Caray, Caray!

Episode #19
    Noé goes with the police quietly. The ladies are very agitated.
    Ren is still in the garden with Santi. She’s sure Mariela means nothing to Alonso (as Santi hinted) and if she did, Ren will just snap her fingers and she’s gone. Oh, says Santi, sort of the way she did with him?
    Leo is trying to find some inspiration for his next project, but is called home to help out with the latest crisis.
    Karla urges her adult son to not get involved with that tal Mariela. He should know she’s bad news and bad news travels fast around town (especially if Karla is driving the train). Liso laughs at her proposition and blows her off, even after hearing that Mari slapped his sister a little while ago. It was all because Flo told Mari to keep her hands off her boyfriend. Liso is very skeptical. When Mari calls, Liso answers, to the consternation of his mother.

    Sara interviews mousy, insecure Elena as replacement cook for Amalia. (I bet that won’t last long.) Sara remembers her working at the Moliners. Yes she had.
    Denise is going over the contract for the Puebla statue with the man offering Leo the commission.
    Everyone is heading for the police station. Denise wants to join them. Mari tells her no. Leo backs her up. He does allow her to set up the studio so he can get right to work. She’s miffed (again). When she sneaks a look at Leo’s portfolio of sketches, her thermostat rises. They are all of Mariela. In the studio she sees the sculpture of a lady who looks nothing like Mariela (or Lucía) and studies it.
    Dem comes to the jail to lord it over Noé. Dem dismisses his protestations of innocence. He has proof of the theft.
    Lety gets a bit strident with the police official when they learn the bail hearing won’t be until the next day. Liso arrives before anyone can get thrown out.
    Dem takes Al for a ride—around the golf course. He pours his praise over him, including his choice of Renata—not like his good-for-nothing brother. Al defends Santi from Dem's put-downs. Dem says juarever, it’s just that he and Al are more alike, he understands him better. Then he goes back to the Renata theme. He’s sure she’ll make a great wife. Whoa! Al’s not ready for that step.
    Liso has done everything he could at the station. Noé stays in jail. Lety and Amalia decide to stay put. Leo, Mari and Carmen go home. Before she leaves, though, she gives the official a piece of her mind regarding Demián Ferrer’s various transgressions they never investigated. Liso steps up to stop her. Leo steps up to stop Liso from stopping Mari and takes her away.
    Dem bamboozles Ren into agreeing to let him “help” make her inheritance nest egg grow. Since, he assumes, she knows nothing about finances, he puts himself forward as her financial advisor—after she signs a power of attorney, if that suits her.
    The trio from the police station arrive back home. Denise is armed and ready to fire. Her trajectory is straight at Leo’s heart. She accuses him of being totally in love with Mariela and that’s why he hasn’t been able to concentrate or be productive and why he doesn’t want her in his house. Everyone is stunned by that volley. Leo tells her she’s out of line. If that’s why she came, it’s better she leave. Denise and her big red lips sink down on the couch, somewhat ashamed that things didn’t go her way.
    Upstairs, Mari thinks Denise is crazy. Carmen notes that people see what they want to see and come to wrong conclusions. Especially since these May-December relationships are ok. Mari says it’s not ok since that man has been taking care of her since she was a child. Well, Carmen says, suppose for a moment that it’s true what Denise said. What could happen? That stops Mari short. She’s never seen Leo either as a traditional father or a man she’d be interested in. Besides, that kernel came from that nut Denise, not Leo.
    Amalia gets to see Noé through the bars. Lety went to see Fr. Dan. They have a lawyer. Noé hopes Liso isn’t like his pa – taking Demián’s side. Noé tells her how Dem came to see him and said he was in jail for not keeping his mouth shut. He *doesn’t* tell her he also threatened Lety and Amalia.
    Lety’s story riles up Fr. Daniel.
    Liso, Lety and Amalia return home without Noé, but tomorrow Liso hopes to get him out on bail. Liso and Mari sittin’ on the couch, but no k-i-s-s-i-n-g. Liso asks if there is someone else. Mari says definitely not, but she’s also not looking. He’s moving a little fast. Can’t they just be friends?
