Caray, Caray!

• Alejandra and Ricardo, after tripping the light fantastic, shared a kiss that fortunately no one from the office witnessed. He told her that she was the best thing in his life and that he could not live without her.
  
  
• Roberto and Leonardo followed the path they saw from the video through the garage out onto the street. They were certain they had enough to make a case for a new suspect; the question now was who that suspect could be. They decided to go out for a drink.
• The following morning Olivia arrived at the office dressed to kill. Despite that she was still invisible to Leonardo as he arrived; this was likely to have been due to him talking on his cell as he walked in. Carmen tried to remind her that he was involved in a major case at the moment. Nonetheless, although she should know better by now, Olivia was peeved as she went to her own office.
• Marianna arrived at Alejandra's office to prep for their meeting with her husband and his lawyer. Alejandra opened the folder about the property settlement for her review. Marianna was impressed with Alejandra's work on this and readily signed the appropriate documents. She asked whether Ricardo was in and Alejandra told her he was not in at the moment. Marianna was itching to see him and asked whether Alejandra knew whom he was seeing. To her credit, Alejandra told her that Ricardo was reserved about his private life.
• Everyone filed into the conference room for the staff meeting. Alonso first asked about the Carlos Ibarra case. Leonardo answered that the stairs from the emergency exit connected two floors, which made Alejandra conclude that someone else could have entered the hotel and committed the crime. He gave Roberto credit for his work on this and commented that there could be a new suspect. Gustavo pointed out that he and Roberto were always a good team.
• Alan hounded Marta, his secretary, about client calls. She told him that they had been asking for Carlos, which Alan didn't like hearing. He ordered her to direct all cases to him because at their current rate they would lose all their clients within three months.
• Alonso announced that Alejandra had won Virginia's case. Leticia made a show of congratulating her but Alejandra explained that it had not been easy, but her children had dropped the suit. As for Señor Perez' case that is a bit more complicated because his ex was being nasty. Alonso expressed confidence in her.
• Roberto went to the courthouse and was enthusiastically greeted by the receptionist. As he stared at another girl who entered the office he asked about the public defender whom he opposed in his most recent case. The receptionist pulled the file just as Juan himself entered the area, greeting his colleagues as he entered.. She heard his voice and called Roberto's attention to Juan, who was surprised at hearing that Roberto came to see him. Roberto complimented his handling of the case and made him the job offer. Juan looked very surprised.
• Olivia told the others that she was taking on Rosita's case, explaining that Rosita's husband was becoming abusive because she was seeking an abortion without his consent. Victoria was incensed at the man's gall. Olivia pointed out that Rosita's case was legitimate because it was her body at stake. Alonso was alright with this, understanding that it would be pro bono. This was possible because they were winning large cases as well, giving Benjamín credit.. Of course, Benjamín got up and walked around as he kissed Alonso's arse for that. Alonso changed the subject to the need for a junior lawyer in the criminal division. Neither Ricardo nor Victoria had any objection. Leticia brought up that Benjamín had something to talk about and Benjamín took the floor hostage again to suggest expanding the firm to a branch office. Alonso then said that while he took it under advisement he is tabling this suggestion for the moment.
• Juan could not hold back his eagerness, accepting right on the spot. Roberto told him he would arrange an appointment with Alonso ASAP, gave him his business card, and left. Juan watched until he was out of sight and jumped for joy.
  
  [He really needs to learn to control that.]
  
