Caray, Caray!

• Fanny arrived at Alberto's house and marched right in. She slapped Berenice almost hard enough to knock her off her stilettos calling her a slut and demanding to know how long she had been fooling around with Ramón.
  
  
• Berenice told her it had been since Alberto went to the US and Ramón had stayed behind (whenever that was). Berenice begged for a chance to explain but Fanny was having none of it. She called her a traitor and told her she never wanted anything more to do with her. Both were crying as Berenice tried to apologize. [We think there is no apology big enough for this level of betrayal.]
  
  
  
• In Querétaro Alejandra waited in the social worker's office with her client for his son to arrive. The boy came in and said he was worried about his mother. Alejandra introduced herself and told him that his mother was alright.
  
  
  
• Berenice tried to say she didn't know how to tell her this but Fanny urged her to explain. This was a major betrayal of their friendship, which was Berenice's excuse for not having said anything before. Berenice tried to say that she didn't want to but she and Alberto had been having marital problems and she talked to Ramón about it, etc. Fanny told her that she should have thought about this before getting into the sheets with Ramón. Fanny finally told her she was going to regret this, then turned away and walked out without looking back.
  
  Berenice continued to cry until she got to her banquette when she sat down and looked curiously as though she were already over it as she watched Fanny's departure through the glass wall.
  
  
  
• Alejandra handed the file to the social worker who declared that all was in order. Little Brian asked his father if they were going to see his mother now and he told him they would. She was just answering a few questions at the police station. Alejandra told him that there was nothing to worry about; all is well.
  
  
  
• Berenice cried on the couch as Alberto arrived home. He asked what was wrong but as his close-up disclosed he was not in Comforting Mode. When she told him that Fanny had been there he asked what had been said.
  
  He already looked angry as she said she had something to tell him.
  
  He asked what she was unpacking (revealing) and she told him that she and Ramón had been lovers.
  
  He stood up and unleashed anger he thought worthy of Othello when it was more like that of Stanley Kowalski. He pretended to want the details but her explanations did not satisfy him. He ranted about her cheating on him with his best friend. When she mentioned her encounter with Fanny he went on as though Fanny knowing about this made it worse. She said Fanny had seen the e-mails on Ramón's computer. Alberto called her shameless.  [We are inclined to think she is no more shameless than he is.]
  
  She tried to apologize but he shoved her back onto the couch, saying he wanted nothing to do with her for the rest of his life.
  
  
  
• The Four Musketeers – Juan is D'Artangnan – gathered in Leonardo's office. Roberto needed the others' objective opinions right away. He revealed what he had learned about the pending end of the business partnership of Alberto and Ramón and that Alberto had taken several marksmanship classes before applying for a gun permit. Juan said that it would not be easy for a private citizen to acquire a gun permit if he had not previously used one professionally. Roberto said he had jumped to conclusions that the shooting had been an accident but now that didn't appear to be the case. Suddenly out of nowhere Alberto turned up and invited him to a reunion party after they had not seen each other in years. None of the other former classmates had been present. The shooting happened and Alberto claimed to have had no training with firearms and claimed that this was an accident. He also claimed to have been ignorant of gun safety. Leonardo offered his help but Roberto said he needed to find this out for himself.
  
  He thanked them for their help and left the office. [If he is a criminal law specialist he should have been suspicious of the claim of no training.]
  
  
  
• Alberto went on about how he then understood why she was crying all through the party, the funeral, and the trial. His rage was as visible as her fear of it. She went on about how she had wanted a family, which he hesitated to believe. He then ordered her to leave his house. She pleaded, protested; in fact she almost screamed.
  
  He dragged her to the glass door, down the stone steps, and pushed her down onto the grass. He then declared that she would get absolutely nothing, that she was dead to him. He then went inside and locked the door, leaving her crying on her knees on the grass.
  
  
  
• Alan and Carlos talked about the tort case they had coming up. Carlos finally said he would talk the plaintiff into withdrawing the charge for a settlement. [This did not sound like his usual M.O.]
• Leticia was working diligently when Benjamín came in to present her with a necklace, which he put on her before she got a good look.
  
  She felt for it, then took a selfie and concealed her disappointment at what a bagatelle it actually was. She showed him the photo and he said it was a mere token to demonstrate how much he missed her. He sneaked up behind her to start kissing her neck but she got up from her chair and went to the other side of the desk.
  