    Renata, our poisonous spider asks advice of the scorpion. Ren is all coy, explaining that Santi is angry with her for going out with Al and she doesn’t want to be blamed for any rancor. Rafie enjoys the moment, but isn’t fooled by Renata’s story that she never had anything to do with Santi, nor did she lead him on—unless he misinterpreted her behavior (wow—what a whopper). Rafie is sure Santi is jealous. But what exactly does Ren want her to do? Well, Ren doesn’t want Santi to interfere with her and Al. Rafie reminds her the bros are very close, although in matters of the heart, who knows. She promises to stop Santi from interfering.
    Lety assumes the fault for Noé’s predicament is hers, all because Dem tried to rape her. Amalia cautions her that they are not to talk about that. (It’s too late to put that tequila back in the bottle.)
    Carmen is telling Leo that things could get more intense and perhaps Denise should go stay in a hotel. He and Mariela would be able to relax and be more comfortable. As she exits, Denise approaches. She wants to go in Leo’s room, but Carmen suggests she leave Leo alone for now. Whatever her intentions are with Leo, the worst thing she can do is to attack Mariela.
    Fr. Dan opens both doors to Dem’s home office and stands there like the Angry Avenger. His visit couldn’t be much more transparent. He accuses Dem, at the top of his lungs about Noé and those charges. Dem fulminates. Then he hauls off and hits his brother, sending him reeling. Dan does not hesitate and hits him back. These are not 6-year-olds in a schoolyard fight. It takes Sara to intervene and stop the fray. She takes Dan outside to talk. Fortunately the two walk away from the house so Dem can’t hear standing by the open French doors.
    Al is out in the darkened garden. He’s thinking, we think. We can’t really tell, but we can be pretty sure Mari is rolling around in his head. Ren finds him and, emboldened by what she believes is their solid relationship, starts doing kissy-face and neck-fondling. Sara comes upon them and takes him away to talk to him and his bro.
    Rog finds out Elena got a job with the Ferrers. He says he doesn’t like her around where she can spy on him. All Elena wants to do is cook. All he wants is for her to quit, or else.
    Next day, Santi and Al show up to be character witnesses for Noé. (It a good bet that is what abuela Sara wanted to talk to them about.) Our favorite police official says it won’t make any difference. There is evidence. He tells them about the fingerprints on the envelopes that held the money, a pen knife with Noé’s initials on them (what Rog probably picked up at the pension), and someone saw him there after work hours on the night of the theft. As soon as the official mentions Rogelio’s name, both young men react. Al says of course his fingerprints would be on the envelope, he’s the one that brings them to Demián. Santi says it would be stupid for him to commit the crime and leave all the incriminating evidence behind. The official says the only thing that would help is for Dem to withdraw the charges.
    Denise apologizes to Mari the next day. It’s better they not be enemies. Denise takes her to the studio and Mari takes another look at the sculpture. She notices the necklace with the heart pendant. Leo enters and starts to cover the sculpture of Luci. Mari asks him to wait a minute. She asks about the pendant. He says he never said anything to her because of the pain it caused.
    TNNSTL has a name—Seti Hidalgo. He’s come to see Ed and ask about a certain document that came from this office—the last will and testament of Don Manuel Salvatierra. Dum-de-dum-dum.
    On the way into the Halls of Justice, Mari runs into Santi and Al leaving. She informs Santi that his girlfriend is crazy. Flo gave her a g-force slap for seeing Santi. She wants him to explain to Flo that the two of them are *not* seeing each other. And of course, she hit her back. Oh, and by the way, she assumes they were there to help sink Noé deeper into the muck. Al says no, there were there to help him, but there is evidence against him. Mari asserts it was probably fabricated and accuses them of being no better than their father. Noé isn’t in jail for stealing money from Dem, he’s there so he won’t bring charges against Dem for abusing Lety. Caras de Impactadas de Santiago y Alonso.

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