• Both Ricardo and Victoria agreed with Alonso, who then ajourned the meeting. Benjamín remained seated until Alonso was out of the conference room and then tried to say more to Ricardo and Victoria, pointing out that this would benefit everyone. Both, however, agreed that now was not the time. Finally, everyone left to get on with their day. Ricardo and Alejandra were the last to leave so that nobody could see how they were smiling at each other.
• Alan visited Carlos with his bad news, that their clients all want him (Carlos) to handle their cases and that if he's to keep the office open they would need to release some reserve funds. Carlos said no.
• Benjamín held his temper until he and Leticia were in his office. He began cursing out his colleagues, saying he was better than Ricardo and Victoria together. Leticia pointed out that there are things that Alonso valued over money. Benjamín said that was because Alonso already had it and that he could do better outside of this firm. Leticia looked as though she was going to come to her senses about him.
• Alejandra had been nervous about Alonso's reaction to her case but Ricardo reassured her that while Alonso can be tough he is fair. She was starting to feel better when there was a squeal from outside the door and Natalia came in to hug Ricardo; this might have been nice if Elena had not been with her. Alejandra made a graceful exit to take care of some documents for Virginia while Natalia showed Ricardo her latest dance move. Elena looked as though she were looking for other kinds of moves.
• Juan went home to give his mother his good news. As she hugged him and went on about how confident she was in him his cell rang. Carmen called to give him his appointment date with Alonso, which was the next morning at eleven. He was fine until he ended the call, at which time he proved again that he was his mother's son.
• Elena said something about going to catch Federico's game, so Natalia hugged Ricardo and asked if she could visit him at the office again.
  
  He said Of Course and Elena almost shoved the girl out the door. It was immediately obvious [to us, at least] that she pulled the surprise visit in hopes of catching Ricardo and Alejandra together en flagrante delicto. She made a fake apology about hoping that Alejandra wasn't inconvenienced by her arrival. She then kissed Ricardo on the cheek and left. He looked as though he knew he should have said more.
  
• As Olivia was leaving the office she talked to Carmen, saying she was meeting her blind date. Her dress looked a little too close – and too short – for comfort. Carmen commented that the man might not look as good as his photo and Olivia said he wouldn't look as good to her as Leonardo did. [Oy, vey.]
• Gustavo went to Isabel with a huge bouquet of roses but she turned him away. She would not even let him in. “Our marriage went very well until you did this” and she said it was Over. She finally closed the door in his face.
• Roberto went undercover to a strip club in hopes of talking to friends and/or colleagues of the deceased. A woman with auburn hair and an animal print outfit sat down next to him. When he mentioned Carlos' name she pulled away slightly, finally telling him that she didn't take on private appointments for this reason. She also appeared to be drinking a distinctly non-alcoholic lemonade.
• Olivia was dining with her doctor who was well-dressed an bearded, like most of the Vega men. Things began going south as soon as the waiter took their orders. She ordered house wine and the pasta Alfredo with extra parmesan while he requested grilled chicken with vegetables. He asked whether she really liked pasta and she said she loved it. He questioned the amount of carbohydrates for that time of day. She asked if he thought she was fat and while he denied it he went on about in a few years and when menopause came she wouldn't have the metabolism she had now. “You know that, don't you?” She answered in the affirmative but her look said she wanted to be anywhere else.
• Ricardo and Alejandra left the movie theatre in a good mood. He put his jacket on her shoulders when they got outside.
• The doctor talked about always getting up at five in the morning to run to train for triatholons, adding distance every day, etc. As he watched how much food he was cutting at each bite Olivia sent a text message on her cell and stashed her phone before he looked up and asked whether she worked out. She told him that she did yoga and spinning but not every day because of her workload. He started to say it was a shame when her cell rang. “Oh, I have to answer this,” she said. Then she did.
  
  
  
  
  
  “That bad, huh?” Victoria said, from her apartment.
  “Yes. Tell me so I can understand.”
  “Is he good-looking, at least?”
  “No. You don't say.. what did he do?”
  “The typical excuse to run out! I would do the same.”
  “Yes, I know. It's terrible that this happened.”
  “So leave. I'll wait for you here.”
  “Yes, yes; don't worry. I know. Don't say anything to anyone until I get there. I'll be right over.” As Victoria laughed silently at the other end, Olivia ended the call and looked at her date. “My God. You don't know how sorry I am, but I have to go. That was a client who desperately needs me to get there.”
  “Yes, of course, I understand.”
  “I'm sorry it had to end like that,” she said as she got up, “but we'll be in touch, OK?”
  “Yes, of course.”
  As Olivia was out of her date's sight she breathed a brief sigh of relief. He looked as though he wasn't sure this happened.
  
