has a panic attack thinking Fede has said something before she has had a chance to put a better spin on the affair. After all, falling in love with someone not your husband sounds a lot better than cheating on her husband for three years and boinking someone he knows very well.

Dam and Raq arrive at the hospital to find Fede is fine and is using a nebulizer. Raq goes to his side while Nico explains to Dam that Fede was trying to tell him something about his family and Dam's, but he couldn't because he couldn't breathe. (So, now we know why Fede had to have asthma, nothing else would do. It worked, no?) Raq brings Dam to their son's bedside. Caro and Santi arrive to learn what happened to Fede and to calm Nico down. Poor kid thought Fede was going to die on him.

In the cubicle, Fede asks his father not to separate from his mother. Outside, Nico goes for coffee so Santi asks Caro to pick up where she left off at the house. What had her so upset? Caro girds up her loins and starts again with them not getting along for a long time and how they no longer connect. Very calmly, she says, "I want a divorce." Santi stares at her.

En el Presente
Alina is talking to Santi in her office. She's so happy the nightmare is over for him and by the way, she's lined up a dinner with two investors for that very night. Santi isn't in the mood for any parlay, but Alina already has her talons in his soft underbelly. She's persuasive. Business is business. He gives in.

Azu is still with Dam. Downstairs, Mia probes her mother's thoughts without a mind meld. Raq is willing to share her thoughts with her daughter. She's selling the catering business. She only needs to talk to Andres. Mia can't help it. She wants to force Raq to reveal her status with Santiago. She asks if she's going to end it with him. Raq answers that yes, she's going to end it. (Si, terminare--sorry no final accent for the future tense, but make believe there is one.) Mia smirks as Raq turns her back because, of course, Mia already knows Raq should have answered in the past tense.

Granny calls Fede to reschedule their appointment. When he arrives, he finds Miriam quite agitated. She wants to sell the business. Andres is involved in some dicey business. Fede resists the notion. She warns that Andres is an unscrupulous person. She's afraid for herself and her only family left, Mia and Fede. Dam hasn't been managing things since he got involved with that woman and with Andres running things, he's out of control. Fede is aware, or strongly suspected that Andres was laundering money. He's sure that Miguel was involved. She wants to sell and get out from under this menace. Fede again refuses. He's going to get to the bottom of this. She begs him not to, she's already lost Damian and doesn't want to lose him. Big hug. (The poor dear seems really scared. I don't think this is a plot between Rueda and herself.)

Andres hurries to the Beckers to seal the deal. He tells her the buyer is on his way. She finally agrees to be the one who will negotiate the settlement for Caro's part with Santiago. Andres and the buyer look at each other knowingly as she signs. Andres wants to toast and goes to get some champagne. Raquel is wandering around the house a bit and tells Jovita what she's doing and what about Santi. Jovita tells her to call him. She dials his number.

Alina, wearing a road-kill fur, is waiting for Santi at a table in a fancy restaurant. He kisses her cheek with no emotion other than a greeting. She's just gushing. He ought to be celebrating his good luck. The two investors have arrived. One is a youngish bearded man in a suit and tie. The other one, who keeps his back to us has grey hair. (We never see his face--could it be Saldivar???) Santi pays and goes to the rest room. (Ay de mi. Why is his phone not in his pocket? He's not a teenager who needs a phone visible at all times.) Of course, the minute Santi is out of hearing distance, the phone rings. The young investor offers to take the phone to Santi. Alina tells the investors she's a friend and can answer for him. She identifies herself to Raquel. Any messages? Inwardly she's gloating. Put a fork in him, Santi is done. Raquel hangs up. Angry and disgusted she wonders out loud to Jovita why Santi is still with Alina and why Alina is answering his phone. She's done with him. Alina can put a fork in him for all she cares. The dinner ends satisfactorily and the two new investors leave. Santi realizes he owes her a lot for this opportunity and tells her so. (I'm sure she will make him pay.)