  She told him that from that day on that if he wanted to see her it would have to be outside the office. He closed in on her for the prelude to their usual desktop desecration, but she resisted. He seemed to have been sufficiently chided to comply. He said he would see her later and exited.
  
  After he was out the door she fingered the necklace with a victory smirk.
  
  
  
• Carlos met with Ignacio Martínez in a bar. He was a blue-collar sort of man of early middle age with grey hair and an almost-white goatee. He had a cast and a sling on his right arm. The injury was the result of a fight that he said was provoked by the other man and that he didn't have adequate time to defend himself. Carlos explained that the case would involve getting witnesses to prove that the other man provoked the fight. Due to the inherent difficulties he said it would be best to come to a settlement.
  
  
  
• Gustavo vented to Ricardo again about his divorce. He hated not being able to see his son. Ricardo advised him to give Isabel time and space to calm down about all this. He had also been through this and things were alright now. Gustavo was as impatient as a child and Ricardo said he should not pressure Isabel now. It was the worst thing he could do.
• Martínez told Carlos that his lawyer had advised him not to accept any offer. Carlos asked him whether he would prefer to accept less money all for himself or a larger sum he would have to share with his lawyer. Martínez asked how much and Carlos showed him something on his cell phone. He would be paid half by noon the next day and the other half after he withdrew the charges. Martínez agreed.
  
  
  
• Roberto went to check on the gun registration.
  
  The record came up and stated that Alberto had taken multiple classes including the required one on firearm safety. The camouflage-clad clerk told him that it would be nearly impossible to have a licence granted without that course, confirming what Juan had said in the office.
  
• That evening Susanna prepared tacos for dinner as Juan explained he would not be doing a strip joint crawl that evening because the girl he needed to talk to would not be reporting for duty for a week. She mentioned Fernanda and he immediately went out to invite her in for dinner. [Juan needs to learn that with nice girls like Fernanda last-minute invitations are simply not done.]
  
  
  
• Alejandra met with her client in the hotel lobby. He explained that his son was asleep because he had been exhausted the day before. Her client asked about his ex-wife and Alejandra told him she would see her the next day and be very firm with her. She would make it clear that violation of the agreement would land her in jail and that the law would deal very strictly with her. He was still concerned but she told him not to worry. He wished her goodnight and went up to bed.
  
  
  Ricardo called her and asked how things were going. She told him that all was well so far and he said he always had confidence in her. He was hoping they could celebrate this when she returned. She was, too. Both hung up smiling.
  
• Juan described his meeting with Alonso to Susanna and Fernanda but also that he was concerned that he would be unsuccessful in his latest investigation; nobody was sure when Tatiana would return to work. Fernanda expressed her confidence in him. Sussana didn't say so but she looked confident at the possibility of something happening between Juan and Fernanda.
  
  
  
• The following morning Alejandra met with Marcela, her client's ex-wife. She asked about her son because she wanted to see him but Alejandra told her that this situation was precarious. Her ex-husband had won custody and she had violated the custody order by taking the boy out of the city. She could go to prison for that. Marcela began to panic and Alejandra kept her cool. She handed her an agreement to read and sign. Marcela got nasty, refusing to apologize, and saying she had the right to see her son. Alejandra told her calmly that she was no position to negotiate. The judge's decision had been to award custody to her ex-husband and she had to adhere to the terms of the agreement. Marcela's reply? “A mother's love can't be measure in money.” [Tell that to Daniel and Maleny Sántibañez, Alejandro Creel, the Elizondo sisters, and a whole host of others too long to mention here.] Alejandra told her that she understood bcause her own parents were divorced but that they needed to come to agreements to go on. She handed her the pen and told her that she would see her son if she adhered to the agreement. Finally she signed.
  
  
  
• Carlos visited El Ciego in the prison. The man's greeting was embarrassing but he sat down to discuss the current situation. He told him that he got Martínez to agree to a settlement. El Ciego was pleased, saying he would pay him extra for this. Carlos looked a little nervous.
• Alejandra came out of the office with the signed agreement. Her client said he never thought it would come to this, but Alejandra said he shouldn't have to worry. Marcela appeared from behind her ex and called her son, who was startled.
  