• The following morning Juan dressed for his meeting with Alonso and he was nervous. Susanna did her best to make him feel better but he wanted to be sure he was going to represent the firm's image. As usual, she told him to just be confident because he had the legal talent.
• A lawyer from the courthouse went to Milena's apartment to deliver the notice of the charges that were being brought against her. She was being accused to defaming Gustavo's public image and destroying his private life. He made her sign for it.
• Roberto way lying on his office couch, dropping some Alka Seltzer into his glass of water. Leonardo came in and he said that he wished he could just go to sleep for two days. However he had heard that the prostitutes were likely to be taking uppers and downers and possibly overdosing on the latter – or it was a bad combination with alcohol. This made the toxicology report crucial because this could disprove a murder charge.
• Juan entered Alonso's office. As they shook hands uan told Alonso that he had read all his books. When he sat Alonso informed him that he liked his references and they want him to join the firm on a current case. Juan accepted and Alonso handed him the contract. He glanced at it and signed. They shook hands and Alonso started filling him on the case.
• In the park a young blonde woman exited a VW bug taxicab shouting for help. There was blood on her dress. She then collapsed on the walkway.
• Leticia entered Gustavo's office to tell him that the notification had been delivered to Milena. She had signed for it. However, the bad news she had for him was that he needed to provide all the materials in question – photos, videos, etc. – to be shown in court. He didn't want to do this, but she told him he has to know what he needs to do at this point. He had to tell her everything. She was not going to judge him. He finally said that he wanted to make Milena pay and would do what that would take. He wanted to put her behind bars but Leticia wasn't sure that would be possible. However she would do what she could.
• Paramedics took a dead body into the ambulance as police gathered at the scene. One questioned the girl, who swore she had done nothing and said that a man came up from behind and grabbed her breasts. The cop told her she would need to come to the station. She said she wanted to call her mother first and he told her that she had to come with them because she was being detained for homicide. She kept saying “No, no” and began crying as they cuffed her.
• Both Victoria and Carmen were outraged at Olivia's story about the night before. Carmen was sure that Olivia would have better luck next time but Olivia was ready to throw in the towel.
• Alonso escorted Juan to Roberto's office for the formal introduction. Leonardo recognized Juan from the courthouse and Juan talked about them being the best lawyers in the country and he couldn't wait to learn from them.
• Alejandra and Marianna waited in the conference room for her husband and his lawyer. They arrived and sat down. This was to do the property settlement. However, the husband wanted to give the marriage a second chance. He had cruise tickets in one pocket and a diamond bracelet in the other. Marianna was caught off-guard. It sounded like he worked too much overtime and realized that this was pushing her away. He wanted her in his life. “Without you, nothing makes sense.”
• At the police station Nora (the girl in the park) was being detained because the evidence was stacked against her. The arresting officer said she said she didn't want to kill the man but he was dead. Cinthia, the girl's mother, wanted to take her home, but the detective at the desk told her she could not. Nora screamed out whether it mattered at all that she had been threatened with rape. He told her that it did, but the man was dead. He recommended to her mother that she get a good lawyer. The uniformed cops took Nora out. She protested all the way. Cinthia started crying.
• Marianna and her husband reconciled. Their lawyers left them alone.
• Olivia explained to Rosita that the first step is to bring kidnapping charges against her husband. Rosita was reluctant, but Olivia said that the important thing was to get him to bring the children back. That had to be her first priority.
• Alejandra told Ricardo about the Marianna and her husband just before Leonardo came in to introduce Juan, who made a polite reference to her father after putting his foot in his mouth about seeing her upset one day at the courthouse. The worst, however, was that when Leonardo told them that Juan was on the murder case Juan told Alejandra not to worry, that they would get her fiancé out of jail.

Labels: ley

Permalink posted by Urban Anthropologist @ 11:00 PM