Damian is having a frightening flashback. It's Vicente whacking at the passenger side door, where Carolina is yelling, terrified. He drags her out and starts wielding the shovel above his head to bring it down on her. Dam calls out, helplessly from inside the car for him to stop. Dam wakes up in a cold sweat calling out Vicente's name. Dam is out of control yelling for Vic to stop. The nurse runs in and soon everyone is at his bedside except for Andres and the buyer. All is chaos. They finally calm him down and Raq asks him, what about Vic? He can only stare at her and repeats Vic's name.

In a place, far, far away from furs, champagne, contracts, investors and phone calls, Garrido pays a little visit to Vicente, who is now at home--where he probably shouldn't be if he wants to save his own skin. Vic is prepared to fight, but Garrido says he only wants to talk. He wants Vic to go back to the police and tell them the truth. Vic wonders what truth. Garrido says the whole truth, that he and Tato had nothing to do with Caro's murder, which he knows very well. He wants the cops off his back. Vic's still not up for it.

A little later, Garrido and Vic are sharing a drink and talking like a couple of civilized thugs. Vic wants to know what he knows. Garrido slyly says Vic knows that better since he got there before he and Tato did. Vic swears he didn't kill his sister. Garrido laughs because Vic spent all his time blackmailing her. Now, he orders Vic, get him out of this mess or else his son will die. Vic, knowing he can't win this round, agrees to tell the police what Garrido wants.

Unbeknownst to them, Nando and a sidekick have been biding their time right outside. They burst in. Garrido immediately fingers Vic as the killer and says it was all his idea. After a short stand-off with guns pointing at heads, Garrido is garrabbed and Vic takes off.

Back at the Becker house where Andres is still toasting his good luck, he asks Raquel what she wants to do about the settlement with Santiago. Raquel turns the matter over to Andres. Andres and the buyer exchange knowing looks. Mia, the little snot, interrupts to tell Raquel she needs to be by her father's side instead of chit-chatting and orders her upstairs. Dam woke up and is asking for her. If looks could kill (or if I knew how to do a screen shot in 5 min. or less, I'd freeze frame Raquel's face at that moment). Raquel excuses herself. The two men clink, smile and take a swallow.

Alina has called Santi to her office. She tells him they need to talk about the sale of the catering business. Andres wants to negotiate the settlement. Santi refuses to have anything to do with Andres. Alina says he has to and like the cockroach he is, Andres comes scurrying in. Santi looks at Alina. He's pretty sure he's being played. Andres is in high dudgeon, snarking about how he's heard Raquel doesn't want to have anything more to do with him.

Garrido has been taken to Ant's office. He's decided to spill his beans. Vic was at the cantina, drunk as a skunk, as always, and losing at cards. He wanted Garrido to stake him to some more cash. Garrido wanted to know how he was going to pay him back. That's when he told him that Becker was going to deliver a big pile of cash.

Pay attention now, Patio detectives, this is an important scene. Garrido sets the scene. He and Tato are on a motorcycle. They know where the rendezvous is to take place. They hide the moto. When they see Vicente pass them, they know Becker will be behind him. They throw the rock but the imbecile lost control and went over the embankment. Antonio asks him if he saw who killed Carolina. Garrido says no, all he saw was that Vic's car was there and Vic was there, below. Nando shows him a photo of a car (presumably the Legato car--before being burned). Garrido says that's the one.

Antonio wonders why they should believe him as he's the main suspect (after going through two other main suspects and coming up empty handed). It's Garrido's word against Vic's. Garrido says that's true, but suppose, suppose there was someone else at the scene of the accident. Another car showed up. (We see the car driving up and the door opening. Lordy I hope it isn't Santi's jeep.) Nando wants to know who was driving. Garrido looks up, pleased.

And that my friends, is left for tomorrow.
Must see TV.
Signing off, with gratitude and appreciation for readers and commenters,
Anita

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