  She then hugged him. Brian was concerned about his mother being alone but she said she would be alright. He hugged her back. She told him she was looking for a job and a place to live and wanted to be “a better person to you.” Marcela then apologized to her ex and thanked Alejandra. She left. Alejandra looked relieved as she wrapped up this case.
  
  
  
• Roberto visited Alberto Albudin to enquire about the firearms courses. He asked how anyone who had taken the course in safety would allow a bullet to escape like this. Alberto was concealing his reaction as he said “I was careless. It was an accident.”
  “I'm not an idiot,” Roberto said, sitting in front of him. “A bullet right into the heart? One has to have major motives for doing this.”
  “That's not true.”
  “I know that Ramón tried taking your business and above all, that he was your wife's lover. Doesn't that sound like sufficient motive for doing this to him?”
  “You're insane. You are insane.”
  
  He got up and grabbed Roberto by the arm. “Get out of my house.” He started dragging him out. Roberto resisted and got out of his grasp.
  “You planned this. You used me. You used me to get away with murder. You will pay for this.”
  “What are you going to do? I was declared innocent.”
  “You deceived me. You deceived me to get off scot free.”
  “Roberto, forget about this.” He poured himself a drink. “Now.”
  “You know what's the worst, Alberto? Knowing that you are a killer. I won't let you go unpunished.”
  “I don't understand.” Alberto put his drink down and sat down. “I'm the victim here. Ramón was my friend. That wretch was a traitor! He boinked my wife in my bed. I heard them!”
  “That is no justification for killing anyone!”
  “I only got justice. He stole my golddigging wife and tried to take my business!”
  “I'm not going to allow Fanny to lose her husband's share of the business.”
  “Roberto, you better leave things as they are.”
  “I only want to know one thing: Why did you seek me out? Why didn't you get another lawyer?”
  “You got Carlos Ibarra free in spite of everything he did. I knew you could help. You. My friend.”
  “You are a wretch!”
  “You knew everything. There is nothing you can do.”
  “You are very, very mistaken,” Roberto said with a smile. “I have recourses in the law that you don't know about. I will employ all of them to see that you pay for your crime.”
  He left. Alberto felt like destroying something, but didn't follow through with it.
  
  
  
• Augustín arrived at Gustavo's office to the news that the next day would be their next court date. Gustavo was sure things would go well because they were well-prepared despite Lorenza's earlier histrionics.
  
  
  
• Benjamín met his new client in a restaurant. He explained he needed to examine her accounting files before going to court. She handed him a transfile box hat didn't look completely full [most of the records must have been on flash drives or disks]. He explained he had to study everything in order to disprove the pending charges against her. She looked nervous. He told her this can be disproven “if you know how” which can prove that his concept of ethical, fair, and truth is very flexible. He then told her that the first part of his fee is 120,000 pesos ($6,373 in today's US dollars). She was shocked but he gave her the song and dance about the time and effort needed to get the matter resolved. She did not look happy.
  
  
  
• Ricardo confided to Leonardo that he was worried about Joel, whose children wanted him out of what had just become “their” house. He had been hoping that they would see reason and allow him to live there the rest of his days but he was concerned that they would evict them. He had offered to let them live with him but Joel had declined it. He couldn't imagine his own children doing this to him. Leonardo asked about them and he said that his relationship with them was better than ever. As for Elena, she had calmed down. However, his tone of voice showed more than a slight hint of doubt.
• Benjamín's client hesitated, saying that this was a lot of money. He then said that he wouldn't take her case if she didn't trust him. She was looking to stay out of jail and needed results quickly. He told her that he could do it and she began writing the check. Directly to him.
  
  
  
• Roberto returned to the office and told the guys that Alberto confessed. “...and I'm an idiot.” Ricardo and Leonardo tried to tell him to calm down because everyone makes mistakes. Ricardo told him that if he found sufficient proof another lawyer could present it. Roberto said that first Gustavo would need to find the way to dissolve Alberto's company so Fanny could have her fair share. That was the least he was looking for.
  
  
  
• Juan went to the police station with coffee for the medical examiner. He pressed him one more time for the pathology report which was still not ready. The man asked him not to hang out and Juan said he would take a walk.
  
  
  
• Roberto brought Fanny to Gustavo's office and introduced them. After they sat down he told Fanny that Alberto knew about the adultery. She looked horrified, probably because she knew what that meant.
  

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